{{short description|Australian author (born 1981)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox writer | name = James Islington | image = | image_upright = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{circa}} {{birth year and age|1981}} | birth_place = | occupation = Novelist | language = English | nationality = Australian | education = | genre = High fantasy | notableworks = ''The Shadow of What Was Lost'' | children = 2 | awards = | years_active = 2014-present | website = {{url|jamesislington.com/about-me.html}} }}
'''James Islington''' (born {{circa|1981}})<ref name=cr>{{cite web|url=https://civilianreader.com/2016/11/08/interview-with-james-islington/ |title=Interview with James Islington |publisher=Civilian Reader |date=8 November 2016 |accessdate=4 February 2020}}</ref> is an Australian author best known for his high fantasy series ''The Licanius Trilogy''. He is also the author of the first two books of the ''Hierarchy'' series, the 2023 novel ''The Will of the Many'', and 2025 novel ''The Strength of the Few''.
==Career== Prior to becoming a writer, Islington ran a tech startup.<ref name=cr/> Though he always liked the idea of becoming an author, he only began writing seriously at the age of 30.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://qwillery.blogspot.com/2016/11/interview-with-james-islington-author.html |title=The Qwillery: Interview with James Islington, author of The Shadow of What Was Lost |date=8 November 2016 |accessdate=4 February 2020}}</ref> Islington originally self-published ''The Shadow of What Was Lost'' in 2014. He signed a deal with Orbit Books less than a year later. He has published two sequel novels, entitled ''An Echo of Things to Come'' (2017) and ''The Light of All That Falls'' (2019).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://fantasy-focus.com/2019/12/interview-with-james-islington/ |title=Interview with James Islington |date=10 December 2019 |author=Kelly Blanchard-Dale |access-date=6 February 2020 |archive-date=4 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200204205506/https://fantasy-focus.com/2019/12/interview-with-james-islington/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Islington stated that writing the second novel was much more stressful than writing his debut novel, in part because of the increased pressure that comes from being signed by a major publishing company.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/sci-fi-fantasy/epic-endings-james-islington-evan-winter-on-perfect-titles-finding-your-fans-and-wrapping-a-trilogy/ |publisher=Barnes and Noble |title=Epic Endings: James Islington & Evan Winter on Perfect Titles, Finding Your Fans, and Wrapping a Trilogy |author=Joel Cunningham |date=9 December 2019 |accessdate=4 February 2020}}</ref>
== The Licanius Trilogy == The first book in the series - ''The Shadow of What Was Lost'' - generally received positive reviews. Critics praised the novel's complex magic, political intrigue and varied cast of characters. Some critics, however, argued the premise was somewhat unoriginal.<ref name="pw">{{cite web| url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-316-27409-8 |title=Fiction Book Review: The Shadow of What Was Lost by James Islington |date=3 October 2016 |accessdate=24 January 2020 |publisher=Publishers Weekly}}</ref><ref name="tor">{{cite web| url=https://www.tor.com/2016/11/08/memories-found-the-shadow-of-what-was-lost-james-islington/ |title=Memories Found: The Shadow of What Was Lost |publisher=Tor.com |date=8 November 2016 |accessdate=24 January 2020 |author=Robert H. Bedford}}</ref><ref name="kirkus">{{cite web| url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/james-islington/shadow-what-was-lost/ |title=The Shadow of What Was Lost by James Islington |publisher=Kirkus Reviews |date=5 October 2016 |accessdate=24 January 2020}}</ref><ref name="guardian">{{cite web| url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/oct/28/eric-brown-science-fiction-and-fantasy-roundup |title=The Best Recent Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels - Reviews Roundup |publisher=The Guardian |date=28 October 2016 |accessdate=24 January 2020 |author=Eric Brown}}</ref>
== Hierarchy == ''The Will of the Many'' is the first book in the Hierarchy book series. It is an epic fantasy novel and was published by Saga Press in 2023. The audiobook edition of the second book, ''The Strength of the Few'', narrated by Euan Morton, reached #1 on Audible's bestseller lists in three categories on its release day, November 11, 2025: Historical Fantasy, Action & Adventure Fantasy, and Epic Fantasy. <ref>Audible Best Sellers, Historical Fantasy category, archived November 11, 2025, https://web.archive.org/web/20251111202902/https://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/audible/18580618011/ref=zg_b_bs_18580618011_1</ref> <ref>Audible Best Sellers, Fantasy Action & Adventure category, archived November 11, 2025, https://web.archive.org/web/20251111212332/https://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/books/10159265011/ref=zg_b_bs_10159265011_1</ref> <ref>Audible Best Sellers, Epic Fantasy category, archived November 11, 2025, https://web.archive.org/web/20251111213733/https://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/books/16197/ref=zg_b_bs_16197_1</ref> That same month, Sony Pictures purchased the rights to adapt the series to film.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/hierarchy-movie-james-islington-books-1236434057/|title= Sony Lands Movie Rights to James Islington’s ‘Hierarchy’ Fantasy Book Series (Exclusive)|date= November 24, 2025|access-date= November 24, 2025|first= Borys|last= Kit|work= The Hollywood Reporter}}</ref>
==Bibliography== ===The Licanius Trilogy=== #''The Shadow of What Was Lost''. (4 August 2014). Originally self-published, later Orbit Books. {{ISBN|9780992580209}} #''An Echo of Things to Come''. (22 August 2017). Orbit. {{ISBN|9780316274111}} #''The Light of All That Falls''. (10 December 2019). Orbit. {{ISBN|9780356507835}}
===The Hierarchy=== #''The Will of the Many'' (23 May 2023). Gallery/Saga Press. {{ISBN|9781982141172}} #''The Strength of the Few'' (November 11, 2025) #''The Justice of One'' (expected 2027)
==Personal life== Islington was born and raised in Victoria, Australia. He and his wife live on the Mornington Peninsula. They have two children.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jamesislington.com/about-me.html|title=About Me |accessdate=4 February 2020}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Islington, James}} Category:21st-century Australian male writers Category:Australian fantasy writers Category:Living people Category:Year of birth uncertain Category:Year of birth missing (living people)