Mike

Fantastic, though it didn't quite reach the heights of The Will of the Many for me. That was a 5-star read, and this is more of a solid 4.5. It's a great follow-up that really expands the scope of the story.

Will of the many ending spoilers below.

The three worlds we get to explore are all interesting in their own way, though the two new ones do require some significant worldbuilding upfront. The back half of the book is definitely stronger once all that groundwork is laid and things can really start moving.

My only real issue was the chapter-to-chapter flow. Switching between the three worlds could be a bit jarring at times, and there were definitely moments where I found myself itching to get back to one storyline to see what happens next. That said, the endings and cliffhangers for each world are absolutely great. I'm already dying for the next book.

I really loved this one. It starts out feeling very Red Rising with the whole academy setting and class dynamics, but there's this mystery woven through it that makes it feel fresh and kept me hooked. The magic system is genuinely interesting, something that actually creates cool opportunities for the story and ties directly into all the political maneuvering going on.

The ending is what really got me though. It completely opens up the world in ways I wasn't expecting and left me immediately wanting to dive into the next book.