The Will of the Many
Ratings370
Average rating4.5
4.5⭐s. The Will of the Many was a fantastic start to the Hierarchy series.
I really enjoyed the world building, academy setting, and magic system. Fun action scenes with humor and mystery intermixed within plots upon plots upon plots.
From my previous read of the Licanious Trilogy, I know Islington is preparing us for some mind bending twists down the line. I'm here for it and ready for the next installment.
Stronger Together
Will defo get back to this cause I loved what I read, I am simply slumping and not in the mood for fantasy (tragic, I know)
This is a fantasy novel composed of pieces carved from other, better fantasy novels. There's nothing new here, not even really a different take on something familiar - it's just all stuff you've seen before. This also makes it very predictable. On the plus side, solid pacing and the writing itself isn't bad. So... Can't really recommend it, but it's not the worst book to pick up.
A really strong sophomore effort from Islington. An exciting, page-turning mystery with his typical mad plot twists and intricacies. Highly recommended for all fans of fantasy and dystopian fiction.
Wow this book was awesome I just couldn't stop I loved every character the story telling I love the atmosphere I loved everything
FIVE GLORIOUS STARS.
James Islington HOW DARE YOU?
Red Rising is my favorite book series of all time. So naturally I started this with a firm comparison in my mind.
It started angsty and angry. And then grew. Then characters, reveals, surprises, expected happenings, the Academy. Everything.
It was SO GOOD.
This is the first book I've read with my new and first Kindle, and what a way to break that thing in.
WHERE IS THE SECOND BOOK?
I read a completely different book than everyone else. Weirdly enough, I liked the shadow of what was lost better than this. This was too reminiscent of Awakening magic in Warbreaker, and Red Rising but I loved both those books.
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.
Fast paced, very little exposition, steadily trickles the lore, tense and mysterious, good characters. Main character is definitely a Gary Stu with seemingly infinite energy when needed, but it keeps the book moving!
My favorite sci-fantasy book I've read since Red Rising - they both have page-turning pace.
Fun, twisty book, went by quick and left me pretty sure I'll read the sequel.
The world building, especially as we learn more, was definitely my favorite part. There's a lot of mystery and plenty of unanswered questions, without feeling like this was just a setup for another book.
The main character is a little too “best at everything”, breaking immersion a little. Would have been nice for him to fail a little more often and have to rely on other people. The individualistic theme it evokes gives the book a little of a hero-worship feeling. The big bad establishment gets accused of loving heroes, but I can't help but feel like the author does too.
The Will of the Many was textbook entertaining fantasy. It’s fast-paced, easy to digest, and has enough magic and politics to keep it interesting without going too much in depth. I also thought Vis was a strong narrator and I liked his emotional/intellectual depth, where I struggled with him was that he was just too overpowered. I recognize that he’s meant to be talented and have trained for a long time, but the fact that everywhere he goes he instantly is the best without really having to try too hard was frustrating. I feel like I’m leaving the book with a lot of unanswered questions, but it’s set up well to answer those and go beyond in the next book, which I will certainly be reading when it comes out next year.
A long book, but a very gripping one. It is a strange land governed by strange rules and practices and strange powers. It is complicated, yet interesting. There is a lot of politics, which I usually detest, but not so much in this case. A great book overall, I will definitely continue reading this series.
I enjoyed this, the story had some good twists, and sets it up well for a sequel. However, I found most of the characters difficult to care about, with the main character filling the Gary Stu trope.
Easily one of the best fantasy books I've read in a long time. I seriously can't wait for the next book in the series. Great characters combined with a killer world and tense story made this a book I didn't want to ever put down. Also I have to give credit to the voice actor for this book who did an amazing job distinguishing the characters and adding emotion and emphasis to tense scenes. Can't wait to recommend this book to others!
Any of my friends reading this update, I know it's big, but damn it is worth it.
The Will of the Many is the fantastic start to a fantasy series from James Islington, author of the Licanius Trilogy. Set in the Roman-inspired Catenan Republic, an orphan harboring no love for the nation stemming from a dangerous secret, is adopted by a Senator to investigate a mysterious death at the country's most elite academy. Vis is quickly tangled in a web of conspiracies and mysteries that play out in a way you have to read to believe. On the outset, this book seems extremely similar to Pierce Brown's Red Rising, but despite the parallels Islington crafts a story that diverges from Brown's work (or at least the first three books that I've read) in significant ways, creating a wholly unique and captivating fantasy experience. Excellent character development, shocking plot twists, and good world building. Readers will be left with many questions, but it's a brilliant ride that left me eager for a sequel.
Kid Sent Off to Magical Fantasy School could be a genre all its own, and The Will of the Many struggles from that trope and from that same kid being coincidentally good at all the things, but the writing and characters are interesting enough that you can forgive it for it's similarities to other works.
My largest criticism is that the whole Magic system of this world is kind of hand-wavey and poorly explained, but it's also explained enough that it works in the broader sense even if it's confusing if you think about it too long.
Regardless, the book works. I am left dying to know when the sequel will come out and I am excited to see where things go and perhaps most importantly I am rooting for the main character. All in all a really thrilling fantasy adventure. That the culture is modeled on the Roman Empire is only icing on the cake, since men think about it every day anyway. Looking forward to more from Islington.
This god damned book!
Islington dove into my heart, carved out what I most like in and a book, spit out the will of the many,
This book is incredible! I can find no faults with this book. I was put under a spell and couldn't put it down.
I love Vis as a mc, he is comeplling, reminds me a lot of fitzchilarly Farseer,
The plot look some turns I loved and didn't always expect. The friendships in this l adored! Its not quite found family but close!
And the magic system! People can take will from others.
everything about this book is fascinating and perfect. Need book 2!
This has elements of the farseer trilogy, critical role calamity triwizad tournament, and Brandon Sanderson
A definite must read!
I finished this book a few weeks ago and I still cannot stop thinking about it... Wow!
What I liked:
- Pacing: It is fairly long but it kept my attention the whole time.
- Magic system: I think it's a fascinating concept that we just got a glimpse of in book 1.
- Ending: I need book 2 now, I keep thinking of the possibilities of what happened at the end.
Minor complaint: There are times when it feels like the MC can do no wrong. I would love to see a little more character flaw in the books to come.
Overall, I would recommend this book to any SFF reader. Really well done and I can't wait for the rest of the series!
this book was really good! I especially liked the pacing. Even though the book is long it didn’t feel like it dragged in many areas. The magic system is easy to understand but interesting, and the character development is very strong. Looking forward to the next book!