5/5 stars! Holy Crap! What did I just read!?!?! In the BEST POSSIBLE WAY! I read James Islington's premiere trilogy and adored it. So I shouldn't be shocked at what a phenomenal story he wove in "The Will of the Many." This book is dark academia meets epic fantasy. This is the kind of book that you can't put down; one where, despite its length, you lose sleep to finish it without pause. My only issue is that now I have to wait for the sequel. Amazing work from an amazing author and I can't wait to see what's next.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

I applied for this ARC because I'd seen the author's books being frequently reccomended on tiktok with good reviews. While I usually read Romantasy over the grittier Fantasy books, this cover and blurb had me intrigued.

I am SO glad I got this ARC because this book had me hooked from the first sentence:

"I am dangling, and it is only my father’s blood-slicked grip around my wrist that stops me from falling."

So, my palms are already sweating now, thank you. This adrenaline-fueled feeling does not fade. This book is action-packed, immersive, and creative. I found myself invested the characters and truly concerned about their well-being. Islington's writing style and the pacing of the book make for an enjoyable & bingable experience.

Sometimes you just read a book and think 'Oh this one is going do well!' & I truly think that will be the case for this book.
This was my first book by this author and certainly won't be my last.
No pressure, but please release the next book asap as I need to know what happens next.

Ps- I do weekly book giveaways on my tiktok (@hauntedhousebooks) and will definitely be giving away a copy of this book close to release time in May to help promote it.

TYSM for the opportunity to be an ARC reader.

The Will of the Many was a wild ride of fast paced action-filled events from beginning to end. That's impressive considering its length. The story was often ridiculous and sometimes unbelievable, though that's what made it so fun. I was expecting it to be somewhat more serious, but it was enjoyable enough to where I could overlook my concerns.

Three-hundred years ago the Cataclysm wiped out 95% of the world population. Over time technologies were rediscovered from the ruins, the foremost among them being the Aurora Columnae, which allow for the usage of Will. I wouldn't describe Will as magic or psionics, but rather more like a technological substitute that also grants the same set of superhuman enhancements. The Catenan Republic, an Ancient Rome stand-in, uses Will to form a world government, or close enough anyway. Their rule, and Will itself, is literally powered by the subjugation and oppression of its citizenry. To me this book had much to say about our times, though I felt there was a mixed message between its statements and actions, so I'll reserve judgment until the series has concluded.

Vis, the seventeen year old protagonist, was a prince whose nation was conquered and family was slaughtered three years ago. He's overcome by rage and usually solves his problems through berserk violence, but not always. He refuses Will and therefore society in general, as his dream is to one day escape Hierarchy and live where exploitation isn't omnipresent. Multiple parties have his life planned out for him and he doesn't have a say in the matter, which made it feel more plot than character driven.

If you've read the synopsis, you may be thinking this is an Academy Novel, so it may surprise you that Vis doesn't enroll into the Academy until later than you may expect. A lot happens before that, and I felt that the academy was more where he was much of the time, rather than necessarily what it was about. Vis does interact with many of his classmates, though mostly only a few in-depth, there's a bit of romance, and there are various activities both on and off campus. Personal Will usage isn't allowed on campus, so there's less of it throughout the book than you might think there'd be.

This book has a scene that may become infamous and memorable and that could get a lot of people talking about it, but I don't know in what way. I thought an early fight scene would be as outrageous as it gets, but I was wrong. I considered not mentioning it, but it's probably what I'll remember the book the most for, and I don't know how to feel about that.

I will definitely be reading the next book, especially considering the astounding ending that if the author manages to do well, will be awesome, and also divisive. I may end up retroactively rating this five stars if the series overall delivers this level of sheer enjoyment. I await the glorious absurdities to come.