The Four Lights World
Four novels from the time before history – the days of the flood, the lion, the fire and the skull.
Engaging Narratives
The Four Lights Cycle opens with In the Day of the Flood, a mythic literary novel set around 9000 years ago. The books blend deep emotional stakes with archaeological realism, inviting readers into a world on the edge of transformation.
Authentic Detail
Every scene is grounded in the concrete details of life in the Neolithic — from ritual and memory to settlement, craft, and the forces that shaped early societies. The world is ancient and strange but still human and familiar.
Emotional Themes
The Four Lights Cycle explores universal human questions — memory, belonging, loss, and the stories we inherit. Though set 9,000 years ago, these characters face the same inner struggles we recognise today.
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Discover the World of THE FOUR LIGHTS
Step into a world shaped by memory, ritual, and rising waters
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the strange language?
Meri is the reconstructed language spoken in the Black Sea region around 7000 BCE. It’s inspired by Proto‑Indo‑European, but imagined as an earlier, more ancient form shaped by the world of the Four Lights.
Are the novels set in a real place?
Yes. The novels take place around the real Black Sea and the lands that now include Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Türkiye, Georgia, and Russia. Nine thousand years ago the coastlines were dramatically different, and many of the settings in the story now lie beneath up to 100 metres of water.
What gods did they worship?
We don’t know exactly what the people of 7000 BCE believed. Later Proto‑Indo‑European languages hint at a “sky father” figure, and female figurines from earlier periods may represent a goddess, motherhood, or simply humanity itself. The ethical ideas in the novels draw on a range of traditions, including the teachings of Jesus, to explore universal human questions.
What are the strange symbols?
The symbols are inspired by the Danube Script, one of the earliest known systems of signs. Artifacts such as the Tărtăria tablets (c. 5500 BCE) show triangles, chevrons, zigzags, and tally marks similar to those in the novels. Stephen Thomas draws on these ancient signs to imagine how they might have been used and understood.
When is the first book coming?
In the Day of the Flood, the first novel in the Four Lights Cycle, is scheduled for release in 2026 in e‑book, paperback and hardcover. If you have questions or suggestions, the author would love to hear from you.