Hierarchy

Hierarchy by James Islington follows Vis, hiding his true identity in a brutal academy where students climb ranks by lending their will to superiors. This epic fantasy blends Roman-inspired settings, political intrigue, and a magic system based on borrowed power.

Hierarchy is James Islington's epic fantasy series set in the Catenan Republic, a Roman-inspired civilization built on a magic system where individuals can lend their will - their life force and abilities - to those above them in the social hierarchy. Following Vis (short for Diago Telimus), a young man hiding his true identity whilst navigating a deadly academy, the series combines political intrigue, magical education, ancient mysteries, and a protagonist forced to climb a system he despises. Known for intricate plotting, slow-burn reveals, and world-building that rewards attentive readers, the Hierarchy series showcases Islington's talent for epic fantasy with substance.

Books in the Hierarchy series

The Will of the Many (2023) introduces Vis, an orphan hiding his true identity as the last survivor of a destroyed kingdom. Adopted by a senator seeking a political pawn, Vis is enrolled in the Catenan Academy - an elite institution where students compete brutally to climb the pyramid hierarchy. Success means power and privilege; failure means becoming a resource whose will is permanently drained by superiors. Vis must excel without revealing his true abilities or past, all whilst uncovering conspiracies threatening the Republic itself.

The academy setting allows Islington to explore the hierarchy system's mechanics and ethics. Students lend portions of their will to prefects, who lend to instructors, who lend to administrators, creating a pyramid where power flows upward and the few at the top wield abilities magnified by thousands below them. It's exploitation systematized and justified through tradition, creating a society where questioning the structure is heresy.

The Strength of the Few (2024) continues Vis's journey as he navigates deeper into Catenan politics and the mysteries surrounding the Will system's origins. The sequel expands world-building beyond the academy, revealing more about the Republic's enemies, the ancient civilization that created the hierarchy magic, and the true scope of conspiracies Vis has uncovered. Islington raises stakes whilst maintaining the character-driven focus that distinguished the first book.

The third book (title TBA, in progress) will continue the series, presumably building toward revelations about the hierarchy system's true nature and Vis's ultimate role in either maintaining or destroying it.

The series is characterized by Roman-inspired setting and culture, magic system based on borrowed will/power, academy setting with deadly competition, protagonist hiding true identity, intricate political intrigue, mystery elements and conspiracy, slow-burn plotting with payoffs, detailed world-building, and moral questions about systematic exploitation.

Common themes include power and exploitation, the ethics of hierarchy, identity and deception, systematic oppression justified through tradition, revenge versus justice, what we sacrifice for survival, resistance within oppressive systems, and whether individuals can change entrenched institutions.

Islington's prose is detailed and methodical, building world and character through accumulation rather than exposition dumps. His plotting is intricate - seemingly minor details in early chapters become crucial hundreds of pages later, rewarding attentive readers and rereaders. The pacing is deliberate, prioritizing world-building and character development over constant action.

What distinguishes Hierarchy is its magic system's political implications. The Will isn't just power - it's literally taking others' life force, abilities, and autonomy. The system creates systematic inequality where those at the pyramid's base exist to fuel those above, making the magic inseparable from questions of exploitation, consent, and justice.

Vis is a compelling protagonist - angry, calculating, and forced to play games he despises whilst hiding both his identity and his moral opposition to everything the Republic represents. His internal conflict between survival (which requires succeeding within the system) and justice (which requires destroying it) drives the narrative.

The academy setting provides structure whilst allowing exploration of how elite institutions perpetuate inequality. The competition amongst students mirrors the Republic's broader power struggles whilst keeping stakes personal and immediate.

The series appeals to readers seeking intricate epic fantasy, magic systems with political implications, academy settings with substance, Roman-inspired world-building, and slow-burn plotting that rewards patience.