Review by mikagrace - The Will of the Many

mikagrace 's review for:

The Will of the Many by James Islington

3.0

adventurous tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

So, non-spoiler review: Vis reminds me so much of a Mary Sue, but you can't help but think that it works when you read the book. I wanted to dismiss the book as another modern fantasy story and DNF it, but the book draws you in. There's lots of world building and I need to see more of how everything is explained in the next book

~~Super~~ spoiler review:

Yes, Vis is quite frankly over-powered, startingly competent, and cocky. But when you learn that he's essentially well-trained because he was a prince, then an orphan, and is constantly surrounded by people who do not wish him well, you realize that this poor kid is basically stuck in fight-or-flight mode and is deeply traumatized. He becomes even more compelling as the book goes on, especially around Chapter 22 when we start to see the internal conflict that both opposing sides are putting him through. You could really see his age when the people he knows he should be able to trust show him that he can't.

My love for side characters also reigns supreme here. Eidhin, Callidus, Aequa and even Emissa. Love them, I want so desperatedly to know what makes them tick. But Callidus! His death was so quiet, but you could practically feel Vis's heartbreak and anger jump out at you. I should've known that, with all the death warnings we were getting, plus the fact that he literally told Vis a big part of his background, that he would die. I literally can't stop thinking about it, what a precious baby.

One last thing, I absolutely do not like Ulcisor. Can't explain why, I just didn't like him from the moment he was introduced. Oh well.

Content Warnings