Step aside Harry Potter; there’s a new talented-orphan-set-against-all-odds-attending-magic-school in town. Published in 2023, James Islington’s “The Will of the Many” is a spectacular story that combines the best and most familiar elements of numerous fantasy tropes. Seeing its astronomical Goodreads rating of 4.62, I picked it up with no expectations for plot, character, or theme and devoured it in two days while I should have been studying for finals. Needless to say, I was floored by all of the above and more.
“The Will of the Many” takes place in a post-apocalyptic, Roman-inspired society called the Catenan Republic. Victors and losers of the colonial war alike all live within the Hierarchy, a caste-like social system that harnesses the Will – the strength, drive, and focus – of every individual. The few at the top of the pyramid exploit the Will of thousands below them to perform superhuman tasks, develop and run technology, and execute the Catenan Republic’s imperialist agenda. To hurt those in power means to slaughter the multitudes that, willingly or unwillingly, cede their Will to the system.
Most fantasy stories are written in the third person, which allow authors to build their worlds through multiple perspectives or get into their characters’ minds. But some take a different approach and create a unique intimacy using a compelling first-person voice. Islington chooses the road less taken and accomplishes the intricate, tantalizing worldbuilding of the Hierarchy through a self-conscious and emotionally gripping first-person narrative.
We take the perspective of Vis, a teenage boy who has lost his family, homeland, and princeship to Caten’s colonial empire. Life as secret royalty in the Hierarchy is precarious and far from luxurious, especially for an orphan who refuses to cede his Will. Vis is possessed by an anger that drives his every move — but also a shrewdness to match it and keep him alive. When a Caten senator recruits him to infiltrate an elite academy and uncover republic secrets, Vis must conjure and navigate a deadly web of lies to get ahead and protect himself until the very end.
During his time at the academy, Vis must carefully weigh his words and options at every step. Although he makes numerous Catenan allies and friends, Vis never allows himself to be truly intimate with any of them, as he knows they would turn against him if they knew his true identity. With enormous pressure on him to survive and ascend the academic ranks, Vis is just the kind of character that you want to root for. Each of his victories, big and small, is exhilarating. We come to empathize deeply with the secret prince, who is torn by how to feel about the people who, by nature of the Hierarchy, murdered his family.
With a main character as complex as Vis and the darker undertones of the story, “The Will of the Many” is typically classified and discussed as an adult fantasy novel. At the same time, Vis is a teenager, and while common young adult tropes such as first love or finding one’s identity are not key to his story, Vis’ journey of reliving and overcoming his trauma can appeal to young adult readers. Since some people steer away from anything reminiscent of the young adult genre — fantasy or not — they may be missing out. The way I see it, unless there is hard sex involved, the distinction is rarely objective and is oftentimes a simple marketing decision. Although Islington’s previous series “The Licanius Trilogy” also starred teenagers, it was marketed as adult fantasy because of its violence and dark themes. As an established adult fantasy author, a young adult label on the Hierarchy series would have driven part of Islington’s audience away.
Putting my potential recency bias aside, “The Will of the Many” was my favorite read of 2024. If you enjoy the Harry Potter or Percy Jackson universes, I couldn’t recommend this book more.
Rating: 5/5 stars
“Long Reads and Pleasant Rants” derives its name from “long days and pleasant nights,” a greeting from Stephen King’s fantasy magnum opus: The Dark Tower series. In this column, Senior Staff Writer Gabbi Basa reviews her current speculative fiction reads, including, but not limited to, works of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and magical realism.
