Book Review: The Will of the Many by James Islington

I don’t take enough time to write book reviews, but this one warranted it! Check out my thoughts on The Will of the Many by James Islington below. Then do yourself a favor and pick it up! If you like my books, I don’t see how you wouldn’t enjoy this one.

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The Will of the Many by James Islington well deserves its accolades. Electric from beginning to end, it easily ranks among my favorite reads of the year.

Let's back up a step. Many were probably introduced to James Islington via his Licanius series. While I gave it the good college try and saw plenty of potential in the story and world, the writing and characters weren't strong enough for me to want to continue.

Those aren't problems here. Vis is a fully-realized, living-and-breathing protagonist. He's likable and sympathetic, but with plenty of sharp edges. He's smart and makes the right decisions 99% of the time, so when his temper or rebelliousness gets him in trouble, you don't rail at the author, but lament it as inevitable.

The plot had elements of predictability - it's an academy book, after all - but paired with enough questions of "how" Vis would advance and mysteries in the greater plot that it added necessary structure rather than felt formulaic.

Given the components of the book - a young protagonist, an academy setting - this could have easily verged into the young adult genre, which isn't my personal preference. Islington, fortunately, steers us far clear of that. Sure, there's some first romances teased, but the stakes of the school, the maturity of the students, and the quality of the writing firmly establishes it as adult fantasy.

And how about that first-person present tense? You don't see that often in epic fantasy, and yet it works so fluidly that I never noticed it.

We can’t forget about the worldbuilding! The Roman setting wasn’t just window dressing - it permeated every fabric of society and how people acted. It was even the very makeup of the magic system, which revolves around “Will.” And what a fascinating system it is, managing to be have the rigor of a hard magic system while retaining the wonder of soft magic. I’m excited to learn more about what we can, especially after that killer (if initially confusing) epilogue!

The Will of the Many also achieves what few books do: a complex social commentary that never feels heavy-handed or preachy. Both sides in this war - rebels and empire - have hands stained with blood. That Vis vacillates between sympathizing with each felt entirely moral and believable. There is no right side to pick, and the way he’s swaying by the end felt like the most justifiable given his circumstances.

I could prattle on for longer, but suffice to say, if the sequels are as good, Hierarchy may become an all-time favorite series. Islington can count on one more fan eagerly awaiting the next book!