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Torth #1
Majority: A Dark Sci-Fi Epic Fantasy: Torth, Book 1
***A Kirkus Reviews Best Indie Book of 2023***
In this action-packed space-opera adventure, one disadvantaged hero must ask How do you defeat a galactic empire that can read your every thought?
The Majority always gets what it wants. Thomas Hill just wishes it didn't want him. There's no way to escape a galactic mob of mind readers, no way for him to blend in with his foster family and other average Americans.
Because Thomas invented a way to save his own life. His custom medicine halts the progress of his degenerative neuromuscular disease. Newscasters proclaim him the next Einstein, but mere humans have no idea his bioengineered processing capacity rivals that of a supercomputer. They just think he's smart.
However, there are other bioengineered supergeniuses in the Majority. In fact, it's shepherded by them. Some—such as the teenager known as the Upward Governess—are secretly trying to devise opportunities to break free from social constraints so they can invent weapons of planetary annihilation and become unchallenged masters of all living things.
If Thomas is going to end the utopian tyranny of supergeniuses and their sycophants and slaves, he'll need more than cunning. He'll need social skills. Oh, and power. Lots and lots of power.
It's a good thing his friendly foster sister has befriended a colossal superhuman. Ariock is oblivious to his own dangerous powers and wrongly assumes he's just an overgrown loser. Superhumans like him are doomed to die as entertainment fodder for the Majority—unless Thomas can figure out a way to trick thirty trillion telepaths . . .
The first volume of the hit sci-fi fantasy series—with more than 750,000 views on Royal Road—now available on Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and Audible!
In this action-packed space-opera adventure, one disadvantaged hero must ask How do you defeat a galactic empire that can read your every thought?
The Majority always gets what it wants. Thomas Hill just wishes it didn't want him. There's no way to escape a galactic mob of mind readers, no way for him to blend in with his foster family and other average Americans.
Because Thomas invented a way to save his own life. His custom medicine halts the progress of his degenerative neuromuscular disease. Newscasters proclaim him the next Einstein, but mere humans have no idea his bioengineered processing capacity rivals that of a supercomputer. They just think he's smart.
However, there are other bioengineered supergeniuses in the Majority. In fact, it's shepherded by them. Some—such as the teenager known as the Upward Governess—are secretly trying to devise opportunities to break free from social constraints so they can invent weapons of planetary annihilation and become unchallenged masters of all living things.
If Thomas is going to end the utopian tyranny of supergeniuses and their sycophants and slaves, he'll need more than cunning. He'll need social skills. Oh, and power. Lots and lots of power.
It's a good thing his friendly foster sister has befriended a colossal superhuman. Ariock is oblivious to his own dangerous powers and wrongly assumes he's just an overgrown loser. Superhumans like him are doomed to die as entertainment fodder for the Majority—unless Thomas can figure out a way to trick thirty trillion telepaths . . .
The first volume of the hit sci-fi fantasy series—with more than 750,000 views on Royal Road—now available on Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and Audible!
Audible Audio
Published September 5, 2023
15 people are currently reading
347 people want to read
About the author
Abby Goldsmith
23 books144 followersMy reviews are honest. Yep, I'm one of the zillions of dastardly authors on Goodreads (my Torth series begins with MAJORITY), but I do read 65+ books per year. I particularly love space opera, epic fantasy, progression fantasy, thoughtful sci-fi, psychological thrillers, and harrowing nonfiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
July 21, 2023
Rating: 2.4/5
This was a well-paced novel that sacrificed character development in pursuit of pushing the plot. This novel had a lot to say and get done as the first in a series. The outcome was rushed characterization that may uninvest the reader by subsequently not giving a shjt what happens.
The whole, “suddenly in space” thing, then onto other worlds via super high tech, just did not marry with the juvenile rhetoric of the Torth. “We are so smart that we are totally unaware of our collective narcissism. Die you insignificant alien/slave species!!”. I can’t say for sure that that is mutually exclusive. Buuut, it kinda is when burgeoning neophyte human species have less tech and higher empathy. The Torth are blessed with an assured comfortable existence. The slave master component is formulaic in that it helps expedite the plot. Easy to label a race of beings with superior tech without the complexities of cumulative experiences that birthed their current state. Since this novel is predicated on our descendancy from the Torth it begs for an outcome predisposed to humility. Now if the Torth were worm hole jumping conquerors with slimy silicon-based tentacles, their actions might be normative. A collective of minds that number in the trillions, are a super smart collossus of knowledge, ruminate in mere seconds and then render a verdict of “KILL”! is just not believable.
The novel gets interesting at about the 50% mark when our crew finally escapes the city. The characters remain one-dimensional despite an interesting quest. This lack of development is expressed through Delia. Accusatory and antagonistic is her constant theme that gets older than fuk real fast. The novel would have been better off if she had fallen to her death early on. Characters that are thinly built usually have an over-emoting, singular focus. Cherise is reverting to her sullen emo persona because she can, although her development hinted at internal choices to embrace beauty. She eventually comes around but is mostly relegated to the back seat. Vy, the super ginger, has the hots for a 9 foot tall gentle giant with hidden powers because every YA novel needs a love story, right? Genius boy, once a humble, affable, and caring person is now stern super genius boy. Again, not believable when your formative years have shaped a foundation predicated on empathy only to turn into ‘logic monster’ who tortures his closest friends. .
The writing is good. The story line, highly creative. The aliens that abound are interesting yet fleeting in presentation. There are some portions of the plot/story line that need to be thought out better to really invest the reader. It is too bad that this entire series has already been written and is queued up for publication. IMHO this series needs some intense redirection in both story line and character development. There needs to be some serious fat trimming to invest the reader rather than writing for oneself.
I like this author as I have a thing for gingers. Still only 2 stars as the overall impact of the novel was weakened by lengthy internalizations by weak characters.
This was a well-paced novel that sacrificed character development in pursuit of pushing the plot. This novel had a lot to say and get done as the first in a series. The outcome was rushed characterization that may uninvest the reader by subsequently not giving a shjt what happens.
The whole, “suddenly in space” thing, then onto other worlds via super high tech, just did not marry with the juvenile rhetoric of the Torth. “We are so smart that we are totally unaware of our collective narcissism. Die you insignificant alien/slave species!!”. I can’t say for sure that that is mutually exclusive. Buuut, it kinda is when burgeoning neophyte human species have less tech and higher empathy. The Torth are blessed with an assured comfortable existence. The slave master component is formulaic in that it helps expedite the plot. Easy to label a race of beings with superior tech without the complexities of cumulative experiences that birthed their current state. Since this novel is predicated on our descendancy from the Torth it begs for an outcome predisposed to humility. Now if the Torth were worm hole jumping conquerors with slimy silicon-based tentacles, their actions might be normative. A collective of minds that number in the trillions, are a super smart collossus of knowledge, ruminate in mere seconds and then render a verdict of “KILL”! is just not believable.
The novel gets interesting at about the 50% mark when our crew finally escapes the city. The characters remain one-dimensional despite an interesting quest. This lack of development is expressed through Delia. Accusatory and antagonistic is her constant theme that gets older than fuk real fast. The novel would have been better off if she had fallen to her death early on. Characters that are thinly built usually have an over-emoting, singular focus. Cherise is reverting to her sullen emo persona because she can, although her development hinted at internal choices to embrace beauty. She eventually comes around but is mostly relegated to the back seat. Vy, the super ginger, has the hots for a 9 foot tall gentle giant with hidden powers because every YA novel needs a love story, right? Genius boy, once a humble, affable, and caring person is now stern super genius boy. Again, not believable when your formative years have shaped a foundation predicated on empathy only to turn into ‘logic monster’ who tortures his closest friends. .
The writing is good. The story line, highly creative. The aliens that abound are interesting yet fleeting in presentation. There are some portions of the plot/story line that need to be thought out better to really invest the reader. It is too bad that this entire series has already been written and is queued up for publication. IMHO this series needs some intense redirection in both story line and character development. There needs to be some serious fat trimming to invest the reader rather than writing for oneself.
I like this author as I have a thing for gingers. Still only 2 stars as the overall impact of the novel was weakened by lengthy internalizations by weak characters.
September 23, 2024
This story primarily follows a boy named Thomas Hill. He and a few of his friends are taken to an alien planet, where he discovers that he’s only half human. Thomas learns that he possesses supernatural abilities similar to the aliens, only realizing their origin once on the alien planet. His friends get captured and separated, and the alien leaders want him to help them gain control over other planets. Thomas must harness his powers to defeat the aliens and rescue his friends, but it’s not as simple as it might seem. The aliens are highly intelligent, and Thomas must fight hard to keep the aliens from knowing his plans.
This was a fun read. I liked the concept of a half-human, half-alien with superpowers. I enjoyed the abilities that both Thomas and the aliens had, as well as those unique to Thomas. This was a story about friendship, staying true to oneself, and doing the right thing for the greater good. It’s a lengthy read, so be prepared to set aside plenty of time to fully immerse yourself in it.
This was a fun read. I liked the concept of a half-human, half-alien with superpowers. I enjoyed the abilities that both Thomas and the aliens had, as well as those unique to Thomas. This was a story about friendship, staying true to oneself, and doing the right thing for the greater good. It’s a lengthy read, so be prepared to set aside plenty of time to fully immerse yourself in it.
September 8, 2023
Review originally on JamReads
Majority is the first book in the sci-fi progression series Torth, written by Abby Goldsmith (originally published on Wattpad and Royal Road) and which was picked to be published by Podium. A novel which is a space opera with some progression elements (which are well blended into the mix), following the adventures of a group of unlikely heroes that have been taken to an alien world where their values and convictions will be tested and challenged.
Thomas, our main character, is a young genius, and thanks to that, he could create a medicine which halts the progress of the degenerative neuromuscular disease he's suffering. While all people consider him really brilliant, nobody can guess his real level. This outstanding intelligence attracts the attention of the Torth, an alien species with a vast intergalactic imperium; in order to get the medicine, they kidnap Thomas and his foster family, apart from another boy and his mother, Ariock, who has grown more than it is known in the human race.
From this moment, this group will be in the Torth hands, being separated, taking Thomas to be a part of the Torth's society, due to his super-genius capabilities; meanwhile, the rest are relegated to a life of slavery, deemed as inferior and having to suffer. Thomas will need to survive and integrate himself into the Majority, the trillions of minds that collectively govern the imperium; and figure the way to trick a hive of telepaths if he wants to save his friends.
Thomas is a really complex character, as he's dealing with many dilemmas once he's a part of the Torth society. He's recognised as a genius, and the credit is given due to his capabilities; being disabled has no importance in Torth's society. For once, he's not judged for it, but appreciated with his brain; but at the same time, in his time as part of the Majority, he slowly loses many of the things that make him human, such as compassion and commiseration for the others; and being under the constant scrutiny of billions of minds is an incredible pressure.
Goldsmith also puts a lot of work in the rest of this group of unlikely heroes, the foster family of Thomas, and Ariock. Ariock, at some points, can be interpreted as a counterpoint to Thomas; he seems to have a simpler mind, only filled with kindness, with a super developed body.
This dynamic takes even more importance once they manage to escape from the city, as Ariock plays a role as that piece that keeps Thomas' humanity in check. In comparison, it's true that sometimes Cherise and Delia might feel plain, as they aren't really developed from the initial assessment.
An aspect that I found to be in a great level is the worldbuilding, even if it might have some small friction points. The Torth's society is organized really peculiarly, partly derived from their telepathy ability; all their minds are connected in the Megacosm, where decisions are taken by majority and attention, and which remembers sometimes to the dynamics brought to us by social media. And while they are really developed technologically, certain qualities that we deem as human have been eliminated from society, considered being inferior; torturing slaves is considered normal and even desirable. Curiously, as they are a society so focused on mind work, their architecture is adapted to physical disabilities, a detail that gains relevance due to Thomas' disease.
They maintain a big number of slaves, who have their own scale of values and society; Torth consider them inferior lives, but the more we are immersed in their culture, we get to know that there is more than we can guess at first sight. Slaves are hopeless, until our group becomes a part of their lives.
Writing is really accessible, with a prose that you can read for hours without effort; especially because the pacing is in a good spot. Despite I can consider some sections to be slow, you never feel it dragging it too much.
Majority is a great start that leaves many questions I hope Goldsmith answers in sub-sequential books (which are written, just waiting to be published) in the Torth series. If you are looking for a space opera with epic scope and some progression elements, give it a try!
Majority is the first book in the sci-fi progression series Torth, written by Abby Goldsmith (originally published on Wattpad and Royal Road) and which was picked to be published by Podium. A novel which is a space opera with some progression elements (which are well blended into the mix), following the adventures of a group of unlikely heroes that have been taken to an alien world where their values and convictions will be tested and challenged.
Thomas, our main character, is a young genius, and thanks to that, he could create a medicine which halts the progress of the degenerative neuromuscular disease he's suffering. While all people consider him really brilliant, nobody can guess his real level. This outstanding intelligence attracts the attention of the Torth, an alien species with a vast intergalactic imperium; in order to get the medicine, they kidnap Thomas and his foster family, apart from another boy and his mother, Ariock, who has grown more than it is known in the human race.
From this moment, this group will be in the Torth hands, being separated, taking Thomas to be a part of the Torth's society, due to his super-genius capabilities; meanwhile, the rest are relegated to a life of slavery, deemed as inferior and having to suffer. Thomas will need to survive and integrate himself into the Majority, the trillions of minds that collectively govern the imperium; and figure the way to trick a hive of telepaths if he wants to save his friends.
Thomas is a really complex character, as he's dealing with many dilemmas once he's a part of the Torth society. He's recognised as a genius, and the credit is given due to his capabilities; being disabled has no importance in Torth's society. For once, he's not judged for it, but appreciated with his brain; but at the same time, in his time as part of the Majority, he slowly loses many of the things that make him human, such as compassion and commiseration for the others; and being under the constant scrutiny of billions of minds is an incredible pressure.
Goldsmith also puts a lot of work in the rest of this group of unlikely heroes, the foster family of Thomas, and Ariock. Ariock, at some points, can be interpreted as a counterpoint to Thomas; he seems to have a simpler mind, only filled with kindness, with a super developed body.
This dynamic takes even more importance once they manage to escape from the city, as Ariock plays a role as that piece that keeps Thomas' humanity in check. In comparison, it's true that sometimes Cherise and Delia might feel plain, as they aren't really developed from the initial assessment.
An aspect that I found to be in a great level is the worldbuilding, even if it might have some small friction points. The Torth's society is organized really peculiarly, partly derived from their telepathy ability; all their minds are connected in the Megacosm, where decisions are taken by majority and attention, and which remembers sometimes to the dynamics brought to us by social media. And while they are really developed technologically, certain qualities that we deem as human have been eliminated from society, considered being inferior; torturing slaves is considered normal and even desirable. Curiously, as they are a society so focused on mind work, their architecture is adapted to physical disabilities, a detail that gains relevance due to Thomas' disease.
They maintain a big number of slaves, who have their own scale of values and society; Torth consider them inferior lives, but the more we are immersed in their culture, we get to know that there is more than we can guess at first sight. Slaves are hopeless, until our group becomes a part of their lives.
Writing is really accessible, with a prose that you can read for hours without effort; especially because the pacing is in a good spot. Despite I can consider some sections to be slow, you never feel it dragging it too much.
Majority is a great start that leaves many questions I hope Goldsmith answers in sub-sequential books (which are written, just waiting to be published) in the Torth series. If you are looking for a space opera with epic scope and some progression elements, give it a try!
September 17, 2023
Thomas Hill is an enormously talented teenage boy. He suffers from crippling physical handicaps, and he has grown up in an indifferent foster-care system, but his intelligence is so vast as to be unmeasurable. Even more, he is a telepath, a mind-reader who can absorb knowledge from others at lightning speed. At the age of thirteen, he is already a world-class scientific genius. The one mystery he has never been able to solve is that of his origins – he knows nothing about his biological parents or any family he might have. His only allies are two of his foster sisters, Cherise and Violet, who do their best to protect and support him.
Thomas soon learns that his origins are stranger than he could have imagined. Strictly speaking, he isn’t even fully human. His mother, at least, was a citizen of the Torth Empire. The Torth closely resemble humans, in fact humanity may be an offshoot of their species. The major difference is that all Torth, like Thomas, are telepaths.
The Torth dominate the entire galaxy. In theory, their Empire is a perfect democracy. Every Torth is considered the equal of every other. Every law, every policy, is decided by the “Majority” of Torth minds, linked in a galaxy-wide network. Talented Torth can acquire millions or even billions of “orbiters,” lesser minds who watch their every moment and leap to their aid, like the followers of Earthly “influencers.” On the other hand, the Majority is an absolute tyranny, insisting on perfect conformity at all times. Non-Torth are kept as slaves, subject to torture and death the instant they step out of line. Even high-ranking or popular Torth are always being watched, and might likewise be killed if they show signs of deviance or unwanted emotion.
Incidentally, the Torth Empire works quite well as a satire of the worst elements of modern Internet culture. I suspect that was quite deliberate!
Early in the story, the Torth arrive and capture Thomas. Thomas learns that his mother was Torth, and because of his talents he is offered the chance to join the Empire himself. For a time he is tempted . . . but the Empire has also taken his human friends, reducing them to slavery. The story that follows pits Thomas against himself, against the friends who no longer trust him, and against the constant surveillance and vicious cruelty of the Torth. Thomas and his friends must fight to survive, much less regain their freedom.
Ms. Goldsmith’s prose style is very clean, with no obvious copy- or line-editing problems to pull the reader out of the story. Viewpoint discipline is fairly good; although the viewpoint does shift around among several characters, it’s always clear who has the narrative at any given moment. The plot is tense, suspenseful, and fast-moving. I found the story quite compelling, and I ended the novel very much wanting to know what would happen next.
About the only difficulty I had with Majority was with characterization and character development. These felt just a touch clumsy; there’s a lot of telling, not showing, when it comes to how major characters think and feel about themselves or each other. Changes in characterization sometimes seem abrupt and inorganic. This may or may not be a result of the “progression fantasy” sub-genre; I suspect the emphasis on a character’s skills and abilities may sometimes distract from subtle and compelling characterization. In the end, I was able to stay engaged with the characters here, but it was occasionally an uphill struggle.
Even so, this is a very promising opening to what looks like it will be a top-notch space-opera series. I’m very interested to see what Ms. Goldsmith comes up with next. Very highly recommended.
Thomas soon learns that his origins are stranger than he could have imagined. Strictly speaking, he isn’t even fully human. His mother, at least, was a citizen of the Torth Empire. The Torth closely resemble humans, in fact humanity may be an offshoot of their species. The major difference is that all Torth, like Thomas, are telepaths.
The Torth dominate the entire galaxy. In theory, their Empire is a perfect democracy. Every Torth is considered the equal of every other. Every law, every policy, is decided by the “Majority” of Torth minds, linked in a galaxy-wide network. Talented Torth can acquire millions or even billions of “orbiters,” lesser minds who watch their every moment and leap to their aid, like the followers of Earthly “influencers.” On the other hand, the Majority is an absolute tyranny, insisting on perfect conformity at all times. Non-Torth are kept as slaves, subject to torture and death the instant they step out of line. Even high-ranking or popular Torth are always being watched, and might likewise be killed if they show signs of deviance or unwanted emotion.
Incidentally, the Torth Empire works quite well as a satire of the worst elements of modern Internet culture. I suspect that was quite deliberate!
Early in the story, the Torth arrive and capture Thomas. Thomas learns that his mother was Torth, and because of his talents he is offered the chance to join the Empire himself. For a time he is tempted . . . but the Empire has also taken his human friends, reducing them to slavery. The story that follows pits Thomas against himself, against the friends who no longer trust him, and against the constant surveillance and vicious cruelty of the Torth. Thomas and his friends must fight to survive, much less regain their freedom.
Ms. Goldsmith’s prose style is very clean, with no obvious copy- or line-editing problems to pull the reader out of the story. Viewpoint discipline is fairly good; although the viewpoint does shift around among several characters, it’s always clear who has the narrative at any given moment. The plot is tense, suspenseful, and fast-moving. I found the story quite compelling, and I ended the novel very much wanting to know what would happen next.
About the only difficulty I had with Majority was with characterization and character development. These felt just a touch clumsy; there’s a lot of telling, not showing, when it comes to how major characters think and feel about themselves or each other. Changes in characterization sometimes seem abrupt and inorganic. This may or may not be a result of the “progression fantasy” sub-genre; I suspect the emphasis on a character’s skills and abilities may sometimes distract from subtle and compelling characterization. In the end, I was able to stay engaged with the characters here, but it was occasionally an uphill struggle.
Even so, this is a very promising opening to what looks like it will be a top-notch space-opera series. I’m very interested to see what Ms. Goldsmith comes up with next. Very highly recommended.
August 31, 2023
I received an ARC for this book so I wanted to fit it in as soon as possible and provide some thoughts on what I read. This is the first entry in a unique space opera series that has actually already been completely written. It follows an unlikely group of heroes as they are thrust into an alien world that challenges everything they know about themselves, each other, and society.
First let me say that the society and world introduced in this book feel fairly fleshed out. I would say moreso the ideology of the different beings is focused on more heavily than any physical aspect of the world. The ideas at play are very interesting as well, dealing with the balance of emotions and intellect and the conflict of the individual vs the collective. There is also a lot here about slavery, personal identity, and responsibility.
I do have some issues with the writing, most of it having to deal with things getting explained too much rather than things being shown and happening naturally. There were some descriptions I wasn’t a fan of, “dopey-looking,” “ultra-disabled,” and a few others that I would have preferred seeing something a little more artful. As a whole though, the writing did flow rather nicely. The pacing was consistent throughout the book, and just for purely twisted entertainment I rather enjoyed the uptick in carnage in the latter half of the book.
Final Rating: 3.5/5 (rounding up to 4 on Goodreads)
First let me say that the society and world introduced in this book feel fairly fleshed out. I would say moreso the ideology of the different beings is focused on more heavily than any physical aspect of the world. The ideas at play are very interesting as well, dealing with the balance of emotions and intellect and the conflict of the individual vs the collective. There is also a lot here about slavery, personal identity, and responsibility.
I do have some issues with the writing, most of it having to deal with things getting explained too much rather than things being shown and happening naturally. There were some descriptions I wasn’t a fan of, “dopey-looking,” “ultra-disabled,” and a few others that I would have preferred seeing something a little more artful. As a whole though, the writing did flow rather nicely. The pacing was consistent throughout the book, and just for purely twisted entertainment I rather enjoyed the uptick in carnage in the latter half of the book.
Final Rating: 3.5/5 (rounding up to 4 on Goodreads)
July 24, 2023
It was really a satisfying read with proper pacing and good amounts of character development. It has its bad moments like any other book due to character misunderstandings and such. You may hate some of the characters but due to the type of genre this book is, it can be reasonable for the characters to act as such.
Overall, enjoyed it and will really recommend it and if you still do not read it, You will miss out on the mayhem and adventure!!!!!
Overall, enjoyed it and will really recommend it and if you still do not read it, You will miss out on the mayhem and adventure!!!!!
August 29, 2023
My first impression was of a slow start, but a great build-up of characters. I loved the gradual world-building, new information perfectly intertwined with action, getting to a great pace quickly.
Check out the full review (complete with characters, likes and dislikes) :
https://readfinebooks.com/2023/08/29/...
Check out the full review (complete with characters, likes and dislikes) :
https://readfinebooks.com/2023/08/29/...
November 6, 2023
DNF 13%
This book may be fine, it may be great... it's just not for me. At the point where we discover the galaxy is ruled by a race of telepaths whose control is so dystopian that they kill their slaves for having a momentary thought of hope... I noped out. I'm sure their inevitable overthrow will be grand but I don't have the stamina to wade in these waters for long.
This book may be fine, it may be great... it's just not for me. At the point where we discover the galaxy is ruled by a race of telepaths whose control is so dystopian that they kill their slaves for having a momentary thought of hope... I noped out. I'm sure their inevitable overthrow will be grand but I don't have the stamina to wade in these waters for long.
February 11, 2024
2.5 stars rounded up. I always wanted this story to be better than it was. Shallow characterization ruined the plot. Most of the book doesn't have that much plot either. Also most of it was written as being told, not shown. All the characters were supposed to have strong emotions (too strong for the aliens to be able to be near) yet I never felt anything but annoyance.
It was a disappointment.
It was a disappointment.
July 31, 2023
I have been reading this series twice-weekly for almost as long as I can remember, and I love it so much!! Majority is perfect to kick off an amazing and creative series that only gets better as you get deeper into it. The world-building is immaculate and everything is so well thought out. I would highly recommend reading Majority and the rest of the Torth series.
December 2, 2023
"The rest of 2023 has no space to finish this unfortunately."
Yeah okay, KC, tell that to Cyber-Monday Audible deals that let you buy the audiobook and finish it not just by the end of the year, but NEARLY before December.
Anyway. I think there's a lot of great stuff here. I've only rated this a 3-star, but I think there's a lot of great 4-star worthy stuff to offset that. Majority is more like a 3.5, with the leanings depending on what you're into.
For me, I thought by far the best parts of this book were Part 1 and what it did with all of the character work; and the general thematic undertones of the whole work. Between the dichotomy of oppression and freedom; identity and slavery; power and expression; omniscience and constraint; and so many other things that I'm forgetting about at the moment, the thought-provokingness of the book was by far what kept me coming back. At times, I will admit, the vast array of what it covered in the themes of the books means that some things don't get handled in quite enough depth as I'd like, and a couple of moments directly counter each other in places as well, but I love the degree of creativity on display here.
The main reason I'm keeping this down to 3 stars is twofold:
1.) The story itself, while being a very good popcorn-flick of a story (and despite having such ambitious thematic subtext for a story of this type), didn't often go in the directions I wanted for it to. The fact that the shift of the scope and setting happens so drastically in Part 2 of 8 seemed weird to me, because Part 1 was easily my favorite part of the STORY, so I just felt like I had that ripped away from me too soon. The rest of the story is decent, but nothing I would consider to be the best in the world (and to be fair, it doesn't need to be, hence why I call it fun popcorn material), and seemed more like a road for thematic exploration, which I appreciate, but find unfortunate for readers who were hoping for a better paced development of the story.
3.) The final act feels simultaneously too fast for believability, and too long in the tooth; in other words, it seemed strangely paced, and certain aspects didn't really hit the mark for me; it also greatly affected some emotionally impactful moments for characters that didn't do near as much me as I think they should've considering how invested I was in the first half of the novel.
To expand on the first point I just made as well, I would also say that MOST people reading this kind of book are going to read it for the story itself, hence why I'm putting more weight on the 3-star story verses the 4-star themes.
Finally, I will leave off saying that Majority feels very much more like the first half of a duology, MAYBE the first third of a trilogy. The fact that this series is 6 books long frankly kind of astound me. I'm not sure what Goldsmith could do to really draw the tale out that long. Of course, that's not to say it's impossible, but when my instincts say "Yeah, this is half number one", the way that God of War [2018] is the first half of the Norse arc of that saga...I have my concerns about the pacing of the rest of the series.
However, I wouldn't not recommend Majority: if you're curious about the ideas of finite godhood in a universe where a pure majority-system rules, there's a lot to think about and dig into, and I thoroughly enjoyed doing just that, even if the bedrock story isn't 100% to my liking.
I'll be interested in continuing the series, but I cannot say I will make it a priority in the year to come. (Though for those interested, the full thing is already written, and these official publications will be done in relative quick succession, so if you're wondering about whether it'll be finished or not, I don't think you need to worry about that in this instance.)
Thank you to Abby for providing me the ARC for review, though I'm sorry it took so long to finish it.
Yeah okay, KC, tell that to Cyber-Monday Audible deals that let you buy the audiobook and finish it not just by the end of the year, but NEARLY before December.
Anyway. I think there's a lot of great stuff here. I've only rated this a 3-star, but I think there's a lot of great 4-star worthy stuff to offset that. Majority is more like a 3.5, with the leanings depending on what you're into.
For me, I thought by far the best parts of this book were Part 1 and what it did with all of the character work; and the general thematic undertones of the whole work. Between the dichotomy of oppression and freedom; identity and slavery; power and expression; omniscience and constraint; and so many other things that I'm forgetting about at the moment, the thought-provokingness of the book was by far what kept me coming back. At times, I will admit, the vast array of what it covered in the themes of the books means that some things don't get handled in quite enough depth as I'd like, and a couple of moments directly counter each other in places as well, but I love the degree of creativity on display here.
The main reason I'm keeping this down to 3 stars is twofold:
1.) The story itself, while being a very good popcorn-flick of a story (and despite having such ambitious thematic subtext for a story of this type), didn't often go in the directions I wanted for it to. The fact that the shift of the scope and setting happens so drastically in Part 2 of 8 seemed weird to me, because Part 1 was easily my favorite part of the STORY, so I just felt like I had that ripped away from me too soon. The rest of the story is decent, but nothing I would consider to be the best in the world (and to be fair, it doesn't need to be, hence why I call it fun popcorn material), and seemed more like a road for thematic exploration, which I appreciate, but find unfortunate for readers who were hoping for a better paced development of the story.
3.) The final act feels simultaneously too fast for believability, and too long in the tooth; in other words, it seemed strangely paced, and certain aspects didn't really hit the mark for me; it also greatly affected some emotionally impactful moments for characters that didn't do near as much me as I think they should've considering how invested I was in the first half of the novel.
To expand on the first point I just made as well, I would also say that MOST people reading this kind of book are going to read it for the story itself, hence why I'm putting more weight on the 3-star story verses the 4-star themes.
Finally, I will leave off saying that Majority feels very much more like the first half of a duology, MAYBE the first third of a trilogy. The fact that this series is 6 books long frankly kind of astound me. I'm not sure what Goldsmith could do to really draw the tale out that long. Of course, that's not to say it's impossible, but when my instincts say "Yeah, this is half number one", the way that God of War [2018] is the first half of the Norse arc of that saga...I have my concerns about the pacing of the rest of the series.
However, I wouldn't not recommend Majority: if you're curious about the ideas of finite godhood in a universe where a pure majority-system rules, there's a lot to think about and dig into, and I thoroughly enjoyed doing just that, even if the bedrock story isn't 100% to my liking.
I'll be interested in continuing the series, but I cannot say I will make it a priority in the year to come. (Though for those interested, the full thing is already written, and these official publications will be done in relative quick succession, so if you're wondering about whether it'll be finished or not, I don't think you need to worry about that in this instance.)
Thank you to Abby for providing me the ARC for review, though I'm sorry it took so long to finish it.
April 15, 2024
I've got mixed feelings about this book. On one hand I liked the story, I like the main character, Thomas, arch and the overall setting and worldbuilding
The empire of mind readers, their behaviours and how the fact that they can't keep secrets from one another impacts their society is pretty interesting, albeit I feel like it is portrayed in a way too simplistic manner. I would've liked a more profound approach to how their society has evolved and maybe a bit less of an "evil empire" representation
That last bit, I think is my biggest issue with the book, the Torth are portrayed as a caricature of the evil empire and end-up as a bunch of comic book super villains instead of a credible culture. That pulled me out of the story. Also the story tries to be grim at some points, portraying excessive cruelty and violence, yet I struggled to find that credible either.
The story has its strengths at some points but some parts seem to drag, I have to say that this was not a major issue. To me, without giving too many spoilers, the book has a high-point about half-way through only to stall for the next 150 pages or so, that part was the weakest in my view.
I may give the second part a chance just to see how the continuation develops.
The empire of mind readers, their behaviours and how the fact that they can't keep secrets from one another impacts their society is pretty interesting, albeit I feel like it is portrayed in a way too simplistic manner. I would've liked a more profound approach to how their society has evolved and maybe a bit less of an "evil empire" representation
That last bit, I think is my biggest issue with the book, the Torth are portrayed as a caricature of the evil empire and end-up as a bunch of comic book super villains instead of a credible culture. That pulled me out of the story. Also the story tries to be grim at some points, portraying excessive cruelty and violence, yet I struggled to find that credible either.
The story has its strengths at some points but some parts seem to drag, I have to say that this was not a major issue. To me, without giving too many spoilers, the book has a high-point about half-way through only to stall for the next 150 pages or so, that part was the weakest in my view.
I may give the second part a chance just to see how the continuation develops.
October 29, 2023
Dnf. Unique ideas, but failed in delivery. Became unreadable about half way through when it had repeated the same drawn out explanations for the 6th time.
Annoying and unrealistic in its descriptions it lacked depth of character and poorly constructed word building.
Annoying and unrealistic in its descriptions it lacked depth of character and poorly constructed word building.
February 20, 2024
I enjoy Sci-fi, but there is so much involved that it isn’t the quick easy escapism I typically go for. When I saw the synopsis for Majority it sounded like one I may enjoy—and I absolutely did!
The world building and politics told through the lens of Thomas’ questions and learning was an excellent way to get the information without the info dump. I went straight into book 2 and have preordered book 3. This is a series I would gladly revisit in the future.
The world building and politics told through the lens of Thomas’ questions and learning was an excellent way to get the information without the info dump. I went straight into book 2 and have preordered book 3. This is a series I would gladly revisit in the future.
January 23, 2024
adventurous dark tense medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
I wanted to like this book. The premise is so compelling! Escape from a galactic-spanning empire of all-seeing telepathy? How?
But the execution left... a LOT to be desired. A LOT.
Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
I wanted to like this book. The premise is so compelling! Escape from a galactic-spanning empire of all-seeing telepathy? How?
But the execution left... a LOT to be desired. A LOT.
April 27, 2025
Though I was expecting sort of a space opera kind of a novel right from the start, this book actually begins in a much more mundane setting, at an orphanage right here on Earth. But with one key difference from the normal: one of the children is secretly a super genius mind reader. Okay, that’s pretty interesting. But very soon, this young boy and a group of friends and new acquaintances do find themselves captured and transported to an alien world where they learn that he’s not the only mind reader. There’s an entire galaxy-spanning race of them. They’re called the Torth, and they enslave pretty much everyone else in the galaxy, so our heroes need to find a way to escape.
What I really like about this one is how philosophical it can be without ever becoming boring or preachy. The action continues throughout at a good pace, but it deals with a lot of important issues at a fairly deep level, and it does that largely by exaggerating the issues almost but not quite to their breaking point. Want to discuss the limitations of democracy? Create a galaxy-spanning empire of telepaths who can instantly communicate the will of the majority, which must always be obeyed. Want to discuss the implications of the Internet, rapid communications, and social media? Make that empire a near hive-mind in the sense that they nominally retain their individuality but spend most of their time plugged directly into each other’s thoughts. Want to deal with issues of individual identity and belonging? Make one of their greatest geniuses a young handicapped boy who was raised as a human on Earth and never felt like he belonged until he could plug into this hive-mind but has to constantly struggle with the immorality of the Empire’s actions.
When I sat down to read this, I was expecting essentially just a fun space opera. And it is a fun read, but its real value is that it does have that philosophical depth I wasn’t expecting. It even has hints of a sort of Messianic allegory that I have to assume was intentional (though I can’t be certain).
If I were to quibble over anything I’d say that maybe this first book is a little on the long side. Normally I wouldn’t object to that because I like long books (and this is far from the longest I’ve read even this year). Something about it just felt slightly overburdened to me, though. While I was thinking about it in advance of this review, however, I couldn’t honestly think of anything I thought ought to be cut or tightened up, so I don’t really think it’s a flaw in the book so much as just something that didn’t quite hit my own mood or expectations in quite the right way.
Overall, though, I liked it a lot. It’s been a real highlight of my recent reading, and I can’t wait to dive in to the rest of the series. On that topic, because it IS the first of a series, a few things readers might want to know about. First is that the series is in fact complete with the last book coming out just days from when I finished reading this first one, so you don’t need to worry about getting caught in the middle of something perpetually incomplete. The second question is whether or not this first book can be read as a stand-alone or whether you’re going to need to read the rest to get a complete story. And on that, it’s somewhere in the middle. This book resolves a particular part of the story satisfactorily so it’s not a complete cliffhanger or anything, but it’s made abundantly clear that there’s a lot more of the story still to be told. So you’ll be a satisfactory conclusion here but not necessarily a complete experience until you read further into the series (presumably to the very end of the series, though I can’t comment yet on the other books as I’ve only read this one so far). That said, it’s good enough that you’re going to really WANT to read the rest of the books, so I don’t think of that as a bad thing at all.
What I really like about this one is how philosophical it can be without ever becoming boring or preachy. The action continues throughout at a good pace, but it deals with a lot of important issues at a fairly deep level, and it does that largely by exaggerating the issues almost but not quite to their breaking point. Want to discuss the limitations of democracy? Create a galaxy-spanning empire of telepaths who can instantly communicate the will of the majority, which must always be obeyed. Want to discuss the implications of the Internet, rapid communications, and social media? Make that empire a near hive-mind in the sense that they nominally retain their individuality but spend most of their time plugged directly into each other’s thoughts. Want to deal with issues of individual identity and belonging? Make one of their greatest geniuses a young handicapped boy who was raised as a human on Earth and never felt like he belonged until he could plug into this hive-mind but has to constantly struggle with the immorality of the Empire’s actions.
When I sat down to read this, I was expecting essentially just a fun space opera. And it is a fun read, but its real value is that it does have that philosophical depth I wasn’t expecting. It even has hints of a sort of Messianic allegory that I have to assume was intentional (though I can’t be certain).
If I were to quibble over anything I’d say that maybe this first book is a little on the long side. Normally I wouldn’t object to that because I like long books (and this is far from the longest I’ve read even this year). Something about it just felt slightly overburdened to me, though. While I was thinking about it in advance of this review, however, I couldn’t honestly think of anything I thought ought to be cut or tightened up, so I don’t really think it’s a flaw in the book so much as just something that didn’t quite hit my own mood or expectations in quite the right way.
Overall, though, I liked it a lot. It’s been a real highlight of my recent reading, and I can’t wait to dive in to the rest of the series. On that topic, because it IS the first of a series, a few things readers might want to know about. First is that the series is in fact complete with the last book coming out just days from when I finished reading this first one, so you don’t need to worry about getting caught in the middle of something perpetually incomplete. The second question is whether or not this first book can be read as a stand-alone or whether you’re going to need to read the rest to get a complete story. And on that, it’s somewhere in the middle. This book resolves a particular part of the story satisfactorily so it’s not a complete cliffhanger or anything, but it’s made abundantly clear that there’s a lot more of the story still to be told. So you’ll be a satisfactory conclusion here but not necessarily a complete experience until you read further into the series (presumably to the very end of the series, though I can’t comment yet on the other books as I’ve only read this one so far). That said, it’s good enough that you’re going to really WANT to read the rest of the books, so I don’t think of that as a bad thing at all.
June 23, 2024
Thomas is a young teenage mind reader in the foster system, but ends up in a loving home with a woman who takes in multiple children and has a daughter of her own. Her blood daughter is Vy and one of her foster daughters is Cherise. Thomas saves Cherise from suicide when the girl joins the home. The two become thick as thieves, and she knows Thomas’ secret.
But then there are the Torth, aliens who are brutal and dangerous, and mind readers at a level above Thomas because of their Megacosm. Some Torth kidnap the three siblings, along with a giant named Ariock and Ariock’s mother. Thomas learned about the connected mindset of the Torth, and how they communicate with imagination and abstractions. Not only is there no need for (primative) nonverbal communication, but speaking is a crime even among their non-Torth slaves; Torth crying or laughing is a death sentence; sex is forbidden and while it may be ignored among the slaves at times, it’s a death sentence for Torth. Also, AI technology and bioengineering are forbidden because of past issues.
I absolutely love how well Goldsmith has portrayed the communal mind and the different thoughts coming from the Megacosm or a person’s mind, be they in agreement or conflict. The main character is a young teen, but this is a book for children or teens in the same way “Ender’s Game” is–this is dark and has some adult themes. They aren’t graphic, but they can be rough to read. The chapters are short and the story carried me through. I took a longer time than expected because of my life, not Goldsmith’s writing.
I don’t like Thomas a lot of the time, but he’s a young mind (even with old memories that he has taken in his entire life and then being part of the Megacosm). He has an ego and prone to anger, and makes decisions that are super painful to read. But given his age and his circumstances…I get it. He is doing the best he believes he can in his situation.
I want to like the Upward Governess, a 14-year-old Torth supergenius like Thomas. I was uncertain of her from the start though because she’s super Torth and steals Thomas’ medicine with no care.
The ranks and overall information on the Torth is ver interesting. I would have liked a list of the eye ranks for myself, but the details and world/culture building was done very well, and terrifies me in the “right” places (IMO).
But then there are the Torth, aliens who are brutal and dangerous, and mind readers at a level above Thomas because of their Megacosm. Some Torth kidnap the three siblings, along with a giant named Ariock and Ariock’s mother. Thomas learned about the connected mindset of the Torth, and how they communicate with imagination and abstractions. Not only is there no need for (primative) nonverbal communication, but speaking is a crime even among their non-Torth slaves; Torth crying or laughing is a death sentence; sex is forbidden and while it may be ignored among the slaves at times, it’s a death sentence for Torth. Also, AI technology and bioengineering are forbidden because of past issues.
I absolutely love how well Goldsmith has portrayed the communal mind and the different thoughts coming from the Megacosm or a person’s mind, be they in agreement or conflict. The main character is a young teen, but this is a book for children or teens in the same way “Ender’s Game” is–this is dark and has some adult themes. They aren’t graphic, but they can be rough to read. The chapters are short and the story carried me through. I took a longer time than expected because of my life, not Goldsmith’s writing.
I don’t like Thomas a lot of the time, but he’s a young mind (even with old memories that he has taken in his entire life and then being part of the Megacosm). He has an ego and prone to anger, and makes decisions that are super painful to read. But given his age and his circumstances…I get it. He is doing the best he believes he can in his situation.
I want to like the Upward Governess, a 14-year-old Torth supergenius like Thomas. I was uncertain of her from the start though because she’s super Torth and steals Thomas’ medicine with no care.
The ranks and overall information on the Torth is ver interesting. I would have liked a list of the eye ranks for myself, but the details and world/culture building was done very well, and terrifies me in the “right” places (IMO).
December 7, 2025
Not a good read.
The writing feels clumsy. The tension is taken out of every situation resulting in something that feels like an "and then" running sentence story. Thomas has a secret power and when it's revealed it's "meh". As the reader I just found myself shrugging. The whole book ends with one of those "You won't believe what happens in the next book!" type ... cliffhangers?
Sections of the book needed to be rearranged. For example, at one point, Thomas enters a room. And that's it. We then go back in time and find out what happened to Thomas before he enters the room. Then we go back to Thomas entering the room and acting in some way. Going back in time didn't answer any questions we had. Instead we're given an answer, and there is no question. Had Thomas acted in some way, and thus we had a question - why is he acting that way? - AND THEN gone back in time, fine. If we'd gotten learnt what happened to Thomas and THEN entered the room, at the very least it didn't do a weird "go back in time" thing with no purpose.
We're switching between characters being told what they're thinking at every step of the way so that insecurities are being described to us ALL OF THE TIME. Less would have been more.
It uses that boring trope of "logic is greater than emotion". Show me someone who can offer a detached opinion on ANYTHING and I'll show you someone who has absolutely no stakes in that anything. Sure it could have been used to show that the emperor has no clothes but it's not. So even the pretense isn't great. It could have been used as a commentary on privilege. And it might be... but I'm sure as hell not going to read more of that mess to find out.
It even ignores its own rules. One character goes on and on (in his thoughts. I can't describe just how tiresome it is being given everyone's thoughts all of the time) about how he wished everyone else was able to communicate telepathically - how much faster it would be. And then that speed is just kind of ignored when characters ARE communicating telepathically.
I'm wondering, if with a proper editor, this could have been made into something... good. I mean, I definitely see how it could be made better, but I'm not sure if it could be made into something good.
The writing feels clumsy. The tension is taken out of every situation resulting in something that feels like an "and then" running sentence story. Thomas has a secret power and when it's revealed it's "meh". As the reader I just found myself shrugging. The whole book ends with one of those "You won't believe what happens in the next book!" type ... cliffhangers?
Sections of the book needed to be rearranged. For example, at one point, Thomas enters a room. And that's it. We then go back in time and find out what happened to Thomas before he enters the room. Then we go back to Thomas entering the room and acting in some way. Going back in time didn't answer any questions we had. Instead we're given an answer, and there is no question. Had Thomas acted in some way, and thus we had a question - why is he acting that way? - AND THEN gone back in time, fine. If we'd gotten learnt what happened to Thomas and THEN entered the room, at the very least it didn't do a weird "go back in time" thing with no purpose.
We're switching between characters being told what they're thinking at every step of the way so that insecurities are being described to us ALL OF THE TIME. Less would have been more.
It uses that boring trope of "logic is greater than emotion". Show me someone who can offer a detached opinion on ANYTHING and I'll show you someone who has absolutely no stakes in that anything. Sure it could have been used to show that the emperor has no clothes but it's not. So even the pretense isn't great. It could have been used as a commentary on privilege. And it might be... but I'm sure as hell not going to read more of that mess to find out.
It even ignores its own rules. One character goes on and on (in his thoughts. I can't describe just how tiresome it is being given everyone's thoughts all of the time) about how he wished everyone else was able to communicate telepathically - how much faster it would be. And then that speed is just kind of ignored when characters ARE communicating telepathically.
I'm wondering, if with a proper editor, this could have been made into something... good. I mean, I definitely see how it could be made better, but I'm not sure if it could be made into something good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2023
I'm an early reader. This is the perfect book 1 for those of us who love to read an epic series. Reasons I like it as a series:
- It's completed. No Rothfuss / GRRM / Jordan situation with an unfinished series.
- High re-readability. To me this puts it in the league of Wheel of Time, Belgariad, and Game of Thrones. Between themes (see below) and the action, there's depth to learn more on each reread. That said, I'm a big rereader; I've read WoT like 3x and Belgariad like 20x.
- Seamless world building. I'm not distracted by logic holes, unlikely situations, or "why couldn't they just talk" scenarios, for the most part. I've never read a book with mind-reading that had this quality.
- Series-length plot arc. The first book isn't about winning, it's about surviving the first punch and the impossible odds the heroes are up against. The first chapter definitely sets the pace for this.
The opening chapter gives me strong feelings, and I think you'll either like it or hate it. The book isn't always that intense, but there are moments of intensity and darkness. There are some light moments too. A lot of things center around Thomas. The first chapter shows the empathy at his core.
The book starts out on Earth, but this is scifi fantasy, so don't be too surprised if the cover indicates a non-Earth city...
Without spoilers, here are some of the themes:
- Surviving an exploitative empire that monitors thoughts.
- Moral issues around being exceptionally powerful or smart.
- Intelligence taking different forms.
- Freedom and slavery.
- Power imbalance and its consequences.
- Group think and self deception.
Good stuff.
On the audiobook: It's a high quality production. I absolutely love George Newbern's reading. My greatest fear with audiobooks is that the narrator will vary their tone with randomness, rather than varying it with the intended *meaning* of what's being said. It's the difference between a narrator reading with understanding vs without. Newbern nails this; he 'gets it' and reads in a similar tone to what I imagined when I read the paperback. As a fan of the series, I'm so grateful for its audio version!
- It's completed. No Rothfuss / GRRM / Jordan situation with an unfinished series.
- High re-readability. To me this puts it in the league of Wheel of Time, Belgariad, and Game of Thrones. Between themes (see below) and the action, there's depth to learn more on each reread. That said, I'm a big rereader; I've read WoT like 3x and Belgariad like 20x.
- Seamless world building. I'm not distracted by logic holes, unlikely situations, or "why couldn't they just talk" scenarios, for the most part. I've never read a book with mind-reading that had this quality.
- Series-length plot arc. The first book isn't about winning, it's about surviving the first punch and the impossible odds the heroes are up against. The first chapter definitely sets the pace for this.
The opening chapter gives me strong feelings, and I think you'll either like it or hate it. The book isn't always that intense, but there are moments of intensity and darkness. There are some light moments too. A lot of things center around Thomas. The first chapter shows the empathy at his core.
The book starts out on Earth, but this is scifi fantasy, so don't be too surprised if the cover indicates a non-Earth city...
Without spoilers, here are some of the themes:
- Surviving an exploitative empire that monitors thoughts.
- Moral issues around being exceptionally powerful or smart.
- Intelligence taking different forms.
- Freedom and slavery.
- Power imbalance and its consequences.
- Group think and self deception.
Good stuff.
On the audiobook: It's a high quality production. I absolutely love George Newbern's reading. My greatest fear with audiobooks is that the narrator will vary their tone with randomness, rather than varying it with the intended *meaning* of what's being said. It's the difference between a narrator reading with understanding vs without. Newbern nails this; he 'gets it' and reads in a similar tone to what I imagined when I read the paperback. As a fan of the series, I'm so grateful for its audio version!
January 5, 2024
Abby Goldsmith is one of the new brilliant creators in fiction. New worlds, unseen and yet vaguely familiar. She is able to carry us into other worlds believable and yet unfamiliar. Struggling to blend in with his foster family and yearning for a semblance of normality, Thomas, hailed as the next Einstein, conceals a crucial secret: his groundbreaking medication that halts the progression of his degenerative disease and endows him with superhuman intelligence.
Thomas, grappling with a degenerative neuromuscular disease, has devised a revolutionary medicine to thwart its progression. However, his brilliance attracts the attention of the Majority, a network of bioengineered super-geniuses, including the enigmatic Upward Governess. Some within this society harbor secret ambitions of wielding unimaginable power and unleashing chaos upon the universe.
As Thomas grapples with the need for both cunning and power, he discovers that the key to defeating the Majority lies not only in his exceptional mind but also in his ability to navigate the intricacies of social dynamics. The fate of the universe hangs in the balance as Thomas endeavors to outsmart thirty trillion telepaths.
With its blend of high-stakes action, complex characters, and a richly imagined universe, this space-opera adventure is a thrilling exploration of power, rebellion, and the indomitable human spirit. The narrative promises to captivate readers with its intricate plot and thought-provoking exploration of societal control and individual agency in a galaxy ruled by those who can read minds.
Thomas, grappling with a degenerative neuromuscular disease, has devised a revolutionary medicine to thwart its progression. However, his brilliance attracts the attention of the Majority, a network of bioengineered super-geniuses, including the enigmatic Upward Governess. Some within this society harbor secret ambitions of wielding unimaginable power and unleashing chaos upon the universe.
As Thomas grapples with the need for both cunning and power, he discovers that the key to defeating the Majority lies not only in his exceptional mind but also in his ability to navigate the intricacies of social dynamics. The fate of the universe hangs in the balance as Thomas endeavors to outsmart thirty trillion telepaths.
With its blend of high-stakes action, complex characters, and a richly imagined universe, this space-opera adventure is a thrilling exploration of power, rebellion, and the indomitable human spirit. The narrative promises to captivate readers with its intricate plot and thought-provoking exploration of societal control and individual agency in a galaxy ruled by those who can read minds.
July 27, 2023
Unique and I got obsessed with this series. The characters are easy to connect with and feel alive/real, especially Thomas. I think it's the best depiction of Stockholm Syndrome I've seen. Or coercion? Even when he goes full Torth, I'm still rooting for him to overcome it, because if anyone can, it's him. Kessa is also a character I really liked. She gives the slave perspective. She doesn't believe in freedom. but the human characters keep trying to prove her wrong, and that's what she has to resolve in her mind. She thinks hope is toxic.
There's a lot here about the way groups can pile up. Even though the telepaths are related to humans, they have lost their humanity by voting to outlaw strong emotions. I would say they're fascists, but they're worse. They repress their emotions, and that means they have to pretend like they don't care when anyone else is suffering. So all they care about is their own greed. It's like if we let Twitter mobs have guns so they can enforce whatever they want. The Torth made themselves into alien monsters and the actual aliens are more like humans.
It will be really satisfying to see the Torth get destroyed. I'm waiting for the next one!
There's a lot here about the way groups can pile up. Even though the telepaths are related to humans, they have lost their humanity by voting to outlaw strong emotions. I would say they're fascists, but they're worse. They repress their emotions, and that means they have to pretend like they don't care when anyone else is suffering. So all they care about is their own greed. It's like if we let Twitter mobs have guns so they can enforce whatever they want. The Torth made themselves into alien monsters and the actual aliens are more like humans.
It will be really satisfying to see the Torth get destroyed. I'm waiting for the next one!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2024
An engaging sci-fi book that builds a fascinating dystopian universe! Despite some issues with pacing and character development, it’s a standout read in the genre.
The story follows Thomas, a sickly child on Earth who becomes an essential supergenius in the Torth Empire’s telepathic Megacosm. This empire, which rules our galaxy, operates with a cruel, inescapable hivemind society, offering immense knowledge and experiences that are hard to resist. For a frail boy, this allure is almost impossible to ignore.
Goldsmith’s world-building is exceptional. The details of the Torth Empire and its constant telepathic polling system are intricate and well-thought-out. This system drives every decision, creating an intriguing tension that keeps the story moving.
While the pacing could be tighter in some areas, this minor flaw doesn’t overshadow the novel’s strengths. Goldsmith isn’t afraid to delve into darker themes, giving the story a mature, complex edge.
Go for the book and the series!
The story follows Thomas, a sickly child on Earth who becomes an essential supergenius in the Torth Empire’s telepathic Megacosm. This empire, which rules our galaxy, operates with a cruel, inescapable hivemind society, offering immense knowledge and experiences that are hard to resist. For a frail boy, this allure is almost impossible to ignore.
Goldsmith’s world-building is exceptional. The details of the Torth Empire and its constant telepathic polling system are intricate and well-thought-out. This system drives every decision, creating an intriguing tension that keeps the story moving.
While the pacing could be tighter in some areas, this minor flaw doesn’t overshadow the novel’s strengths. Goldsmith isn’t afraid to delve into darker themes, giving the story a mature, complex edge.
Go for the book and the series!
September 11, 2023
A dazzling debut. Majority: Torth, Book 1, has everything that people should be looking for in science fiction: bold, big ideas, expansive worldbuilding, and a cast of flawed and realistic characters, all entangled in a plot with real pace and undeniable stakes.
Abby's prose is assured and evocative and she handles dialogue, internal conflicts, and expansive action scenes all with equal aplomb. The pacing was great from start to finish... fast enough to keep me entertained, and slow enough to let things build organically rather than feeling forced.
A brilliant ride from beginning to end, Majority sets the stage for what will clearly be an epic story. I'm really excited to see what comes next!
Abby's prose is assured and evocative and she handles dialogue, internal conflicts, and expansive action scenes all with equal aplomb. The pacing was great from start to finish... fast enough to keep me entertained, and slow enough to let things build organically rather than feeling forced.
A brilliant ride from beginning to end, Majority sets the stage for what will clearly be an epic story. I'm really excited to see what comes next!
August 8, 2025
i know this may be not careful to say during this climate especially with majority opinions but as a black person this is the book I've been searching for . the way it explains the power dynamics of the torth vrs everyone including themselves is how i see our racial conflict in this world with the advent of what happened in America, in modern western history and as a demographic with a particular history of oppression and how we are dealing with it now . Its very sobering seeing both perspectives of the powerful vrs powerless. i needing that healing. its so well written how imbeds and mask these discussions through a scifi fantasy world. I want to be cautious with saying this was the intention
i just want to tell the author thank you.
i just want to tell the author thank you.
September 4, 2023
My foray into the maelstrom that is online reading was dubious, owing to my own bumbling ignorance. I was on my way to the exit, when I just happened to trip over Abby Goldsmith and her book Majority. Years later, the series is (impeccably) finished and I am so grateful for the craft, for the commitment, for the characters, for the vision, the heart, the beauty and, most of all, the empathy.
This is a story about how humanity can feel and look, thrown onto a colossal stage and into a magnificently woven web of chaos. Humanity is a struggle and an adventure and a joy and growth - in this story you will find it all, and maybe even a bit of yourself along the way.
This is a story about how humanity can feel and look, thrown onto a colossal stage and into a magnificently woven web of chaos. Humanity is a struggle and an adventure and a joy and growth - in this story you will find it all, and maybe even a bit of yourself along the way.
October 29, 2025
The last 30% of this book was best part! Main character isn’t that great.
The secondary character is incredible!
This book started heavy with the bad language. Super unnecessary.
This book felt like a YA that kids should definitely not be reading.
The multiple perspectives are normally terrible. Since there was mind reading it was done very well! Though it was possibly confusing in moments. I also listened to it so I know that can make the multiple perspectives easier to understand.
One perspective we could have all done with out, should have never been a thing, in a book, in a song, in anything!! IYKYK…
Don’t read this book.
But I’ll probably listen to the 2nd one.
The secondary character is incredible!
This book started heavy with the bad language. Super unnecessary.
This book felt like a YA that kids should definitely not be reading.
The multiple perspectives are normally terrible. Since there was mind reading it was done very well! Though it was possibly confusing in moments. I also listened to it so I know that can make the multiple perspectives easier to understand.
One perspective we could have all done with out, should have never been a thing, in a book, in a song, in anything!! IYKYK…
Don’t read this book.
But I’ll probably listen to the 2nd one.
December 11, 2024
Tough one to rate - I'm going to go with 3.5, but could easily see this being a 4 star for many. I think it's worth a read, especially if you like a mix of SF & fantasy. I did the audiobook version of this and admittedly, I'm not a big fan of audiobooks. It clocks in at over 23 hours which made it a big commitment. There are some really interesting parts and the characters are well fleshed out. The plot is also interesting, but a bit long. I'm not going to continue the series, but if you're looking for something in the SF & fantasy arena, give this a try.
January 20, 2024
Highly imaginative sci-fi adventure with a relatable, colorful cast of characters. I loved the way the author drew readers into the minds of various characters, even alien ones! Both the visual and emotional aspects were so well-crafted, I could envision the scenes in my head, while experiencing the feelings of the POV character. This series seems made for film -- there's a 'big-ness' to the author's vision and a lot of potential for the big screen.
March 18, 2024
Light sci-fi with seemingly no character development nor self-awareness. One of the characters might be a Jesus analog? Incredibly frustrated by the amount of philosophy this book could tackle, and the fact that it ignores all of it for two dimensional, over powered, whiny caricatures of teenagers who are surrounded by wonder and can only think of how insecure they are. Light reading to keep you occupied for a while, but don't expect anything memorable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2025
This review is highly subjective and is really being written for my own future reference. Basically this book instantly failed to interest me so I deleted it. Then I listened to something else on my way home and by the time I sat down to write this review I already forgot pretty much everything about this book. If it hadn't still been on my computer (as oppose to my phone) I wouldn't have remembered this book at all.
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