The Strength of the Few

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. How does the experience of reading The Strength of the Few compare to that of reading The Will of the Many? Did the second novel satisfy the cliffhanger from the first? Which do you prefer?

2. How does this novel, and the Hierarchy series, compare to other examples in the epic fantasy tradition, such as George R. R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series or Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Which version of Vis—Catenicus, Siamun, or Deaglan—do you most resonate/empathize with, and why?

2. The novel argues that trust is integral to friendship and that friendship is, in turn, necessary for survival. How do you see this argument reflected in your own life? Can you think of any experiences that support or contradict this theme?

3. Consider Catenicus’s difficult moral decision in the final chapter. Do you think this was the right/best decision? Have you ever faced a dilemma in which both options had negative moral consequences?

4. What are your uncrossable moral lines? What, if anything, might convince you to cross those lines? Have you ever found a reason to revise or erase a previously firm line?

5. Vis’s identity is split into three separate characters in three separate worlds. Have you ever felt that your identity or behavior changes according to changing social contexts? How so?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The society in Res is deeply hierarchical, imperialist, and oppressive in its class and power structures. How might this society reflect or comment on structures/systems in contemporary society?

2. One of the arguments of the novel is that submission to an oppressive system makes one complicit in that system, and that, conversely, resisting such systems requires sacrifice. How might this argument be relevant to contemporary issues in the United States and/or elsewhere?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Analyze the organizational structure, including the three titled parts and the parallel plot lines shared across alternating first-person POV chapters. How does this narrative structure contribute to the tension and pace of the novel? How does it impact the themes or character development?

2. Compare/contrast the three versions of Vis. In what ways are they still the same person, and in what ways do they diverge and change over the novel? What factors contribute to their differences?

3. What is the symbolic significance of doorways and how do they contribute to the plot, themes, or character development in the novel?

4. Throughout the narrative, various characters offer differing perspectives on The Tension Between Choice and Circumstance. How do these ideas conflict/interact with each other and what do these interactions imply about the nature and power of choice?

5. In what ways do the three major themes of Friendship, Sacrifice, and Choice impact, complicate, or clash with each other? What possible conclusions does the novel suggest about the value or hierarchy of these conflicting concepts?

6. What is the relationship between (capital “W”) Will in the novel and the concept of will in the real world? How does Will as a magical force operate as a metaphorical conceit, and what aspects of life in the real world does it represent or allegorize?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If you could choose which of the three worlds to be replicated in, which would you choose? Would you want to be actively involved in saving that world, or merely live in the background? Why?

2. Imagine you are making an adaptation of the Hierarchy series. Would the series be better represented in live action? Animation? Film or television show? Who might you cast for the major characters?