Think The Hunger Games meets Gladiator with a dash of dark academia, a bit of magical realism, and top-notch world building and language mixed in. If you have read other fantasies like Name of the Wind or Red Rising, this will feel nicely familiar while still standing on its own merit.
The newly-formed Roman-esque Republic of Caten is built on the Hierarchy system, where citizens are divided into castes (Octavii, Septimii, and on up) who cede their Will for the betterment of the groups above them. The prestigious Academy is a training ground for the best and brightest young people to work their way up the class system and participate in a year-end trial to determine their placement in the Senate, the Military, or within the Religion sector, even though political and religious tensions often abound between the factions. Enter Vis Telimus, a talented young man with a secret past, who is tapped to join the Academy because of his inability or refusal to give up his Will for others above him.
Powerful people need Vis to infiltrate the Academy to discreetly search for 'something' that is hidden there, 'something' which could change everything. He must acclimate quickly, ascend the ranks, avoid enemies (of which there are many), and adapt to his changing surroundings. Danger and risk of failure is at every turn, and with Vis chasing a target that's constantly moving, he has to determine if his will is stronger than theirs.
This book is so complex and layered, and with a massive list of supporting characters, everyone feels interesting and rich. Almost everyone has ulterior motives for their actions, and teasing them out keeps things moving at a fairly brisk pace (though you will need to commit to making it through the world-building in the first 25%). A working knowledge of Latin helps with the pronunciation and understanding of the universe (shout-out to my 7th grade Latin teacher for things I still remember!), but you can always flip to the glossary and guide at the end.
There's a sequel coming in May, so now is a perfect time to be one of the few to jump into this fascinating story.
