The more I read The Strength of the Few, the follow up to 2023’s The Will of the Many by James Islington, the more I think it pulls off a really neat worldbuilding trick: It combines 3 almost entirely different worlds by exploring them through the eyes of the same character.
I think many authors may have simply written 3 different books, but Islington leaned into the idea of using the same “magic” system across worlds inspired by the Romans, Egyptians, and Celts. I could also see authors trying to constantly connect characters and actions in the worlds, but not here–the lead character is literally in 3 different places, completely cut off from the other worlds.
This results not just in some great world exploration, but also character exploration as we see the main character take 3 very different paths. The stakes in each are gradually raised, but the ebb and flow of each plot varies, leading to me sometimes eager to get to a chapter in one world over the other (but with that preference changing throughout the book).
I’m nearly finished this very big book, and it took me a while to realize how clever and deftly executed this concept is. I don’t know if this is a duology or a trilogy, but either way, I’m in.
Have you seen this in any other works of fiction? What are you reading right now?