"The Strength of the Few" ~ Hierarchy #2 (BR)

[Melanie, the neutral party]

This is the buddy read for The Strength of the Few, starting on November 13th. Please use spoiler tags and tell us which chapter/page/percentage you're talking about.

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[Melanie, the neutral party]

Who will be joining us?

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Awesome, thank you Melanie!

[Silvana]

thanks Melanie for the thread. See y'all tomorrow!

[Melanie, the neutral party]

I believe we are officially starting on the 13th to give people time to get a hold of a copy of the book.

[Melanie, the neutral party]

Got my copy and I'll start listening tomorrow!

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

I too picked up my copy today! Haven’t started just yet but this weekend for sure!

[Tracie]

I've just started. About 50 pages in.

[Silvana]

Halfway! I think I enjoyed (view spoiler)[Res storyline the best. Maybe because I just want to know what happened with Vis after he chose Governance. That chariot race was insane. Glad they gave Aequa the Quintus title so Vis had to work harder. He was such a capable, fast learning lad despite losing his arm so I liked that he got some hurdles. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

I did start this weekend! Wanted to reread the first book first and it took me a little longer to get through than expected.

Not very far in but I like that it picked up pretty much exactly where book 1 left off. Already some early reveals about (view spoiler)[some of the other worlds that I think are cool. Wondering if Gleaners are those flying things on the cover. (hide spoiler)]

[Silvana]

Sarah wrote: "I did start this weekend! Wanted to reread the first book first and it took me a little longer to get through than expected.

Not very far in but I like that it picked up pretty much exactly where ..."

Yep, those are them indeed. If you did not point it out, i would not take a look at the cover lol

[Silvana]

I finished last night

copy pasting my review:
(view spoiler)[I thought this would be a five-star read. The worldbuilding got expanded significantly by the end of Book 1 and I have high expectation that the plot would be as tense and the characters would be as engaging in the sequel. But it was not the case.

This is an ambitious book to write but with splitting into three POVs, all of them must be equally attractive enough for my attention. Unfortunately, all I really cared about was Res-Vis. The tension is still there, if not heightened and with higher stakes, and everytime we switched to the others, I silently groaned. Luceum reads like a typical fantasy story set in ancient Scotland or wherever, with some training, a cliched love interest, and forgettable friends or mentors dying at high speed, plus a boring villain. Meanwhile, Obiteum reads like I'm entering a video game with mazes (well, more labyrinth) and obstacles in it, with Vis entering and exiting places, jumping or getting out of something, lots of suffering ofc but he's like have 1,000 lives so OMG so tiring and repetitive. There are some interesting lore and revelation in Obiteum but at that point I was already gasping for air, I mean Res storyline.

Speaking of Res, it is not without weaknesses. The action parts awe awesome (especially at the end of Part I), the characters were fascinating and it was lovely to read about Vis interacting with his friends who he grew to love and trust more. But then chapter 71 happened and I still don't know whether that served a narrative purpose, if not to shock the readers. I think some other reviewers also pointed that out. And then right at the end, I wonder if the author decided to have that last part as a consolation (because it is not, the previous plot in book 1 already done and done). Also, some actually interesting parts after the end of Part II happened off-page, which made the storyline a bit rushed in Part III. I really would trade 100 pages of Luceum and 50 pages of Obiteum for those events.

Ok I know I complained a lot but this is still one helluva book with so many layers of mystery and that kept me awake for six nights straight so four stars would suffice (or in Storygraph I would give it 4.25). (hide spoiler)]

[Melanie, the neutral party]

Yeah, I would definietly say if the ending of book 1 is not fresh, you may want to review because this picks right up and doesn't back fill the knowledge.

This is a long one, so I may take me a while to get through it all. Because I am doing the audio, I have to be careful each chapter to figure which version of Vis the chapter is following.

Chapter VIII

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

It’ll probably take me awhile as well. This is a busy week for me and it’s a long book.

I will say, first impressions, I’m finding this one a bit harder to follow then the first one. I like that it has a different feel and some different lore being introduced but it’s just not really clicking. Like the who is doing the what and why? lol

[Melanie, the neutral party]

That's what I meant. I need to calibrate every time we switch Vis-es.

[Silvana]

Sarah wrote: "It’ll probably take me awhile as well. This is a busy week for me and it’s a long book.

I will say, first impressions, I’m finding this one a bit harder to follow then the first one. I like that i..."

You're not the only one. I am glad I am using my Kindle, easier to search who is who and stuff....

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Yeah you are braver than I am Mel to go the audiobook route!

I have the hard copy Silvana but yeah I’ve definitely flipped back to the glossary and index a couple times already.

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

I just got to part 2 (right around the 300 page mark. This is not a super specific/important spoiler but more a general comment: (view spoiler)[I wish that Islington had aged these kids up to early-mid 20s. I’m having a hard time buying they are all being given these big important positions in military and government at the ripe old age of 18. 😂

It does sound like Vis is going to be training directly under Ericius so maybe they are all that way but even giving them Sextii/Quntius’s (Quintii?) titles lol seems kinda silly. (hide spoiler)]

[Melanie, the neutral party]

No, I actually had that same thought.

[Melanie, the neutral party]

I am appreciating its pacing. The book mixes up story-building, character moments, and high-adrenaline action in just the right way to keep my attention.

I'm a little ahead of you (2 chapters only though).

[Melanie, the neutral party]

I also feel bad for the Vis that wants to (view spoiler)[settle down and stop fighting for his existence (hide spoiler)] because the plot absolutely demands that that will never happen.

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Melanie wrote: "I am appreciating its pacing. The book mixes up story-building, character moments, and high-adrenaline action in just the right way to keep my attention.

I'm a little ahead of you (2 chapters only..."

Yeah, I can see this. There’s been a couple moments where he switched plotlines where I was like Noooo!! I wanted to continue the one I was one (view spoiler)[I think maybe the fight scene in Luceum (I think luceum is the Gaelic / Druid inspired world) paused at a climactic moment? I was going to riot if he paused the chariot scene in the middle of the race lol. (hide spoiler)] but otherwise it’s been pretty good.

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Melanie wrote: "I also feel bad for the Vis that wants to [spoilers removed] because the plot absolutely demands that that will never happen."

Yes! I just passed the part where he’s like (view spoiler)[Great so I’m going to… another school. And I kinda laughed but I was also kinda like, aw, poor Vis. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Oh! Also just wanted to note, Strength of the Few hit number one on the New York Times Best Seller List for Hardcover Fiction!! I think that’s so exciting for Islington and fantasy readers in general. He is up against some heavy hitters. John Grisham, Frieda McFadden, Harlan Coben/Reese Witherspoon, and Dan Brown all recently released books just to name a few.

He was 2nd on the list in combined print and ebook sales.

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

I am on page 400 / chapter 45 can someone explain to me what happened to (view spoiler)[ Tara? What does she mean when she says they “cut her birthright” away?

I understand she has a physical scar on her face and she is no longer her father’s heir. But what exactly is it they cut? Is it only because she’s been scarred? I feel like I missed something. (hide spoiler)]

Edit: nevermind, question answered on the next page.

[Melanie, the neutral party]

I just finished chapter XLV (45)

"A man is known by his failings until he is known by his actions."

[Melanie, the neutral party]

Sarah wrote: "Oh! Also just wanted to note, Strength of the Few hit number one on the New York Times Best Seller List for Hardcover Fiction!! I think that’s so exciting for Islington and fantasy readers in gener..."

Yeah. It is getting quite a bit of worthy buzz.

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

I finished! Very much enjoyed it. There were some slow parts, some things I’m not really sure I understood about some of the political schemes and some things I’m not sure I understood about the world, maybe someone can walk me through when everyone is done lol.

Full book spoilers (please don’t click until you’ve finished) : (view spoiler)[ I thought there were some well done emotional points. I had it spoiled for me on Reddit that *someone* dies, but not who, so the whole time I was mentally preparing myself kind of going, who’s it going to be? Kinda suspected Aequa since it was Callidus in the first book. Then we get to that scene and honestly it felt kinda needless/pointless? Maybe that was the point? But I wish it had been given more gravity or built up to in a way that made it a heavier moment. Instead it kind of happened in the middle of all this other chaos and it was sad but didn’t carry the impact I think it could have.

So then of course I wasn’t prepared for the one that really hurt later on. And I’ll fucking riot if the wolf is dead. Diago better not be dead. I think we’re being set up to believe he won’t make it but I’m guessing he’ll make a big dramatic come back in book three.

But then we get to the end, end, and we get Ysa and I’m guessing Vis’s mom back as iunctii, and then Eidhin sees who I’m guessing is Callidus.

And at that point it kinda hit home that if we were going to play with life and death this way that maybe death (at least the first death) wasn’t going to carry much meaning. So it felt like it maybe cheapened some things? I’m still not sure how I feel about it. (hide spoiler)]

I do have a lot of confusion / questions around motivations of some characters and how parts of this world are meant to work. Hoping I’m supposed to feel this way and it all gets explained later on.

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Silvana I read your review directly but just wanted to note I agreed with a lot of what you said.

[Melanie, the neutral party]

I took a 2-day break to finish up some monthly challenges, and I've lost a thread.

Chapter 73 (LXXIII) "Air World"
*I am really not fully tracking names of people or places with the audiobook.*

Why (view spoiler)[did Vis spend so much energy to break out of the pyramid just to turn around and violently break back in (hide spoiler)]?? I know he has to (view spoiler)[kill BBEG-Kar (hide spoiler)], but I don't see how this will be helpful.

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Melanie wrote: "I took a 2-day break to finish up some monthly challenges, and I've lost a thread.

Chapter 73 (LXXIII) "Air World"
*I am really not fully tracking names of people or places with the audiobook.*

..."

I think it was to retrieve the (view spoiler)[Crook and Flail from the original necropolis (behind the golden door) where he was staying with Caeror in the first part of the Obiteum plot line. And he had to retrieve the crook in flail in order to destroy the bridge to draw the gleaners and overseers away from the guy… I think? But I’m not sure, now that I’m thinking about it, how he even knew the crook and flail were there. (hide spoiler)]

But I’ll level with you - there was a lot about the Obiteum plot line I felt like I really was not following very well. I thought that was the messiest of the three stories. If someone here has a better explanation or understanding please do correct and inform me.

[Melanie, the neutral party]

That tracks. Thank you! And now I know how to spell Obiteum.

[Silvana]

Sarah wrote: "But I’ll level with you - there was a lot about the Obiteum plot line I felt like I really was not following very well..."

It was rather messy for me, the storyline. Also I felt like watching Vis in a video game - jumping here and there. The reveal was not that mindblowing either (view spoiler)[with the children, I was reminded of the Fifth Season's nodes (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Silvana wrote: "Sarah wrote: "But I’ll level with you - there was a lot about the Obiteum plot line I felt like I really was not following very well..."

It was rather messy for me, the storyline. Also I felt like..."

Yes that’s a fair comparison. I was having a hard time tracking why they were going to point a or point b and doing XYZ. Sometimes it seemed like it boiled down to (view spoiler)[because Vis was told to. Which I didn’t feel like was a great motivation for him since his other versions of himself do what they want. 😂 (hide spoiler)]

[Silvana]

Sarah wrote: "Silvana wrote: "Sarah wrote: "But I’ll level with you - there was a lot about the Obiteum plot line I felt like I really was not following very well..."

It was rather messy for me, the storyline. ..."

LOL indeed. Honestly, when I was reading this book I was impatient about when I could get back to the Res storyline.

[Melanie, the neutral party]

I finished. I kind of predicted (view spoiler)[the big reveal at the end (hide spoiler)]. I'm definitely likely to reread it next year because I feel I missed a lot of details.

3.75 stars
The pacing remained superb, even if the plots and characters kept getting mixed up for me.

Sarah, I agree (view spoiler)[Vis's plot armor was a bit much. Mostly I have this issue with books where the MC gets physically beat up a lot. The author needs up-level the abuse for each scenario, so at some point it surpasses my suspension of disbelief. This book at least has the excuse that all 3 Vis-es needed a beat down, lol (hide spoiler)]

Silvana, I agree (view spoiler)[some of the character deaths were not narratively necessary and that the author was going for the emotional punch instead of feeding the story. (hide spoiler)]

Personally, I found the Luceum plot line the most compelling. That Vis diverged the most from his other selves, and I found it interesting.

[Silvana]

Melanie, until now I am still upset over (view spoiler)[Aequa's death. She was one of my fave chars, had been interesting from the start, she was competent and loyal to her friends. Definitely did not deserve that kind of ending. (hide spoiler)]

Can you expand on why do you think it is interesting that the Luceum Vis diverged the most from his other selfs? I remember liking the storyline at first - compared to Obiteum's - but the supporting characters were kinda blurry to me.

[Melanie, the neutral party]

1. That's the one that bothered me the most too.
2. Well, I guess because they were all the exact same at the start of the book. Luceum Vis (view spoiler)[didn't encounter any big plot influences for quite a while, and I genuinely bought the desire to just not continue to be a cog in big world plots. (hide spoiler)]

Obiteum Vis basically knew the whole time about (view spoiler)[all 3 worlds and so never stopped the fight for the knowledge he entered the world with. It was a new scenario, but still politics and deceptions. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Melanie wrote: "I finished. I kind of predicted [spoilers removed]. I'm definitely likely to reread it next year because I feel I missed a lot of details.

3.75 stars
The pacing remained superb, even if the plots ..."

Luceum started slow for me but finished very strong. (view spoiler)[It was his dad’s second death that almost had me in tears. But then we were also hit with Lir’s death and I was kind of mad because I was kind of attached to Lir as the mysterious mentor. (hide spoiler)]


This is a weird one for me because on the one hand it was long and it felt really long and on the other hand I could argue it needed more pages. 😂