The Strength of the Few

The Hierarchy still call me Vis Telimus. 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.

‘Gripping suspense and epic stakes’ BookPeople

‘One of the best fantasy novels of 2025.' Canberra Weekly

'Full of excitement, danger and mystery, this thrilling adventure leaves us gasping in anticipation of the next instalment.’ Guardian

‘This sequel is another striking achievement that cements Islington as one of the genre’s most compelling voices.’ Library Journal

‘A compelling story, a cast of complex and diverse characters, and a glimpse into how far a good man can go before he’s lost.’ Kirkus

‘The Will of the Many was a good book—a really, really good book—but The Strength of the Few is a great one.’ Grim Dark Magazine

‘Phenomenal! One of the best high fantasy novels I’ve read in years—think Red Rising meets The Name of the Wind. I couldn’t put it down.’ Lynette Noni on The Will of the Many