Removed from any current political situation, this novel examines the influence of celebrity-worship on modern culture. In the world of Hierarchy, celebrities serve as leaders, judges and rulers of taste. The Guardian police force defends the status quo while ignoring lethal corporate competition. All consumer products have a use-by date and corporations promote rivalry in everything. The average citizen struggles to replace clothing, appliances, and hundreds of items before they expire. Free time is spent watching celebrities, dreaming of the world of the elite.

Like others in the ruling class, Tori Graff spends her time maneuvering for power, mainly to keep a prominent role in her time slot, but also to build alliances. When the Guardians uncover an assassination plot, her world collides with that of the Guardian protecting her, the average citizen who adores her, and the businessman who makes the adoration possible. In a world where everything is a competition, no one can be trusted.