Majority: the Dark Sci-Fi to Start Reading Now

This book was intriguing and original! If you’re into sci-fi, it should definitely be on your TBR list!

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.

Before we go on, you should know “Majority(Torth)” is the first book in a series of 6 books! The Torth series has been written already and will be gradually released. Check out the author’s website to keep up to date.

Let’s get into everything!

Synopsis

In a captivating sci-fi adventure, an unlikely hero faces off against a galactic empire endowed with mind-reading abilities.

Thomas Hill, an underprivileged genius, discovers a means to save his life from a debilitating disease. Celebrated as a prodigy, his unparalleled achievements attract the attention of everyone, including the bioengineered super-geniuses who govern an universe-spanning empire. Among them, some have ambitions of complete supremacy. To thwart their plans, Thomas must navigate a realm of strategy, social intrigue, and formidable power.

Aided by his foster sisters and an enigmatic superhuman, he races to outmanoeuvre the empire’s telepathic dominion and reinstate harmony with the cosmos.

Main Characters

The Torth are an original, fascinating collective character. I loved discovering this built society with all its intricacies. The author reveals it gradually and it makes for an epic puzzle, as the action unfolds. Here are the main traits of this civilisation:

• They are telepaths, able to read your every thought. They are also capable of giving painful seizures to those in their proximal area. They take advantage of that to enslave other races, having turned into a galactic empire.
• They haven’t created everything. They are not gods. Their slaves intuitively know that. However, they use their powers to steal their slaves’ knowledge. They not only absorb it, they also ensure, by separating children from adults, the fact that knowledge is no longer transferred between generations.
• They are accustomed to obey what they all decide as a majority. This idea seems ideal, until you understand that their laziness has changed from making the best decision to ensure the good of the group into following the opinions of a few influencers. This definitely sounds familiar.
• Not tolerant of mistakes. Not tolerant of differences (they don’t allow the existence of extra powers). Not big on privacy. – These ideas seem very communist to me and I loved to see them woven into a sci-fi novel.
• They don’t allow inherited wealth. This actually seems like an extraordinary idea, a true meritocratic society would be an extraordinary thing to watch.

The most notable Torth character is, of course, the Upward Governess. She is a genius and has ulterior motives for everything she does. Though a powerful leader in her world, we see her longing for connection and joy.

Thomas is the main character. It’s his journey and his point of view we see most often in the novel. His evolution isn’t always so easily analysable, as he starts off as a good-hearted, genius boy and ends up being able to torture his best friends. It makes you wonder how much of his good nature was because he needed people to care for him, due to his disabilities (he has an incurable degenerative neuromuscular disease). When this stops being such a problem, he becomes less caring, at least apparently.

Of course, it is all understandable by the fact that he was coerced into doing bad things. How much responsibility does one bear, when they feel coerced into questionable actions? Thomas’ ethics and moral conundrums throughout the novel make it all the more interesting and can open a whole lot of fascinating debates.

Kessa seems to be the most interesting character of all. She is the only one that is so open minded, so avid for knowledge and so intelligent that she actually changes her fate. She is able to recognise new, radical ideas. She maintains her curiosity into old age. She is willing to suffer just about anything to understand herself and the universe better.

Cherise starts as a misunderstood teen with suicidal thoughts. She grows very close to Thomas, both being adopted.

Vy (Violet) is Cherise and Thomas’s foster sister. She is older, generally feeling responsible for them.

Ariock starts off as a gentle giant. His condition is a mystery for people, as it isn’t associated with the usual problems of strength that come with it. On the contrary, Ariock seems extremely powerful. He is, however, very secluded. His mother, Delia, keeps him at home to protect him from being teased and bullied at school. Ariock prefers it as well.

My Review – Spoiler free

Now that you’ve read a bit about the characters, you may have a hint of what this book is about, but not nearly enough to spoil it for you. I’ll keep it this way here.

What I liked the most about “Majority”:

1. The author creates a captivating society – the Torth. The more you find out about it, the more you draw parallels to our world and crazy ideas of the past. I am very curious about what exactly will make this empire fall. It seems so grand, I cannot see it end its dominion over the universe in a believable way (I hope this comes in the next books of the series).
2. Thomas’s story is moving. His actions under duress make him very human and flawed. His resistance to the addiction of being connected with the Torth is admirable. His loyalty to friends is tested and I really enjoyed the way it evolves.
3. As we follow each character and get his point of view, we never get to have the complete picture. For me, this is what got me attached to each character and what allowed me to get a better understanding of their feelings and intentions.
4. We get to witness how slaves have worked out solutions to survive and thrive without being noticed by the Torth. This idea seemed hilarious at first, yet it makes sense. Oppressed people have always found a way to survive as well as preserve their identity.
5. The Megacosm – I can only talk about it here (so as to not give too much away) as being similar to the internet, only way bigger, way more intrusive and way more addictive. Loved the idea of it in the book!

What I didn’t like:

1. This empire is so vast, spanning galaxies, the Torth clearly consider humans similar to slaves, yet Earth enjoys its freedom. It makes no sense not to have conquered it already, especially since it’s clearly being used as a hideout. This is just me and I don’t exclude having overlooked the explanation for it in the book.
2. As sci-fi books usually are, this one was a bit long as well. I feel it could have been just a little shorter, without messing up the character building. When I say that, I really mean it. Just a little bit shorter is enough. We prefer long books here!

I can’t wait to read more about everything and dive again into the world Abby Goldsmith created! All in all, it was a relaxing, entertaining read that I finished very quickly. It really kept me rooting for the characters, despising the Torth along with them. There is nothing more I can ask from a book! 🥰

Great Quotes:

If I die fighting, I die well.

“Majority”, Abby Goldsmith

“Ideas are toxic,” Thomas said, “and hope is contagious. The Torth will destroy any hint of it before it spreads to other slave farms.”

“Majority”, Abby Goldsmith

✨✨✨ The book is available on Goodreads here:✨✨✨

More on Abby Goldsmith, on her Goodreads profile.