The Strength of the Few (2) (Hierarchy)

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!

The Strength of the Few (Hierarchy book 2) suffers from its own narrative devices. Some really unbelievable twists yank us out of immersion. Pacing is poor when switching worlds every couple of chapters. The book would have been so much better if things had unfolded further in sequence instead of the false cliff hangers and frequent switching. (No real spoilers here but it is a review so stop reading these and read the book first!) Obiteum chapters are a slog until the action gets moving towards the end. Luceum's development is severely limited but full of nature. Res is where the compelling story continues to unfold but at a choppy pace. Secondary character development is a failure. Nearly all characters but Vis are one dimensional. Aequa went from a strong female character in book 1 to a puppy like follower in book 2. Most of the characters developed in book 1 are sidelined or with only a brief appearance. Vis's character development across the three worlds diverges in really interesting ways though. His character continues to be a strength of the series. There are too many times when a secondary character just explains a big mystery in a long monologue. Far too many, "Hail New Character!" "Hail, I will explain everything about X/Y/Z now." The "oh, necromancy" realizations are disappointing. That thing at the end of the book in the last few sentences was ridiculous, especially as it relates to Vis's own character development and motivation. The world building and ideas about magic / Will are fantastic. The author answered many of the questions raised in the first book while opening a multitude of new paths to explore. The story is really enjoyable. There are enough novel ideas to keep things intriguing. The narrative in this one is more complex. Overall, not as good a book as The Will of the Many but I'm still looking forward to book 3.

Rotting Gods YES!!! I thought this book was absolutely amazing. I was not sure what to expect after reading the first one, but wow what a plot twist, and they did not stop. It was a page turning adventure with all the information that I had been craving from the first book, the story moved forward with purpose and meaning with every chapter. I cried like a baby towards the end (beware the last 150-ish pages) ugh. I liked the first book, but I did not love it. It was expertly written, lots of world building and very much needed background that was absolutely necessary. But I craved more answers than I got, so this second one was really satisfying. I need #3 immediately, how could you leave me like that James?!

This book was incredible! Being able to match and then surpass the story of the Will of the Many is impressive beyond belief. This book truly takes you into its many worlds and keeps you hungry for more. There was never a dull moment in this book. James Islington doesn’t spoon feed readers, and it shows in how intricate and deep the plot was. 10/10

This novel really builds on the first and then blows it away. The quick and sharp writing is better and the story goes from well trodden tropes to independent yet interwoven stories. A really fresh look at a life *spoiler* split in time and space with a shared history. The settings are rich and the supporting cast of heroes and villains (and the uncertainty of which is which) makes for a great read.

Great story! Excited for the next one.

Unglaublich gute, aber auch komplexe Fantasy. Wie auch schon bei Teil 1, krasses Ende und ich bin sehr auf den nächsten Teil gespannt

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.

All his books are epic and uniquely awesome!! Marvels of creation and thrilling up to the end… can’t wait for the next book.

Secondo libro di una trilogia che vi terrà incollati alle pagine. Voi posso solo augurare buona lettura, in spasmodica attesa che venga pubblicato il terzo volume. Versione in inglese per lettori con conoscenza della lingua di livello B1/B2, la versione in italiano arriverà a marzo.