I’ve got your back : this review of the Will of the many is spoiler free.
From The Will of the Many’s Goodreads page, you’ll probably grab this : a fantasy book with dark academia vibes and characters surviving throughout competition, lies, politics and schemes. The book do contain all those ingredients —and actually way more, but be prepared for those to form a big puzzle of intricate elements that will bring you, at the end, with a complete work of plot twists.
A short blurb to not spoil it
Vis Telimus is not what you think he is.
If you were one of them, he would probably tell you that he is a simple orphan.
That he joined the Academy to fulfill his allegiance to the Republic like a dutifully citizen. He would tell you that he belong. And you’ll certainly believe him (because Vis Telimus is very good at pretending). But, what if I told you that Vis name is not even Vis ? That he was only sent to the Academy to rise through the ranks, solve a mysterious murder and uncovers secrets and that he is keeping an even more dangerous one. Honestly, the only thing you can trust about what he is saying is the fact that he’s an orphan. And if the Republic ever found any of his true motives and true identity… They will kill him. Not that simple, is it ?
Now, let’s jump to what make this incredible book… Well, an incredible book.
Vis : imperfectly perfect
The book is written in a one person POV in which Vis, the worthy protagonist, introduce himself to the reader. He’s quite straightforward in the matter of who he is, is not and pretending to be. In fact, you might be the only person to know his secrets and true intentions. And what Vis doesn’t say, you can actually figure it out by yourself. He’s smart, charming, convincing, very good at scheming and, without a doubt, a very good protagonist. You’ll enjoy being inside his head and watch him, either, try or succeed, to outsmart every single character in the book. Even when you know about Vis real identity, it’s a pure delight to watch him just being and playing everyone around him. Plus, trust me, you’ll have other mysteries to focus on.
Secondary characters completed their jobs
Give me a a good protagonist and I’m happy. Add to it well written secondary characters that add value to the story ? I’m completely won over. On his journey, Vis will meet interesting and, sometimes, complex characters who will motives many of his decisions. It can be, however, difficult at first to know which one will influence his journey in a good and bad way. If some characters can seem a little bit cliché at first (like Catenicus, Vis nerdy friend), each of them have a background that is explored enough. Some of them are hiding their true nature, others are playing mind games and many of them are just waiting for the best moment to put him down. Fortunately for Vis, among the chaos hide his real friends. You’ll just have to wait to who is who, when and how they are going to be revealed.
The world building was built (brick by brick)
The will of the Many is set in a fictional society inspired by the Golden Age of the Roman Empire. Which means that there is a lot of Roman things featured : many names ending with “us”, gladiators, conquest among others. Add to that, the book also involved fantasy elements that match perfectly the image of a fictional Roman Empire. In this world, society functions in a sort of a pyramidal structure in which lower classes must cede a portion of their energy (called Will) to the classes above them. The more you have people ceding their “Will” to you, the more you hold a powerful place in the society. Those “powerful” people are trained at the Academy. While being there, they have to prove their ability to join one of the three most important factions in the Republic : military, religion and governance.
You can guess that the steps to arrive to those are not easy, as the Academy itself hides a lot of dangerous secrets Vis is set to uncover.
We’re talking about a series
Of course, Vis adventures couldn’t be hold into one book.
The Will of the Many is set to be a series, and The Strengtht of the Few (book 2) is expected to be published in 2025. Which means : being fully immersed in the story once again… Without the risks of being killed and sucked out of your body energy.
I would definitely not be serene living in the Catenan’s Republic, but reading about it in the comfort of my room ? It’s an experience I can’t wait to try once again.
