The Strength of the Few - James Islington

The Strength of the Few

By James Islington

  • Release Date: 2025-11-11
  • Genre: Epic Fantasy
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 359 Ratings
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Description

This highly anticipated sequel to The Will of the Many—one of 2023’s most lauded and bestselling fantasy novels—follows Vis as he grapples with a dangerous secret that could unravel history across alternate dimensions.

Book two of the Hierarchy quartet.

OMNE TRIUM PERFECTUM

The Hierarchy still call me Vis Telimus. Still hail me as Catenicus. They still, as one, believe they know who I am.

But with all that has happened—with what I fear is coming—I am not sure it matters anymore.

I am no longer one. I won the Iudicium, and lost everything—and now, impossibly, the ancient device beyond the Labyrinth has replicated me across three separate worlds. A different version of myself in each of Obiteum, Luceum, and Res. Three different bodies, three different lives. I have to hide; fight; play politics. I have to train; trust; lie. I have to kill; heal; prove myself again, and again, and again.

I am loved, and hated, and entirely alone.

Above all, though, I need to find answers before it’s too late. To understand the nature of what has happened to me, and why.

I need to find a way to stop the coming Cataclysm, because if all I have learned is true, I may be the only one who can.

Reviews

  • Good - but….

    5
    By William Gould
    Very good, worth reading for sure if you liked the first. But I would go back and reread the first again. Some of the connections feel a bit forced, as if it’s clear an emotional connection is being built just to have an impactful moment then they die. Normally I’m all for this but it’s a bit too transparent here. The friends kind of lack depth, just willing and eager sidekicks. Good world building but all the terms with the magic system for each world had me fatigued trying to keep up with it.

  • 8.8/10

    5
    By Will B Heard
    A little slow to get going. I was skeptical. Ambitious. Awesome

  • Absolute Masterpiece

    5
    By Brentm17
    Simply could not put it down. Three times better than the first book (which was already my favorite fantasy novel).

  • Rollercoaster

    5
    By Scott Marblechin
    Couldn’t put it down

  • Fantastic writing

    5
    By Matthewmatics18
    This novel was phenomenal. Creative magic system, characters one can empathize with, and a tripartite plot line with amazing storytelling. I enjoyed every minute of it.

  • To all those who thought Vis was just bland and perfect, this will show you his complexity.

    5
    By Keys570
    This book started off with a bang, three POVs and some long awaited answers, that was good but not yet perfection. It was only at the halfway point that I had to raise my hands. The character development, the emotional aspect and the will aspect all chefs kiss 🤌🏾

  • Worse than the first, complete meltdown at the end

    3
    By ReadingMan23
    The boom has a series of things it does well and some it does not. The world building is fantastic, and the mysteries somehow get deeper which deserves immense credit. The pacing and split was done relatively well, the moments felt big and impactful and the plot was fairly well developed. The issues begin with characters and ends with death. The characters felt much weaker in this novel, emissa and Indol, ulsciar, Lanista and Caeror take a backseat. This leaves Eidhan, Aequa and a few new character, livi and Nep something to pick up the burden. The new characters I DID enjoy but the author makes most character moments cheap or few between and the new characters feel forced, less developed or flat. This is not true for ONE particular character, Aequa. She is given a ton of time to develop and begin a romance, this is built on trust which Vis points out is one of the reasons he can’t go back to Emissa. The author decides, having already established a relationship that’s a perfect foil to emissa and vis’s to kill off the character abruptly, where in vis promptly goes and does his own thing. Aequa is not mentioned again in the book after her death, not once.

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