The Will of The Many is the first book by James Islington I’ve read. The Licanius Trilogy has been on my TBR for some time but isn’t available through my library. I was very excited when I saw The Will of The Many on Libby. I’ve seen loads of great reviews for the Licanius Trilogy and more than a few for The Will of the Many on Bookstagram, so I only glanced at the blurb before adding it to my holds.
Book Information
Publisher: S&S/Saga Press
First Published: May 22 2023
Format: ebook
Source: Library
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Hierarchy #1
I couldn’t put the book down; the gripping narrative held me spellbound. I’d planned to do yardwork and listen to a different audiobook on Sunday, but there was too much smoke in the air to be outside. Luckily, I completed all my inside chores on Saturday so I could spend Sunday reading The Will of The Many. I was fully immersed in it and didn’t come up for air until I finished.
As I delved into the first few chapters, I learned that the protagonist, Vis, is under eighteen. I immediately looked up the book categories on Story Graph to see if it was tagged as a Young Adult. I prefer to avoid most Young Adult books, but dark academia is generally the exception. The Will of The Many isn’t listed as YA, but I tempered my expectations anyway.
The world is impressive—it is set in the Roman era but with a unique technological twist. Details about the world are seamlessly woven into the story without paragraphs of exposition. As I progressed through the book, my world knowledge became more detailed and nuanced, leaving me fascinated and eager for more. As someone who visualizes when I read, the setting is vivid and well described, easy to “see” the world. The foreshadowing is excellent. The tension is kept high without being at 11 all the time and the pace is quick.
Vis isn’t some savant. He’s not just naturally good at everything. He works hard, always practising and studying, and comes from a background that sets him up to succeed. I was happy to read about a disciplined and driven character. Vis makes his own decisions based on the information he has available. His wariness doesn’t prevent him from building bonds and trusting people, but he does mitigate his vulnerabilities very well. The other characters have great depth and nuanced motivations.
The politics are complicated and sneaky. The political factions have factions. Vis is alone. He can’t fully trust anyone. Everyone he has to work with has their own motivations that aren’t necessarily in line with his. I was pleased Ulcisor was so open and blunt about his relationship with Vis. While their relationship isn’t honest or transparent, there’s minimal sugarcoating about its operation.
The Will of The Many ends on a cliffhanger, and I didn’t realize it was a series. I lost my mind. I started working on notes for this review at 1 a.m. The notes are full of questions, exclamation points, and general dissatisfaction. Then I rechecked Story Graph to see what other people thought about the ending and realized it was a series. I am so relieved! I hope all the dangling bits will get addressed, and I’ll have more Ulcisor. It’s been a while since the first book in a series has left such an impact.
Ulcisor reminds me of Mary Stewart’s Uther Pendragon (Merlin series). There are no real parallels, just big-time vibes. Uther is a King, a descendant of Romans, and an authority figure for Merlin. His name also starts with a U. In my mind, they share physical characteristics as well. Since that’s an all-time favourite series, the association definitely increases my enjoyment of The Will of The Many.
Now, I’m going to have to find copies of the Licanius Trilogy to tide me over until book two of the Hierarchy is available. The Will of The Many was captivating, and I eagerly look forward to the next book.
