The Catenan Republic is built upon the Hierarchy, a social structure where those at the top sap the Will of those below them to gain strength and live longer. In this pyramid structure which is eight levels deep, the Octavi are the lowest of the low, and of course, the most numerous. They receive Will from no one, yet cede half of their own Will to the Septimus above them, thus they are weaker and shorter lived. Each Septimus receives Will from eight Octavi and cedes half their own Will to the Sextus above them, who receives Will from seven Septimi, and so on up the Hierarchy. There are three primary pyramids in this society: Religion, Military, and Governance and they are all vying for power. This society has become so strong that they have conquered everyone around them. But like most empires, when there is no external threat to focus on, in fighting becomes the norm. Then there is Vis, born to ruling family of Suus, the last society to fall to the might of the Hierarchy. Vis has kept his identity hidden and vowed to never cede his Will to those who killed his family, but soon he will be the age where he must. Can the vengeance of one young man topple an empire?

This book has been likened to Red Rising, probably because of the Roman theme and the fact that the first book focuses on teenagers in a training academy, but the two worlds couldn't be more different. This isn't space faring sci-fi, it's fantasy and I found myself instantly captivated by the story here. Red Rising also felt very YA focused at first, where the teenagers at the Institute were the only smart ones and all the adults were corrupt and incompetent, but that is not the vibe here, despite the trope of the young heir to a fallen kingdom looking for vengeance.

Islington crafts a masterful story with a lot of layers of intrigue, that are slowly revealed as the story goes on. There are rebels fighting back against the Hierarchy, there is political maneuvering between pyramids, and there is a "magic system" based on Will that has more behind it than meets the eye at first. Vis being adopted by Senator Ulciscor and tasked with infiltrating the Academy to find out clues to his brothers death adds yet another layer that keeps things interesting, and even at the end it is hard to guess exactly where this is all going. All I know is that I am "all in" waiting on the second book which is due out in November. If you are looking for a new fantasy series that is very different from the typical genre fare, then here it is.

Euan Morton does an excellent job on the narration and he instantly drew me in to the story with his performance. Definitely worth a listen.