What is The Hearthlight Cycle & Where Do I Start?
Seven books. One original world. An ensemble cast navigating ancient dragons, warring nations, and the fear of what cannot be known. Start with A World Reborn.
What is The Hearthlight Cycle and Where Do I Start?
As with many adventures, it is best to start at the beginning; and for The Hearthlight Cycle, the beginning is A World Reborn.
The Hearthlight Cycle is a seven-book epic fantasy series set in Aestraea, an original world created by C.N. Mackey and published by Map's Edge Media. It follows an ensemble cast across a world shaped by ancient dragons, warring nations, and the remnants of a forgotten age. It is epic fantasy with psychological depth, morally complex characters, and prose that reads as poetry.
You start with A World Reborn. That is Book 1, and it is the intended entry point. The series is sequential. Each book builds on what came before. There is no good reason to read them out of order, and several good reasons not to.
A World Reborn is currently being crowdfunded on Kickstarter. The campaign runs through 30 June 2026. After that, a standard edition will be available through Map's Edge Media.
If you want to be inside the world before the book is finished, the Map's Edge newsletter on Substack is where that happens. Lore, character insights, behind-the-scenes writing, and everything happening with the series as it develops. It is free. It is where readers find the door first.
The full series runs seven books, from A World Reborn through A New Age. It is worth it.