A World Reborn
Book 1 of The Hearthlight Cycle
A mythic epic fantasy about grief, chosen family, and the bargains a world exacted before anything, or anyone, is allowed to return.
The Story
On the Day the Stars Fell, the capital of Druth Cael, called Ithrynvael, burned to the ground. This was not the first time this scar had been inflicted upon the land. The Ashenborne, people born of the fire and destruction, created the Fíochmhuime. And those Fíochmhuime worked tirelessly to heal the wounds. Their purpose was clear: Heal the land so it may be inhabited by people. When the time came, these Guardian Healers summoned the essence of a willing Star to create the Starbound to populate lands and lead their descendants into a glorious future.
When the contract came due, the Stars reclaimed what was theirs. That was the Day the Stars Fell. Nearly all the inhabitants of Druth Cael were taken with the Starbound that day, including the Circle of Six Fíochmhuime.
But there is always a Remnant.
As the fires raged, and the smoke arose from smoldering ash, Riordan din Torin al’Vaelryn lay at the bottom of Cael’Ithryn, dying. He looked up and watched as a spark danced in front of him before rising into a raging inferno, and the form of a man coalesced within the heat. Eldwin Thorne, an Ashenborne, stepped from that fiery birth and knelt by Riordan’s side. He could not promise health, but he could promise Riordan was not yet finished.
Donovan din Lars al’Cadeuceus departed that very morning, determined to find answers. Lars din Morgain al’Cadeuceus, his Father, remained behind. The destruction was widespread, and none thought they should ever see prosperity again. Little did any know that the truth Donovan would find was in the form of a Proprietor who spoke what others needed to hear. Little did any know that the death Riordan secretly sought would be delayed by an unlikely creature. Little did any know that as this new age for Druth Cael entered with the bleating of a newborn lamb, it would soon find itself roaring as a lion.
Welcome to Aestraea
To the denizens of Aestraea, the world's origins are shrouded in mystery. To the Stars, and one particular person named Asrin Moore, the truth is a well-kept secret. Fire gives birth to Aestraea's people, and Fire reclaims them when it is time for them to pass into the Void. There is a reason the Aestraean farewell is some amalgamation of "Until the Fires call us home."
Built from unwitting devastation, The Hearthlight Cycle is a sweeping seven-book epic set in a fully realized world of original languages, original creatures and races, and the promise that there will always be at least one thing to smile about.
Told in dense, poetic prose grounded by sharp observational wit (with chapter epigraphs spanning from Genesis to Terry Pratchett), the story follows an ensemble cast holding the world together. Here is a sampling of that cast:
Lars: Holding a city and a family together through sheer stubbornness and terrible puns.
Marleigh: The tavern keeper who has begun seeing things that were never meant to be witnessed.
Riordan: A man who used to be someone else, won't say who, and doesn't remember enough to answer anyway.
Donovan: Marked by an ancient force at the edge of the world that hasn't yet decided what it intends to take.
These and more fight against the unknown and the unseen in a battle that has personal costs, as well as world-level stakes. Though there is no religion in Aestraea, many look to the Stars as their Guides and Guardians, but remind themselves, "The Stars cannot bear your burdens, but they can light your path."
Written for Readers Who Love:
The mythic prose & guardian dynamics of The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez
The bittersweet tragedy & cost of bargains in Even Though I Knew the End by C.L. Polk
The systemic magic & identity sacrifice of The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart
The grand, multi-layered scale of The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan
The sharp human warmth & observational wit of Terry Pratchett
Begin the Journey
Status: A World Reborn launches on Kickstarter on September 1st.