I was very intrigued by the concept of this book. For the beginning, I was very invested and truly enjoyed the story. As it went on, it just seemed to get more and more complex for no reason. I started getting lost. It just got unnecessarily convoluted and complicated to the point that was not enjoying it. The magic system became too complicated and difficult to understand. About the halfway point was where I totally lost interest.

5/5 stars.

This books was gripping from beginning to end. I ended up listening via audiobook and the narrator did an incredible job. The protagonist was an incredible POV to follow along with as he discovered new nuances to the world. This book will very much appeal to people who enjoy a 'magic' school trope or training montage. Though the magic system is fairly light in comparison to other fantasy series, it is no less impactful. Characters motivations are never clear and betrayal can be around the corner at any moment.

Percy Jackson meets All of Us Villains in a Roman Empire inspired fantasy.

There have been a few times where I don’t feel smart enough to read a book, and this was one of them. I feel like this would be an incredible television series, purely so that I would be able to understand everything. This was an amazing book, and while I don’t read much adult fantasy, I do think that this is a series I could get behind.

Our main character, Vis, is everything that Percy Jackson wishes he could be. I loved how, as the story progresses, we learn more about Vis as if he is also learning. It really made him a well-rounded character, and also helped to minimize information dumping.

While I don’t think I would survive, the world of Caten is beautifully described. I could picture the streets that the characters walk down, and even understand what a map would potentially look like. It didn’t feel like a made up fantasy world, but rather a place I would be able to book a flight to.

I will definitely be watching for the second book, and I can’t wait to see where this series goes. Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Canada, and the author for allowing me to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A Roman Empire-inspired Magic School book with an interesting new magic system? Sign me up!!! I really loved this book with all of its twists and turns and its great MC. I especially love the magic system as its not like anything I have ever read before. I love the politics, the intrigue, the world-building - just all of it! My only issue would be that parts of the book are hard to understand or grasp due to how different it is from other fantasy books but I enjoyed the challenge of trying to make sense of it all like I do when I start a new Brandon Sanderson book. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Vis is an orphan, his entire family were killed when the Catenans came to his home and killed everything and everyone who was against The Hierarchy. He was the only one to escape and has been hiding under a new identity trying to buy his time until he finds out how to get revenge. When his skill and intelligence are discovered by a man who adopts him and sends him into the most prestigious academy as a spy who has everything to lose, he has no choice but to accept. He has to do whatever he can to advance in the ranks, find the answers he was tasked to uncover, and keep everyone from finding out who he truly is, and what his true intensions are.

This was such an easy 5 stars. So many aspects I love in Fantasy. A school/academy, full of politics, secret identities, and a big Red Rising vibe. The characters were so fascinating, the world building was so well done, it had me intrigued in the plot from start to finish. I just loved everything about this book and truly cannot wait for more of this world.

So I plowed through this beast of a book in three days. I could not put it down! I'm writing this right after I finished the book so I'm still reeling a little bit, but my thoughts are this: any fans of a classic magical-school fantasy should read it. I loved the twists, some which I correctly predicted (I've been reading fantasy my whole life, some things I can see a mile away) and others that made me audibly gasp. I felt real emotions throughout the whole book, and I thought the characters were excellent. One of the things that can turn me off from a fantasy book the fastest is flat characters, and that was simply not the case here. The magic system did confuse me a little bit, and there were times when I had to just accept that I wasn't going to fully grasp what was being said and move on. As a Locked Tomb series fan, this is something I am good at, so it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book.
Full 5/5 stars and I need the next book now.

The Will of the Many is a captivating and action-packed Roman-inspired epic fantasy. It effortlessly combines beloved fantasy tropes with a thoughtfully critiqued exploration of colonialism and empire. Islington's worldbuilding is immersive, showcasing a unique magical academy setting and a meticulously crafted magic system called the Will. The book seamlessly blends YA and adult fantasy elements, appealing to a wide range of readers. While it embraces familiar tropes, it executes them exceptionally well. The characters, including the morally complex villains, feel genuine and human. Islington deftly avoids the extremes of villainy, adding layers of gray and nuance to all sides of the colonizer/colonized dynamic. With an engrossing narrative and a promising setup for future installments, The Will of the Many is a thrilling and thought-provoking series opener.

This was without a doubt the best book I've read so far this year and I went in with massive expectations. The Licanius trilogy were the first books I read for 2023 and the detail that went into them was something I wasn't sure could be recreated. Yet this book had everything I look for in a good fantasy- great characters (something I think Lucanius lacked), one of the best magic systems, and of course, great planning. The way Islington can plan a book and interweave everything is magical and I can't wait to see how everything fits together in the next book.

Rarely do I feel like a book deserves a perfect 5/5 but this book is it! 5/5 and I've already ordered a physical copy of this one for my bookshelf.

Thank you to Netgalley and Saga for providing an ARC copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Vis is hiding. Hiding from the Hierarchy. Hiding from who he really is. But when an opportunity presents itself that he can’t turn down, he finds himself thrown into the heart of the Hierarchy itself. Off to the Academy of future leaders to rise the ranks while simultaneously uncover the secrets of the powerful.

I really enjoyed this one, especially the concept of the Hierarchy and the Will-based power structure. I do have to say, I was skeptical at the beginning. I had some major Red Rising vibes with the whole academy, competing under an alternate identity, the Roman sounding names, and even a reference to their weapons as razors. However, once I got past that, the story had a lot of great plot points and characters. The ending certainly kept me wondering what will happen next. Can’t wait for the next one!

I was given a free eARC copy of this book on NetGalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Will of the Many is one of the best books I've read in a long time! It's absolutely incredible. I was livid when I finished and the reality sunk in that I have to wait a year for the sequel. The quickest, easiest way to describe this book is like if Red Rising and Nevernight had a baby that's better than both its parents.
The story follows a boy on the run, a dispossessed prince, bitter against the empire that conquered his home (and the entire world) and killed him family. The Empire (which is Roman inspired) is technologically superior due to their magic called Will. People are ranked 1-8, and the Octavii at the bottom of the hierarchy must give 50% of their Will—aka their drive, strength, vitality—to be used someone rank 7. And so on, until the leaders of the society each wield the combined Will of +40000 people. With their might, the hierarchy has been able to conquer the whole planet.
Vis is doing all he can not to have to give up his will, but it's only a matter of time until he turns 18 and will be forced to. Luckily, while working at a prison, a high ranking military senator comes to visit a prisoner and takes notice of Vis.

Soon enough, Vis is adopted by this man (Ulciscor Telimus) and used as a political took to investigate this Academy where Ulciscor's brother died mysteriously. The Academy is hiding a terrible secret, and the Military faction suspects Religion of uncovering and ancient weapon at the school.

Torn between conflicting forces, Vis is forced to walk a razors edge and he navigates the precarious political situation of the empire.

The plot of this book is really incredible and proceeds at a breakneck speed, one thing after another, once Vis arrives at the academy. A scene 30% into the book which I will refer to as "human mist" absolutely blew me away and got me so insanely invested in the book that I read all +600pgs in 2.5 days. The story is just that good.
I really enjoy how Islington kept me guessing until the very end. I really like the characters he crafted too, and pair that with the magical school setting, it was a match made in heaven.

I cannot recommend this book enough! Go read it now!

I frankly had to clue what to really expect when I picked this one up - I was just super stoked when I saw the cover and seeing that it heavily was inspired by Ancient Rome in terms of the Latin words incorporated in the blurb.
This book did not disappoint!
I love how we see Vis, our main character grow, and turn into this super awesome smart person at the end of the book (the plot twist!). I'm still confused entirely as to what the Labyrinth really is and what the transportation device looks like so maybe some art of some kind would be helpful to help better visualize it but I expect that to come up after the book releases.
I really loved this one and need the next book like ASAP because that ending felt like a stab to the heart.