The Strength of the Few (Hierarchy, #2)

Review

The Strength of the Few is a more ambitious and more demanding sequel than its predecessor, and that ambition is both its greatest strength and its biggest hurdle. Where the first book allowed readers to anchor themselves in a single, steady narrative, this installment splinters the story into three separate threads. For me, that shift made the first half a genuine challenge to sink into. Jumping between perspectives felt jarring, and it took time to recalibrate expectations and learn how each storyline mattered on its own terms. Once the pieces start aligning, though, the novel finds its footing and then accelerates hard. Islington clearly knows where he’s going, and as the connections between the three arcs become clearer, the earlier disorientation starts to feel intentional rather than accidental. The pacing improves, the tension tightens, and the thematic throughline of power, control, and sacrifice comes into sharper focus. By the back half of the book, The Strength of the Few is operating at a completely different level. There are several moments that genuinely made me stop and stare at the page. Not twists for shock value alone, but revelations that reframe what you thought you understood about the world and its players. Those jaw-dropping moments land precisely because Islington took the time to build the scaffolding first, even if that patience tests the reader early on. This is a book that rewards perseverance. It may not offer the immediate narrative comfort of its predecessor, but it ultimately delivers something richer and more daring. The Strength of the Few ends stronger than it begins, and by the final chapters, it left me fully invested and eager to see where the Hierarchy series goes next.