The Strength of the Few

This is a grimdark sequel that reminds me of the underappreciated Heroes Die. Islington creates a sense of inexorable doom that the protagonist, despite being a very competent and compelling character, will not be able to overcome. He weaves multiple storylines using tension in one to pull the reader through the slower scenes in others to keep a strong sense of momentum throughout the story. The characters have complex motivations and feel well-rounded without spoon feeding the reader backstory. This second book expands on the themes of the first and ratchets up the complexity of choice for the protagonist. Islington has expaned on the interesting world he created with a realistic setting and a tone that evokes some of what I liked about the Horus Heresy.