Fire of Heaven
#6863.42 of 695 ranked universes · full ranking
Books 3 books Status Complete 2004–2006 Reading commitment Medium Russell Kirkpatrick Last reviewed 2026-09-14
Overview
A secondary-world epic fantasy trilogy (2004–2006) by New Zealand author Russell Kirkpatrick, following Lisitha's University scholar Leith Maddesk and his family, drawn from a remote farming village into a continent-spanning war as an ancient enemy stirs beneath a richly mapped world. The trilogy is known for its unusually detailed invented geography, drawing on Kirkpatrick's own background as a professional cartographer.
Epic fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (3 works) counts toward ranking
Fire of Heaven Russell Kirkpatrick
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Across the Face of the World | 2004 | 1 | core | 3.26 (1,390 ratings) | |
| In the Earth Abides the Flame | 2005 | 2 | core | 3.57 (834 ratings) | |
| The Right Hand of God | 2006 | 3 | core | 3.55 (760 ratings) |
Core Canon = all three novels; complete trilogy, no companion material.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Fire of Heaven? Fire of Heaven's Core Canon is 3 books.
- What is the reading order for Fire of Heaven? Publication order, starting with Across the Face of the World. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is Fire of Heaven finished? Complete (2004–2006).
- How much reading does Fire of Heaven take? Medium reading commitment (estimated from 3 Core Canon books).
- How is Fire of Heaven ranked? #686 of 695 ranked universes on this site, based on 2,984 reader ratings across 3 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #686?
Ranked #686 of 695 ranked universes.
- Average reader rating of 3.42 across 3 core books.
- A smaller readership (2,984 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- 0.02 behind #685, Aeons' Gate.
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
Why explore this universe?
Modestly rated · 3 books · Complete · 3k ratings · Ranks #686 overall
Good choice if you want a moderate-length epic fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (3 Core Canon books)
- Across the Face of the World (2004)
- In the Earth Abides the Flame (2005)
- The Right Hand of God (2006)
Documented internal/story chronology is recorded for every Core Canon book here, and matches publication order exactly, with no divergence to show separately.
Awards (verified)
- No independently verifiable award could be confirmed for this series.
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- The Kingkiller Chronicle Epic fantasy · Ongoing · Medium commitment · 4.53
- The Faithful and the Fallen Epic fantasy · Complete · Medium commitment · 4.38
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.42 across 2,984 ratings on 3 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Canon extension: Fire of Heaven (Russell Kirkpatrick) accepted 2026-09-14
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Wikipedia Tier 2
- reader rating platform Tier 1
Last reviewed: 2026-09-14
Rule: Core Canon = all three novels; complete trilogy, no companion material.