Sanibel
James Islington’s The Will of the Many tries to be a gripping fantasy filled with political intrigue, but in reality, it reads like unflattering YA—shallow, trope-ridden, and lacking the depth it desperately wants to have. While the book hints at grand, complex power struggles, it never quite grows into them, leaving behind a story that feels more surface-level than it should.
The story follows Vis Telimus, a young man with a tragic past who finds himself entangled in the power games of a Roman-inspired empire. Unfortunately, Vis is a painfully obvious male version of a Mary Sue— effortlessly skilled, impossibly cool, and endlessly brooding. He’s oh-so-tragic, oh-so-clever, and oh-so-annoying. Instead of feeling like a layered protagonist, he comes off as a character trying too hard to be edgy and mysterious, ticking off every trope: the lone survivor, the secret genius, the reluctant hero with a dark past.
The first half of the book drags. It’s slow, plodding, and filled with moments that feel more like setup than storytelling. The world initially seems interesting, but the more the book reveals, the flatter and less immersive it becomes. There’s a distinct lack of depth, both in the setting and in the characters who inhabit it.
Things finally pick up when Vis joins the academy. More characters are introduced, and—frankly—I liked most of them far more than the protagonist. With a bigger cast, the story gains momentum, and the political maneuvering becomes at least somewhat engaging. But even then, it never quite shakes the feeling that it’s playing at being a serious political fantasy rather than actually delivering one.
Is The Will of the Many a bad book? No. It’s readable, even enjoyable in parts. But considering the hype surrounding it, I expected a stronger story, deeper worldbuilding, and better-drawn characters. Instead, I got a protagonist who grated on my nerves, a world that became less interesting the more I saw of it, and a book that took far too long to become engaging.
If you’re a fan of slow-burning political fantasy and don’t mind a protagonist who embodies every tortured-genius trope, you might enjoy this more than I did. But if you’re expecting a game-changer in the genre, temper your expectations. Maybe, in time, this series will grow into the political epic it wants to be. But right now, it feels more like a book pretending at depth rather than actually having it.
James Islington’s The Will of the Many tries to be a gripping fantasy filled with political intrigue, but in reality, it reads like unflattering YA—shallow, trope-ridden, and lacking the depth it desperately wants to have. While the book hints at grand, complex power struggles, it never quite grows into them, leaving behind a story that feels more surface-level than it should.
The story follows Vis Telimus, a young man with a tragic past who finds himself entangled in the power games of a Roman-inspired empire. Unfortunately, Vis is a painfully obvious male version of a Mary Sue— effortlessly skilled, impossibly cool, and endlessly brooding. He’s oh-so-tragic, oh-so-clever, and oh-so-annoying. Instead of feeling like a layered protagonist, he comes off as a character trying too hard to be edgy and mysterious, ticking off every trope: the lone survivor, the secret genius, the reluctant hero with a dark past.
The first half of the book drags. It’s slow, plodding, and filled with moments that feel more like setup than storytelling. The world initially seems interesting, but the more the book reveals, the flatter and less immersive it becomes. There’s a distinct lack of depth, both in the setting and in the characters who inhabit it.
Things finally pick up when Vis joins the academy. More characters are introduced, and—frankly—I liked most of them far more than the protagonist. With a bigger cast, the story gains momentum, and the political maneuvering becomes at least somewhat engaging. But even then, it never quite shakes the feeling that it’s playing at being a serious political fantasy rather than actually delivering one.
Is The Will of the Many a bad book? No. It’s readable, even enjoyable in parts. But considering the hype surrounding it, I expected a stronger story, deeper worldbuilding, and better-drawn characters. Instead, I got a protagonist who grated on my nerves, a world that became less interesting the more I saw of it, and a book that took far too long to become engaging.
If you’re a fan of slow-burning political fantasy and don’t mind a protagonist who embodies every tortured-genius trope, you might enjoy this more than I did. But if you’re expecting a game-changer in the genre, temper your expectations. Maybe, in time, this series will grow into the political epic it wants to be. But right now, it feels more like a book pretending at depth rather than actually having it.