4.5
The Will of the Many
ByPublisher Description
At the elite Catenan Academy, a young fugitive uncovers layered mysteries and world-changing secrets in this “brilliant and gut-churning masterpiece” (Library Journal, starred review) by the internationally bestselling author of The Licanius Trilogy, James Islington.
The Catenan Republic—the Hierarchy—may rule the world now, but they do not know everything.
I tell them my name is Vis Telimus. I tell them I was orphaned after a tragic accident three years ago, and that good fortune alone has led to my acceptance into their most prestigious school. I tell them that once I graduate, I will gladly join the rest of civilized society in allowing my strength, my drive, and my focus—what they call Will—to be leeched away and added to the power of those above me, as millions already do. As all must eventually do.
I tell them that I belong, and they believe me.
But the truth is that I have been sent to the Academy to find answers. To solve a murder. To search for an ancient weapon. To uncover secrets that may tear the Republic apart.
And that I will never, ever cede my Will to the empire that executed my family.
To survive though, I will still have to rise through the Academy’s ranks. I will have to smile, and make friends, and pretend to be one of them, and win. Because if I cannot, then those who want to control me, who know my real name, will no longer have any use for me.
And if the Hierarchy finds out who I truly am, they will kill me.
The Catenan Republic—the Hierarchy—may rule the world now, but they do not know everything.
I tell them my name is Vis Telimus. I tell them I was orphaned after a tragic accident three years ago, and that good fortune alone has led to my acceptance into their most prestigious school. I tell them that once I graduate, I will gladly join the rest of civilized society in allowing my strength, my drive, and my focus—what they call Will—to be leeched away and added to the power of those above me, as millions already do. As all must eventually do.
I tell them that I belong, and they believe me.
But the truth is that I have been sent to the Academy to find answers. To solve a murder. To search for an ancient weapon. To uncover secrets that may tear the Republic apart.
And that I will never, ever cede my Will to the empire that executed my family.
To survive though, I will still have to rise through the Academy’s ranks. I will have to smile, and make friends, and pretend to be one of them, and win. Because if I cannot, then those who want to control me, who know my real name, will no longer have any use for me.
And if the Hierarchy finds out who I truly am, they will kill me.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesThe Will of the Many Reviews
4.5
“VEKKK!!! What a genius author! 🤯”
“⭐ 4 Stars – Straight Heat
Deadly secrets, top tier world building and an ending that will have you swinging at the air.
I really wanted to drop the 5 star on this one, but we are landing firmly at a strong 4. I literally just came off reading the Red Rising trilogy, so there are definitely gonna be some direct comparisons here, but let me break it down.
We are in a Roman style empire with a crazy magic system where the lower classes literally cede their physical energy, known as their "Will", to power the elites at the top of the Hierarchy. Our main guy "Vis" is a survivor from a conquered nation hiding his true identity. He gets backed into a corner by a powerful government official and is forced to go undercover into their most exclusive, cutthroat academy. His mission is to investigate a mysterious death, but he is also trying to survive and navigate a system built to crush people exactly like him. He has to climb the academic ranks while playing a very dangerous game as a double agent.
The concept is not super original, but honestly? It is way less tropey than other books in this lane. The world building is top tier, but what really carries this is the character work. Yes, there are powers and magical things going on, but the heart of these characters feels way more grounded and real than I am used to in these kinds of stories.
The political intrigue, the double crossing, and the secrets are set up flawlessly. It has you completely locked in, constantly flipping pages because you just need to know what happens next.
Some gripes. First, the setup is so similar to Red Rising, which dropped like 10 years before this, that it is hard not to give it a slight downgrade. It definitely feels a little bit like a rehash of that exact vibe. In both books, you have a protagonist carrying a massive secret, forced to infiltrate a deadly, hypercompetitive school meant for the absolute elites. The brutal tests, the structure of the academy, and that constant pressure of trying to outplay the people in power are incredibly similar. It is executed flawlessly here, but if you just read Darrow's (Red Rising) story, Vis's journey is going to give you some heavy deja vu.
And let us talk about that ending. Do not get me wrong, I actually liked the ending. The cliffhanger itself and all the twists and turns it took? Pure fire. It is genuinely a great part of the book. But man, after such a big read, it leaves you hanging with so many big questions and things not tied up at all. Maybe I should have expected a super huge cliffhanger since it is literally labeled Hierarchy Number One. This is only the second series I have ever read, so maybe I just gotta get used to how these things work and that obvious play for the sequel.
But do not get it twisted, that is nowhere near a detriment. It is an easy recommend. It is awesome. This is absolute Straight Heat.”
About James Islington
James Islington is the bestselling author of The Will of the Many (the first novel in the Hierarchy series), as well as the Licanius Trilogy (beginning with The Shadow of What Was Lost). He has sold more than two million books, and his work has been translated into seventeen different languages. He lives on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Australia, with his wife and two children.
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