• The Will of the Many

  • Hierarchy, Book 1
  • By: James Islington
  • Narrated by: Euan Morton
  • Length: 28 hrs and 14 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (2,611 ratings)

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The Will of the Many  By  cover art

The Will of the Many

By: James Islington
Narrated by: Euan Morton
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Publisher's summary

At the elite Catenan Academy, a young fugitive uncovers layered mysteries and world-changing secrets in this new fantasy series by internationally best-selling author of the Licanius Trilogy James Islington.

Audi. Vide. Tace.

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.

©2023 James Islington (P)2023 Audible, Inc.

Publisher's summary

At the elite Catenan Academy, a young fugitive uncovers layered mysteries and world-changing secrets in this new fantasy series by internationally best-selling author of the Licanius Trilogy James Islington.

Audi. Vide. Tace.

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.

©2023 James Islington (P)2023 Audible, Inc.

About the Performer

Actor and singer Euan Morton is an Earphones Award–winning narrator. He is best known for his role as Boy George in the musical Taboo, which earned him a Laurence Olivier Award nomination. He reprised the role on Broadway, earning him the Theatre World Award for Outstanding Broadway Debut, as well as nominations for the Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Drama League awards. His other stage performances include Sondheim on Sondheim, Hamilton, and Cyrano De Bergerac.

Critic reviews

"Islington’s worldbuilding is exceptionally detailed and thoughtful, making suspending disbelief effortless. Perfectly balancing character development and plot momentum, this will have fantasy fans clamoring for more.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

"Fans of Pierce Brown's Red Rising will enjoy this book, but it’s darker, deeper, and takes unexpected paths worth traveling. Trust that the author will get you there in the end." (Kirkus, starred review)

“Ancient Roman politics, dark academia, and epic fantasy coalesce in this brilliant and gut-churning masterpiece from Islington.... This is powerful storytelling at its finest, and the mind-blowing ending opens the series to so much more potential.” (Library Journal, starred review)

Dear Listener,

What am I excited for you to discover in this story
"Plenty! I’m probably most excited, though, for you to get to know Vis, the main character of this series, who I’ve had such a great time writing. I’ve always loved characters who are smart, proactive, and driven (without being “perfect”), and I definitely think he qualifies. Plus, working from a first-person perspective required me to put an extra dose of thought and emotion into creating his story, which means you’ll get to see so much more of his inner thoughts and struggles, and (I trust) connect with him on a deeper level as a result.
I’m also very much looking forward to you reaching the finale of The Will of the Many and finding out where this series is headed! But for obvious reasons, I can’t say too much more about that..." - James Islington, writer of The Will of the Many

Editorial Review

The perfect mix of fantasy and diplomacy
I don’t know about you, but when a story combines epic world-building, political intrigue, and teenagers, I’m immediately hooked. And The Will of the Many provides ample opportunity to be absorbed by a masterfully crafted universe—the production is more than 28 hours long! I completely lost myself in this dark, profound, and winding tale that left me both completely satisfied and starving for more. Themes of rank, fate, power, revenge, and societal conformity will keep you on your toes, but it’s the rich character development and gradual emergence of a terrifying and magical world dictated by rules and restrictions that propel this exhilarating plot. I will be coming back to this one over and over again as I eagerly await the next installment in the series. —Esther B., Audible Editor

What listeners say about The Will of the Many

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This is an exceptional beginning

Oh my god! This book is on track to being one of the best fantasy series out there. The prose, the characters, the story are absolutely amazing. The narrator is perfect for this book and very talented with his delivery. The story has a very Romanesque feel to it like Pierce Brown’s “Red Rising” yet without the space aspects. Islington has literally blown his Licanius trilogy out of the water, a set of books that I very much enjoyed but did not place on my top 10 author list. If he continues to deliver as he has delivered with this book this series will easily break into my top five list of contemporary authors. This is a spectacular book and absolutely worth your time to listen to.

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  • 12-17-23

Overall, I loved it! But be warned…

I personally LOVE the Licanius series so any new book by James is an instant read for me. That said, I also love it when artists, musicians, and authors subvert expectations with new work.

I won’t spoil anything, but before buying know that this is a slow burn meant to introduce you to a fairly unique world with interesting characters.

This work is certainly a subversion of the Licanius series, at least in presentation. This book is in first person POV (something I personally don’t enjoy much, but I found it to be good here), there is a magic system, although even by the end of the book we know very little mechanically about the magic itself, and honestly surprisingly little about the world. But all of this works to benefit the book in my opinion. As I said earlier, this book is clearly an introduction, this is the set up and it is done so over the course of the whole book. And boy, is it an enticing one in my opinion.

This might be borderline Spoilery, but if you like James’ work then you’ll know… It’s all worth it for the absolute banger endings he drops. This book is no exception!

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Fantastic stuff

First time reading James Islington and I loved it. Great world building, characters and unique magic system. Looking forward to the next one. One nitpick -ot of fler stuff in my opinion but it's the first of the series so I'll let it pass.

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Rotting gods this was good!

Great entry to a new series by James Islington. I thoroughly enjoyed the licanius trilogy and this one is shaping up to be on par with it or better. Islington is great at blending interpersonal drama with overarching worldly mysteries and revelations to make the story very compelling.

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Just Getting Started

Amazing. Such a fun and entertaining book.
Similar to his previous trilogy, the first book asks/generates the questions us readers have, and I assume the second and third books will answer all the wonderful questions we have.
Can’t wait to learn more about the magic system(s)!

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Expected No Less from James

The Licanius Trilogy is in my top 10 and I have over 600 Fantasy/Sci-fi in my Audible library. I’m so looking forward to next in series. As for narration, I will buy books narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds and Michael Kramer even if not in my genre of choice just because they are so fantastic. Euan Morton did not disappoint! He was marvelous! Sláinte to ALL!! Can’t wait!

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Like chocolate milk. "Good S%#t"

Brilliant! His previous books are some of my favorite. However this book is just Brilliant, really looking forward to the second book.
Take a chance.

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Great start to a series

Really excited to hear the next one! Even if it will be a while longer!

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Fantastic!

I’ll be honest, I went into this book with high expectations. His Licanius Trilogy is one of my all time favorites, and I was anticipating another great story. Well, he delivered! I’m eagerly awaiting the rest of the series.

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Fantastic World Building!

I highly recommend this book, especially if you enjoyed Islington's Licanius trilogy. The world and magic system is unique and well thought out, reminding me of Brandon Sanderson's books, but darker. The story is captivating, leaving enough mystery to keep me wanting more, but still leaves me satisfied with the ending. I cannot wait for the next book in this series!

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