Fiction - Reviews - Science Fiction/Fantasy - Staff Picks

Book Review: The Will of the Many by James Islington

The Will of the Many was absolutely fantastic and had me hooked from the very first sentence. This is the kind of book you don’t rush through-not because it drags, but because you want to savor it while trying to piece everything together.

I found myself constantly wondering how Vis was going to figure things out… or i he even would. That tension kept me deeply engaged the entire time, turning every chapter into a quiet challenge to the reader.

James Islington is truly a hidden gem of a writer. His storytelling is sharp, immersive, and confident, and this book showcases just how skilled he is at pulling a reader into a complex, compelling world.

If you’re on the fence about picking this one up, my advice is simple: read the first paragraph. I dare you not to be hooked.

“I am dangling, and it is only my father’s blood-slicked grip around my wrist that stops me from falling. He is on his stomach, stretched out over the rocky ledge. His muscles are corded. Sticky red covers his face, his arms, his clothes, everything I can see. Yet I know he can pull me up. I do everything I can not to struggle. I trust him to save me. He looks over my shoulder. Into the inky black. Into the darkness that is to come. “Courage,” he whispers. He pours heartbreak and hope into the word. He lets go. “

Will of the Many pg. 1