A review by talknerdybookblog
The Will of the Many by James Islington

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Representation: POC main character, POC supporting characters, Blind supporting character

Mature Themes:

• Sexual content doesn't surpass kissing


Possible Triggers: Yes

• Slavery
• Murder (including of protagonist's family)
• Gore
• Blackmail
• Genocide
• Colonialism
• Amputation of the protagonist's arm
• Grief
• Xenophobia 
• Torture
• Recounting and discussion of suicide
• Classism
• Knife violence
• Mutilation
• Description of dead bodies
• Child death
• Child abuse (including abuse of the protagonist)
• Forced institutionalization 
• Medical trauma
• Homophobia
- State-enforced compulsory heterosexuality (i.e., there's a heavy tax for those who remain unmarried and monetary incentives to have children) to build up the population. Consequently, same-sex relationships are considered a crime.
• Animal harm


Ending:
Vis survives the Labyrinth but, as a consequence, loses his harm. We discover that Obiteum and Luceum are two other worlds that used to be synchronized with Vis's world (Res), but this stopped after the Cataclysm 300 years ago. Vis cloned himself by making it through the Labyrinth (and paying the price with his arm), allowing him entry into both Obiteum and Luceum. In the last chapter, we follow the cloned Vis in Obiteum, where he discovers a very much alive Caeror who warns of danger ahead for Vis in Res and in Obiteum. This suggests that the mysterious person who helped Vis escape the Labyrinth alive (after being cloned) was actually Vis and Caeror in Obiteum.