The Strength of the Few (2) (Hierarchy)

I’m in a stunned sort of state after finishing this book. This was an incredible piece of work! The world gets soooo much bigger and the characters expand so much. The beginning is a little slow but still addicting enough to keep you hooked. The intricacies of Will and the worlds that this book takes place in is extremely impressive and really makes you think hard to fully comprehend what’s happening. The characters are written so well and I did not expect the amount of emotion I was about to go through. It is difficult in the beginning to learn all the new places and people but it’s so worth it. I just referred to the glossary and characters often in the back of the book. The ending had me reeling! I literally had tears in my eyes. I think the next book is going to be my highest anticipated read. I can not wait to get my hands on it!

There will be spoilers. What a book! This took world building to another level. This is basically 3 books in 1, and I’m completely impressed by James Islington’s imagination. It’s such an interesting story and I was blown away by the imagery of the worlds. The Will of the Many was so fast paced and I couldn’t get enough. I loved all the characters. This book had me coming to a halt every couple of chapters with the time jumps and alternating worlds. I was missing the characters from Res and didn’t really connect with the new characters. Maybe because the book was moving so quickly and in different worlds there wasn’t as much room for character building. I was already more invested in Res (obviously) and pretty much loved all of those chapters. Obiteum was very cool and I really enjoyed the story there. Luceum, however, was pretty boring up until Fornax. In the end, I felt just a little underwhelmed by this book, and I wasn’t expecting to feel that way. Don’t get me wrong, it was still great! Just way more complex and I just don’t like where the end left me. Some questions were answered but now there’s SO many more…and a possible villain Vis? I’m here for this journey! I also just want to say I think that the way James Islington writes about death and grief is beautiful. Super cool story and I’m excited to see where it continues to go. Audiobook 🎧⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Fantastic narration once again! It had me feeling pumped up, had me feeling creeped out, & had me crying in some parts.

Another win for James Islington! Parts of this book, I liked less than the first. Other parts, I loved even more. For starters, I'm usually a "clean" fantasy reader. I don't like a lot of grit, and I hate sex/sexual violence in books. This one got quite a bit darker and more violent than the first, including gore, and has lots of swearing. BUT, it didn't have any sex/sexual violence, so it was still a win for me. Definitely an adult book, though. I'm so thankful for writers who give these epic, awesome, complex novels without resorting to depictions of SA against women to progress their storyline. My favorite aspects of this book (and, also, the first) are the relationships. I LOVE BROTHERLY relationships. And FATHER/SON relationships. MASTER/SON relationships. I love reading books about the bonds between men. And there's SO MUCH of that in these books. Every time Vis mentions his father (in this book and the last), it just makes me want to wrap him in a blanket burrito, give him a hot cocoa and a hug, and tell him everything is going to be okay. Pulled on my heart strings EVERY TIME. I loved the tenuous relationship between Vis and Ulciscor, Vis's bonds with Eidhin and Callidus, and in this particular book, Caeror. As a fan of male characters, the assortment of male characters in these books, and their bonds with each other, are a huge win for me. There was enough depth and complexity to them (particularly the characters in earlier books) that were a huge win for me. There's also minimal romance, and that's ALSO a huge win for me. I love the intensifying plot A LOT. I'm a huge fan of world-ending plots, and plots that span worlds, and ancient conspiracies, and all that. And since I unfortunately avoid most epic fantasy books because they make sexual violence against women their biggest plot devices, getting this book was a delight. Everything felt new and exciting to me. I also love how the book focuses on one protagonist (three, in this book, technically, but it doesn't feel that way). I love Brandon Sanderson's older books, like Way of Kings, and I think this sort of reminds me of that. Except minus the billions of other character chapters that pop up. It's like that, except Kaladin remains the only POV character. Which I would love. I got so bored of reading about certain other characters in Stormlight Archive, that by the end of that series, I was skipping entire POV chapters because I hated them so much. Just give me one or two characters that I love, and let them carry the story. So the focus on ONLY Vis as a POV character was a plus for me IMMENSELY here. And there wasn't a single chapter I wanted to skip. The downsides for me? The pacing felt too fast in this book, since it was three worlds, and basically three books, going at once. Not as much time to slow down and really spend time with the characters as they process the events of their world. There's a scene between Vis and Ulciscor toward the end that felt like it needed way more time than it got, and I'll leave it at that. Same with Vis and another character in a lake (if you know, you know) that... probably deserved way more time and attention. That particular character, I wish they'd been around for WAY LONGER than the whole 2-3 chapters they got (although I admit those chapters were my favorites in the book). But by those points in the book, the plot was racing so fast that we couldn't really slow down to enjoy those moments that mattered. I'd say the pacing felt the worst toward the end. Partly to keep the tension high, I get it, but it also sort of felt like the author was running out of time to get the book done in a certain word count, so he just started cutting content. Too bad. I would have read a much larger book, with more of the content I loved. I could have stayed in this world for a lot longer and been perfectly content. That was probably my only real complaint. I loved Vis in Res and Vis in Obiteum. Didn't like Luceum as much, until a certain character made an appearance, but I was still happy to keep reading. So even the split worlds didn't bother me, and it was fun as they sort of started tying together. There were some typos throughout the text that made me laugh. Even big-name authors, with fancy-expensive editors, have typos littered throughout their text. It is what it is. Loved this book immensely. And can't wait to see where it goes. I'm am a hardcore fan of James Islington now. Loved Licanius trilogy, and this series is so much better (in my opinion). Highly recommend!

I’ll admit, this book took me a little while to find my footing. The scope expands dramatically from The Will of the Many, and for the first portion I occasionally felt overwhelmed by the number of moving pieces, locations, and mysteries. Looking back, though, every question and every breadcrumb mattered. What I loved most was how the story constantly rewarded paying attention. Instead of relying on shocking twists for the sake of surprise, the revelations felt earned. I found myself making theories throughout the book, changing my mind as new information came to light, and then realizing just how carefully everything had been set up from the beginning. While the first book hooked me with its academy setting, rivalries, and relentless competition, this sequel hooked me with its mysteries. Every answer uncovered an even bigger question, and I loved watching the world grow far beyond what I thought I understood. Vis continues to be one of my favorite fantasy protagonists, and the emotional stakes are just as compelling as the larger world-altering ones. By the time I reached the final chapters, I couldn’t put it down. The only downside? Now I have to wait for Book 3. If you enjoy intricate fantasy, layered mysteries, political intrigue, and stories that trust the reader to piece things together, this series is absolutely worth your time.

If you have read any of the authors previous works, you can expect well developed characters, very intricate plot and the attention to detail is exceptional. This story is no different. This continuation of the hierarchy story is raw and gritty with a few surprises thrown in. Word of advice, definitely do a quick reread of the first book. I did not. Took me a bit to get oriented to the world. Excellent story.

These books are great but they are work to get through. Great writing. A bit slow in the middle. Entertaining.

At first, I was a bit confused with the changing of worlds and story line, but soon began to look forward to the changes. Mr. Islington once again has left me wanting more.

Took me a bit to get into compared to the first book. But i became so immersed once i got a handle on what was happening. The third book cannot come out soon enough!!!!

A very good book - made me think a lot and had awesome characters. Good plot too. James you’re a dog.

Great story! Excited for the next one.

Un gran libro una gran historia explica mucho del primer libro y amplia la historia es muy bueno

State of the delivered book was disappointing. Edges had been worn, slightly folded, etc. Also, the delievered book was noticeably larger than other softcover books I had. (Check the photo I posted.) If you are picky about these things, make sure to measure your existing softcover books and purchase if it is okay with you.

Loved this. Because of the different POVs, it was a bit difficult to get into. But the setting, the story, and the magic system(s) are all great. One of the best books I read this year.