The Will of the Many by James Islington | Roman Inspired Fantasy + Red Rising & Magical School Trope

Hi everyone! Today's video will be a book review of one of my most anticipated releases of this year: The Will of the Many by James Islington. James Islington is the author behind The Licanius Trilogy, one of my favorite trilogies I've read. And The Will of the Many is the first book in his newest series: Hierarchy. The competition will be fierce, but this is an early contender for my favorite book of the year. If you love reading the magical school trope such as the one portrayed in The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss or Harry Potter, and you also like the premise and Roman-inspired world-building in Red Rising by Pierce Brown, I think there's a good chance you will love The Will of the Many.
If you've read this book, let me know what you think about it. If not, do you plan to pre-order it? :)
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[@myribstellmesheslying]

Ooooh. The best magical school setting after The Name of the Wind. And this knowing how much you enjoyed The Poppy War, this is high praise indeed.

[@PetrikLeo]

I loved it as much as The Name of the Wind for different reasons. Can't deny there might be a recent bias to it, though. :D

[@oluwatosinoseni7839]

Lmao heard you compare it to name of the wind, and that’s all i needed to hear

[@Nathan-vt1jz]

I thought it was even better than The Name of the Wind.

[@Nathan-vt1jz]

It blew me away and is easily in my top favorite fantasy novels. It is much better than the Red Rising series in my opinion and as good as if not better than The Name of the Wind.

[@PetrikLeo]

I know right!? Such an incredible book! That's why I mentioned it's the best magical school book I read since The Name of the Wind.

[@thebrothersgwynne]

Wow, by this review on its own this book has shot up to be one of my most anticipated reads of 2023! Will

[@PetrikLeo]

Let me know what you think when you've read it, bro! :D

[@adriennereads5978]

I am reading this right now and agree so much with your comparisons! I had heard you compared it to The Name of the Wind and 200 pages in I keep feeling like it reminds me so much of Red Rising! I loved Licanius and so far I think this trilogy may be even better!!

[@PetrikLeo]

Glad to hear that! The Name of the Wind influences lie basically in the academy section. But this is definitely its own thing, and yes, it is SO GOOD! :D

[@HeadsAndTales]

Thank you for recommending this book! It's the most fun I had reading in recent years!!

[@PetrikLeo]

You're so welcome! It's such an amazing book! 😁

[@verydistractedreader]

This was my first time reading Islington and oh my goodness!! I just finished it and I just need time to process those short ending chapters!

[@PetrikLeo]

Short ending with mindblowing implications. Glad you loved The Will of the Many! 😄

[@KellyannMitchell]

This one is already on my most anticipated reads for this year. I'm glad to hear you loved it because now, I know for sure I will love it too. 😊

[@PetrikLeo]

I hope it will be worth the wait, Kelly! It's such an amazing book! :)

[@joanbarduena]

"The Will of the Many is the best fantasy book with a magical school trope I’ve ever read since The Name of the Wind". Instantly added to my WantToRead list. The Kingkiller Chronicle is my favourite book saga from all time. Need to read this James Islington's book ASAP 😁 (currently reading The Shadow of the Gods 🪓)

[@PetrikLeo]

I hope you'll love this, too, Joan! The Kingkiller Chronicle is another one of my top favorites. I believe it's one of Islington's favorites, too. Also, The Shadow of the Gods is awesome! :D

[@bookishlybookish]

I've been looking forward to this book for the last 2 years. Now I'm even more excited to have it in my hands!

[@PetrikLeo]

I know right? The Licanius trilogy was so good. I hope you'll love this one, too! :)

[@comradestannis]

Me too.

[@dearthedays]

Was so excited for this one as soon as I heard about the premise and Licanius trilogy is a priority on my TBR. I love a magic school and I'm looking forward to this one even more after your review Petrik!

[@PetrikLeo]

If you love the magic school trope, I think you'll really love this one, Mina. It was so GOOD! :D

[@seanhalpin87]

I honestly don't care for the magic school trope a ton, but when it is done well, which I usually don't think it is. I can't wait for a good one

[@PetrikLeo]

I love the magic school trope. Something about it just feels so comfortable to me. Especially lately when they feel even rarer to find! xD

[@hasanmir]

I'm reading this one now!!! I love it so so much! Utterly brilliant!

[@PetrikLeo]

Absolutely amazing book. Enjoy!

[@Coltaine_Crow]

Great review, Petrik. The Will of the Many sounds incredible. Pre-ordered it. Thanks for adding another book to my TBR hill.

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you so much, Gary! I had such a blast reading this one. I hope it will be right up your alley, too! :)

[@fantasyfanatic6038]

This wasn’t really on my radar…but after this video? My oh my, it sounds amazing!

[@PetrikLeo]

Arghhh it's so good. I'm in a book hangover right now. It's been a few days since I finished it! xD

[@Lila_S.]

Oh, this is one of my most anticipated releases, good to hear it delivers. :D

[@PetrikLeo]

Lila! You're going to love this. Let me know your thoughts on it! 😊

[@CharlieM99]

Reading the title of the video and I’m already cursing you for adding another book to my TBR. I love Red Rising. I love Rome. I’ve got 30 books to read and damn this is going to the top.

[@PetrikLeo]

30 books to read... That's such a low number, Charlie. Increase it! Definitely put this one into list of books to read! :D

[@CharlieM99]

@@PetrikLeo So it started as a guess, it was like probably 30. Now I’ve had a look at stuff just on my shelf (not including like the next 9/10 WoT books or all Malayan after Gardens of the Moon) and I was at 50 before going ‘let’s stop for my sanity’. So maybe I’m a bit closer to 100 or more ahaha

[@GivReads]

Pre-ordered after seeing your review. Red Rising is a favorite, so this definitely sounds up my alley

[@PetrikLeo]

It is bloody good. I hope you'll love it, bro! 😁

[@seeschwalbe]

I was already intruiged by this book when your video was recommended to me a few months ago, though I didn't watch it then since I usually prefer watching reviews only after I'm done reading. And when I finally looked at the book in the online shop of one of the biggest German bookstore chains, they had your praise of the book quoted at the end of the blurb. I don't now if others use your quote as well to convince people to buy the book, but I thought it awesome to see your name appear on a German website. It was certainly enough to convince me to buy the book, and I was not let down! Read it in the last three days, and it's an instant new favourite for me. Came back here to finally watch the video and to thank you for putting this on my radar, it's one of the best reads I've had in a long time! Can't wait for the next book!

[@PetrikLeo]

Oh wow! That's awesome! I think publishers sometimes use my quote to convince people to buy books, but I don't know how often or about foreign publishers. What is the name of the bookstore chains? I want to check! :) (You can't attach links here because KZbin will delete them)

[@seeschwalbe]

@PetrikLeo That's really cool! The bookstore chain is called 'Thalia'. You should be able to just search for 'The Will of the Many' in the online shop and find your quote :) PS: I think this is the fourth time I tried to reply and for some reason my answer always dissapeared, so I hope this works now and I also haven't been spamming you with the same comment over and over again...

[@PetrikLeo]

@@seeschwalbe i saw it!! Thank you so much for letting me know. No worries. This is the first time I see your comment on this!

[@musicgenius1948]

He’s one of my favorite authors ever and I’m so excited to read this book. So I’m glad you thought it was a masterpiece

[@PetrikLeo]

I definitely think it's a masterpiece. No idea how many will agree with me. I hope plenty! 😂

[@liviajelliot]

This sounds very interesting! I've been eyeing the book for a while, but was not sure baout it--now it landed in my TBR. Thanks for another great review!

[@PetrikLeo]

You're welcome! Thank you for watching, too. I hope you'll love this book! 😁

[@esmayrosalyne]

Yeah so, I need this book like... right now!!! Even though I wan't as big a fan of Licanius as you are (thought it was decent overall), this still instantly became one of my most anticipated released once it was announced. And now I am only getting more and more excited! A magical school trope will always get me hyped, I just love a contained setting like that!! Can't wait for this to come out! Thanks for the amazing review 🤩

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you so much, Esmay! I'm not happy with the state of The Licanius Trilogy on Booktube. Even though it's widely loved outside of Booktube, but for Booktubers, it seems like only me, Mike, and Theo love this series. I hope The Will of the Many will appeal to more readers on booktube! :D

[@esmayrosalyne]

@@PetrikLeo I totally get your frustration, because even though it was not a favourite series of mine, I think it doesn't deserve all the shit it gets. Fingers crossed Islington can win over Booktube with this new one!

[@mathewbarnes4468]

Loved the book. Best looking book too

[@PetrikLeo]

Absolutely amazing book! Can't wait for the sequel!

[@thepussycat66]

Aaaa, Petrik, I'm so happy you liked this book!! 😍 I love the authors writing and I'm so excited for this book. I completely trust your opinion and now I'm sure that I will love it too. ☺️

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you so much, Kari! Always happy to hear that you take my recommendation into account. I hope you'll love The Will of the Many! :)

[@yadhukrishnana3545]

I loved the Licanius Trilogy, can't wait to pick up this one when it's out. Glad to hear you liked the new book.

[@PetrikLeo]

I think you'll love this one, too, Yadhu. Glad to find another Licanius fans! :)

[@bradkrick8254]

Read Sun Eater!!! It’s over your shoulder! It’s so close. Definitely a top first person narrator and incredible prose. Looking forward to trying will of the many. I liked Licanius but was more interested in what he would do next.

[@PetrikLeo]

Heck yeah! I WILL read Sun Eater this year. It's already on the priority list. Not set in stone when the exact month will be, but should be in August or September. Trying to read one book per month up to the release of Disquiet Gods! :)

[@LNN_Plays]

I just finished this book. I already want the next one right away. Great review.

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you so much! It's an amazing book! 😄

[@DanExploresBooks]

I just finished this book this afternoon. I loved it! Really looking forward to Book 2 and finding out what they heck is going on with some of what is still being unexplained.

[@PetrikLeo]

Glad you loved it! Knowing James Islington and his storytelling, I'm sure we will have some answers and more questions in book 2! :)

[@TruexNORSEMAN]

I really loved Licanius so I'm very excited for this! Also my favorite characters were Davian and Ishelle

[@PetrikLeo]

Oh nice! Kinda rare to hear that. People usually love Caeden the most, myself included! 😁

[@BooksRebound]

This is going to be the best book of the year, mark my words. It was sooo fucking good. It's like if Red Rising and Nevernight had a baby better than both its parents 💗

[@PetrikLeo]

Yeah! It will be really hard to find a new 2023 release better than The Will of the Many this year!

[@warder52]

Thank you for this review! I've been eagerly awaiting another Islington book and this sounds so amazing!

[@PetrikLeo]

You're welcome! I hope you'll end up loving this one! 😊

[@MaxFidler]

LOVED Licanius- and I am very excited for this one!

[@PetrikLeo]

Woohooo! Fellow Licanius trilogy fans unite! Licanius and James Islington deserves so much more love on Booktube! 😊

[@MaxFidler]

@@PetrikLeo I agree! Ive noticed that people either really love it or just don't. Islington's work really played with the meaning of free will so well.

[@dpeady78]

Now you have my attention

[@PetrikLeo]

I hope you'll love the book as much as I did, Dan! :)

[@RekindledReader]

Just pre-ordered. This sounds amazing!

[@PetrikLeo]

It's soooo good!!! 🤩

[@ameliezonato7450]

I stopped the video 2:08 in to pre-order, that’s how much I trust Petrik lol

[@PetrikLeo]

@@ameliezonato7450 can't deny your trust in me. 😂😂

[@ameliezonato7450]

@@PetrikLeo the one time I’ve disagreed with your opinion was on Jade City, which I DNFed. But I loved The Hand of the Sun King and the Shadow of What Was Lost and The Ember Blade!!

[@Chattermute]

Noooo petrikkk I just bought a bunch of books cause of your reccomendations!!! Now I want to read this too. Sounds like it's up my alley! 😢

[@PetrikLeo]

Include this, too, in your buying!! It's my favorite book of the year so far! :D

[@Franci_stormblessed]

I wish i could summarize my thoughts about a book as well as you do! You always have such great reviwes! I always struggle with finding words and end up being repetitive haha. I am a huge fan of the licanous trilogy so this book is an instant buy for me!

[@PetrikLeo]

Ah, thank you so much for your kind words. I always like hearing your thoughts on books, too. I think you'll love The Will of the Many, too! :)

[@misternegative4918]

In the middle of the first Licanius book, wanted to read it before heading to this series. So far absolutely loving it and am excited to eventually get to this book. Have loved his writing in it so far

[@PetrikLeo]

Woohoo! Wonderful to hear that. The third book is my favorite of Licanius, and The Will of the Many is my favorite book by Islington. Enjoy!

[@TonyTheJabroni]

Outstanding review, Petrik! I can't wait to pick this one up, it sounds incredible. The naysayers of the Licanius trilogy scared me away, but I may have to reconsider. Cheers!

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you so much! Don't listen to the naysayer. Licanius Trilogy outside of booktube is well liked by many readers. Definitely still something you should try, imo! 😁

[@fjuran1]

Petrik, great review. Loved his first trilogy, waiting for the book to come out next month!!

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you so much, Frank! I think you'll love this one, too! :D

[@cmeeki4]

I'll definitely have to add this to my tbr list. The story and world building sounds amazing.

[@PetrikLeo]

Woohoo! I hope you'll like it! 😊

[@WildWolfGod]

I know I'm late but I loved the book. It's hard to describe why but I just fell in love listening to it. The setting to the characters were all fantastic. I saw one or two people compare it to Red Rising which I think is a serious stretch.

[@PetrikLeo]

Glad you loved the book! Not late at all. Many readers will be jumping into this for years to come. You're relatively early. I don't think the comparison to Red Rising is a stretch. The premise is similar, and the world is Roman inspired, too. Will of the Many is definitely its own thing, though!

[@kiddocter13]

This book had been added to my TBR when I first heard of it. Since it's a first book in a series, and I have many other books on my TBR, it is further down on my list...will likely wait until the series is complete or almost complete to pick it up. Glad to hear that you loved it and hope I will too, once I pick it up!

[@PetrikLeo]

I absolutely loved it, Laura! Whenever you feel like the right time to tackle this, I sincerely hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did! :)

[@kiddocter13]

@@PetrikLeo thanks! I still have to read the Licanius trilogy, which I'm also hoping I'll really enjoy, then I'll pick this one up. Right now I'm reading Age of Empyre by Michael J Sullivan and really loving the whole series!!!

[@seamusb9012]

This sounds great and I might need to get on the Licanius Trilogy. The Osten Ard Books are AMAZING! Definitely worth your time.

[@PetrikLeo]

Good to hear that. I'm very pumped to read The Osten Ard books! :D

[@cipriansirbu3699]

Thank you for this awesome review.I loved the Licanius trilogy and I'm looking forward to this one as well.I'll be reading it on release day.

[@PetrikLeo]

You're so welcome! That's great. Let me know what you think about it. I will definitely be talking about this book for the rest of the year in other videos, too. xD

[@mikesbookreviews]

I'm quite confused. I'm at the 60% mark and it's fine, but...not sure what I'm missing. Literally everyone else is calling it amazing and I'm just not seeing it. Unless part III takes off like a rocket.

[@PetrikLeo]

Same with all books, if it's not clicking with you, then it just can't. 😄 I personally LOVE everything about it. The Red Rising premise and magical academy (not sure whether you like this or not but I have a thing for it) in a Roman inspired world, and the characters and writing, everything just clicked. Part 3, for me, was amazing. And the ending was a game changer. But if you feel lukewarm about it til now, I don't think they will be a vast improvement for you. 😅

[@mikesbookreviews]

@@PetrikLeo Well, that's a bummer.

[@lord_butterstick]

OH I AM SO SOLD ON THIS NOW! Hopefully all the books will be out by the time I read the Licanius trilogy! :D

[@PetrikLeo]

Woohoo! Plenty of awesome adventure waiting for you in these 4 books by Islington so far! 😁

[@dragancete]

The magic school trope is my favorite trope too, can’t help it! So this book just enter my TBR list.

[@PetrikLeo]

Then there's a really good chance you'll like this. Vis' time in the Academy was so engaging for me! 😁

[@safinan8008]

Hi 👋 thank you for the book recommendation! Happy reading to you! 😂

[@PetrikLeo]

You're welcome! Happy reading to you, too! :)

[@feyn5869]

Another banger as usual Petrik.

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you so much, Feyn. I appreciate that! 😁

[@blu3poisonfrog]

I had to immedietly read it again after finishing it because the last chapter blew my mind and i wanted to absorb all the hints that i had mist on my first read. This book is so good, i wanna inject it into my veins lol

[@PetrikLeo]

I know right??? It's one of the very rare book to make me want to reread immediately after I finished it! 😄

[@nathancooper22]

Great review Completely sold on this one Can’t wait to read it

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you so much, Nathan! I hope you'll like it! :)

[@Verlopil]

Another good Roman fantasy is From Unseen Fire by Cass Morris, first of a trilogy. It is not about war, but about a trio of wiley sisters and one Senator who are mages vying to take over the Senate with magic and wits. It's very well written.

[@PetrikLeo]

Oh thanks for the recommendation! I'll have to check that out. I haven't read many Roman inspired fantasy series! :)

[@dustintyson354]

I was already excited too check this out now I’m super hyped

[@PetrikLeo]

Heck yeah! Fellow Licanius trilogy fan? 😁

[@dustintyson354]

@@PetrikLeo loved it!!! I had fell out of reading for a few years found book tube and it was the first series I read that got me back into reading. So it holds a special place for me… plus it was awesome :)

[@PetrikLeo]

@@dustintyson354 So awesome to hear that! I love hearing people loving this trilogy. It's relatively rare to hear it mentioned on booktube!

[@dustintyson354]

@@PetrikLeo you and mikes book reviews sold me on this one :)

[@seanhalpin87]

I'm so excited for this. I'm sad I denied an arc but I preordered it the day it was announced, I don't mind paying, but wanted to read it asap

[@PetrikLeo]

Arghhh I wish you receive the ARC for it. It would've been great to have a friend to chat with about the events of the book! :D

[@seanhalpin87]

@@PetrikLeo once I get it, it's a day one read for me. I'm finishing the way of edan today, then possibly diving into house of chains because I'm craving more malazan, and I said I was taking april off, but I don't think I can lmao

[@ladonnareiff4253]

Sigh. Another book to add to my TBR pile. Good review!

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you! It's an awesome one! :)

[@Kaiju_Roo45]

It is so great to hear how impressed you were with this. I have been looking forward to it for a long time. I have pre-ordered it today, along with Lawrences' The Book That Wouldn't Burn and the new Malazan prequel (my all time favourite series) Forge of the High Mage. I look forward to more reviews :) Licanius trilogy was masterfully plotted so I'm even more excited to read this now

[@PetrikLeo]

Woohoo! Fellow Licanius trilogy fans. I really love this one! Seems like other early readers really love it, too. I preordered The Book that Wouldn't Burn, too. Can't wait to read thatnone. This is also a reminder I need to read The God is Not Willing! 😁

[@Heathennation1976]

Another great video makes me interested in trying to give this one a shot I've only read the first book of the licanius trilogy it was okay to me I am a strong believer that authors do get better the more they write and you definitely make it sound like something I would want to read, especially with the Sci-Fi elements I'm very interested and it sounds like it has some pretty great violence LOL I just started on A Crucible of Souls,sorcery acendent sequence Book 1 by Mitchell Hogan, it started out in a sorcery School😂😂😂 keep up the great content from the best booktuber on KZbin

[@PetrikLeo]

Thank you so much, bro! Haha, The Shadow of What was Lost is Islington's weakest book. I still liked it, but it seems like he keeps getting better and better with each book! This one is the best one so far. I have to try A Crucible of Souls someday! :)

[@irishknight6893]

This sounds amazing!! Huge Red Rising fan,so am totally gonna read this, you should tell/Convince Mike from Mikes Book reviews to check this out,as he is huge RR fan too 😮

[@PetrikLeo]

I already did! We're both fans of Red Rising and Islington's books! 😄

[@irishknight6893]

@@PetrikLeo I saw you briefly talk about iron his Saturday knights live stream,but you should send him your review,so he legit wants to read it,like I do now thanks to your video xD lol

[@adham3210]

one of my friends recommend me this book and I really liked it but I found it hard to keep on reading (I'm stuck in chapter 6) because there's no real destination yet your review got me real hyped and I'm gonna try and push throw it (not like it's bad but as I said earlier)

[@PetrikLeo]

No worries! Once you know Vis's main purposes, not long from there I think, it should be more interesting and compelling! :)

[@ME10920]

I'm excited for this

[@PetrikLeo]

Such an amazing book. I hope you'll like it!

[@muxx2810]

Welp looks like I'm buying another book today! Hey Petrik just a small suggestion but something I'd appreciate is if you could like post a link of where to purchase a book you review in the description. Some of the self published books are kind of hard to find. Anyway thanks again for another great recommendation

[@PetrikLeo]

Oh that's a great suggestion! No idea why I didn't do that. I'll include it soon in the description! Thank you! 😁

[@kefinkamed]

I read this book last year and I enjoyed it well enough (certainly intend to read the sequel too) but it has major pacing issues for me. Or rather, there's a very different tone between the action scenes and the exposition, politics etc. (which is understandable) and the two weren't fused seamlessly, but rather felt quite jarring throughout the story.

[@PetrikLeo]

Agree to disagree! I didn't find any pacing issue. Glad you still liked the book, though! 😁

[@TheWordN3rd]

This sounds really interesting!

[@PetrikLeo]

It's an incredible book! :D

[@TheWordN3rd]

@@PetrikLeo I just added it to my TBR!

[@andrewf7732]

Sounds promising, but I was disappointed with the Licanius Trilogy and DNF'd after book 2. However, I am planning on reading this book on release because I'm looking to see how he's grown as a writer and hoping my issues with Licanius (largely the bland characters) are improved.

[@PetrikLeo]

I do not think the characters in Licanius trilogy are bland, but I do agree Caeden is the most memorable character in teh trilogy. I feel like here, the characterization for the main character is much better than Davian or Wirr because he's telling it from a 1st person POV. I hope you'll like it! If not, don't worry about it. No author is for everyone. 😁

[@andrewf7732]

@@PetrikLeo For sure. I think for me it was the main three characters were so similar in personality and are generic good guy (or girl) saving the world. Caeden was more complex and had a unique backstory so I think that made him more memorable. I love a good guy protagonist, but I need a bit more than that with my characters. I feel like Sanderson, who Islington is often compared, usually strikes a better balance of having generally good protagonists but with some darkness to them (depending on the series). I am genuinely looking forward to The Will of The Many, though, and I hope I love it.

[@dinocollins720]

I love the magic school trope!!!! I haven't read one I don't like yet haha

[@PetrikLeo]

Then I'm confident you'll love this, too! 😃

[@mrgauth]

Crap, no paperback to buy. Dangit. Moved to next years list.

[@PetrikLeo]

Understandable! It will be worth the wait! :)

[@Ghostlyape123]

What if you generally hate the school trope but LOVE Red Rising? Is the school element super dominant?

[@PetrikLeo]

Ouch, that's a tricky one! The school element did not begin until 35% of the book. In total, I observed... probably 50% of the book takes place in the Academy. I think it's still worth a try! :)

[@Ghostlyape123]

@@PetrikLeo I know this is a vague spoiler but is it apparent by book’s end that the sequel will also take place in a school or is there an indicator it will move on from that

[@PetrikLeo]

@@Ghostlyape123 Most likely yes, it will move away from the school setting! 😄

[@alisha1341]

Well now I’ll have to read it!! I haven’t read his trilogy yet tho 😅

[@PetrikLeo]

No worries, Alisha! This book isn't related to The Licanius trilogy. I highly recommend all books by James Islington, though! :)

[@alisha1341]

@PetrikLeo I know but I always like to try to read authors older works first! 😅 I’ve had my eye on the trilogy for a while just haven’t bought a copy yet!! 😄

[@PetrikLeo]

@@alisha1341 ah that make sense! Whichever you decide, you can't go wrong with any of them, imo. 😁

[@thewulverslibrary4435]

I hear The Name of The Wind, I get excited. I’m a simple man.

[@PetrikLeo]

You and me both, man. 😂😂

[@thewulverslibrary4435]

@@PetrikLeo 😂😂 you got me hyped though. Amazing video once again, Petrik. Can’t wait to pick this up!

[@Paromita_M]

"The magical school trope in fantasy is irresistible to me" - are you me? 😄 Please don't tempt me Sir by mentioning Kvothe 🤭 because I will cave!

[@PetrikLeo]

I am so weak to it, Paromita. And don't worry, this one is not like First Binding being super super similar to Name of the Wind. :)

[@Paromita_M]

@@PetrikLeo I'm already excited to read it, then I went online, saw May 23 and was like how am I going to wait so long? 🤭

[@laurarhds]

You talked me into preordering! Can’t wait!

[@PetrikLeo]

Woohoo! Great decision! :D

[@mediabunny4016]

Ooh l love magic school and l like Roman settings! Gonna stop watching the video (sorry, will come back later!) and going to check out the book!

[@PetrikLeo]

No worries! As long that you plan to read the book, that's what matters most! 😁

[@mediabunny4016]

@@PetrikLeo yeah for books l want to read, l prefer to read/watch the full review only after 😃

[@TyrenaDarsa]

Could you do the video with best manga school settings? That would be cool

[@PetrikLeo]

I plan to do a best magic school video next month! I will include some manga series there as well! :)

[@TyrenaDarsa]

@@PetrikLeo Great, cant wait!

[@LimeymanZero]

Damn it, you are going to ruin me Petrik! My poor wallet! I just bought that League of Legends Novel while watching your last book haul video, then this being the next video recommended and I've ordered it too, I'm going to need a new bookshelf soon!

[@PetrikLeo]

Hahaha! Fingers crossed this one will be to your liking. I promise this one is not, at least, like First Binding copying Name of the Wind. I need to get around to reading Ruination, too! :D

[@LimeymanZero]

@@PetrikLeo Roman inspired was enough to get my interest. You still have more than enough credit for the Green Bone Saga recommendation to balance out a few misses like First Binding but yeah, I'm sure this will be good. Not so sure about the narrator for the audiobook version of this one though, might give it a try too if the book is that good.

[@PetrikLeo]

@@LimeymanZero That's good to hear. Green Bone Saga is truly a masterpiece! I heard the audiobook for The Will of the Many will be done by Euan Morton, I hope it will be a great one! :D

[@LimeymanZero]

@@PetrikLeo Yeah, I wasn't very impressed by the samples I heard but that was for older recordings so might be better. I did buy the audiobook for Ruination though, I'm not sure if each character gets their own actor but there is a large cast for it so should be really good.

[@jorgemedina8083]

Hey Petrik, can you tell me if Mike Shackle’s book series that is grim dark good. I’m a little queasy about grim dark I like the first law by Joe Abercrombie and am wondering if it is similar in darkness to the first law. Is it dark for the sake of darkness or is it done right? Thanks Petrik for the video! I’ll check out Islington’s book when it comes out.

[@jorgemedina8083]

Btw, I’m talking of the last war.

[@PetrikLeo]

You're welcome, Jorge! It's more or less similar to the darkness in The First Law, if you can stomach First Law I think you can stomach this one, too. It is a war story, and not grim for the sake of being grim. Just displaying the darkness and harshness of war in the eyes of civilians. :)

[@jorgemedina8083]

@@PetrikLeo thanks for the thoughtful response, Petrick! I’ll check it out!

[@Serghei79]

Hi Petrik, it seems like i missed, but there are no new posts on novelnotion since February, any specific reasons for this?

[@PetrikLeo]

The website is going through bad bugs at the moment. If you open the blog using PC, you can see everything posted there. But if you open it using your phone, somehow it just won't load the newest month. It's crazy.

[@Thefantasybookwarrior]

I haven’t read the trilogy that preceded the will of the many…. Will I be fine just picking up this book as my first Islington experience?

[@PetrikLeo]

Totally fine. This is the first book in a new series. Not in the same world as Licanius! 😁

[@Thefantasybookwarrior]

@@PetrikLeo thanks for the reply. Your book reviews make me feel like a fantasy warrior!

[@Severian1]

This sounds interesting but I'm growing tired of "smart character infiltrates massive Empire to take it down from within". And the magic school trope. I hope this brings something new to the table.

[@PetrikLeo]

That's totally understandable! I have a soft spot for this trope. However, I do think the series brings something new that I never see happening in any magical school trope fantasy, but that did not happen until the last quarter of the book. The potential it brings for the rest of the series will be crazy if done right! That's all I can say without spoilers. xD

[@031_sujay_mitra2]

Leo i have been reading mother of learning arc1 and i am already 50% in but i feel the story is getting really boring and long description of the magic is so tiring😢

[@PetrikLeo]

Don't force it if you're not a fan of the magic learning. It will only continue. I personally liked reading the magic learning, but it's not for everyone. For sure! :)

[@Kardu3]

J

[@PetrikLeo]

Huh?

[@irishknight6893]

After reading your entire Goodreads Review, am I remiss in saying that this video is pretty much just you word for word reciting your Goodreads review? Not trying to be rude but just wondered if that is true ?

[@PetrikLeo]

Yeah, I've mentioned this before, but most of my viewers don't mind them. They just want me to post some of my review on the channel, too. I've been a reviewer on Goodreads and my blog for 4 years before having my own channel. But since I have my channel, if I want to post a review on the channel, I write the review with that in mind as well. I hope that make sense? 😅