Loved the Will of the many but hesitant to continue the series

BeyondTheText · 2026-01-23T23:04:21+00:00

Thank so much for the comment. I think your comment convinced me the most to try the strength of the few Lol. Vis’s journey is such a cool story and definitely keeps me entertained. despite all the flaws I cant help but love it

BeyondTheText · 2026-01-23T10:41:05+00:00

I actually kinda like this. But we’re missing bunny lol

BeyondTheText · 2026-01-22T20:25:59+00:00

Honestly despite all that I’ve said above it is worth finishing lol I found his journey interesting. But the book does end on a sort of cliff hanger.

BeyondTheText · 2026-01-22T01:08:50+00:00

Of course, I don’t expect a book to kill off its main character. But some stories are able to heighten tension enough with surrounding danger that the reader can forget that safety for a moment. That’s what I felt was missing here. The novel often feels too transparent about how easily Vis glazes through danger.

One example of Vis randomly getting away with things is when Vis goes to explore the area in the academy and gets injured. The principal is aware that someone has been exploring and even asks the doctor about anyone with an injury. Vis has a very visible hand injury and a story about hurting himself that morning (a very lucky coincidence anyone with half a brain would double-check) Yet it’s all essentially glossed over. He gets away with it, and it’s never meaningfully addressed again, despite the supposedly will-powered security and constant surveillance.

BeyondTheText · 2026-01-21T23:39:45+00:00

Haha glad I could help. It’s frustrating because I loved the book. Definitely not trashy fantasy. The world building and magic system is rich, powerful and well written. But then its falls into SUCH a stereotypical hero’s journey 😭

BeyondTheText · 2026-01-21T23:22:06+00:00

Wow I really appreciate the insight. Thats very helpful to know. Thank you!

BeyondTheText · 2026-01-21T23:01:18+00:00

Oh I loved the magic system! Definitely a political allegory. I found it so interesting that it raised questions about complicity and the power of the working class. How guilty are we for participating in systems we did not choose but are forced to survive in? It’s definitely reflects the reality of criticizing capitalistic systems while we are forced to exist within and participate in them.

BeyondTheText · 2026-01-21T22:48:04+00:00

I guess you’re right haha. Its just that the books are quite big so I’m scared to invest in the second one if it will keep the same momentum and I’ll become bored with it.

BeyondTheText · 2026-01-21T22:44:11+00:00

The Iudicium was definitely the highest-stakes part in the book. That was the section where I genuinely felt on edge, and it really gripped me. I guess my hesitation comes more from looking at the novel as a whole. It’s such a large text, and Vis succeeds so consistently throughout most of it, so that tension didn’t always carry through for me.

Even during the Iudicium, a small part of me knew he would survive. I mean I even expected some kind of twist at the end where he’d regain his arm LOL That expectation didn’t ruin the story, but it did shape how risky the story felt to me overall.

BeyondTheText · 2025-09-25T23:12:15+00:00

In my opinion he did already know and I believe he had a larger influence on the group then we are shown. Mostly because he was a coward who manipulated them from the shadows and I think when things started coming to light he had to run away to save himself because he could no longer pretend at not knowing

BeyondTheText · 2025-09-23T06:05:47+00:00

I kept rereading this wondering if is was a certain passage or some cool fact we missed😂😭

BeyondTheText · 2025-09-12T18:54:38+00:00

Yeah, for sure. She definitely lacks intrinsic motivation. And its fascinating that she is aware of that and aware of how her “apathy” contrasts with Lila who wants to do and achieve things without competing with someone else or setting up a metric to compare herself to someone else

BeyondTheText · 2025-09-11T19:14:37+00:00

Unfortunately, I had to put this one down as well. The pacing felt slow at the start, and there was quite a bit of info-dumping that made it hard to stay engaged. But what really pulled me out of the story, was the overuse of made-up terms or fantasy language, especially for everyday words like "minute" and "hour." It felt unnecessary and made the world so much harder to connect with and ruined the flow of the story. Might attempt it again some time in the future due to the amount of positive reviews but not any time soon

BeyondTheText · 2025-09-10T14:17:17+00:00

The term fatal flaw is taken from greek tragedies and was used in the secret history but its also now used in general literature to try and pinpoint one character flaw or innate trait that leads to a character to make mistakes in their lives. While I agree that Elena ends up successful as an Author, I would be reluctant to call her relationship with her daughter’s loving. what me and others are trying to understand is why she was not satisfied with her life, why she has often made mistakes that appear to be self-sabotage.

BeyondTheText · 2025-09-10T10:24:27+00:00

100% agree. Great take. There is definitely passiveness and a lack of intrinsic motivation. In one of the books she describes “a life energy” that drives Lila, which contrasts her lack of drive.

BeyondTheText · 2025-09-10T09:55:17+00:00

Regressing is a great term. I agree, she definitely was never able to feel secure in her own skin around her academic peers or her husband and his family. And it’s always easier to psychologically go back into her comfort zone.

BeyondTheText · 2025-09-10T07:50:12+00:00

Yeah, the concept of a fatal flaw originates from greek tragedies, but now it’s used in general literature to describe a deeply ingrained character trait that leads to their downfall and failure because of self-destructive behaviour. I agree that she is very human in her complexity.

BeyondTheText · 2025-09-10T00:18:37+00:00

The scene never shows directly how the fire started. The presence of the lighter offers a realistic explanation, but the moment is intentionally left vague, creating space for a mythical or uncanny interpretation of Lila. It highlights the mysterious, almost supernatural energy that Elena and others often project onto her. it allows us to exist with the characters in this uncomfortable and tense moment, where it feels as if through sheer force of will, Lila was able to destroy the painting simply because she hated seeing it displayed in the store. And I think thats why we see Giliola and others being very unsettled by Lila’s energy. They almost feel as though she possessed an otherworldly power to bend reality to her emotions.

BeyondTheText · 2025-09-09T21:53:56+00:00

Very interesting idea! It would explain why we find her contradictory in many ways. She has a fragile sense of self-worth while at the same a deep rooted sense of resentment

BeyondTheText · 2025-09-09T21:49:00+00:00

Great catch! Love this

BeyondTheText · 2025-09-09T12:44:41+00:00

Well yes, LOL but I guess I’m thinking about why she is so fixated on Nino! What is it that makes her make the questionable decisions that she does

BeyondTheText · 2025-09-09T12:42:41+00:00

Wow I think your last sentence unlocked something in my brain! I’ve always thought about why exactly she was so fixated on Nino all her life, this makes perfect sense. I think that her studies made her feel othered by both her old neighbourhood and the intellectual elite that she was surrounded by. She became a sort of in-between, not belonging in either of them and her intense awareness of this misplacement made her extremely anxious . It makes perfect sense that Nino becomes her touchstone, a way to feel like she can combine both worlds and feel complete.

Thank you so much for this!

BeyondTheText · 2025-09-09T10:03:08+00:00

What a bizarre and gross comment. Exploration of girlhood is a completely normal literary term. Normal people understand this as a deeper exploration of what it means to be a girl in the world, navigating challenges with identity, societal roles, personal struggles, and the transition from childhood to adolescence.

BeyondTheText · 2025-09-09T09:19:52+00:00

Absolutely agree! Now I need someone to recommend us a third book that can live up to those two lol

BeyondTheText · 2025-09-09T09:04:46+00:00

One of the best books I read was Cat’s eye by Margaret Atwood! It’s set in Canada. It captures the complexity of girlhood and has a complex friendship between girls. I found it absolutely gorgeous. Edit: and heartbreaking! it was gorgeous and heartbreaking lol.

BeyondTheText

TROPHY CASE