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The Licanius Trilogy #1-3
The Licanius Trilogy
It has been twenty years since the godlike Augurs were overthrown and killed. Now, those who once served them -- the Gifted -- are spared only because they have accepted the rebellion's Four Tenets, vastly limiting their powers. As a Gifted, Davian suffers the consequences of a war lost before he was even born. He and others like him are despised. But when Davian discovers he wields the forbidden power of the Augurs, he and his friends Wirr and Asha set into motion a chain of events that will change everything.
Davian has won a victory for the Augurs, but treachery surrounds him and his allies on all sides in the second book of the acclaimed Licanus Trilogy, in which "fans of Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson will find much to admire." (The Guardian) Following a devastating attack, an amnesty has been declared for all Augurs -- finally allowing them to emerge from hiding and openly oppose the dark forces massing against the land of Andarra.
The journey that began with The Shadow of What Was Lostreaches its spectacular conclusion in The Light of All That Falls, the final chapter of the Licanius Trilogy by acclaimed epic fantasy author James Islington. After a savage battle, the Boundary is whole again -- but it may be too late. Banes now stalk the lands of Andarra, and the Venerate have gathered their armies for a final, crushing blow.
Davian has won a victory for the Augurs, but treachery surrounds him and his allies on all sides in the second book of the acclaimed Licanus Trilogy, in which "fans of Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson will find much to admire." (The Guardian) Following a devastating attack, an amnesty has been declared for all Augurs -- finally allowing them to emerge from hiding and openly oppose the dark forces massing against the land of Andarra.
The journey that began with The Shadow of What Was Lostreaches its spectacular conclusion in The Light of All That Falls, the final chapter of the Licanius Trilogy by acclaimed epic fantasy author James Islington. After a savage battle, the Boundary is whole again -- but it may be too late. Banes now stalk the lands of Andarra, and the Venerate have gathered their armies for a final, crushing blow.
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First published January 1, 2020
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About the author
James Islington
8 books16.4k followersJames Islington was born and raised in southern Victoria, Australia. His influences growing up were the stories of Raymond E. Feist and Robert Jordan, but it wasn't until later, when he read Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series - followed soon after by Patrick Rothfuss' Name of the Wind - that he was finally inspired to sit down and write something of his own. He now lives with his wife and two children on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
August 11, 2022
--VERY BEST EPILOGUE EVER!!! Highly recommended!
There were times when I would get lost in keeping up with all the locations in the trilogy, but was very appreciative of the prelog given at the beginning of the third book.
While being an avid reader for over forty years, I have found a lot of authors/books have been predictable. Mr. Islington is NOT a predictable author in this series.
The epilogue in the third and final book of this series has my vote as THE BEST I HAVE READ!!!! That is very high praise with the huge number of books I have read.
This is the first that I have read of Mr. Islington's books and I very much look forward to reading more!
There were times when I would get lost in keeping up with all the locations in the trilogy, but was very appreciative of the prelog given at the beginning of the third book.
While being an avid reader for over forty years, I have found a lot of authors/books have been predictable. Mr. Islington is NOT a predictable author in this series.
The epilogue in the third and final book of this series has my vote as THE BEST I HAVE READ!!!! That is very high praise with the huge number of books I have read.
This is the first that I have read of Mr. Islington's books and I very much look forward to reading more!
August 21, 2023
I tried this series as I had read the author's newest book, The Will of the Many, and was stunned by how good it was. So, while waiting for the next in that series, I went through his back catalog—this series.
I glanced over some reviews and there seems to be a consensus that there are a lot of issues with repetitive wording. There is also much ado of the overall derivative nature of the series. Now .... everything is derivative of something else. It's how a society grows on the shoulders of those who came before. I'm not worried about that with this series, even though it is fairly obvious. The wording, though, is a major distraction. The idea of someone passing out, fading to black at the conclusion of a chapter, is always the same here. Literally, it is always "And then he knew no more." There are other parts like descriptions "The scarred man" and so on, it is useful but ends up distracting from the story. Which brings us to...
*there are some spoilers ahead—be warned if you haven't read the books.
'The story' here is super interesting, but there are many issues as a reader that I found distracting. First up, the basis of 'a story' is that it is about the most interesting person. If you are reading a story from the viewpoint of someone who is just around the most interesting person, then the temptation to skip ahead is real. Nobody wants to read the viewpoint you are in. In this series, it is obvious who is the most interesting person, Tal/Caeden. The story is presented, initially, as being mostly from Davian's perspective and often keeps circling back to him. Davian is a pretty dull character overall. Later it shifts to Caeden. Then, there are entire huge chunks of the story of Aleric and Dezia that weren't told, not even summarized. An entire major part just brushed over with "long story, will tell you later" and the 'later' doesn't come. I think the 'tell you later' is for the readers, as the author has promised a book to cover it over. There are also some points that get lost in the haze, like what happens to Wirr's sister? Taeris is back with them. Is she just footless and living in a cave? I feel like we needed more info at the end about what happens with Shammeloth. There are a lot of issues with the story where it was confusing what was going on. It was pretty easy to get lost and need to backtrack to figure out who and what is going on. Which brings us to...
'Characters' in this series have some naming problems. It was initially pretty confusing who was talking and who was who. Caeden, Davian was a jumble for a while in the first book and I ended up getting them mixed up because of unclear attribution. Characters all had similar mannerisms and I never really felt like I got a good visual of them in my head, they were just set pieces moving around. This comes with a steep cost of the reader not being able to connect with the characters and thus not caring about the characters. Even at the end of the third book I was like, "great, Wirr is going to bite it, that will make his one-footed sister the queen, awesome!" but of course that didn't happen because of a story we were not told and is promised in another book. Thick character/plot armor. 'Kill your darlings' would have been good advice for this book, and Karaliene was NOT one of the darlings. She and Caeden barely knew each other. We also never properly see the antagonists and they are just a faceless "evil" that is off on the horizon. Even in Lord of the Rings, we had some chapters from Sauron's perspective, musing about Shelob. In Wheel of Time there are many chapters from Darkfriend POVs. A POV chapter from some of the Venerate or from Nethgalla would have pumped this story up.
Overall, and despite the above issues, I enjoyed this series and liked to see it all wrap up. The epilogue was great and after finishing that; I went back and read the prologue, which really just should have been added again after the Epilogue to remind the reader of what was presented and then never discussed again. It was the one thing that could have turned Alaris. At the end I saw how the author had grown into his words and I liked it, I could see how the writing got better and how the plotting and pace were on point. The problem is that the first two books were already out there.
Final thoughts. This is perhaps one of the most ambitious stories a first-time author could have taken on and he definitely had issues. The author was clearly a bit in over his head and the story got spread thin and was hard to read at times. Things like the aggravating omission of entire sub-plots, some plot holes that could have been made into massive plot pieces (the priest who kills Ell). No redemption, no follow-up, nothing, for one of the more interesting characters, Nethgalla, and many, many more parts. This all boils down to fairly routine problems that first-time authors have. The author knows the characters in their heads and knows what they want them to be. For the author (who already 'knows' the characters) everything is crystal clear—for the readers though, we need a lot more. I enjoyed the books because I like the authors' latest work. If I had started here, it would have been very difficult for me to read more of his work and I would have missed one of my favorite books of the year. I would suggest starting with "The Will of the Many" before reading this series.
I glanced over some reviews and there seems to be a consensus that there are a lot of issues with repetitive wording. There is also much ado of the overall derivative nature of the series. Now .... everything is derivative of something else. It's how a society grows on the shoulders of those who came before. I'm not worried about that with this series, even though it is fairly obvious. The wording, though, is a major distraction. The idea of someone passing out, fading to black at the conclusion of a chapter, is always the same here. Literally, it is always "And then he knew no more." There are other parts like descriptions "The scarred man" and so on, it is useful but ends up distracting from the story. Which brings us to...
*there are some spoilers ahead—be warned if you haven't read the books.
'The story' here is super interesting, but there are many issues as a reader that I found distracting. First up, the basis of 'a story' is that it is about the most interesting person. If you are reading a story from the viewpoint of someone who is just around the most interesting person, then the temptation to skip ahead is real. Nobody wants to read the viewpoint you are in. In this series, it is obvious who is the most interesting person, Tal/Caeden. The story is presented, initially, as being mostly from Davian's perspective and often keeps circling back to him. Davian is a pretty dull character overall. Later it shifts to Caeden. Then, there are entire huge chunks of the story of Aleric and Dezia that weren't told, not even summarized. An entire major part just brushed over with "long story, will tell you later" and the 'later' doesn't come. I think the 'tell you later' is for the readers, as the author has promised a book to cover it over. There are also some points that get lost in the haze, like what happens to Wirr's sister? Taeris is back with them. Is she just footless and living in a cave? I feel like we needed more info at the end about what happens with Shammeloth. There are a lot of issues with the story where it was confusing what was going on. It was pretty easy to get lost and need to backtrack to figure out who and what is going on. Which brings us to...
'Characters' in this series have some naming problems. It was initially pretty confusing who was talking and who was who. Caeden, Davian was a jumble for a while in the first book and I ended up getting them mixed up because of unclear attribution. Characters all had similar mannerisms and I never really felt like I got a good visual of them in my head, they were just set pieces moving around. This comes with a steep cost of the reader not being able to connect with the characters and thus not caring about the characters. Even at the end of the third book I was like, "great, Wirr is going to bite it, that will make his one-footed sister the queen, awesome!" but of course that didn't happen because of a story we were not told and is promised in another book. Thick character/plot armor. 'Kill your darlings' would have been good advice for this book, and Karaliene was NOT one of the darlings. She and Caeden barely knew each other. We also never properly see the antagonists and they are just a faceless "evil" that is off on the horizon. Even in Lord of the Rings, we had some chapters from Sauron's perspective, musing about Shelob. In Wheel of Time there are many chapters from Darkfriend POVs. A POV chapter from some of the Venerate or from Nethgalla would have pumped this story up.
Overall, and despite the above issues, I enjoyed this series and liked to see it all wrap up. The epilogue was great and after finishing that; I went back and read the prologue, which really just should have been added again after the Epilogue to remind the reader of what was presented and then never discussed again. It was the one thing that could have turned Alaris. At the end I saw how the author had grown into his words and I liked it, I could see how the writing got better and how the plotting and pace were on point. The problem is that the first two books were already out there.
Final thoughts. This is perhaps one of the most ambitious stories a first-time author could have taken on and he definitely had issues. The author was clearly a bit in over his head and the story got spread thin and was hard to read at times. Things like the aggravating omission of entire sub-plots, some plot holes that could have been made into massive plot pieces (the priest who kills Ell). No redemption, no follow-up, nothing, for one of the more interesting characters, Nethgalla, and many, many more parts. This all boils down to fairly routine problems that first-time authors have. The author knows the characters in their heads and knows what they want them to be. For the author (who already 'knows' the characters) everything is crystal clear—for the readers though, we need a lot more. I enjoyed the books because I like the authors' latest work. If I had started here, it would have been very difficult for me to read more of his work and I would have missed one of my favorite books of the year. I would suggest starting with "The Will of the Many" before reading this series.
July 18, 2023
This was my introduction into the world of reading for pleasure and what a ride. The classic storyline initially made me skeptical but that lasted all of 3 chapters.
The entire series was enthralling. The bow at the end of book 3 was like nothing I’ve ever seen or read either. It couldn’t have ended better.
I’m almost frustrated that maybe I’ve set the bar too high for myself as I venture into this new world of reading. Thank you so much James Islington.
The entire series was enthralling. The bow at the end of book 3 was like nothing I’ve ever seen or read either. It couldn’t have ended better.
I’m almost frustrated that maybe I’ve set the bar too high for myself as I venture into this new world of reading. Thank you so much James Islington.
July 20, 2024
The person who recommended this to me has lost their book rec privileges
February 7, 2023
Due to the sheer immensity and density of this trilogy, I wouldn't recommend this series to anyone besides hardcore fans of adult fantasy, as it would be daunting and intimidating to any reader inexperienced in the genre. With that being said, this monolith will stand for as long as there is interest in high fantasy.
I thank James Islington for providing the synopsis of the preceding book in the beginning pages of the last 2 books, I took full advantage of them to understand the complex plot before I moved on to the next book. Many people were discouraged from continuing this series precisely because of all the moving parts that made up the colossal narrative. However, everyone who stuck with Islington was rewarded with a rich experience; including not one, but two unique magic systems; politics across several countries, nations, and religions; compelling, tragic characters with distinct personalities, goals, and stories who all dynamically interact with one another; and a conclusion that, paradoxically, left me satisfied and hungry for more.
(Minor spoilers from this point on)
I want to applaud Islington's narrative tool of time travel, which is the cornerstone of the entire plot. It's very easy for an author to get confused in a tangle ever-changing timelines and time paradoxes. The reader will be as bewildered and lost as the author if they cannot understand their own writing. This is not the case here: the time travelling parts of the books are comprehensible and informative. In cases where the audience reads the same scene twice from different perspectives in intersecting times, there's a gratifying sense of clarity when you finally understand the full context of the scene, where before you were missing important points and were forced to be content with what little information the character was privy to at that time.
The time travel aspect also plays into an overarching theme that becomes progressively discernable as you read: how much is fate a product of one's choices? Does Fate exist and control reality, or is Free Will real and reality is chaos? Which is preferable, Fate or Free Will, safe imprisonment or insecure freedom? Seeing the characters wrestle with these philosophies and acting upon their conclusions further drives the plot, more likely than not into their own tragic ruin, making for an interesting, if desolate, novel.
I thank James Islington for providing the synopsis of the preceding book in the beginning pages of the last 2 books, I took full advantage of them to understand the complex plot before I moved on to the next book. Many people were discouraged from continuing this series precisely because of all the moving parts that made up the colossal narrative. However, everyone who stuck with Islington was rewarded with a rich experience; including not one, but two unique magic systems; politics across several countries, nations, and religions; compelling, tragic characters with distinct personalities, goals, and stories who all dynamically interact with one another; and a conclusion that, paradoxically, left me satisfied and hungry for more.
(Minor spoilers from this point on)
I want to applaud Islington's narrative tool of time travel, which is the cornerstone of the entire plot. It's very easy for an author to get confused in a tangle ever-changing timelines and time paradoxes. The reader will be as bewildered and lost as the author if they cannot understand their own writing. This is not the case here: the time travelling parts of the books are comprehensible and informative. In cases where the audience reads the same scene twice from different perspectives in intersecting times, there's a gratifying sense of clarity when you finally understand the full context of the scene, where before you were missing important points and were forced to be content with what little information the character was privy to at that time.
The time travel aspect also plays into an overarching theme that becomes progressively discernable as you read: how much is fate a product of one's choices? Does Fate exist and control reality, or is Free Will real and reality is chaos? Which is preferable, Fate or Free Will, safe imprisonment or insecure freedom? Seeing the characters wrestle with these philosophies and acting upon their conclusions further drives the plot, more likely than not into their own tragic ruin, making for an interesting, if desolate, novel.
December 28, 2024
Very intriguing concept of time and the cause and effect theory, the theme of "If you know what is to come, and your actions to change the future be the reason that if became reality or is your path predestined to happen regardless of your actions" It makes you ponder on whether or not the same can be said about our daily lives. The mystery of the world in this trilogy and the answers that come is so well written and expanded upon that i was unable to set the books down, after finishing the first book i immediately started the second and so forth. Highly reccomend if you're a fan of fantasy time books and want to have your mind engaged in theories and themes of if our actions truly make any changes to the future or if the future is set in stone no matter what actions you take against it
October 21, 2025
If you like a really good fantasy book where you have no idea what’s actually going on for 90% of it — but you’re totally hooked the whole way — this is it. You’ll keep wondering how the HELLY he is going to tie up all those loose ends… and then bam absolutely everything makes sense, what an ending. What a series.
This is James’ first fantasy series, and honestly, I’ll be reading everything he puts out from here on.
This is James’ first fantasy series, and honestly, I’ll be reading everything he puts out from here on.
May 7, 2024
I agree with the reviews that show that each book gets better and better. I found the series overall to be a bit slow and very dense. BUT, I loved the ending so much that I think it made it all worth it. I cried so hard and was just in awe of how it all came together. A lot of times I predict the ending, but this one took me by surprise. It's a book that the more you think about the ending and how it tied back to previous plot points, the more it makes sense - whereas some books you start questioning the big plot holes. If it weren't for the ending I would have given this book a 3 out of 5.
It was very easy for me to put the book down and stop reading after an hour or two. It switches the characters point of view every chapter which takes me out of the flow that I've found at the end of each chapter. The beginning of each new book in the series gives a summary of the key points in the previous book and I swear it was like I had never read the book when I read the summary and realized there was so much I hadn't really understood while reading.
It was very easy for me to put the book down and stop reading after an hour or two. It switches the characters point of view every chapter which takes me out of the flow that I've found at the end of each chapter. The beginning of each new book in the series gives a summary of the key points in the previous book and I swear it was like I had never read the book when I read the summary and realized there was so much I hadn't really understood while reading.
March 6, 2024
Probably my new favorite series. Reminded me a lot of the wheel of time it’s ability to build the world and weave people’s stories together well. I felt so connected to the characters and cried for them and with them—I can’t wait for his next series!
September 5, 2025
Series Review, not just book one.
The Licanius Trilogy is a fantasy series with a unique magic system, interesting worldbuilding, a complex + innovative plot and MULTIPLE multi-dimensional characters to match. It is an enjoyable read for fans who are just here for the magic system as well as for fans who enjoy being thrust into a mysterious plot where we have many questions and untrustworthy characters to get answers from. Islington does a great job at keeping the reader engaged and maintains excellent suspense, curiosity and stakes throughout all three books. The prose is flowing, easy-to-read and enjoyable, but by no means poetic.
Pros:
-Unique magic System of Essence and Kan with multiple uses and characters with different understandings of said Energy
-Very complex characters at different stages of life. I would say 3 main characters with stories of coming-of-age, self-redeeming, and self-sacrificing/revolutionary plots.
-Thought provoking plot where all perspective and non-perspective characters feel like they have their own machinations in place that appropriately affect the story and each characters motivations. The story is difficult to predict but logically makes sense as different goals come into focus, and intriguing to follow.
-Significant emotional and ethical quandaries about the nature of redemption, power, and free will which drive characters decisions
-Pacing is excellent throughout without any significant lulls and the endings of each book was appropriately drawn out
Cons:
-Plot can be difficult to follow in later books, but is well explained eventually. I would say this is not a problem except for readers who struggle with only having access to partial information, as many of the characters may not have the perspective to understand events that occur in real time
-There were times where it was easy to disengage with other characters emotionally as their plots seemed less important than those of Caeden, Ashalia and Davian.
-The worldbuilding was original and unique, but certainly centered around the main characters more than free-standing. I think the complexity of how it ties into the plot more than makes up for this shortcoming, but it is something important to note.
Overall, I would recommend this series to any fantasy readers who enjoy complex plots and characters with many conflicting goals. The worldbuilding and prose were both satisfying, but not the focus of the book. Despite the intricate plot, the trilogy is still a fairly easy read - despite the length. The ethical debates in the series drive the plot and drag the reader into the same struggle of morality that the characters face. Islington provides no easy solutions to assuage the conscience, making Licanius a brainteaser even after putting it back onto the shelf.
4.5/5 stars
The Licanius Trilogy is a fantasy series with a unique magic system, interesting worldbuilding, a complex + innovative plot and MULTIPLE multi-dimensional characters to match. It is an enjoyable read for fans who are just here for the magic system as well as for fans who enjoy being thrust into a mysterious plot where we have many questions and untrustworthy characters to get answers from. Islington does a great job at keeping the reader engaged and maintains excellent suspense, curiosity and stakes throughout all three books. The prose is flowing, easy-to-read and enjoyable, but by no means poetic.
Pros:
-Unique magic System of Essence and Kan with multiple uses and characters with different understandings of said Energy
-Very complex characters at different stages of life. I would say 3 main characters with stories of coming-of-age, self-redeeming, and self-sacrificing/revolutionary plots.
-Thought provoking plot where all perspective and non-perspective characters feel like they have their own machinations in place that appropriately affect the story and each characters motivations. The story is difficult to predict but logically makes sense as different goals come into focus, and intriguing to follow.
-Significant emotional and ethical quandaries about the nature of redemption, power, and free will which drive characters decisions
-Pacing is excellent throughout without any significant lulls and the endings of each book was appropriately drawn out
Cons:
-Plot can be difficult to follow in later books, but is well explained eventually. I would say this is not a problem except for readers who struggle with only having access to partial information, as many of the characters may not have the perspective to understand events that occur in real time
-There were times where it was easy to disengage with other characters emotionally as their plots seemed less important than those of Caeden, Ashalia and Davian.
-The worldbuilding was original and unique, but certainly centered around the main characters more than free-standing. I think the complexity of how it ties into the plot more than makes up for this shortcoming, but it is something important to note.
Overall, I would recommend this series to any fantasy readers who enjoy complex plots and characters with many conflicting goals. The worldbuilding and prose were both satisfying, but not the focus of the book. Despite the intricate plot, the trilogy is still a fairly easy read - despite the length. The ethical debates in the series drive the plot and drag the reader into the same struggle of morality that the characters face. Islington provides no easy solutions to assuage the conscience, making Licanius a brainteaser even after putting it back onto the shelf.
4.5/5 stars
January 8, 2025
While I did enjoy reading the first two books individually, I wouldn't recommend starting this series now that I've finished the entire trilogy. There's two main (almost spoiler-free) reasons for this:
1. The author's logic is fundamentally flawed. I think the trilogy, at its heart, wants to answer the question of how you know you're on the right side of a conflict when you cannot prove either of two fundamentally opposed beliefs right or wrong. This is a cool idea - and I even mostly agree with the answer provided (when you're doing the right thing, you do not need to grasp at justifications for what you have to do; ends should never justify means). The issue lies within the protagonists' behaviours throughout the series. If their behaviour and decisions should highlight them fighting for the right cause, their actions should set them apart from their antagonists - and yet, all of them do pretty horrible things every now and then "because they had no other choice", or "because this is necessary". While reading book 1, I thought this was done deliberately to lead towards a particular reveal - but the summary at the beginning of book 2 retrospectively clarifies everything to be clear-cut, and I found myself disagreeing strongly all with that sentiment all the way through until the end.
2. The story progression is extremely predictable. There's some plot twists, but you can see most of them coming entire books prior if you're familiar with the Hero's Journey archetype. For the first book, I was suspecting the author was deliberately using that archetype to create a surprising and interesting spin on that trope, but I was wrong. The most surprising element is the lack of a direct antagonist for most of the trilogy.
Additionally, there's an entire side plot cut from the third book - a decision that leads to one of the characters not thinking of their love interest for most of the book, and said love interest to reappear in one of the strangest deus ex machina moments I've seen in recent (generally well-received) fantasy.
I can't help but feel that there was a lot of potential here, but I cannot understand the extremely positive reviews on this book. The language is mostly solid, but the author's inexperience shows throughout the entire trilogy, and shows progressively more clearly the more you understand where he's taking the story.
1. The author's logic is fundamentally flawed. I think the trilogy, at its heart, wants to answer the question of how you know you're on the right side of a conflict when you cannot prove either of two fundamentally opposed beliefs right or wrong. This is a cool idea - and I even mostly agree with the answer provided (when you're doing the right thing, you do not need to grasp at justifications for what you have to do; ends should never justify means). The issue lies within the protagonists' behaviours throughout the series. If their behaviour and decisions should highlight them fighting for the right cause, their actions should set them apart from their antagonists - and yet, all of them do pretty horrible things every now and then "because they had no other choice", or "because this is necessary". While reading book 1, I thought this was done deliberately to lead towards a particular reveal - but the summary at the beginning of book 2 retrospectively clarifies everything to be clear-cut, and I found myself disagreeing strongly all with that sentiment all the way through until the end.
2. The story progression is extremely predictable. There's some plot twists, but you can see most of them coming entire books prior if you're familiar with the Hero's Journey archetype. For the first book, I was suspecting the author was deliberately using that archetype to create a surprising and interesting spin on that trope, but I was wrong. The most surprising element is the lack of a direct antagonist for most of the trilogy.
Additionally, there's an entire side plot cut from the third book - a decision that leads to one of the characters not thinking of their love interest for most of the book, and said love interest to reappear in one of the strangest deus ex machina moments I've seen in recent (generally well-received) fantasy.
I can't help but feel that there was a lot of potential here, but I cannot understand the extremely positive reviews on this book. The language is mostly solid, but the author's inexperience shows throughout the entire trilogy, and shows progressively more clearly the more you understand where he's taking the story.
March 22, 2025
Here's the thing. I've just finished the third book after literally a physical struggle to keep the book open. A prosaic reason, maybe...I had a shoulder operation a week ago, so was having to read the book one-handed and it kept giving me muscle-ache because it is too thick (in paperback) to keep open in one hand,
That's the problem with this sprawling epic. At 2,225 pages, it's just far too long for what it is seemingly trying to do, with far too many plot lines and characters, requiring even more writing to keep the reader abreast of what's going on. By the time I got to book three, I was skimming pages with, at most, curiosity about what was coming next, but honestly nothing more than that. I can't say that I really empathised with any of the characters, so just didn't really care who survived (a lot don't). I'm sure the fights / battles / confrontations were meant to leave you breathless and on the edge of your seat...but it was blindingly obvious the main protagonists would survive, so each scene really just turned into 'whatever...'. The writing style is endlessly banal, whether in descriptive or mode...and there is just far too description.
This trilogy basically needed a really good editor to tell Islington:
- to lose at least 750 pages
- to lose a third of the plot lines/devices (it feels as if every possible fantasy trope has been forced into these books)
- to lose at least the same again in characters
- which of his writing styles are engaging and which simply leave you yawning and skim-reading...plagiarising what has eloquently been put in one of the 1* reviews of the first book, there needs to be a massive reduction in 'tell' and a commensurate increase in 'show'; and if you can't do the latter, remove the plot arc and characters that are driving you to do the former.
There are some good/interesting parts to this story, so it's not a 1* for the series, but when everything is brought together, it's just suffocating because it is all so dull. The clincher for me is that there are other epic fantasy authors who do just about manage to pull off the 20 million words and counting etc. So, it can be done, not just by Islington in his debut trilogy.
Incidentally, I started reading Islington from The Will of the Many. Much better book and more promising trilogy (book one only published so far).
That's the problem with this sprawling epic. At 2,225 pages, it's just far too long for what it is seemingly trying to do, with far too many plot lines and characters, requiring even more writing to keep the reader abreast of what's going on. By the time I got to book three, I was skimming pages with, at most, curiosity about what was coming next, but honestly nothing more than that. I can't say that I really empathised with any of the characters, so just didn't really care who survived (a lot don't). I'm sure the fights / battles / confrontations were meant to leave you breathless and on the edge of your seat...but it was blindingly obvious the main protagonists would survive, so each scene really just turned into 'whatever...'. The writing style is endlessly banal, whether in descriptive or mode...and there is just far too description.
This trilogy basically needed a really good editor to tell Islington:
- to lose at least 750 pages
- to lose a third of the plot lines/devices (it feels as if every possible fantasy trope has been forced into these books)
- to lose at least the same again in characters
- which of his writing styles are engaging and which simply leave you yawning and skim-reading...plagiarising what has eloquently been put in one of the 1* reviews of the first book, there needs to be a massive reduction in 'tell' and a commensurate increase in 'show'; and if you can't do the latter, remove the plot arc and characters that are driving you to do the former.
There are some good/interesting parts to this story, so it's not a 1* for the series, but when everything is brought together, it's just suffocating because it is all so dull. The clincher for me is that there are other epic fantasy authors who do just about manage to pull off the 20 million words and counting etc. So, it can be done, not just by Islington in his debut trilogy.
Incidentally, I started reading Islington from The Will of the Many. Much better book and more promising trilogy (book one only published so far).
October 6, 2025
I liked this story. It was enough like Wheel of Time that it was easy to get into after a WoT binge, but different enough that the story is still unique, doesn't feel derivative. The tropes from WoT used in the story seem to have been done on purpose. I like the pacing and I think the author handles the time travel situation very well, where even when there are supposed paradoxes they're explained. There aren't a lot of loose ends left, although there is still room for offshoot stories to be written later. The series has a satisfying conclusion, and overall the story feels more.. hopeful, I suppose, than Wot. It also sort of reminds me of Elantris by B. Sanderson, but I can't quite put my finger on why. It was definitely a worthwhile read.
One complaint about it that I've read is that the characters are very one-dimensional - to an extent that's true, but I think the storytelling was good enough that it worked for this series.
I've also read there is a "lack of narrative tension" and I honestly don't think that's the case. I couldn't put it down because the story was engrossing and interesting and I wanted to know more - isn't that technically what narrative tension is? I think what it lacks is long, drawn out portions of the story where the protagonist is being emo and annoying and gets in a terrible situation, usually somewhat of their own making but not always, as most stories in the genre have... And I don't miss that element at ALL. Think WoT book 6-10 slog, HP Order of the Phoenix, never-ending "Frodo and Sam in Mordor" scenes in LotR, Kaladin in the middle third of Stormlight book 2, Kaladin in book 4.....ughhhhh!! No thank you! These are often the parts I SKIP when I reread. Haha.
One complaint about it that I've read is that the characters are very one-dimensional - to an extent that's true, but I think the storytelling was good enough that it worked for this series.
I've also read there is a "lack of narrative tension" and I honestly don't think that's the case. I couldn't put it down because the story was engrossing and interesting and I wanted to know more - isn't that technically what narrative tension is? I think what it lacks is long, drawn out portions of the story where the protagonist is being emo and annoying and gets in a terrible situation, usually somewhat of their own making but not always, as most stories in the genre have... And I don't miss that element at ALL. Think WoT book 6-10 slog, HP Order of the Phoenix, never-ending "Frodo and Sam in Mordor" scenes in LotR, Kaladin in the middle third of Stormlight book 2, Kaladin in book 4.....ughhhhh!! No thank you! These are often the parts I SKIP when I reread. Haha.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 15, 2023
An excellently written trilogy, especially for a first-time author. The narrative style is inspired by Brandon Sanderson's cosmere series, I highly recommend this trilogy to any of his fans. The series does not overuse tropes, types, or plot devices to the point of exhaustion, the worldbuilding and magic system are laid out methodically and cleanly, and the pacing is done well. The conclusion provides a satisfying end to the characters' story arcs and leaves enough room for the reader to speculate on their future adventures.
The plot is fairly convoluted and follows a lot of characters. Nothing on the scale of the Wheel of Time, but this series is not for anyone unfamiliar with high/epic fantasy. Well-versed fantasy readers will appreciate Islington's use typical fantasy types and themes, which support his original story without feeling forced.
Islington attempts to touch on philosophical arguments between many of the antagonists but without the subtlety of Sanderson, I would describe these as the low points of the trilogy. The main point of conflict for the series is that the future is predetermined and free will nonexistent, but the arguments of the main characters and antagonists are underdeveloped and unsatisfying.
The story is well-told and has some depth, but Islington lacks the experience to take it from "good" to "excellent." I've given Islington some leeway and rated this at five stars, but for a more mature author I would rate this between 3.5 and 4 stars. This project was too ambitious for a first try, but I have my eye on his future works.
The plot is fairly convoluted and follows a lot of characters. Nothing on the scale of the Wheel of Time, but this series is not for anyone unfamiliar with high/epic fantasy. Well-versed fantasy readers will appreciate Islington's use typical fantasy types and themes, which support his original story without feeling forced.
Islington attempts to touch on philosophical arguments between many of the antagonists but without the subtlety of Sanderson, I would describe these as the low points of the trilogy. The main point of conflict for the series is that the future is predetermined and free will nonexistent, but the arguments of the main characters and antagonists are underdeveloped and unsatisfying.
The story is well-told and has some depth, but Islington lacks the experience to take it from "good" to "excellent." I've given Islington some leeway and rated this at five stars, but for a more mature author I would rate this between 3.5 and 4 stars. This project was too ambitious for a first try, but I have my eye on his future works.
August 6, 2024
All three of these books were such an amazing read. I loved the characters, loved how the plot moved and connected. I was never bored, and I loved the twists that caught me unexpectedly.
A very intelligently written book with interesting characters and cool world lore, it easily has taken the spot of my favourite read in a very long time.
My literal only complaint about it is that I wanted the author to let us sit in the moment more when someone died. There were far too many off screen deaths of relatively prominent characters. It's not that I wanted to read their gruesome ends, but I wanted hear certain characters getting their cinematic last words, I wanted to linger in feeling the loss of the characters. It often felt like we were told someone died and then it was rushed onto the next thing. I know the timeline for the characters was rushed so it wasn't without reason, but I think those moments could have hit really hard instead of feeling like a passing "that sucks" before moving onto something cooler.
I liked the magic, I liked that most-everything was explained and wrapped up in the trilogy. That's such a big thing in fantasy where too many things are left unexplained just "because magic" and I love that the author didn't do that.
Thanks James for writing such a fun series, I look forward to reading anything else you get up to once the series is complete!
A very intelligently written book with interesting characters and cool world lore, it easily has taken the spot of my favourite read in a very long time.
My literal only complaint about it is that I wanted the author to let us sit in the moment more when someone died. There were far too many off screen deaths of relatively prominent characters. It's not that I wanted to read their gruesome ends, but I wanted hear certain characters getting their cinematic last words, I wanted to linger in feeling the loss of the characters. It often felt like we were told someone died and then it was rushed onto the next thing. I know the timeline for the characters was rushed so it wasn't without reason, but I think those moments could have hit really hard instead of feeling like a passing "that sucks" before moving onto something cooler.
I liked the magic, I liked that most-everything was explained and wrapped up in the trilogy. That's such a big thing in fantasy where too many things are left unexplained just "because magic" and I love that the author didn't do that.
Thanks James for writing such a fun series, I look forward to reading anything else you get up to once the series is complete!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 4, 2025
Wow!!!! Wow seriously wow. Nothing gets me better than a classic fantasy world with an interesting twist, and James Islington was bold to go with time travel, but he played it off so incredibly well.
While at times my internal timeline definitely got jumbled and confusing, that felt okay because I read as Davian and Caeden experienced some of the same.
The worldbuilding in this series is strong, but it doesn’t feel like the focus by any means. While deep histories and other lands are hinted at, they’re never discussed in detail and we don’t even get a map for anything but the main continent the story takes place on.
That feels okay, though, because the characters were written so well. Davian, Asha and Wirr’s journeys into adulthood were fun to read, but Caedens character development was definitely the most enjoyable part of this series by far. Uncovering Caeden’s past was incredibly exciting, and James depicted his (and everyone else’s) struggles with faith super well, they were incredibly convincing.
And the ending!! Come on! Rarely do I read a series that wraps itself up so beautifully, emotionally and succinctly, and the reveal is totally worth the wait. Love this series.
While at times my internal timeline definitely got jumbled and confusing, that felt okay because I read as Davian and Caeden experienced some of the same.
The worldbuilding in this series is strong, but it doesn’t feel like the focus by any means. While deep histories and other lands are hinted at, they’re never discussed in detail and we don’t even get a map for anything but the main continent the story takes place on.
That feels okay, though, because the characters were written so well. Davian, Asha and Wirr’s journeys into adulthood were fun to read, but Caedens character development was definitely the most enjoyable part of this series by far. Uncovering Caeden’s past was incredibly exciting, and James depicted his (and everyone else’s) struggles with faith super well, they were incredibly convincing.
And the ending!! Come on! Rarely do I read a series that wraps itself up so beautifully, emotionally and succinctly, and the reveal is totally worth the wait. Love this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend this fabulous trilogy. James' first book/series no less, which is pretty incredible as this is as good as it gets in the epic fantasy stakes. What starts off as a well-written first novel, soon expands into a complex, dazzling layered story that engulfs you in it's range and hurtles you through to a stunning conclusion that thrills (as opposed to some series where the ending is dissatisfying, or predictable or simply underwhelming). If you love authors and series such as Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn and Way of Kings, Rothfuss (please write that 3rd book Patrick), Steven Erikson, Robin Hobb, Gene Wolfe, Joe Abercrombie - then you'll certainly enjoy this. Wickedly layered and complex by the time you get to Light of all that Falls, so not for readers new to the genre or those who read sporadically or sparsely, I really, really enjoyed this and hope for more to come. James is Australian even, and was inspired to write by reading Mistborn (who isn't). Buy, Read and Enjoy - NOW!
March 11, 2024
Well holy $h!t. I have read A LOT of epic fantasy (Tolkien, Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson, Rebecca Yarros, George RR Martin, Samantha Shannon, JK Rowling, and more) and THIS SERIES blew me away. I’ve never encountered such a complex magic system that was all relevant to the plot. And the plotting itself was excellent. I didn’t know how it would end until the last page. And the ending was so perfect—no unanswered questions, justice done, and yet totally surprising.
I can’t believe this was his first series. I started with The Will of Many, and read this series while waiting for the next instalment. Now I cannot wait.
I also can’t believe he is based in Mornington Australia. He’s practically my neighbour. I may have to camp outside his house until the next Hierarchy book is finished.
Bravo Mr Islington! Bravo!
I can’t believe this was his first series. I started with The Will of Many, and read this series while waiting for the next instalment. Now I cannot wait.
I also can’t believe he is based in Mornington Australia. He’s practically my neighbour. I may have to camp outside his house until the next Hierarchy book is finished.
Bravo Mr Islington! Bravo!
November 13, 2025
I absolutely loved this trilogy! I started it after reading The Will of the Many and really enjoying that, and I was not disappointed with this one either.
The story follows several different characters, Davian, Asha, Wirr and Caeden, as they fight against the end of their world. This trilogy covers huge spans of time and has a vast supporting cast with fantastic world-building and compelling writing.
I had so many emotions reading these books (he’s not afraid to kill people off!), and got very attached to the main cast. The scope of the story is incredible, and I especially enjoyed the interactions of characters in different time periods (I can’t say more because of spoilers, so read it and you’ll understand!). Character development is a key theme, along with moral, ethical and religious dilemmas, all set in a fantastical world with a unique magic system.
Highly recommended.
The story follows several different characters, Davian, Asha, Wirr and Caeden, as they fight against the end of their world. This trilogy covers huge spans of time and has a vast supporting cast with fantastic world-building and compelling writing.
I had so many emotions reading these books (he’s not afraid to kill people off!), and got very attached to the main cast. The scope of the story is incredible, and I especially enjoyed the interactions of characters in different time periods (I can’t say more because of spoilers, so read it and you’ll understand!). Character development is a key theme, along with moral, ethical and religious dilemmas, all set in a fantastical world with a unique magic system.
Highly recommended.
September 26, 2024
A very interesting and thoughtful series that explores philosophical and moral dilemmas via the lens of a dark fantasy. Idlington explores the question of whether free will can still exist in a world where one's choices can't alter fate. The world that he has built is both dark and beautiful. This is a story that spans centuries, and there are many hidden connections between characters and events that are revealed as the story progresses.
As compelling as the story is, it is also held back by the writing. This was Islington's first book series, and is definitely not the most polished series I've read.
Regardless, I still feel like this series is worth reading with multiple twists and a strong ending.
As compelling as the story is, it is also held back by the writing. This was Islington's first book series, and is definitely not the most polished series I've read.
Regardless, I still feel like this series is worth reading with multiple twists and a strong ending.
December 4, 2024
The ended really bumped this rating up for me. I listened to this series, so maybe that made my experience a bit different, but due to the names all being so similar, the time jumping, and the magic that didn’t always have a lot of description it was tricky for me to follow at times.
I really liked the idea of this story and was drawn in quickly. I thought it was so interesting and loved uncovering the history of what had happened. I wish the character development had been better and that the banes were a bit easier to picture. I also wish there was more that helped me wrap my mind around some of the magical items that were so crucial to the plot. That said, I loved how Islington tied it all together at the end so much!
I really liked the idea of this story and was drawn in quickly. I thought it was so interesting and loved uncovering the history of what had happened. I wish the character development had been better and that the banes were a bit easier to picture. I also wish there was more that helped me wrap my mind around some of the magical items that were so crucial to the plot. That said, I loved how Islington tied it all together at the end so much!
March 22, 2025
I would like to start by saying that I listened to the audio books, rather than read them. I may have had a much less desirable time trying to work out the story if I hadn't been led along so nicely.
Without spoilers, I thoroughly enjoyed these books. I've never read a series with such glaring, open plot holes or missing answers, but somehow it doesn't feel as bad as it sounds. There's a pending story from the author to clear up some confusing points and wrap up some huge loose ends, so I've been told, and that makes me content to wait and see! This probably sounds a bit whacky, but if you like complex magic systems and a book with plenty of humanity I'd recommend it. The twists are an exciting ride to the very end.
Without spoilers, I thoroughly enjoyed these books. I've never read a series with such glaring, open plot holes or missing answers, but somehow it doesn't feel as bad as it sounds. There's a pending story from the author to clear up some confusing points and wrap up some huge loose ends, so I've been told, and that makes me content to wait and see! This probably sounds a bit whacky, but if you like complex magic systems and a book with plenty of humanity I'd recommend it. The twists are an exciting ride to the very end.
May 23, 2025
Okay I have to say this is the first series in a long time where I was convinced I’d missed something. I’d missed the reveal. I wasn’t actually sure who was right.
Tal and the venerate both speak with such conviction and I as a reader had no proof - it literally felt like hearsay and I’m still lost how we knew he knew the truth! I did go back and read the opening chapter from book one and that explains more in more prologue then the whole of book 3 but I digress.
I think I enjoyed it? I liked some of the characters. I liked some of the plots. I stuck it out because I thought there would be more …. But there wasn’t. I liked the ending I will say but I think the battle could’ve been more. Overall, I would recommend it but only to a slim group of people.
Tal and the venerate both speak with such conviction and I as a reader had no proof - it literally felt like hearsay and I’m still lost how we knew he knew the truth! I did go back and read the opening chapter from book one and that explains more in more prologue then the whole of book 3 but I digress.
I think I enjoyed it? I liked some of the characters. I liked some of the plots. I stuck it out because I thought there would be more …. But there wasn’t. I liked the ending I will say but I think the battle could’ve been more. Overall, I would recommend it but only to a slim group of people.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 20, 2023
I loved the underlying philosophical theme about predestination and free will. The books are a bit tough at the edges, especially the first one, but I am willing to overlook this as, somehow, this trilogy is from a debugging author. These two things make me rate the trilogy five stars,. I probably wouldn't have finished the first book of it was by an established writer.
The book feels unique and complex and kept me hooked after the first book. Somehow I don't want some of my favourite books to end, but this was quite the opposite. I could probably already predict the exact ending for ages. In a story about predestination, this makes perfect sense and actually adds to the experience.
The book feels unique and complex and kept me hooked after the first book. Somehow I don't want some of my favourite books to end, but this was quite the opposite. I could probably already predict the exact ending for ages. In a story about predestination, this makes perfect sense and actually adds to the experience.
August 5, 2025
An average series as best, particularly if you are honest and don't overweight the very good epilogue.
Time travel books are always a little complicated given the conundrum of time travel and this one failed to make it work. Too many times, I was trying to figure out if the character was in the past how that would impact the future. The magic system was not well explained and seemed to change whenever the author needed it to resolve an issue. Also, it seemed like chapter after chapter of the characters being imprisoned and tortured. It got stale very quickly and I found myself not really interested or caring.
Time travel books are always a little complicated given the conundrum of time travel and this one failed to make it work. Too many times, I was trying to figure out if the character was in the past how that would impact the future. The magic system was not well explained and seemed to change whenever the author needed it to resolve an issue. Also, it seemed like chapter after chapter of the characters being imprisoned and tortured. It got stale very quickly and I found myself not really interested or caring.
October 10, 2025
I absolutely loved this entire trilogy. After reading the first book of Islington's next trilogy, The Will of the Many, AND LOVING IT, I decided to dive into this first trilogy. I tore threw all three books at record pace because the writing was so good and the story was enthralling. There were times I had to go back to parts of the story (and back to previous books in the trilogy) just to recall certain things and make sure I was tracking, but it was fun and I wasn't surprised I had to do that given the length and breadth of the story. It was not complicated at all, just a different world – and an incredibly inventive story. Highly recommend!
October 19, 2023
This series was, overall, a great read, and one that I highly recommend to fantasy lovers like myself. The world James Islington creates is truly vast and detailed, giving a sense of livelihood that many books simply lack. Each character is deep and meaningful, boasting their own motivations that tie into their unique plots—all of which, for the record, I thoroughly enjoyed, especially figuring out how they tied together. My only critique that rang true throughout the series was the verbose nature of everything. At times, I found myself thinking "How long will this drag on?" and desiring more action. The exposition certainly helped build the world, but I do believe there were times I would have preferred some more action in its place.
July 18, 2025
This trilogy is incredible, one of my favourite series I have read this far. I found James' work after reading the will of many, and was put onto "The Licanus Trilogy" after being so impressed by his work.
The characters, world, pacing, story arcs and every piece of these books is wonderful. I have read some really great fantasy recently and the fact that this stands near the top for me says a lot. It approaches fantasy/ high fantasy with such creativity and enthusiasm; it felt very fresh, in a genre that is often dominated by tropes, and well trodden story paths.
Give this a shot.
The characters, world, pacing, story arcs and every piece of these books is wonderful. I have read some really great fantasy recently and the fact that this stands near the top for me says a lot. It approaches fantasy/ high fantasy with such creativity and enthusiasm; it felt very fresh, in a genre that is often dominated by tropes, and well trodden story paths.
Give this a shot.
November 25, 2023
It's a great trilogy that was thoroughly enjoyable. I'd recommend reading yourself instead of listening to the audiobooks. While the audiobooks are well done, there is a lot of flashbacks that are marked by cursive script in the books but seamlessly join in the audiobooks. One moment you're following the character to breakfast, bam, next moment you're being executed on a country road. It's confusing 😅.
December 4, 2024
This story was so good. So so good. It kept me guessing the entire time and so wrapped up in the world and characters. Even having a newborn, I found myself staying up late just to get through chapter after chapter. The first book was a bit of a struggle in some parts.. it seemed a little confusing and some minor issues with the writing for me. But each book was a drastic improvement. The story is one I haven’t heard before, and I loved that. Will definitely have to reread again and again.
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