Another book with lots of high ratings and reviews already. This author writes well and I stayed engaged. The author has a great imagination and puts on the page well.

I really appreciate the free copy for review!!

Holy hell! This story was awesome! I really loved the dark academia and epic fantasy vibes. It had a Red Rising feel to it, combined with some dystopian Hunger Games similarities, yet this book definitely was its own thing. It wasn't a ripoff of anything that I've read before. Very original in execution and the way the author manipulated familiar tropes. The characters were incredible, which is so important to me as a character-focused reader. I loved so many of them and really hated others! Islington did a great job of bringing his characters to life. And just when I thought I had this story figured out, he twisted the entire plot into something that was really cool but totally unexpected, at least for me, and it really blew my mind. This book was amazing and I highly recommend it!

Thanks to Netgalley and Saga for providing an eARC copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book - it has been a long time since I've read a fantasy book that is involving on so many levels! The issues presented are complex, with no clear "correct" choice. The characters are multi-dimensional and involving - and the issues of trust, loyalty, friendship and ambition are all portrayed so well. The magic system (at least so far) is interesting, especially given the moral dilemmas it presents. I'm extremely sad to be done - so far this is my favorite book of the year.

4.5 stars

I was looking forward to trying the new Islington book since I was a big fan of his previous Licanious trilogy, but I was a bit nervous as I'm not typically a fan of the school trope and it sounded like we'd have a lot of that hear. I was very pleased to find myself greatly enjoying this one and to see that Islington put his own twists on many of the otherwise familiar elements.

The main character Via, Prince of a conquered kingdom, is now an orphan in the vast Catenan Empire under the Hierarchy who have conquered all the surrounding lands. This serves as a Roman Empire type of analogue and many aspects of the empire and the words used follow this Roman theme. This includes the rankings of people where the lowest classes are required to give up half of their Will to the higher classes, so on and so forth to the very top. Vis is determined not to give in, and finds himself drawn into others' plans and conpiracies while searching for a way out.

While I really enjoyed Licanius, it's so very clear that Islington has grown quite a lot as an author. The prose is stronger, the characters and dialogue are stronger, and the book overall holds a very clear and strong storytelling style. This is a first person narrative and and I think this works out very well as we find out more when the character finds out more, but are also given a certain set of assumptions from the character, and don't always know what to actually believe about certain other characters or events.

For such a long book (James Islington does not seem capable of writing a short one), the pacing actaully feels very fast. The book gets off to a bit of a slow part, but the last two thirds just fly by. The book follow a three act format for the most part and it does so very effectively. The first part gets the world and characters established, the second part is where we focus more on the school portion, and the third part is where the big picture starts to really become clearer.

As for the school portion of the book, and on the topic of tropes in general, Islington does a great job using some tropes but also doing very different things with other tropes. There are some scenes especially early on where you are presented with a situation, you think you know right where it's going, but instead the character reacts in a different way (and in ways very much in line with how they are built as a character. There are still some of the expected tropes, and there was at least one aspect of the story I wasn't a fan of involving a certain character (though I understand why the author chose to do it the way he did), but overall he does a great job subverting many other tropes.

This is a strong debut for a series with a very different feel than his last one, and I'm very excited to continue! The ending will definitely leave you very much wanting to know what happens next!

3.5
I may be in the minority of enjoyment for this book. I am giving it a middle line but that does not mean I did not enjoy it. I felt for a chunky book it worked well for YA and for adult and it read fast.
pros:
I enjoyed the world building having a Roman type setting.
I liked the hieracrachy. It is a colonizing empire and made a lot of sense for the story.
The magic in the story actually points out how it would effect the world.
The people in the story very much feel like regular people you would encounter even the villans.
I felt this book like in a couple others i have read lately use a top down system. The top takes from the bottom to feed themselves and stay in power without giving back.
cons:
My biggest con i felt was the story was in its use of tropes it "tells" instead of "shows" . by that i mean i dont feel i am inside the story living it but on the outside just kinda being told the actions. I wanted more depth to "feel" and "live" in the story. I wanted to feel what it is like being in that world. There were some parts of the book that gave me a little of that like the spooky cave area with the red eyed man i could feel the environment but still was just told he made it through the level after. I would have liked more interest in scenes instead of just they battled and he won kind of thing.
Overall I did enjoy the book and liked how real life elements and tropes were used in the book but for me they were also used a little much and i wanted to be in the story more and feel it. I keep it at a middle 3.5 and hope as the story continues it keeps getting better. Happy I got the oppurtunity to read it. Give it a try.

My library has purchased this book for lending, and will be putting it on the shelf as soon as possible.

The content of this book is most definitely worth reading. I liked the worldbuilding and the first opening section gets you hooked immediately. However, I was unable to fully enjoy the story and get into the plot due to the formatting of the copy I was given. I hope the e-book version is more accessible for future readers.

A very very full new world of wonders, ranging from strange seemingly old magic, Will to a more classical Roman structure of the world it was a fun and wild time exploring it. I was most impressed with how many plot threads there were and how they didn't ever seem to drop, we got answers, or promises of answers for nearly everything that I had questions about. I am eager to see where this series will go.

I do not give 5-star reviews often, but I didn't think about it twice after finishing "The Will of the Many." This novel is my only contender for the best book of 2023 and one of the best books I have read in a while. It is so good, I would be *shocked* if, after release, it did not become a beloved classic in the vein of the "Red Rising Saga," "The Song of Ice and Fire," or "The Name of the Wind." It is, simply, succinctly, that damn good, nay, perfect. It is undeniably an introduction to new exceptional sci-fi/fantasy series.

I did not read the "Licanius Trilogy" - an oversight that I will remedy shortly - so I did not have any preconceived expectations for "Will." The ARC was offered to me, and having read the blurb announcing the novel, I immediately accepted it as a magic school setting is simply irresistible to me. It also made me think of the "Red Rising Saga" by Pierce Brown, which is one of my favorite series.

The similarities with "Red Rising" are inescapable. Both books share the overall premise and world-building. If you also love the magical academy setting and trope, as well as Roman-inspired epic fantasy, then this book is definitely for you. The masterfully plotted story is driven by the main character, Vis. In fact, the story is very tightly focused on Vis, a 17-year-old protagonist, a de facto prince in hiding, whose traumatic past often leads him to be overcome by rage and turn to violence to address his problems.

Here is the setting of "The Will of the Many": about 300 years ago a mysterious Cataclysm wiped out over 90% of the world's population. Since then, advance technologies have been uncovered in the ruins, most importantly the Aurora Columnae, which allow for the usage of the titular Will, a process I can best describe as the ability to drain people's energy in order to obtain superhuman enhancements. The survivors of the cataclysm (called the Catenan Republic, an Ancient Rome stand-in) use Will to form a government, referred to as the Hierarchy. The higher placed you are in this Hierarchy, the more Will you sap from those below you, and the more powerful you are. In other words, the Hierarchy is quite literally powered by the oppression of humans.

The Hierarchy's hunger for more supply of Will causes its drive to conquer and subjugate all independent nations. Vis's home country is the last to fall. He witnesses the slaughter of his family, but manages to escape, living under an assumed identity and steadfastly refusing to use or give Will. Before long, however, his singular talents are recognized by one of the Hierarchy's high-placed patricians, who adopts Vis formally, and places him in the Academy, for his own personal (selfish) reasons.

Over the course of the novel Vis undergoes rigorous training transforming him into a highly skilled fighter, quick-thinking and resourceful. His one weakness is the rage that he has trouble controlling, fury that can easily be his downfall. To his credit, Vis never comes across as a victim despite being used, time and again, by various people placed within - and adjacent to - the Hierarchy, most notably his adoptive father. Even the novel's equivalent of the Resistance use him for their own goals. Yet Vis pushes through, and, as the novel progresses, alters his goals - from trying to simply find a way to escape the Hierarchy, to attempt to destroy it. Along the way, he forms unlikeliest of friendships.

The plot is a stunner, the pacing is unrelenting, and, overall, it is a much darker novel that you would expect. The final two chapters will blow your mind, and reset a lot of expectations about where this series is going. One thing seems a safe bet - the mysteries of the Cataclysm will definitely be explored further. I am here for all of it.

Orphan Vis Telesmus is accepted to Catenan Republic's prestigious academy, but things aren't what they seem. He was sent there to solve a murder and find a weapon that can bring down the Republic that led to his parents' execution. In order to do so, Vis must advance in the ranks and be liked; if anyone finds out the truth or he is no longer useful to those who know who he really is, he'll be killed.

This is book one of the Hierarchy Trilogy. It very much feels influenced by early Roman Empire history. Here, the Hierarchy is the way the Catenan people have their lives organized. It's tier based, with a portion of their Will bequeathed to the higher ranked person they're beholden to. Above particular ranks, that can translate Tonto the power to imbue their bodies or objects with special powers, giving them greater command over the population and prestige in the kingdom. Vis was born a prince of a neighboring country swallowed up by the Catenan Republic, and he starts off trying to avoid all notice and "donating" his Will. It's not enough, as he's noticed by Ulciscor Telesmus, a highly ranked Senator sure his brother's suicide was actually a murder. The balance between the Senate, Religious and Military arms of the government is likely to destabilize soon, as there aren't more lands to conquer, and there's a group determined to bring an end to the Republic.

Vis is found, adopted, and trained for the Academy in the first part of the book, but his trials don't end there. Even in the Academy there's social jockeying, politics and the secrecy around the nearby ruins that could contain technology or weapons from the pre-Cataclysm age that the current population can't replicate. In other words, layers of conspiracy spanning the different branches of government, prejudice against conquered people, and a desperate bid to ensure that his true identity isn't discovered. He's clever, but easily angered and not privy to all the secrets around him. As the book progresses and there are more trials ahead, he does temper some of that anger. The final section of the book is stressful, horrifying in places, and heartbreaking. Then comes a twist that had my jaw drop, which is the perfect way to get someone wanting the next book. This was a very layered and incredibly detailed, and I can't wait for the next one!

This book wasn't for me. I felt like there was a lot going on that I just didn't understand, and I just couldn't stay interested in what was happening.

Magic, politics, intensive world building and a layered mystery all made this book a favorite. Numerous twists and turns kept the plotline interesting. The pacing was fast with lots of action and darkness. For the first book in a series I'd say this was a homerun. Find a copy to preorder immediately. Fans of long epic fantasy will love it and so did I.

A new fantasy series about an orphan who infiltrates the organization responsible for his parents' death. Fans of sci-fi and fantasy should enjoy this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery/Saga Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a gem of a book! This book is going to rock the world in 2023 and continue to rock it. What a great story.

This book is phenomenal. It grabs you from the first page and personally I felt it was hard to put down. The descriptions of the environment in particular sticks out to me, it made it easy to understand and feel like I was right there.

Magic-based political power system. Training and academic settings. Conquered kingdoms and questionable morals. Friends and enemies and frenemies. Murder mystery and spy plots. Ancient civilizations and hidden weapons. Terrorism and assassination. Blood and gore. Roman undertone.

There are a lot of threads here. Each one is one I love in a novel. But I was hesitant, at first, when getting bits and pieces of each. I worried it was too much, and that some parts felt like completely separate novels. But even so, each scene was engaging, sometimes heart-pumping or endearing or tragic. So even if I felt a bit of whiplash with the weaving of the two main threads (uncovering information involving a murder, and training to rise at the academy), I kept reading because it was all fascinating.

And it paid off in dividends. The way it all comes together in the last few chapters... (chef's kiss)
I couldn't put it down, and I'm a bit upset I'll likely have to wait a while for the next installment (considering I received this as an arc from NetGalley and the publisher pre-release).

So if you are willing to trust that the many plotlines will weave together beautifully and that you will get <i>some</i> answers (hey, we need the suspense to want to read the next one, but these answers are satisfying for now), then do yourself a favor and pick up this riveting piece of fantasy by a masterful author.

Well, I tell ya, this is one super long book. Perfect for readers who love fantasy world building. With gore. Lots of getting poked with obsidian knives. No, more like getting pinned to a wall with obsidian shards. People are bleeding all over the place and losing their eyeballs. Speaking of eyeballs, there was a lot of eyeball rolling, and smirking. Fantastical story, lots of amazing things happening, but the characters are all smirking and eyeball rolling like all of the other characters in YA books.

But, despite my personal weariness of smirking and eyeball rolling, I did like, and felt like I got to know the characters. Vis, the protagonist, goes through a hell of a lot for only being seventeen. Sometimes it seemed like a little much. He should have died about a dozen times or at the least, have brain damage. Like all good heroes, he keeps plugging along.

Something was a little weird. They have sappers (tables that suck the will out of unfortunates) transports that fly through the sky for hundreds of miles, trackers that can show them where anybody is at, yet they're still writing with a stylus on wax tablets and lighting oil lamps. They can transport through the air, move walls with stone push buttons but they haven't discovered electricity!

I sound like I'm complaining but I actually liked the book (except for the smirking and eyeball rolling.) Lots of action, lots of desperate situations, good friendships and a whole bunch of stabbings. And the world building is excellent.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Saga Press for allowing me to read and review The Will of the many. Oh, and it's set up for a sequel.

CONTENT WARNING: blood, violence, gore, murder, suicide, bullying, grief, harm to an animal

I’ve been on a big fantasy kick lately, so when I started this book, I wasn’t quite sure if it would live up to all the other amazing reads I’ve finished recently. However, I had nothing to worry about, because this book turned out to be one of the most incredible reads I’ve found lately. It’s kind of like what I’d expect from Red Rising if it was set in a fantasy world instead of in space.

The story is told through the eyes of a 17 year old boy, Vis. He’s an orphan who hates the Catenan Republic and the Hierarchy and everything it stands for, but is trapped by it. The world building in this story is so creative and unique, and it speaks to Islington’s talent—despite how much information is shared, he never info-dumps and always presents the information in bite-sized chunks that make it easy to understand and absorb as it arises. The entire Hierarchy depends on people ceding their Will to higher-ups in the pyramid, creating a corrupt system where the people at the top, with the most Will benefit, and the people at the bottom contribute the most and get the least out of it.

Vis is adopted by someone rather prominently placed in the Senate, from a well-known and distinguished family line. But once he’s adopted, he realizes that his adoptive father has an ulterior motive—to send Vis to the Academy to find answers about something he can’t find out in any other way. Vis also gets pulled into a resistance movement, not fully willing to join but unable to say no without experiencing damning consequences.

The complex layering of plot and subplots is incredibly engaging, leaving us wrong-footed as to who, if anyone, Vis can actually trust. Everyone seems to have their own agenda, both inside and outside of the Academy, and there’s dangers lurking around every corner. I loved seeing how Vis handled all of these situations, and trusted his own judgment in a world stacked against him.

It’s easy to empathize with Vis, and his journey is an emotional one. I loved the side characters, especially the ones that we got to know well over the course of the story. Their personalities are fleshed out well, and Islington did a great job of capturing the cliquey feeling of a school setting, especially one where competition is encouraged and it can get vicious, especially with the way these boundaries are maintained outside of the school setting with the different groups within the Senate.

The story is fast-paced. There’s plenty of action throughout the book, and more than a little scheming. Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen, I was shocked to realize that the story was going in a completely different direction, and I loved not being able to predict what was going to happen next. It left me constantly on the edge of my seat, and thinking about this book when I had to put it down. There’s a heavy Roman-inspired influence on the story, and I loved how it was incorporated into so many aspects of the story. It kept things feeling fresh and unique, and I can’t seem to find enough ways to rave about this book.

This is an absolute chonk of a book, clocking in at close to 700 pages. However, it never felt like it could have been shorter, I loved every single page, and I was disappointed when it came to an end. I didn’t fly through it at my usual fast pace, but that was because I wanted to take the story in and really savor it. There were so many twists and turns, and I think this is easily the highest gasp factor I’ve ever seen. And there’s a cliffhanger ending that left me desperate for the next book, even though this one isn’t even released for another month.

This book kept me up reading until 3am multiple times _even though_ I found the protag. frustrating.

There's so many aspects that I didn't love and yet The Will of the Many has STILL absolutely earned a full 5 stars, because it was really just that good.

(I'm looking forward to sleeping though)

I have mixed feelings about this book. It was pretty tough to get into for the first several chapters. It was pretty heavy on the world building, which makes sense with a high fantasy story, but I wish it was spread out a bit more and not so much right off the bat.

I do love the characters and the unique world created. The unique idea behind the hierarchy has me really intrigued.

I didnt like how long it took for Vis to enroll at Catenan Academy, I expected and wished we had gotten there sooner. The beginning just seemed to drag on until that point.