Key Takeaways
- Acquisition Details: Sony Pictures has acquired the rights to James Islington’s Hierarchy series following its successful debut.
- Plot Overview: The series features Vis, a young man with a secret, navigating a magical Roman Empire-like world.
- Author Background: James Islington gained popularity with his previous work, The Licanius Trilogy, and self-published his first book.
- Adaptation Inquiry: There is currently no filmmaker attached to the adaptation of the Hierarchy series.
As part of a never-ending quest to find the next hottest thing, Sony Pictures is ready to open its wallet for James Islington’s Hierarchy fantasy book series. The studio moved on to acquire the rights to Islington’s books shortly after the second installment, The Strength of the Few, debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times best-seller list following its November 11 U.S. release from Simon & Schuster’s division, Saga Press.
Set in a Roman Empire-style civilization but infused with magic, the Hierarchy series follows Vis, a young man hiding a life-threatening secret, as he’s forced to investigate a death while also infiltrating the all-powerful regime that feeds on the mental and physical energy, dubbed the Will, of the masses. (via THR)
Here’s a synopsis for the first novel in Islington’s Hierarchy series, courtesy of Amazon:
At the elite Catenan Academy, a young fugitive uncovers layered mysteries and world-changing secrets in this “brilliant and gut-churning masterpiece” (Library Journal, starred review) by the internationally bestselling author of The Licanius Trilogy, James Islington.
The Catenan Republic—the Hierarchy—may rule the world now, but they do not know everything.
I tell them my name is Vis Telimus. I tell them I was orphaned after a tragic accident three years ago, and that good fortune alone has led to my acceptance into their most prestigious school. I tell them that once I graduate, I will gladly join the rest of civilized society in allowing my strength, my drive, and my focus—what they call Will—to be leeched away and added to the power of those above me, as millions already do. As all must eventually do.
I tell them that I belong, and they believe me.
But the truth is that I have been sent to the Academy to find answers. To solve a murder. To search for an ancient weapon. To uncover secrets that may tear the Republic apart.
And that I will never, ever cede my Will to the empire that executed my family.
To survive though, I will still have to rise through the Academy’s ranks. I will have to smile, and make friends, and pretend to be one of them, and win. Because if I cannot, then those who want to control me, who know my real name, will no longer have any use for me.
And if the Hierarchy finds out who I truly am, they will kill me.
No filmmaker or producer is currently attached to the newly announced project. Hailing from Australia, Islington drew crowds thanks to his The Licanius Trilogy. Like many authors who believe in their vision, Islington self-published the first book in the trilogy, The Shadow of What Was Lost, before landing a deal to print the second and third chapters.
Have you read James Islington’s Hierarchy novels? Who should direct the first adaptation? Let us know in the comments section below.
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