The Will of the Many (Hierarchy #1)[July 21, 2025]

[Ann-Marie]

Finished earlier today and I really enjoyed it! I don't think I enjoyed it as much as some, like it is not in the top 5 books I have read. (view spoiler)[So it is a cloning machine and now there are 2 other versions of Vis? And the dead brother is alive in at least one of the alternate universes, can he swap back to the main one? And poor Cal, I wish he would come back but I too think it is unlikely. I enjoyed the politics in this one for the most part but it was a lot in some spots. Overall an enjoyable read and I look forward to the next! (hide spoiler)]

So for book club 1 person DNF'd around halfway and has no plans to finish, 2 people were in the 3 star range and the rest were 4-5 stars. Most plan to read the sequel as well so good pick from me I'd say :)

[Nirkatze]

re: copy--(view spoiler)[I am really looking forward to that being explained more next book. Islington just teased it and then scene! done. How much of the world is duplicated? How is this happening? How many people? How aware are they? What is going to cause this coming cataclysm? (hide spoiler)]

[Ann-Marie]

Nirkatze wrote: "re: copy--[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I feel like the copies are aware of the world we were in for the book since the people said they were bringing the man from his world or something and then when the brother got there he was like we need to save you in your world and grabbed his arm, I guess to write on it? That's a hell of a way to communicate lol Is Vis #1 aware of the copies? Is the cataclysm the copies from one world coming to another? What happened to the world that was not in good shape, is that the result of the first cataclysm? Is it like a Heaven/Earth/Hell situation? (hide spoiler)]

[Nirkatze]

And (view spoiler)[how does what happens to one copy affect the others--is it only one way? All ways? The way you decide? Vis prime is missing his arm now, was it the same arm that was written on? And if Vis copied himself by going through the Labyrinth, that suggests that the copy worlds are not necessarily populated with copy people--so what did they copy, and when? Why is this being investigated, period? What benefit (ie: power) does this have? (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Started... lots going on... just started chapter 9...

Lots of vibes:

The Traitor Baru Cormorant (colonizers, infiltration/conversion)
Red Rising (infiltration, academy)
The Shadow of What Was Lost (spoilers, things I read in the book 2 blurb)

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Ann-Marie wrote: "Finished earlier today and I really enjoyed it! I don't think I enjoyed it as much as some, like it is not in the top 5 books I have read. [spoilers removed]

So for book club 1 person DNF'd around..."

It takes alot to be Top 5, for me, as much as I read... I tend to be stingy with 5 stars in some genres more than others... the easiest way for me to rate a book as top tier, is if action scenes / revelations get the blood flowing like in a movie with the right musical accompaniment to trigger it...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Nirkatze wrote: "Started! I'd forgotten a lot!..."

Finished part 1 and agree... he's simultaneously super lucky all these unconnected events are happening in ways that work out for him... but while they help, they also kinda make his goals harder... interesting mix...

The (view spoiler)[terrorist attack on the "coliseum" reminds me of Bane and the baseball field in Dark Knight Rises, but obviously doesn't go as well since the guy from Vis's homeland dies at the end... I'm struggling to think of a similar book to vibe it with, but I'm sure I've read one... I've read enough books to vibe everything :D (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Bit into Part 2 now... chapter 30... I know how the ranks work, from discussion here before starting, but the system still feels weird, as a school, since I'm used to numbers referring to school grades, and jumping a number = 1 year... and so many of these kids seem like clueless ivy league kids resting on family connections... less serious than Red Rising...

[Ann-Marie]

Timelord Iain wrote: "Ann-Marie wrote: "Finished earlier today and I really enjoyed it! I don't think I enjoyed it as much as some, like it is not in the top 5 books I have read. [spoilers removed]

So for book club 1 p..."

Exactly! So far this isn't even my favorite dark academia (Scholomance)!

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

This has been solid, tho... and what's being hinted at for the future of the series is definitely intriguing... real (view spoiler)[Darker Shade of Magic vibes, with the multiple similar worlds... (hide spoiler)]

Through chapter 47 now, and (view spoiler)[recently read Vis's second or third big duel/fight of the book... he seems to have a real habit of going into a berserker rage, when rational combat fails to get the expected result (hide spoiler)]

[Ann-Marie]

I definitely agree is was really good and I agree with you (view spoiler)[about the Darker Shade comparison. (hide spoiler)]

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I feel like an idiot, not seeing the ending action sequence coming, a mile away... really Harry Potter situation... (view spoiler)[Goblet of Fire maze, or the book 1 puzzles (hide spoiler)]