Foundryside

Pros

• Foundryside is also good, especially if you have some real-world programming knowledge since the magic uses some programming concepts.
• Robert Jackson Bennett is a great author for this - Foundryside starts on the side of a "hard" magic system but it is incredibly creative.
• I don't know Locklands, never even heard of it before this thread, but I loved Divine Cities, liked the first Foundryside book(didn't get to the rest) and the two Tainted Cup books.
• since you like the magitech of hierarchy I’d suggest Foundryside
• Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennet - sapphic is VERY background (I think just one kiss) but one of my favourite fantasy’s of all time, highly recommend!

Cons

• If you're specifically looking to avoid European worldbuilding (though Foundryside did read to me as Italian inspired)
• I read Foundryside and thought it was OK, but didn't continue with the series.
• So then his next series was set up as trilogy - Foundryside.
• Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett
• I’m currently reading the sequel to Foundryside but I’m struggling a bit (I like it but I wish the author would stop over-explaining every single thing all the time)