#6 in Fantasy
The Will of the Many
- 720
- Pages
- about 13 h
- Reading time
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About the book
The Will of the Many is an epic fantasy novel written by Australian author James Islington and published by Saga Press in 2023. It is the first book in The Hierarchy series, with a second book, The Strength of the Few, published on 11 November 2025.
Reading order · Hierarchy
- The Will of the ManyThis bookThe Will of the Many8.98.9 / 10
- The Strength of the Few
8.28.2 / 10
Where the score comes from
The sources average 9.0 across 1,528 ratings. With that many, the reader vote carries 89% of the weight and the score stays at 8.9 — the Fantasy average of 8.0 barely moves it.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 9.4 | 10 | 1% |
| Hardcover | 9.0 | 1.5K | 99% |
Reader voices
The most-liked reviews on Hardcover (credited to their authors).
“4.5⭐s. The Will of the Many was a fantastic start to the Hierarchy series. I really enjoyed the world building, academy setting, and magic system. Fun action scenes with humor and mystery intermixed within plots upon plots upon plots. From my previous read of the Licanious Trilogy, I know Islington is preparing us for some mind bending twists down the line. I'm here for it and ready for the next installment. Stronger Together”
“Original review: Man. What a fucking book. A fantastic and vivid setting, strong character work and dynamics, the plot, themes, and character arcs go hand in hand together very well. But that ending. That ending has left me speechless. What the fuck was going on. So many questions. I need a sequel STAT reread: yeah this book still absolutely fucking rocks, especially that ending. Those last 10 pages are batshit. So much depth and meaning to the dialogue, and it's got a really strong list of secondary characters (callidus and veridius probs being the strongest). Still need a sequel stat”
Frequently asked
What is The Will of the Many rated?
8.9 out of 10, from 1,528 reader ratings across 2 independent sources.
Is The Will of the Many worth reading?
Readers give it 8.9/10 from 1,528 ratings, which puts it ahead of 97 % of the Fantasy shelf.
How long does it take to read The Will of the Many?
About 13 hours at an average reading pace — 720 pages.
Where does The Will of the Many rank?
#6 in Fantasy on the current snapshot.
Which volume of the series is The Will of the Many?
Volume 1 of 2 in Hierarchy. The full reading order is one tap away above.
How long is The Will of the Many?
It has 720 pages — longer than 80% of the ranked books in Fantasy.
If you liked this
Same shelf — Fantasy — with scores between 8.8 and 8.9, closest to this book.
