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Cradle #12
Waybound
The final book in the Cradle series!
Years ago, Lindon left his home as a powerless Unsouled. Now, he goes to war with the most powerful beings in the world over the future of Cradle itself. The Weeping Dragon has a grudge to settle, and Lindon intends to take out the Dreadgod with his friends by his side. But rival Monarchs know his plans, and they won’t let things end so easily. If Lindon does win, he will ascend to the heavens. But he may not find a safe haven there either. In the worlds above, Suriel and Ozriel face off against the Mad King to determine the new shape of the cosmos. The victor will decide the fate of countless universes. Whether he wins or dies, Lindon will soon leave this life behind. The time has come to say goodbye to Cradle.
Years ago, Lindon left his home as a powerless Unsouled. Now, he goes to war with the most powerful beings in the world over the future of Cradle itself. The Weeping Dragon has a grudge to settle, and Lindon intends to take out the Dreadgod with his friends by his side. But rival Monarchs know his plans, and they won’t let things end so easily. If Lindon does win, he will ascend to the heavens. But he may not find a safe haven there either. In the worlds above, Suriel and Ozriel face off against the Mad King to determine the new shape of the cosmos. The victor will decide the fate of countless universes. Whether he wins or dies, Lindon will soon leave this life behind. The time has come to say goodbye to Cradle.
518 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 4, 2023
3,207 people are currently reading
4,231 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,238 reviews
June 8, 2023
My least favorite finale to a fantasy series I've personally ever read. Felt way too rushed, lacked all sense of tension, and made some very strange plot decisions. I hope you like it, but this book didn't work for me.
August 4, 2023
4.5/5 stars
Packed with enormous action scenes, Waybound closed the final chapters of Cradle fittingly.
The end is here. More than three years ago, I started reading the first book in the Cradle series: Unsouled. That was in January 2020, and for the past three and half years, Cradle has reigned as one of—if not—the most successful self-published fantasy series. We are, after all, talking about a series where each newly released volume reached the number 1 best-selling spot in the entire Amazon Kindle store. And I cannot believe the day is finally here. Waybound, the twelfth and the final book in Cradle is out, and I have read it. After three and a half years, my journey in the world of Cradle is over. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t worried whether this would be a great concluding book to the series or not. Unlike most readers and fans of Cradle, I was on the unpopular opinion side in considering Dreadgod, the previous book in the series, to be one of the weakest installments. Reading that book planted a seed of doubt in my mind that Waybound would not have a satisfying ending. And I am glad to be proven wrong on this. Was Waybound a completely satisfying final volume to the series? Well, the answer to that question cannot be defined as a simple yes or no.
This is the final book in the series. Understand that I cannot divulge too much on the details in this review. Waybound continues from where Dreadgod ended. If you haven't read this book yet, and are caught up with the series, it is adamant that a certain expectation need to be established before you start reading it. Otherwise, the conclusion of the series might disappoint you. You might notice this already if you have read Dreadgod. With Waybound being set as the final book in the series, there was never any chance of Will Wight closing ALL story arcs in the entire series. It is impossible. Wight needs to write many more books to fulfill that, especially the stories that do not take place in the world of Cradle. I fully expected this to happen. Waybound does not seek to solve everything. It, however, had a mission to bring a resounding resolution to the biggest plot started in Unsouled: the battle against the Dreadgods. And on this, Wight accomplished it wonderfully.
However, those were things I desired to happen. How about surprises? One of the things that pleasantly surprised me the most in Waybound was the training montage. Cradle is a progression fantasy series. Almost every book in the series involves Lindon or his friends advancing to a new higher level of power. And in Dreadgod, I felt the training montage to be redundant, and it was my biggest criticism of the penultimate installment. Imagine my surprise to have Waybound begins with ANOTHER section of training montages, but somehow, I loved it. Wight made a good decision in pairing the training sections with a race-against-time narrative. We know by now that Lindon is mega-powerful. I do not think of that as a spoiler. Most progression fantasy series encounter this situation where the main character reaches an insane power level by the last book, and Cradle is not safe from this notion. However, without spoilers, there were valid reasons for Lindon to wait for his friends to advance their skills and powers rapidly now. It was brilliant.
I am not heartless enough to say I don’t feel emotional reading how far Lindon and his friends have progressed. Twelve books long is still a lot despite the relatively smaller word count of each volume in the series compared to other fantasy series. And I absolutely loved reading how much the characters have developed. True, my favorite character in the series understandably did not have many appearances in Waybound, and it did detract my enjoyment slightly. But the interactions and banter between Lindon and his friends felt so believable now. And after the training montages ended, Waybound proceeded immediately to the climactic final battles. This is an incredibly battle-heavy novel, and depending on your reading preference, the pacing here might drag. Once the final confrontations started, it continued non-stop until the last 20% of the book. It is an understatement to say the battle scenes in Waybound were over-the-top and fantastic in scope. In fantasy novels, you don’t often get to see battle scenes explode as destructive and over-the-top as the one in Cradle and Waybound. Devastating explosions, fast-paced Dragonball Z-style combats, gigantic foes, blades of shadows size of towers fell from the sky and more. All of these, again, are under the premise that there is a time limit in the final battles. Suffice it to say, there were immensely rewarding deliverances in Waybound that I doubt I will ever forget. For those who have read the book, the scene I am referring to is perpetrated by Ziel.
Picture: Ziel by ladyeruart
There isn’t much else I can offer here. At the end of this journey, all I have left to say is thank you so much, Will Wight. Thank you for the incredible adventures. This is one of the most consistently splendid series. With the exception of Dreadgod, I have rated every book in Cradle post Soulsmith with a rating of 4 stars or above. Waybound may not be my utmost favorite book in the series (Reaper is), but it is my second favorite. Most importantly, it provided me a gratifying closure to the series. There is a possibility Will Wight might write a sequel series to Cradle someday. For those of you who have not started reading the series yet, you are in luck. This is the personification of manga/anime in novel format. And now you can binge-read it from the beginning to the end. I believe Cradle is a series that would benefit from being read closer to each other. I did not have the opportunity to do a full series reread before reading Waybound, and although I cannot gauge this accurately until I experience the full series reread myself, I have a feeling Waybound could end up as my favorite book in the series when that day comes. But for now, with the twelve books I read, I am content. Gratitude.
Series Review:
Unsouled: 3/5 stars
Soulsmith: 3.5/5 stars
Blackflame: 4.5/5 stars
Skysworn: 4.5/5 stars
Ghostwater: 4.5/5 stars
Underlord: 4.5/5 stars
Uncrowned: 4.5/5 stars
Wintersteel: 4/5 stars
Bloodline: 4.5/5 stars
Reaper: 5/5 stars
Dreadgod: 3.5/5 stars
Waybound: 4.5/5 stars
Cradle: 50.5/60 stars
You can find and the rest of my reviews at | I also have a
Special thanks to my Patrons on for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Aliysa, Anastasia, Andrew, Andrew W, Annabeth, Arliss, Barbara, Biskit, Brad, Cade, Casey, Chris, David, Diana, Donna, Donuts, Dylan, Edward, Elias, Ellen, Frank, Gary, Gregory, Hamad, Helen, Hunter, Jenn, Jesse, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Justin, Kristina, Lara, Luis, Lufi, Melinda, Michael, Michael, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas, Norbert, Radiah, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Scott, Shawn, Tori, Tracy, Wendy, Wick, Xero, Yuri, Zoe.
Packed with enormous action scenes, Waybound closed the final chapters of Cradle fittingly.
The end is here. More than three years ago, I started reading the first book in the Cradle series: Unsouled. That was in January 2020, and for the past three and half years, Cradle has reigned as one of—if not—the most successful self-published fantasy series. We are, after all, talking about a series where each newly released volume reached the number 1 best-selling spot in the entire Amazon Kindle store. And I cannot believe the day is finally here. Waybound, the twelfth and the final book in Cradle is out, and I have read it. After three and a half years, my journey in the world of Cradle is over. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t worried whether this would be a great concluding book to the series or not. Unlike most readers and fans of Cradle, I was on the unpopular opinion side in considering Dreadgod, the previous book in the series, to be one of the weakest installments. Reading that book planted a seed of doubt in my mind that Waybound would not have a satisfying ending. And I am glad to be proven wrong on this. Was Waybound a completely satisfying final volume to the series? Well, the answer to that question cannot be defined as a simple yes or no.
“As I was once taught, there are a million Paths in this world, but they can all be reduced to one: improve yourself. “For me, that meant a hunger to improve in the sacred arts. To fight greater battles and climb to greater heights. You may choose to improve in different ways, but for those of you who share my hunger, I intend to share a new technique with you.�
This is the final book in the series. Understand that I cannot divulge too much on the details in this review. Waybound continues from where Dreadgod ended. If you haven't read this book yet, and are caught up with the series, it is adamant that a certain expectation need to be established before you start reading it. Otherwise, the conclusion of the series might disappoint you. You might notice this already if you have read Dreadgod. With Waybound being set as the final book in the series, there was never any chance of Will Wight closing ALL story arcs in the entire series. It is impossible. Wight needs to write many more books to fulfill that, especially the stories that do not take place in the world of Cradle. I fully expected this to happen. Waybound does not seek to solve everything. It, however, had a mission to bring a resounding resolution to the biggest plot started in Unsouled: the battle against the Dreadgods. And on this, Wight accomplished it wonderfully.
“[It’s every parent’s dream to see their little boy grow into such a fine young Dreadgod.]
“You’re not my parent.�
[Well, I don’t like your parents, so I choose to replace them.]�
However, those were things I desired to happen. How about surprises? One of the things that pleasantly surprised me the most in Waybound was the training montage. Cradle is a progression fantasy series. Almost every book in the series involves Lindon or his friends advancing to a new higher level of power. And in Dreadgod, I felt the training montage to be redundant, and it was my biggest criticism of the penultimate installment. Imagine my surprise to have Waybound begins with ANOTHER section of training montages, but somehow, I loved it. Wight made a good decision in pairing the training sections with a race-against-time narrative. We know by now that Lindon is mega-powerful. I do not think of that as a spoiler. Most progression fantasy series encounter this situation where the main character reaches an insane power level by the last book, and Cradle is not safe from this notion. However, without spoilers, there were valid reasons for Lindon to wait for his friends to advance their skills and powers rapidly now. It was brilliant.
“I have received more help than anyone in the universe. Even most of my power is stolen. There’s nothing noble about doing everything yourself. You just have to do your best to honor the help you’ve gotten.�
I am not heartless enough to say I don’t feel emotional reading how far Lindon and his friends have progressed. Twelve books long is still a lot despite the relatively smaller word count of each volume in the series compared to other fantasy series. And I absolutely loved reading how much the characters have developed. True, my favorite character in the series understandably did not have many appearances in Waybound, and it did detract my enjoyment slightly. But the interactions and banter between Lindon and his friends felt so believable now. And after the training montages ended, Waybound proceeded immediately to the climactic final battles. This is an incredibly battle-heavy novel, and depending on your reading preference, the pacing here might drag. Once the final confrontations started, it continued non-stop until the last 20% of the book. It is an understatement to say the battle scenes in Waybound were over-the-top and fantastic in scope. In fantasy novels, you don’t often get to see battle scenes explode as destructive and over-the-top as the one in Cradle and Waybound. Devastating explosions, fast-paced Dragonball Z-style combats, gigantic foes, blades of shadows size of towers fell from the sky and more. All of these, again, are under the premise that there is a time limit in the final battles. Suffice it to say, there were immensely rewarding deliverances in Waybound that I doubt I will ever forget. For those who have read the book, the scene I am referring to is perpetrated by Ziel.
Picture: Ziel by ladyeruart
There isn’t much else I can offer here. At the end of this journey, all I have left to say is thank you so much, Will Wight. Thank you for the incredible adventures. This is one of the most consistently splendid series. With the exception of Dreadgod, I have rated every book in Cradle post Soulsmith with a rating of 4 stars or above. Waybound may not be my utmost favorite book in the series (Reaper is), but it is my second favorite. Most importantly, it provided me a gratifying closure to the series. There is a possibility Will Wight might write a sequel series to Cradle someday. For those of you who have not started reading the series yet, you are in luck. This is the personification of manga/anime in novel format. And now you can binge-read it from the beginning to the end. I believe Cradle is a series that would benefit from being read closer to each other. I did not have the opportunity to do a full series reread before reading Waybound, and although I cannot gauge this accurately until I experience the full series reread myself, I have a feeling Waybound could end up as my favorite book in the series when that day comes. But for now, with the twelve books I read, I am content. Gratitude.
Series Review:
Unsouled: 3/5 stars
Soulsmith: 3.5/5 stars
Blackflame: 4.5/5 stars
Skysworn: 4.5/5 stars
Ghostwater: 4.5/5 stars
Underlord: 4.5/5 stars
Uncrowned: 4.5/5 stars
Wintersteel: 4/5 stars
Bloodline: 4.5/5 stars
Reaper: 5/5 stars
Dreadgod: 3.5/5 stars
Waybound: 4.5/5 stars
Cradle: 50.5/60 stars
You can find and the rest of my reviews at | I also have a
Special thanks to my Patrons on for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Aliysa, Anastasia, Andrew, Andrew W, Annabeth, Arliss, Barbara, Biskit, Brad, Cade, Casey, Chris, David, Diana, Donna, Donuts, Dylan, Edward, Elias, Ellen, Frank, Gary, Gregory, Hamad, Helen, Hunter, Jenn, Jesse, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Justin, Kristina, Lara, Luis, Lufi, Melinda, Michael, Michael, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas, Norbert, Radiah, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Scott, Shawn, Tori, Tracy, Wendy, Wick, Xero, Yuri, Zoe.
February 18, 2025
Full series review coming soon
This series!!!!!! I need more books like this!!!
This series!!!!!! I need more books like this!!!
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July 28, 2023
“Now we don’t hang onto cliffs, we rest on flat, open, empty ground with nothing left to look forward to and only an all-consuming sense of emptiness� (from Bloopers).
Yep, that is exactly how I feel now that I’ve finished Cradle. I must be manifesting the Void Icon because I truly feel empty. How fitting, since I decided to read this series because I had a massive Wheel of Time book hangover and I needed something to fill that void � which Cradle definitely did. And now we’ve come full circle. (And the Wheel of Time turns.)
But let’s get to my happy thoughts � of which I had plenty because this conclusion was EPIC. While riding the relentlessly wild storm that is this book, I just could not get past how amazing it was. It delivered on everything I wanted and everything I did not know I wanted. Waybound reminded me a bit of Memory of Light � one book that is dedicated to blowing your mind with promises fulfilled and with a race track of fabulous action sequences. I really could not have wished for a better ending.
One of my biggest complaints about the penultimate book, Dreadgod, was that it mostly lacked one of my favorite characters, Eithan. (For good reasons, but still.) Starting Waybound, I’d already made my peace with the fact that Eithan is no longer around Team Lindon. It turns out, I had no time to spare to miss him in this book. Considering the gravity and the epic nature of the ensuing battles, the comic relief he usually provides might even have been misplaced. I almost came to appreciate Eithan’s absence as it was cool seeing Lindon step up and replace him in his role as leader and teacher. And yet, despite all of my rationalizations, my favorite moment in this book was, hands down, the reunion between Lindon and Eithan. It was simply perfection; it made me both laugh and tear up in equal measure. And now I miss Lindon and Eithan and the rest of the team even more.
That’s it. I don’t have anything left in me. I’m back to being empty. Goodbye, Cradle. Gratitude, Will Wight, for creating this Path for us to walk on � “all the way to the end.�
1 Unsouled � 4 stars
2 Soulsmith � 3.75 stars
3 Blackflame � 4.25 stars
4 Skysworn � 4.5 stars
5 Ghostwater � 4.5 stars
6 Underlord � 4.25 stars
7 Uncrowned � 4.5 stars
8 Wintersteel � 4.75 stars
9 Bloodline � 4.5 stars
10 Reaper � 5 stars
11 Dreadgod � 3.5 stars
12 Waybound � 5 stars
Yep, that is exactly how I feel now that I’ve finished Cradle. I must be manifesting the Void Icon because I truly feel empty. How fitting, since I decided to read this series because I had a massive Wheel of Time book hangover and I needed something to fill that void � which Cradle definitely did. And now we’ve come full circle. (And the Wheel of Time turns.)
But let’s get to my happy thoughts � of which I had plenty because this conclusion was EPIC. While riding the relentlessly wild storm that is this book, I just could not get past how amazing it was. It delivered on everything I wanted and everything I did not know I wanted. Waybound reminded me a bit of Memory of Light � one book that is dedicated to blowing your mind with promises fulfilled and with a race track of fabulous action sequences. I really could not have wished for a better ending.
One of my biggest complaints about the penultimate book, Dreadgod, was that it mostly lacked one of my favorite characters, Eithan. (For good reasons, but still.) Starting Waybound, I’d already made my peace with the fact that Eithan is no longer around Team Lindon. It turns out, I had no time to spare to miss him in this book. Considering the gravity and the epic nature of the ensuing battles, the comic relief he usually provides might even have been misplaced. I almost came to appreciate Eithan’s absence as it was cool seeing Lindon step up and replace him in his role as leader and teacher. And yet, despite all of my rationalizations, my favorite moment in this book was, hands down, the reunion between Lindon and Eithan. It was simply perfection; it made me both laugh and tear up in equal measure. And now I miss Lindon and Eithan and the rest of the team even more.
That’s it. I don’t have anything left in me. I’m back to being empty. Goodbye, Cradle. Gratitude, Will Wight, for creating this Path for us to walk on � “all the way to the end.�
1 Unsouled � 4 stars
2 Soulsmith � 3.75 stars
3 Blackflame � 4.25 stars
4 Skysworn � 4.5 stars
5 Ghostwater � 4.5 stars
6 Underlord � 4.25 stars
7 Uncrowned � 4.5 stars
8 Wintersteel � 4.75 stars
9 Bloodline � 4.5 stars
10 Reaper � 5 stars
11 Dreadgod � 3.5 stars
12 Waybound � 5 stars
November 14, 2022
Ready for the executor series to begin. Then the eventual judge series.
October 26, 2022
im sure this book will be amazing but there is still so much story left that i dont know how he can finish the series in only one more book. I definitely need like 20 more books in the series to be happy but thanks for the ride Will Wight it is an amazing Series!
June 18, 2023
Lindon and his team are determined to rid Cradle of the Dreadgods for good. That means not only battling the Dreadgods, but also the Monarchs. The Monarchs aren't interested in anything changing on Cradle and are determined to fight back. Things are no safer in the Heavens. Suriel and Ozriel are entering a trap made by The Mad King that could impact the Abidan forever.
Waybound is a book that had great expectations set on its shoulders. The conclusion of the 12 book Cradle series, a number of storylines, and the final battles with enormous consequences. There are still a number of storylines that I had vastly different expectations for, but all in all Waybound delivers an enjoyable story.
I appreciated that despite Lindon's best effort, his plan does not go as smoothly as he expected and hoped. Lindon faces possibly the biggest personal setbacks since Ghostwater. Despite being a mini Dreadgod, he's one man with many powerful enemies and the story demonstrates that clearly.
The general pace is breakneck. Lindon is attempting to help his entire team get to a level they can help battle Dreadgods. Despite having the time altering pocket world, this is a huge effort in resources and most of all time. Lindon believes in the team enough for everyone, even though they are struggling mentally and physically with improving as fast as possible.
There are a number of subtle interactions that enrich the story. With 11 books proceeding Waybound, there is a fertile ground for call backs to early moments. There are the interactions that any fan was undoubtedly expecting along with some I don't imagine anyone was ready for.
I can't believe Cradle is over. I know Will Wight wants to create new worlds, but I hope Waybound isn't the last time we read a story about Lindon and Company.
Waybound is a book that had great expectations set on its shoulders. The conclusion of the 12 book Cradle series, a number of storylines, and the final battles with enormous consequences. There are still a number of storylines that I had vastly different expectations for, but all in all Waybound delivers an enjoyable story.
I appreciated that despite Lindon's best effort, his plan does not go as smoothly as he expected and hoped. Lindon faces possibly the biggest personal setbacks since Ghostwater. Despite being a mini Dreadgod, he's one man with many powerful enemies and the story demonstrates that clearly.
The general pace is breakneck. Lindon is attempting to help his entire team get to a level they can help battle Dreadgods. Despite having the time altering pocket world, this is a huge effort in resources and most of all time. Lindon believes in the team enough for everyone, even though they are struggling mentally and physically with improving as fast as possible.
There are a number of subtle interactions that enrich the story. With 11 books proceeding Waybound, there is a fertile ground for call backs to early moments. There are the interactions that any fan was undoubtedly expecting along with some I don't imagine anyone was ready for.
I can't believe Cradle is over. I know Will Wight wants to create new worlds, but I hope Waybound isn't the last time we read a story about Lindon and Company.
June 8, 2023
One of the best most epic conclusions to a series I have had the pleasure to experience. This is the ending I not only wanted but needed. Bravo Will Wight
BRAVO
BRAVO
June 12, 2023
Dear Mr. Wight,
I'm not crying, I'm just filled with gratitude. Thanks for writing a perfect end to a beautiful story. I laughed out loud, I teared up, I gripped the edge of my seat, and I stayed up way too late because I couldn't put these books down. It's going to be hard to beat, but I look forward to seeing what you do next.
Now, to all of my ŷ friends, if you haven't read Cradle, one, it's crazy that you're reading a review for the final book in the series, and two, go read it. I think you might like it. And if you're like me, you'll love it.
PS - I won't be mad if there's a follow-up series. Just sayin'.
I'm not crying, I'm just filled with gratitude. Thanks for writing a perfect end to a beautiful story. I laughed out loud, I teared up, I gripped the edge of my seat, and I stayed up way too late because I couldn't put these books down. It's going to be hard to beat, but I look forward to seeing what you do next.
Now, to all of my ŷ friends, if you haven't read Cradle, one, it's crazy that you're reading a review for the final book in the series, and two, go read it. I think you might like it. And if you're like me, you'll love it.
PS - I won't be mad if there's a follow-up series. Just sayin'.
January 20, 2023
Gratitude 🙏🏿
June 6, 2023
Everything I hoped for in the finale...
Battles in a much GRANDEUR scale.
Sweet sweet Progression.
Long awaited reunions.
And I gotta say I laughed like an idiot, when the boy who had a single technique and steel resolve went toe to toe with Monarchs and Dreadgods in this book.
My boy has come a long way 😢☺️
Damn it's gonna take me a while to be alright. 😅😅
Battles in a much GRANDEUR scale.
Sweet sweet Progression.
Long awaited reunions.
And I gotta say I laughed like an idiot, when the boy who had a single technique and steel resolve went toe to toe with Monarchs and Dreadgods in this book.
My boy has come a long way 😢☺️
Damn it's gonna take me a while to be alright. 😅😅
June 15, 2023
*** 4.37 ***
This was a wild ride start to finish and a great way of wrapping up the main series! Great to see all the favorite characters together and definitely sparking up the curiosity for a follow-up spinoff 👍😃!
This was a wild ride start to finish and a great way of wrapping up the main series! Great to see all the favorite characters together and definitely sparking up the curiosity for a follow-up spinoff 👍😃!
July 22, 2024
“Just because something has always happened doesn’t mean it always will.�
Unsouled ★★� 3/4
Soulsmith ★★� 1/2
Blackflame ★★★★
Skysworn ★★★★ 1/4
Ghostwater ★★★★
Underlord ★★★★ 1/4
Uncrowned ★★★★ 1/2
Wintersteel ★★★★ 1/2
Bloodline ★★★★
Reaper ★★★★ 1/4
Dreadgod ★★� 3/4
Waybound ★★★★ 1/2
Waybound marks the twelfth and final chapter of the Cradle series. Approaching this finale, I was apprehensive given the sheer scope of what needed resolution, yet found a shift in mindset was key to appreciating its conclusion.
When discussing self-published authors, few immediately come to mind, but Cahill, Kwang, and Wight are among the top. Wight consistently dominates the Kindle store with each series release. Waybound picks up immediately after the events of Dreadgod, concluding several pivotal storylines from that point onward.
After twelve installments, critiquing Wight's writing seems redundant—it remains as strong as ever. Dialogue sparkles, humor resonates, and the narrative flows effortlessly amidst a backdrop of intense action. While a progression fantasy, the emphasis on character development shines through, transcending mere power dynamics.
Naturally, Waybound delves deep into power progression, with characters realizing their ultimate potentials. Wight takes a deliberate pace here, a choice that divides reader opinion. Personally, I found this journey essential for advancing the narrative, valuing character growth over sheer power escalation.
In terms of action, Waybound delivers an onslaught of battle scenes and magic, raising stakes to dizzying heights. Initially expecting closure for all narrative threads, I later understood Wight's focus on the Dreadgods. This shift in perspective enhanced my enjoyment, though it hints that the series could expand further, if desired.
In summary, from an entertainment standpoint, Waybound excels. While not without artistic choices I might question, the novel captivates with its vibrant characters, compelling writing, and intricate storyline. I find myself tempted to revisit the entire series in one sitting—an ambition that might one day come to fruition, should the story expand further. For now, farewell and gratitude to a memorable journey!
January 30, 2024
This is amazing! It has everything I could ask for. This was a tight, tense and a fun conclusion. It has all the long awaited reunions and the epilogue was so cute!! Our beloved characters have come far indeed. Now I can rest peacefully.
July 18, 2023
This was a great ending to the series. There were a couple of plot devices that felt a bit too convenient, but overall, this was a lot of fun.
"Alataraxa," Orthos offered.
[ Why would you suggest that? You want to go from the easiest name in the world to one that only dragons can say?]
" It was my mother's name."
Dross paused for a moment. [... I feel like I'm supposed to compliment the name now, but I still don't like it.]
"Alataraxa," Orthos offered.
[ Why would you suggest that? You want to go from the easiest name in the world to one that only dragons can say?]
" It was my mother's name."
Dross paused for a moment. [... I feel like I'm supposed to compliment the name now, but I still don't like it.]
September 18, 2024
5.0 stars�-
This series is my favorite. Perfect ending.
That is all.
This series is my favorite. Perfect ending.
That is all.
May 27, 2024
Thank you for this series, Will Wight
June 26, 2023
Apologies, but I'm sad this series is over, but I thought he really stuck the landing. Thankfully his new series seems promising but it's going to be hard to top Cradle.
I'm really going to miss these characters.
I'm really going to miss these characters.
August 8, 2023
I basically liked absolutely nothing about this book but out of respect for my enjoyment of these characters and this world, I will give it three stars instead of two.
This book lacks any tension whatsoever and I think the structure of this series just ended up being really poor. Most of the main goals in the series have been dealt with by this point and major revelations have changed the status quo, so most of this book is just trying to get Lindon's friends to the same power level as him, which I don't like on principle. If everyone (even with a lot of help) can get to the same insane power level as Lindon in just a few chapters of grinding then why did we follow Lindon struggling to do it for 11 books? If you're commited to this, Why can't we just start the final book with a time skip and have everyone powered up to what you need them to be for the plot so that the final book can have some sense of momentum?
I also just think the consequences in this series were so low. The stakes are sky high and the sacrifices necessary to defeat these insanely overpowered, staggeringly awe-inspiring powers is not high enough.
The ending does not feel like an ending at all. We are still being introduced to new characters and new concepts and things in the final two chapters, and the ending of the book is basically a cliffhanger. My brain autofilled in," Find out in the next episode of DRAGON BALL Z" after the final line. Meanwhile, Wight is still playing coy on if he will ever return to these characters. Which is terrible - either he intends this to be a genuine ending and if so it fails in almost every way to be a satisfying conclusion to me, or he knows he's going back and is not saying anything to try and make people feel like this is really the end. I don't like either option.
Also the best character continued to not really be in this book, which is a structural problem I can't get into due to spoilers. But basically I feel very strongly that this character was just wasted, especially with how important they were overall, they were just barely mentioned. It's like if Dumbledore was just for whatever reason only mentioned like three times in the final Harry Potter book.
I know Wight has a few completed series and I think I will go back and read one or two of them before trying anything else new from him, because I've lost confidence that he knows how to end something.
This book lacks any tension whatsoever and I think the structure of this series just ended up being really poor. Most of the main goals in the series have been dealt with by this point and major revelations have changed the status quo, so most of this book is just trying to get Lindon's friends to the same power level as him, which I don't like on principle. If everyone (even with a lot of help) can get to the same insane power level as Lindon in just a few chapters of grinding then why did we follow Lindon struggling to do it for 11 books? If you're commited to this, Why can't we just start the final book with a time skip and have everyone powered up to what you need them to be for the plot so that the final book can have some sense of momentum?
I also just think the consequences in this series were so low. The stakes are sky high and the sacrifices necessary to defeat these insanely overpowered, staggeringly awe-inspiring powers is not high enough.
The ending does not feel like an ending at all. We are still being introduced to new characters and new concepts and things in the final two chapters, and the ending of the book is basically a cliffhanger. My brain autofilled in," Find out in the next episode of DRAGON BALL Z" after the final line. Meanwhile, Wight is still playing coy on if he will ever return to these characters. Which is terrible - either he intends this to be a genuine ending and if so it fails in almost every way to be a satisfying conclusion to me, or he knows he's going back and is not saying anything to try and make people feel like this is really the end. I don't like either option.
Also the best character continued to not really be in this book, which is a structural problem I can't get into due to spoilers. But basically I feel very strongly that this character was just wasted, especially with how important they were overall, they were just barely mentioned. It's like if Dumbledore was just for whatever reason only mentioned like three times in the final Harry Potter book.
I know Wight has a few completed series and I think I will go back and read one or two of them before trying anything else new from him, because I've lost confidence that he knows how to end something.
July 29, 2023
4.5 stars.
A satisfying action-packed conclusion, but missed the full 5-stars just because it didn't have enough of my favourite character. Reaper remains the best book of the series for me for this reason.
A satisfying action-packed conclusion, but missed the full 5-stars just because it didn't have enough of my favourite character. Reaper remains the best book of the series for me for this reason.
December 16, 2023
Waybound was not a good book nor conclusion to the Cradle series. I’m quite disappointed 😢
A lot of the issues I’ve discussed before about Cradle came up multiple times in this book. The magic system being too soft and undefined was EXTREMELY problematic.
When I come across a character completely obliterating an enemy into nothing 4 times in a fight and they keep re-materializing from some unseen dimension without any explanation as to why, it absolutely will always infuriate me.
When a character is able to consume all the energy of the most powerful creatures on the planet at a lower level, but then a book later cannot hold half the power of a lesser enemy for no reason, it enrages me.
The battles and magic system in this series are totally illogical at times and make no sense. You’re just expected to go with it.
There was no tension in this book for me, either. The battles consistently follow the same formula and never change. Someone always escapes or the enemy dies. There was never any doubt for me during this final volume, about the outcome of the book. It was safe, full of fan service, and almost an epilogue to the story, sans anime outro music.
Over half of this book was continuous advancement training—all the way up to 4/5 of the way through the book. I realize this is a progression fantasy fan service thing but the final book of a good twelve book series is only focused on resolving the major tension (there was little to none, here) and tying up loose ends (there was a lot, here).
The overall Abidan arc of the series felt WAYY underfocused and almost felt like a waste of page space in the end. It should have played a much more prominent role in the story. And I feel the outer universe plotline was left mostly unresolved.
This was a snooze fest. I tried to dnf the book twice but luckily I liked some parts of the book—mainly the main character group banter and fanservice, and I wanted to see the journey to the end because of that, for better or worse.
In this book I realized that I am not the target audience for this series. It’s basically a Disney-fantasy for fans of battle shonen and progression tropes GEARED TOWARDS A YOUNGER AUDIENCE. I don’t see the series holding up well for the 30 and over crowd because of the glaring logical fallacies, plot inconsistencies, and the unpolished soft magic system.
If the books work for you, then I positively could not be happier. But there is a lot that falls apart under too much scrutiny.
I recommend Cradle conditionally. It was an overall fun series that I wish went in a different direction after Bloodline. I don’t regret reading it but I am wary of recommending it and I certainly don’t wish to revisit it.
If Will decides to write another series with these characters I will give it a shot but I’d hope for a different, slightly more serious tone—with the same characters and lots of new ones.
My overall average score for the series: 2.92 ⭐️
To close out the review and garner further discussion, I will list the books in the series by my own order of preference:
1. Bloodline ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
2. Wintersteel ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
3. Skysworn ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
4. Ghostwater ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
5. Dreadgod ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
6. Blackflame ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
7. Unsouled ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
8. Underlord ⭐️ ⭐️
9. Reaper ⭐️ ⭐️
10. Soulsmith ⭐️ ⭐️
11. Uncrowned ⭐️
12. Waybound ⭐️
A lot of the issues I’ve discussed before about Cradle came up multiple times in this book. The magic system being too soft and undefined was EXTREMELY problematic.
When I come across a character completely obliterating an enemy into nothing 4 times in a fight and they keep re-materializing from some unseen dimension without any explanation as to why, it absolutely will always infuriate me.
When a character is able to consume all the energy of the most powerful creatures on the planet at a lower level, but then a book later cannot hold half the power of a lesser enemy for no reason, it enrages me.
The battles and magic system in this series are totally illogical at times and make no sense. You’re just expected to go with it.
There was no tension in this book for me, either. The battles consistently follow the same formula and never change. Someone always escapes or the enemy dies. There was never any doubt for me during this final volume, about the outcome of the book. It was safe, full of fan service, and almost an epilogue to the story, sans anime outro music.
Over half of this book was continuous advancement training—all the way up to 4/5 of the way through the book. I realize this is a progression fantasy fan service thing but the final book of a good twelve book series is only focused on resolving the major tension (there was little to none, here) and tying up loose ends (there was a lot, here).
The overall Abidan arc of the series felt WAYY underfocused and almost felt like a waste of page space in the end. It should have played a much more prominent role in the story. And I feel the outer universe plotline was left mostly unresolved.
This was a snooze fest. I tried to dnf the book twice but luckily I liked some parts of the book—mainly the main character group banter and fanservice, and I wanted to see the journey to the end because of that, for better or worse.
In this book I realized that I am not the target audience for this series. It’s basically a Disney-fantasy for fans of battle shonen and progression tropes GEARED TOWARDS A YOUNGER AUDIENCE. I don’t see the series holding up well for the 30 and over crowd because of the glaring logical fallacies, plot inconsistencies, and the unpolished soft magic system.
If the books work for you, then I positively could not be happier. But there is a lot that falls apart under too much scrutiny.
I recommend Cradle conditionally. It was an overall fun series that I wish went in a different direction after Bloodline. I don’t regret reading it but I am wary of recommending it and I certainly don’t wish to revisit it.
If Will decides to write another series with these characters I will give it a shot but I’d hope for a different, slightly more serious tone—with the same characters and lots of new ones.
My overall average score for the series: 2.92 ⭐️
To close out the review and garner further discussion, I will list the books in the series by my own order of preference:
1. Bloodline ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
2. Wintersteel ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
3. Skysworn ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
4. Ghostwater ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
5. Dreadgod ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
6. Blackflame ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
7. Unsouled ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
8. Underlord ⭐️ ⭐️
9. Reaper ⭐️ ⭐️
10. Soulsmith ⭐️ ⭐️
11. Uncrowned ⭐️
12. Waybound ⭐️
June 6, 2023
[sigh]
It’s over. I’m gonna need a moment.
Dross, Little Blue, Orthos, Ziel, Mercy, Eithan, Yerin, and last but not least (apologies) Lindon. 12 books of awesomeness. Even Tim made a brief appearance (IYKYK).
So many battles, so much growth. It just got better and better.
I’m glad it’s over, if only because it ended before it descended into farce. It ended right.
It’s over. I’m gonna need a moment.
Dross, Little Blue, Orthos, Ziel, Mercy, Eithan, Yerin, and last but not least (apologies) Lindon. 12 books of awesomeness. Even Tim made a brief appearance (IYKYK).
So many battles, so much growth. It just got better and better.
I’m glad it’s over, if only because it ended before it descended into farce. It ended right.
September 24, 2023
4.5/5
Waybound is the epic, poetic ending to the Cradle series. A series I’ve really come to love. Admittedly, there’s a fair few things in this book that I struggled with which lost me at times. Events also felt extremely rushed at times because there was so much going on that needed resolution. That said, it was a fitting ending to this brilliant series with just about everything and everyone getting a satisfying ending.
Lindon is a pure force of nature here, with eleven books of build up and development finally coming to a head. All of the secondary characters get huge defining moments too which gave me goosebumps; Mercy and Ziel especially. I contend that both characters should have been given bigger moments like this in earlier books in the series as well, but that doesn’t detract from how incredible those moments were here in Waybound. Akura Malice and Reigan Shen are fantastic villains that captivate every time they’re around.
Waybound also sees the the best action in the series since Uncrowned and Wintersteel. The battles that take place here are monumental in scale such as the various battles against the Monarchs, as well as Lindon’s game of cat and mouse with Reigan Shen which is an exhilarating part of the books opening chapters. Also, I have to give Wight props for a certain chapter towards the end of the book which features an incredible throwback to where the series all began in Unsouled; perfectly demonstrating Lindon’s growth as a character and in power, as well as providing fans of the series with perhaps Cradle’s most satisfying moment.
I’ve also said it before multiple times, and I’ll say it again because each book reinforces it - Eithan Arelius really is one of the most deeply fascinating characters in the fantasy genre.
I’m gutted the series is over. It’s had its up and its downs in terms of quality over the course of twelve books, but it’s given me a great deal of comfort. The highs though are incredible and massively outweigh the lows. I adore the characters and the setting, both really have become special to me. Thanks, Will. This series really was a delight.
Waybound is the epic, poetic ending to the Cradle series. A series I’ve really come to love. Admittedly, there’s a fair few things in this book that I struggled with which lost me at times. Events also felt extremely rushed at times because there was so much going on that needed resolution. That said, it was a fitting ending to this brilliant series with just about everything and everyone getting a satisfying ending.
Lindon is a pure force of nature here, with eleven books of build up and development finally coming to a head. All of the secondary characters get huge defining moments too which gave me goosebumps; Mercy and Ziel especially. I contend that both characters should have been given bigger moments like this in earlier books in the series as well, but that doesn’t detract from how incredible those moments were here in Waybound. Akura Malice and Reigan Shen are fantastic villains that captivate every time they’re around.
Waybound also sees the the best action in the series since Uncrowned and Wintersteel. The battles that take place here are monumental in scale such as the various battles against the Monarchs, as well as Lindon’s game of cat and mouse with Reigan Shen which is an exhilarating part of the books opening chapters. Also, I have to give Wight props for a certain chapter towards the end of the book which features an incredible throwback to where the series all began in Unsouled; perfectly demonstrating Lindon’s growth as a character and in power, as well as providing fans of the series with perhaps Cradle’s most satisfying moment.
I’ve also said it before multiple times, and I’ll say it again because each book reinforces it - Eithan Arelius really is one of the most deeply fascinating characters in the fantasy genre.
I’m gutted the series is over. It’s had its up and its downs in terms of quality over the course of twelve books, but it’s given me a great deal of comfort. The highs though are incredible and massively outweigh the lows. I adore the characters and the setting, both really have become special to me. Thanks, Will. This series really was a delight.
June 16, 2024
Wow, what to say about the 12th of 12 books? I mean, you're already more likely to enjoy a book in a series you already enjoy (look at any sequel goodreads ratings for one) even though some can be disappointing compared to others. I'd definitely put this one on the upper level of this series, but I think I'm still reeling a little and might need more time to process to see exactly where it goes.
I absolutely loved Waybound that's no doubt and I thought the ending was very fitting. There was a whole lot this book tackled and even harkened all the way back to book 1 though I thought that was a little disjointed. Regardless, I appreciated the harkening back.
Anyway, Cradle is a series not to miss. It's a great independently published series that's made it on the New York Times bestseller list for all of the last number of books. It boggles my mind, but it shows self publishing has come a long way and I love to see the success. I feel like we're in a golden age for reading and it's not letting up!
4 out of 5 stars (for now...)
I absolutely loved Waybound that's no doubt and I thought the ending was very fitting. There was a whole lot this book tackled and even harkened all the way back to book 1 though I thought that was a little disjointed. Regardless, I appreciated the harkening back.
Anyway, Cradle is a series not to miss. It's a great independently published series that's made it on the New York Times bestseller list for all of the last number of books. It boggles my mind, but it shows self publishing has come a long way and I love to see the success. I feel like we're in a golden age for reading and it's not letting up!
4 out of 5 stars (for now...)
June 24, 2023
Immediate Reaction:
Loved this book from start to finish. But I hate the fact that it had to conclude the tale. Detailed review to come shortly (after I process my feelings).
📚 📚 📚 📚 📚 📚 📚
'Waybound' (Cradle #12) by Will Wight.
Status: First Read.
Dates Read: 5th June to 7th June 2023.
Rating: 4.5/5.
Disclaimer: The following review contains some spoilers for this book as well as for the previous books in this series. Do tread with caution.
Review:
An epic ending to an epic series.
With the release of the final book of the Cradle series looming closer, I decided to embark upon a re-read journey starting from the last week of April. Ideally, I would have consumed all eleven of these books within a fortnight, but I decided to join a group read-along to relish and analyze these books at a much leisurely pace along with the fans reading the series for the first time. Since we followed a much more comfortable pace to not overburden and overwhelm the new readers, I found myself just done with 'Bloodline' two days before the release of 'Waybound'.
I had earlier planned to wait for the group to catch up until the end of 'Dreadgod' and read 'Waybound' for the first time along with them. But, alas, I wasn't able to rein in my excitement once 'Waybound' was surprisingly released a day before its earlier announced release date. I, ultimately, had to succumb to the temptation and devoured 'Waybound' in a matter of two days while the group was taking a scheduled break before picking up the next book.
Since I skipped re-reading 'Reaper' and 'Dreadgod' in order to consume 'Waybound' as soon as it dropped, I'm sure to have missed some of the minor references, easter eggs, and callbacks alluding to the events of these two books. As a result, this first-read review shall contain my raw unfiltered reactions after finishing this book. I do plan to resume the (re)read-along soon, so I shall end up writing a much more in-depth review of this book as soon as I finish a re-read.
Whew, that introduction was too long! It is time to move on to my actual thoughts concerning this book. When I finished the penultimate book in this series, considering all the loose ends and various plot threads left unresolved, I was apprehensive about Will Wight's abilities to tie it all together in a comprehensive manner in a single book. I need not have worried, though. Will Wight succeeds in delivering a spectacular conclusion to this spectacular series. Did it deliver every single thing I wished for? No, it didn't. But to expect such a thing would have been highly delusion. However, what we got instead was much better than I had expected. I was and still am astonished at Will Wight's proficiency in juggling different plot threads in this book to deliver a truly epic and highly satisfying ending.
The book is filled to the brim with action sequences. The rapid onslaught of action from page one sometimes makes you want to wish for a breather � nah, it simply makes you want to devour the entire book in a single sitting. I am not exaggerating when I proclaim that the entirety of the first 90% of the book is an action-filled bonanza. It only slows down in the last 10% after the climactic battle to give us more time to bid adieu to the world and characters we have fallen in love with.
While we are talking about the spectacular action sequences in this book, I do need to add that the final battle seemed as cinematic and stunning as the final battle of the 'Avengers: Endgame' movie as well as the Last Battle in 'A Memory of Light' (Wheel of Time) book. You can blame it on a recency bias, but I'm quite sure the entire final sequence is one of my favorite climactic fictional battle sequences of all time.
The raised stakes, rising tensions, and the large-scale scope of the plot make up for a riveting read. Although the book is fast-paced and action-packed, it would be unfair to assume that it was done at the expense of character development. Sprinkled amidst a narrative densely packed with action, there are eloquent passages dedicated to the growth of every single character of Lindon's team. These sections don't bog down the narrative but give our beloved characters a chance to shine. Will Wight maintains a wonderful balance between succinctly portrayed character growth and a plot-driven, faced-paced narrative.
Aiming to advance in a record-breaking time to reach an advancement level sufficient to battle the Monarchs and Dreadgods was always going to be a monumental task. We see our favorite characters labor through hardships to accomplish this impossible feat. Having lived through the eyes of these characters for so long, the book makes us invested enough to celebrate their accomplishments as well as grieve for their losses.
Despite all the action, this book is a highly emotional affair. If the previous eleven books have worked their magic on you, this would hit you hard. The book made me laugh out loud, sob my heart out, and had me at the edge of my seat almost until the end. There are some incredible moments in the book that enhance its enjoyability factor by multiple folds. It would be difficult to list all the epic moments that I liked, but the ones that stand out are: Mercy's interaction with her Remnant, Lindon's duel with a Monarch, Ziel's Sage revelation, the team taking on the Weeping Dragon, and the reunions at the end of the book. And that's just the tip of the iceberg! I could keep on gushing about all the characters, fights, scenes, and the entire book for a long time.
As mentioned above, there are multiple references and callbacks to the moments from the earlier books. While most of them made me nostalgic enough to start a re-read (again!), some sections seemed to have been purely included for fan service. Jaran, suddenly being a caring and compassionate father, after his dismissive attitude towards Lindon so far, was so unbelievable that I had to put my book down for a moment. It was so out of the blue that I'm sure it was merely written that way to give us closure about Lindon's parental issues in the final book. Ever since Lindon's journey in the Sacred Arts began, there were memes and fan speculation about how he would beat the crap out of Li Markuth if he ever returns to Cradle again. Lo and behold, Will gives the fans what they wanted. It felt too much of a fan service, but I enjoyed that much-awaited clash. As they say, "a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one."
A minor grievance I had with this book was the way the Abidan sections were handled in it. Just like a large-scale battle on Cradle, I had expected something spectacular when it came to the final confrontation with the Mad King. This might just be me falling prey to the high expectations, but it seemed to be lackluster as compared to the main arc taking place on the Cradle. Although the Abidan sections (those before the gang's ascension) seemed to be underutilized, I'm at peace with what Will had to offer.
The book does a great job of wrapping up all the major arcs and delivering a satisfactory conclusion, but it does leave some questions unanswered in its wake. Questions regarding the future of Lindon's allies in Cradle, the fate of the Vroshir and Oth'kimeth, advancement on Cradle once the current generation of the Eight-Man Empire ascends with their Dreadgod weapons, and lots more were still left unanswered. While there are high chances that some of these might never be answered, I do strongly believe that Will Wight might want to touch upon these unresolved plot threads in a sequel series about the Reaper Division (if it happens) or through the cameos in his other books.
In conclusion, I absolutely loved this book. I still firmly believe that 'Wintersteel' is the best of the lot, but this book almost comes close to achieving that kind of perfection. It's a great book nonetheless � a book that does justice to all the efforts the author and the fans have put in over the last eleven books. It delivers a satisfying conclusion on a much grander scale and still keeps you wanting more. Oh well, there's still hope we might see some of these characters in Will Wight's other books as most of these books are written in a shared multiverse. A man can hope, dream even, and sometimes even his dreams may come true.
📚 📚 📚 📚 📚 📚 📚
📚 📚 📚 📚 📚 📚 📚
'Waybound' (Cradle #12) by Will Wight.
Status: First Read.
Dates Read: 5th June to 7th June 2023.
Dross wiped an imaginary tear from beneath his eye. [It’s every parent’s dream to see their little boy grow into such a fine young Dreadgod.]
“You’re not my parent.�
[Well, I don’t like your parents, so I choose to replace them.]
Rating: 4.5/5.
Disclaimer: The following review contains some spoilers for this book as well as for the previous books in this series. Do tread with caution.
Review:
An epic ending to an epic series.
With the release of the final book of the Cradle series looming closer, I decided to embark upon a re-read journey starting from the last week of April. Ideally, I would have consumed all eleven of these books within a fortnight, but I decided to join a group read-along to relish and analyze these books at a much leisurely pace along with the fans reading the series for the first time. Since we followed a much more comfortable pace to not overburden and overwhelm the new readers, I found myself just done with 'Bloodline' two days before the release of 'Waybound'.
I had earlier planned to wait for the group to catch up until the end of 'Dreadgod' and read 'Waybound' for the first time along with them. But, alas, I wasn't able to rein in my excitement once 'Waybound' was surprisingly released a day before its earlier announced release date. I, ultimately, had to succumb to the temptation and devoured 'Waybound' in a matter of two days while the group was taking a scheduled break before picking up the next book.
Since I skipped re-reading 'Reaper' and 'Dreadgod' in order to consume 'Waybound' as soon as it dropped, I'm sure to have missed some of the minor references, easter eggs, and callbacks alluding to the events of these two books. As a result, this first-read review shall contain my raw unfiltered reactions after finishing this book. I do plan to resume the (re)read-along soon, so I shall end up writing a much more in-depth review of this book as soon as I finish a re-read.
Whew, that introduction was too long! It is time to move on to my actual thoughts concerning this book. When I finished the penultimate book in this series, considering all the loose ends and various plot threads left unresolved, I was apprehensive about Will Wight's abilities to tie it all together in a comprehensive manner in a single book. I need not have worried, though. Will Wight succeeds in delivering a spectacular conclusion to this spectacular series. Did it deliver every single thing I wished for? No, it didn't. But to expect such a thing would have been highly delusion. However, what we got instead was much better than I had expected. I was and still am astonished at Will Wight's proficiency in juggling different plot threads in this book to deliver a truly epic and highly satisfying ending.
The book is filled to the brim with action sequences. The rapid onslaught of action from page one sometimes makes you want to wish for a breather � nah, it simply makes you want to devour the entire book in a single sitting. I am not exaggerating when I proclaim that the entirety of the first 90% of the book is an action-filled bonanza. It only slows down in the last 10% after the climactic battle to give us more time to bid adieu to the world and characters we have fallen in love with.
While we are talking about the spectacular action sequences in this book, I do need to add that the final battle seemed as cinematic and stunning as the final battle of the 'Avengers: Endgame' movie as well as the Last Battle in 'A Memory of Light' (Wheel of Time) book. You can blame it on a recency bias, but I'm quite sure the entire final sequence is one of my favorite climactic fictional battle sequences of all time.
The raised stakes, rising tensions, and the large-scale scope of the plot make up for a riveting read. Although the book is fast-paced and action-packed, it would be unfair to assume that it was done at the expense of character development. Sprinkled amidst a narrative densely packed with action, there are eloquent passages dedicated to the growth of every single character of Lindon's team. These sections don't bog down the narrative but give our beloved characters a chance to shine. Will Wight maintains a wonderful balance between succinctly portrayed character growth and a plot-driven, faced-paced narrative.
Aiming to advance in a record-breaking time to reach an advancement level sufficient to battle the Monarchs and Dreadgods was always going to be a monumental task. We see our favorite characters labor through hardships to accomplish this impossible feat. Having lived through the eyes of these characters for so long, the book makes us invested enough to celebrate their accomplishments as well as grieve for their losses.
Despite all the action, this book is a highly emotional affair. If the previous eleven books have worked their magic on you, this would hit you hard. The book made me laugh out loud, sob my heart out, and had me at the edge of my seat almost until the end. There are some incredible moments in the book that enhance its enjoyability factor by multiple folds. It would be difficult to list all the epic moments that I liked, but the ones that stand out are: Mercy's interaction with her Remnant, Lindon's duel with a Monarch, Ziel's Sage revelation, the team taking on the Weeping Dragon, and the reunions at the end of the book. And that's just the tip of the iceberg! I could keep on gushing about all the characters, fights, scenes, and the entire book for a long time.
As mentioned above, there are multiple references and callbacks to the moments from the earlier books. While most of them made me nostalgic enough to start a re-read (again!), some sections seemed to have been purely included for fan service. Jaran, suddenly being a caring and compassionate father, after his dismissive attitude towards Lindon so far, was so unbelievable that I had to put my book down for a moment. It was so out of the blue that I'm sure it was merely written that way to give us closure about Lindon's parental issues in the final book. Ever since Lindon's journey in the Sacred Arts began, there were memes and fan speculation about how he would beat the crap out of Li Markuth if he ever returns to Cradle again. Lo and behold, Will gives the fans what they wanted. It felt too much of a fan service, but I enjoyed that much-awaited clash. As they say, "a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one."
A minor grievance I had with this book was the way the Abidan sections were handled in it. Just like a large-scale battle on Cradle, I had expected something spectacular when it came to the final confrontation with the Mad King. This might just be me falling prey to the high expectations, but it seemed to be lackluster as compared to the main arc taking place on the Cradle. Although the Abidan sections (those before the gang's ascension) seemed to be underutilized, I'm at peace with what Will had to offer.
The book does a great job of wrapping up all the major arcs and delivering a satisfactory conclusion, but it does leave some questions unanswered in its wake. Questions regarding the future of Lindon's allies in Cradle, the fate of the Vroshir and Oth'kimeth, advancement on Cradle once the current generation of the Eight-Man Empire ascends with their Dreadgod weapons, and lots more were still left unanswered. While there are high chances that some of these might never be answered, I do strongly believe that Will Wight might want to touch upon these unresolved plot threads in a sequel series about the Reaper Division (if it happens) or through the cameos in his other books.
In conclusion, I absolutely loved this book. I still firmly believe that 'Wintersteel' is the best of the lot, but this book almost comes close to achieving that kind of perfection. It's a great book nonetheless � a book that does justice to all the efforts the author and the fans have put in over the last eleven books. It delivers a satisfying conclusion on a much grander scale and still keeps you wanting more. Oh well, there's still hope we might see some of these characters in Will Wight's other books as most of these books are written in a shared multiverse. A man can hope, dream even, and sometimes even his dreams may come true.
"To you, for reading this far.
Thank you for walking this Path with me all the way to the end."
� Will Wight.
📚 📚 📚 📚 📚 📚 📚
January 31, 2025
I'm so happy I enjoyed this series finale, since ending on this medium-high note will allow me to feel on balance pretty good about a series that has been an up-and-down experience. The start of this one was not promising, but once the heavy action kicked in about 20% in I never stopped being engaged. The stakes of each scene were clear and important, unlike say a major plot line of the previous book which felt terribly side-questy for so late in a series. I really loved the long falling action section and got surprisingly a teensy bit emotional, too, which was a great sign that I did come to care about these characters who felt like cardboard for so many books. I also enjoyed the high level of closure we got with callbacks to events and characters as far back as book 1.
This book still suffered though from the same drawbacks as the whole series, which is that I felt like it could have been pared down for greater impact. All the major factions showed up, but did the inclusion of the 8 Man Empire really add much of anything? A few factions and characters that got so little page time over the course of the series could've easily been cut and helped me care more about the others. Also so little of the magic system is ever explained, so one path or technique is the same as any other to me, and I often glazed over when characters were discussing the magic. I'm not familiar with this entire sub-genre so I get that this stuff is part of the appeal, but I personally would've enjoyed this whole shebang more if the magic system had been streamlined and simpler to grasp and for new magic-related developments to feel organic rather than utterly random and plot-contrived.
At a certain point though I learned to just let go and have fun with this, and there were plenty of cool as shit moments along with a hefty dose of Will Wight's signature humor (delivered perfectly by Travis Baldree). Without Baldree's lively audio narration I may have DNF'ed the series many books ago, but I'm glad I stuck with it and got taken on such a fun auditory ride. I wasn't bothered by the power levels on display or the lack of tension I've seen others complain about due to feeling like the characters couldn't die -- the series has always felt this way, and I don't think that tension existed for me at all in any of the previous books, so just because everyone has insane power levels now didn't really change anything for me. The foes have increased in power correspondingly, and the protagonists still needed to struggle and work together in satisfying ways to fight them. The joy of the series for me has always at its core been about the cleverness, creativity, collaboration, and determination of the protagonists in overcoming insane obstacles, and we got a lot of all those things in this final volume. With that and through providing a satisfying conclusion to a long series, Waybound probably lands in my top tier of Cradle books.
This book still suffered though from the same drawbacks as the whole series, which is that I felt like it could have been pared down for greater impact. All the major factions showed up, but did the inclusion of the 8 Man Empire really add much of anything? A few factions and characters that got so little page time over the course of the series could've easily been cut and helped me care more about the others. Also so little of the magic system is ever explained, so one path or technique is the same as any other to me, and I often glazed over when characters were discussing the magic. I'm not familiar with this entire sub-genre so I get that this stuff is part of the appeal, but I personally would've enjoyed this whole shebang more if the magic system had been streamlined and simpler to grasp and for new magic-related developments to feel organic rather than utterly random and plot-contrived.
At a certain point though I learned to just let go and have fun with this, and there were plenty of cool as shit moments along with a hefty dose of Will Wight's signature humor (delivered perfectly by Travis Baldree). Without Baldree's lively audio narration I may have DNF'ed the series many books ago, but I'm glad I stuck with it and got taken on such a fun auditory ride. I wasn't bothered by the power levels on display or the lack of tension I've seen others complain about due to feeling like the characters couldn't die -- the series has always felt this way, and I don't think that tension existed for me at all in any of the previous books, so just because everyone has insane power levels now didn't really change anything for me. The foes have increased in power correspondingly, and the protagonists still needed to struggle and work together in satisfying ways to fight them. The joy of the series for me has always at its core been about the cleverness, creativity, collaboration, and determination of the protagonists in overcoming insane obstacles, and we got a lot of all those things in this final volume. With that and through providing a satisfying conclusion to a long series, Waybound probably lands in my top tier of Cradle books.
June 18, 2023
Welp, there we have it. The end of an era!
It honestly couldn’t have ended any other way, and while that does tie up everything with a neat bow (and lovely epilogue), I enjoyed it from beginning to end.
There were so many brilliant call backs to earlier books in the series, especially book 1, which was wonderful. Overall a very deserved finale for a lot of these characters - the journeys they went on were spectacular, and it really felt like a lot of the side characters had time to shine in the final spotlight, too.
Ziel and Mercy in particular, but also Emriss, Little Blue, and even Orthos. Orthos has been my favourite character since his introduction way back in book three, with Dross a close second. But on finishing the final book, I have to say that Mercy is probably my favourite overall. I adore her soooo much and empathise massively with everything she has gone through.
It has been about a year since I read book 11, and I did read a summary of books 1-9 (couldn’t find one on 10 and 11) so in all honest I was a bit hazy on some of the details, which maybe robbed me of some tension and understanding I otherwise would have felt, but that is totally on me.
Pacing was breakneck, almost to the point of feeling rushed (particularly in the first half), but honestly I’m not sure how else it could have been done. If it had been split into two books ,there would have been unnecessary filler. So I think it does work as is :D
The narration of the audiobook by Travis Baldree was absolutely outstanding, as always.
Overall it wraps up neatly, with a lot of “how cool can this part be� sprinkled generously throughout, making it a deliciously fun read. Amazing finish to an incredible series.
“The dragon advances.�
It honestly couldn’t have ended any other way, and while that does tie up everything with a neat bow (and lovely epilogue), I enjoyed it from beginning to end.
There were so many brilliant call backs to earlier books in the series, especially book 1, which was wonderful. Overall a very deserved finale for a lot of these characters - the journeys they went on were spectacular, and it really felt like a lot of the side characters had time to shine in the final spotlight, too.
Ziel and Mercy in particular, but also Emriss, Little Blue, and even Orthos. Orthos has been my favourite character since his introduction way back in book three, with Dross a close second. But on finishing the final book, I have to say that Mercy is probably my favourite overall. I adore her soooo much and empathise massively with everything she has gone through.
It has been about a year since I read book 11, and I did read a summary of books 1-9 (couldn’t find one on 10 and 11) so in all honest I was a bit hazy on some of the details, which maybe robbed me of some tension and understanding I otherwise would have felt, but that is totally on me.
Pacing was breakneck, almost to the point of feeling rushed (particularly in the first half), but honestly I’m not sure how else it could have been done. If it had been split into two books ,there would have been unnecessary filler. So I think it does work as is :D
The narration of the audiobook by Travis Baldree was absolutely outstanding, as always.
Overall it wraps up neatly, with a lot of “how cool can this part be� sprinkled generously throughout, making it a deliciously fun read. Amazing finish to an incredible series.
“The dragon advances.�
June 20, 2024
(Oh my god is this messy, even for me)
Starting the massive pile of reviews I'm long overdue is actually not that easy... 18 f***ing books I did not write about!?!
But I'll make it easy for myself by beginning here - with the 12th and final installment in Will Wight's highly acclaimed and best-selling self-pub series 'Cradle'. Because... Well I actually kind of forgot most of this finale (D&D Season 8 pun not intended); and that is certainly not good for the final chapter of a long running series.
So what should I say, this is probably going to be a quick one - or maybe not, we shall see.
So first of all I'll start with my immediate thoughts after the reading, which was mainly my sense of accomplishemt after finishing another one of these massive series. And while the books are extremely easy to read and not that long in fact, I'd still say 12 books count as long series ^^
So for that feeling alone, this was quite the experience - just a good feeling getting through one of these long journeys and looking back; whatever whatever critizisms or problems one might have had on the journey.
Originally, I rated this book 4*s, with the note, that most of that rating comes from me generally being a sucker for endings and carthasis. It doesn't matter too much how I felt about the journey or how the ending was pulled off, endings just rule.
So yeah, I have a lot of problems with this last entry in the 'Cradle' series, as I did with the general direction, the series was heading to since a couple of books.
But there were still so many highs and a sense of achievement, that I'm gonna let myself be overruled by that. It's just cool, I have to admit that.
But now, only two months later, most of this feeling already slipped my mind. So turns out, it wasn't a lot more than the feeling a book like this normally only brings with itself.
But let me start with my general frustration about the series and the direction it was heading into since some time; mainly the book before this one, 'Dreadgod'.
Because I sadly feel like there was a choice made here, that completely ripped this series from developing a true meaning and message in the end - to make a true, final statement so to say.
For all this time I was hoping for it all to come together.
"There has to be more to this than just getting stronger and stronger," I kept telling myself.
Well and now that I'm here, I can safely tell you: Nope. There isn't.
If you are satisfied with a story being purely about some characters you automatically grow to through the time you spend with them getting into bigger and bigger fights, then you'll be fine.
If you can not adapt to something like that and search for more in your stories, I'm afraid that I honestly don't know if you should take this one on - or at least you should lower your expectations from a certain point on.
To describe this series, many people (and Will himself if I'm not mistaken) compare 'Cradle' with Anime, but in prose-format.
That statement is true in a lot of ways, and there is absolutely nothing to be said against it. But Anime doesn't equal Anime, there is so much variety in that medium, that it could basically mean everything.
The comparison should instead rather be "Battle-Shonen, but in prose format" (maybe that was even the one Will used, idk), and I'll add to that "blend of everything, battle-shonen is known and infamous for."
So yes, there is exciting and fist-pumping action.
There is a lot of "training".
The magic system is purely based aound named techniques.
And now, as these last two showed me, there isn't really a point to it all. Fun entertainment, that can deliver its bit of escapism and rooting for the underdogs to give the baddies a proper beating, but apart from that...
I feel like this is also a point in manga/anime, where my personal enjoyment and preferences kick in regarding battle-shonen.
I never really got into the medium until recently, so there haven's been the childhood-connections a lot of people have with shows like "Dragon Ball", "Naruto", "Pokemon", etc. etc.
And what makes 'Cradle' so comparable to these instead of other shonen like "Fullmetal Alchemist", "Attack on Titan" (yeah that one is debatable but technically doesn't cound as Seinen if I'm not mistaken), "Jujutsu Kaisen", "One Piece" (ending isn't there, so only maybe?), & others, is that these have more to say in terms of themes or actual intertwining plots or worldbuilding, etc.
The "full arc" so to say, the big picture, what these stories encompass is never really the point.
It's about creating strong and memorable, often motivating, moments during the journey. Moments, that teach its audience about simple yet valuable lessons in life. Friendship, sacrifice, fulfilment, redemption, "being better", etc. but mostly only ends with the protagonist achieving the goal after long struggles and lessons, finally being strong enough or whatever.
From an author's perspective, it's like creating yourself a playground in which you can play around until you feel like you should/can wrap it up. How everything expands is nice and fun and important for the journey, of course, but in the end, it will mostl likely all shrink down back to the basic format set up in the beginning.
Much of this, I'm aware of, is also due to the restrictions the weekly format brings with it.
Oh and all that is not to talk down onto more classical battle-shonen, there is 100% a place to that and how most of them accomplish their own feats isn't easy or anything - quite the opposite in fact. That's not what I'm saying.
Well but what I'm trying to get to with all this, is that the medium of a book or of prose works a bit differently and provides the artist with a different set of tools.
And while Will Wight uses these tools to explore sides of a story like this further and differently than the audiovisual medium can do, he never really tries to apply them onto the larger picture.
Guess it or not, books like this typically don't have a weekly schedule, that the author has to stick to unless he wants to be dropped by the magazine / publisher.
So there is the possibility to more easily set up stuff, plan out, lay foundations, set up messages, spreading arcs and plotlines, creating a more direct frame of conveying the contents and themes of a series or story, etc. etc. etc.
And short things short, in the end, 'Cradle' follows it's footsteps and simply shrinks back together, while opening up for possible future series.
Yes, the world has gotten significantly bigger, the characters significantly stronger but for what reason?
In my opinion, the series could have ended at any point, if Will Wight decided so. Stuff like this is of course fine, but as I said, I simply expected Will to take the opportunity he created for himself for the finale.
But he didn't. That's a fair choice, but I can't help but being a bit frustrated and underwhealmed, as I saw a lot of potential there, to wrap it up in a really innovative and intelligent way.
Might get into that a bit more in a short spoiler-section later, but first of all there is also some positive stuff to be said about this.
Because it is still a 'Cradle' book and therefore shares all the strenghts of the previous books.
The action really is great. It just hits. The portrayal of sheer power and his ability to create badass moments for his characters is what makes the series as far as I'm concerned.
So yes, you will get the big epic clashes you were waiting for in here - maybe even a bit more epic and grandios than expected. There might not be a lot of depth or meaning to them, but there isn't too much to be said against this, as long as it works as well as it does here.
I'd also say that in general, this is a pretty satisfying ending. Again, nothing mind-blowing or series-changing - probably no one will count the ending and how it wraps up to be a highlight of 'Cradle' - but as I said in the beginning, this kind of story is pretty forgiving in terms of creating a minimum level of carthasis.
I don't think anyone getting this far into the series will even consider not finishing the last book, but for those, that might be turned off a bit by the knowledge or expectations of a weaker ending or a miss in terms of recontextualizing the series, don't worry. Read it anyways. Not every series needs all of this and 'Cradle' certainly works for different reasons.
Even me, with all the critizisms I found within my reading journey through the Ashwind-Continent, do not regret anything.
As in the best Battle-Shonen, it's individual moments and arcs that make it all worth it in hindsight. Memorable characters, scenes, funny or clever ideas, etc. Cradle has all of these, and stuff like the Uncrowned King Tournament sits well among my favourite sections in fiction when it comes to pure enjoyment and action. Absolutely insane.
Also there are some really clever and playful "mechanics" within the series, that Will Wight intelligently plays with. If you are this far into, or have started at all, you know what I mean. Fun stuff to explore, that give the series a really unique personality.
And OH MY GOD, I totally forgot to mention a reunion that happens here, that... Well holy moly that one really got me. Such good stuff. So again: The feeling of accomplishment that naturally comes with an ending like this in a story like this absolutely works, and the moments coming from it land most of the times.
But I'm rambling now. So I'll stop. There are a lot of other reviews I must write, for books that I hold way more dearly than this one.
So. One last time. Here is my final Cradle Ranking. it was a blast:
1.: Wintersteel (#8)
2.: Uncrowned (#7)
3.: Blackflame (#3)
4.: Bloodline (#9)
5.: Reaper (#10)
6.: Underlord (#6)
7.: Ghostwater (#5)
8.: Waybound (#12)
9.: Dreadgod (#11)
10.: Skysworn (#4)
11.: Unsouled (#1)
12.: Soulsmith (#2)
And for those wanting the spoilery thoughts I was talking about earlier...
Well I'm tired. So sorry for now haha
Although I think I gave some of it away in my reviews for books 10 and 11, so that might maybe be enough to decipher which choice I meant.
Bye :)
Starting the massive pile of reviews I'm long overdue is actually not that easy... 18 f***ing books I did not write about!?!
But I'll make it easy for myself by beginning here - with the 12th and final installment in Will Wight's highly acclaimed and best-selling self-pub series 'Cradle'. Because... Well I actually kind of forgot most of this finale (D&D Season 8 pun not intended); and that is certainly not good for the final chapter of a long running series.
So what should I say, this is probably going to be a quick one - or maybe not, we shall see.
So first of all I'll start with my immediate thoughts after the reading, which was mainly my sense of accomplishemt after finishing another one of these massive series. And while the books are extremely easy to read and not that long in fact, I'd still say 12 books count as long series ^^
So for that feeling alone, this was quite the experience - just a good feeling getting through one of these long journeys and looking back; whatever whatever critizisms or problems one might have had on the journey.
Originally, I rated this book 4*s, with the note, that most of that rating comes from me generally being a sucker for endings and carthasis. It doesn't matter too much how I felt about the journey or how the ending was pulled off, endings just rule.
So yeah, I have a lot of problems with this last entry in the 'Cradle' series, as I did with the general direction, the series was heading to since a couple of books.
But there were still so many highs and a sense of achievement, that I'm gonna let myself be overruled by that. It's just cool, I have to admit that.
But now, only two months later, most of this feeling already slipped my mind. So turns out, it wasn't a lot more than the feeling a book like this normally only brings with itself.
But let me start with my general frustration about the series and the direction it was heading into since some time; mainly the book before this one, 'Dreadgod'.
Because I sadly feel like there was a choice made here, that completely ripped this series from developing a true meaning and message in the end - to make a true, final statement so to say.
For all this time I was hoping for it all to come together.
"There has to be more to this than just getting stronger and stronger," I kept telling myself.
Well and now that I'm here, I can safely tell you: Nope. There isn't.
If you are satisfied with a story being purely about some characters you automatically grow to through the time you spend with them getting into bigger and bigger fights, then you'll be fine.
If you can not adapt to something like that and search for more in your stories, I'm afraid that I honestly don't know if you should take this one on - or at least you should lower your expectations from a certain point on.
To describe this series, many people (and Will himself if I'm not mistaken) compare 'Cradle' with Anime, but in prose-format.
That statement is true in a lot of ways, and there is absolutely nothing to be said against it. But Anime doesn't equal Anime, there is so much variety in that medium, that it could basically mean everything.
The comparison should instead rather be "Battle-Shonen, but in prose format" (maybe that was even the one Will used, idk), and I'll add to that "blend of everything, battle-shonen is known and infamous for."
So yes, there is exciting and fist-pumping action.
There is a lot of "training".
The magic system is purely based aound named techniques.
And now, as these last two showed me, there isn't really a point to it all. Fun entertainment, that can deliver its bit of escapism and rooting for the underdogs to give the baddies a proper beating, but apart from that...
I feel like this is also a point in manga/anime, where my personal enjoyment and preferences kick in regarding battle-shonen.
I never really got into the medium until recently, so there haven's been the childhood-connections a lot of people have with shows like "Dragon Ball", "Naruto", "Pokemon", etc. etc.
And what makes 'Cradle' so comparable to these instead of other shonen like "Fullmetal Alchemist", "Attack on Titan" (yeah that one is debatable but technically doesn't cound as Seinen if I'm not mistaken), "Jujutsu Kaisen", "One Piece" (ending isn't there, so only maybe?), & others, is that these have more to say in terms of themes or actual intertwining plots or worldbuilding, etc.
The "full arc" so to say, the big picture, what these stories encompass is never really the point.
It's about creating strong and memorable, often motivating, moments during the journey. Moments, that teach its audience about simple yet valuable lessons in life. Friendship, sacrifice, fulfilment, redemption, "being better", etc. but mostly only ends with the protagonist achieving the goal after long struggles and lessons, finally being strong enough or whatever.
From an author's perspective, it's like creating yourself a playground in which you can play around until you feel like you should/can wrap it up. How everything expands is nice and fun and important for the journey, of course, but in the end, it will mostl likely all shrink down back to the basic format set up in the beginning.
Much of this, I'm aware of, is also due to the restrictions the weekly format brings with it.
Oh and all that is not to talk down onto more classical battle-shonen, there is 100% a place to that and how most of them accomplish their own feats isn't easy or anything - quite the opposite in fact. That's not what I'm saying.
Well but what I'm trying to get to with all this, is that the medium of a book or of prose works a bit differently and provides the artist with a different set of tools.
And while Will Wight uses these tools to explore sides of a story like this further and differently than the audiovisual medium can do, he never really tries to apply them onto the larger picture.
Guess it or not, books like this typically don't have a weekly schedule, that the author has to stick to unless he wants to be dropped by the magazine / publisher.
So there is the possibility to more easily set up stuff, plan out, lay foundations, set up messages, spreading arcs and plotlines, creating a more direct frame of conveying the contents and themes of a series or story, etc. etc. etc.
And short things short, in the end, 'Cradle' follows it's footsteps and simply shrinks back together, while opening up for possible future series.
Yes, the world has gotten significantly bigger, the characters significantly stronger but for what reason?
In my opinion, the series could have ended at any point, if Will Wight decided so. Stuff like this is of course fine, but as I said, I simply expected Will to take the opportunity he created for himself for the finale.
But he didn't. That's a fair choice, but I can't help but being a bit frustrated and underwhealmed, as I saw a lot of potential there, to wrap it up in a really innovative and intelligent way.
Might get into that a bit more in a short spoiler-section later, but first of all there is also some positive stuff to be said about this.
Because it is still a 'Cradle' book and therefore shares all the strenghts of the previous books.
The action really is great. It just hits. The portrayal of sheer power and his ability to create badass moments for his characters is what makes the series as far as I'm concerned.
So yes, you will get the big epic clashes you were waiting for in here - maybe even a bit more epic and grandios than expected. There might not be a lot of depth or meaning to them, but there isn't too much to be said against this, as long as it works as well as it does here.
I'd also say that in general, this is a pretty satisfying ending. Again, nothing mind-blowing or series-changing - probably no one will count the ending and how it wraps up to be a highlight of 'Cradle' - but as I said in the beginning, this kind of story is pretty forgiving in terms of creating a minimum level of carthasis.
I don't think anyone getting this far into the series will even consider not finishing the last book, but for those, that might be turned off a bit by the knowledge or expectations of a weaker ending or a miss in terms of recontextualizing the series, don't worry. Read it anyways. Not every series needs all of this and 'Cradle' certainly works for different reasons.
Even me, with all the critizisms I found within my reading journey through the Ashwind-Continent, do not regret anything.
As in the best Battle-Shonen, it's individual moments and arcs that make it all worth it in hindsight. Memorable characters, scenes, funny or clever ideas, etc. Cradle has all of these, and stuff like the Uncrowned King Tournament sits well among my favourite sections in fiction when it comes to pure enjoyment and action. Absolutely insane.
Also there are some really clever and playful "mechanics" within the series, that Will Wight intelligently plays with. If you are this far into, or have started at all, you know what I mean. Fun stuff to explore, that give the series a really unique personality.
And OH MY GOD, I totally forgot to mention a reunion that happens here, that... Well holy moly that one really got me. Such good stuff. So again: The feeling of accomplishment that naturally comes with an ending like this in a story like this absolutely works, and the moments coming from it land most of the times.
But I'm rambling now. So I'll stop. There are a lot of other reviews I must write, for books that I hold way more dearly than this one.
So. One last time. Here is my final Cradle Ranking. it was a blast:
1.: Wintersteel (#8)
2.: Uncrowned (#7)
3.: Blackflame (#3)
4.: Bloodline (#9)
5.: Reaper (#10)
6.: Underlord (#6)
7.: Ghostwater (#5)
8.: Waybound (#12)
9.: Dreadgod (#11)
10.: Skysworn (#4)
11.: Unsouled (#1)
12.: Soulsmith (#2)
And for those wanting the spoilery thoughts I was talking about earlier...
Well I'm tired. So sorry for now haha
Although I think I gave some of it away in my reviews for books 10 and 11, so that might maybe be enough to decipher which choice I meant.
Bye :)
August 16, 2023
If I could give this series more than 5 stars, I would. This series is one of my all time favourite and the last book did not disappoint.
The author tied all loose ends and I enjoyed reading this book a lot, I only wished it was longer.
Bye Cradle.
The author tied all loose ends and I enjoyed reading this book a lot, I only wished it was longer.
Bye Cradle.
June 21, 2023
Hoooooooooooooooo boy.
Okay. Let me start out by saying I'm not great at the whole review...thing. There's a structure and flow to great reviews (my friend Anna absolutely slays them on the regular) and I just don't have that ability. I love to talk books, but getting my thoughts nice and orderly? That's when it gets tricky. So, you get what you get here. I'm sorry! It's probably gonna be a bunch of word vomit, and I'm definitely going to miss some things, but it's going to be genuine and it should, should reflect my passion for the book, one way or the other.
(PPS: This will be a non-spoiler review, apparently. I rambled for too long. Maybe I'll come back and write another one some day. Who knows? These thoughts all felt important to me in the moment.)
NON SPOILER REVIEW
5/5 stars, and it's a totally legit 5 stars. Not 4.5. Not 4.75. Five. Cinco. Four fingers and an opposable thumb.
I laughed, I cried, I was on the edge of my seat. For fans of , it felt like a 600+ page Sanderlanche in terms of its pacing, or like watching Avengers:Infinity War in the theater the first time. It just grabs you and goes, with no regard for your sleep schedule, your life, or your ability to function outside your imagination.
Did it hit literally every single plot point on my wish list? No, of course not, but that was always a fantasy. I was absolutely shocked by how many it did manage to hit, however, and how satisfying I found everything else.
The plot brings us exactly what we expect on a large scale, with a wrench thrown into the works about halfway through. They say, "Making plans is a good way to hear God laugh," or something like that. Change it to "gods" and it kind of applies perfectly to our Scooby Gang here. But they persevere. That's what they do. Lindon's Archlord revelation holds true now as it did when he advanced in Reigan Shen's face: "We will never stop."
Every single one of the main characters gets their moment to shine. If I were to provide some advice, I'd say go in expecting less Eithan than you might be, because this book isn't really about him. It's about his students, and what they need to do to finish what he started on Cradle, and then join him. We get more Akura Mercy than we've gotten before, because she has a big jump to make. We get a lot of Ziel. We get, of course, a ton of Lindon and Yerin. And we get more insight from Orthos than we've ever had, which is surprisingly wonderful. Little Blue is great, as always, and it's hilarious to see her so strong.
The action is spectacular - the fights every bit as epic as you'd expect - and yet I found myself lingering on the breathers between action scenes even longer. The sweet moments between Lindon and Yerin, or the way Will makes it so effortlessly clear these people care so much about each other. They're a family. Lindon meant what he told Akura Pride in : If you're on his team, you're on his team, and that means everything to Lindon. If you're not...well...don't get in his way or come after anyone he loves. People who do that don't tend to last long.
But despite the joy it brought me in the telling, also hit me with a profound sense of sadness as I turned the last page, because I knew this was the last time I would do so in this world, with these characters I'd grown to love. I felt the same when The Wheel of Time came to a close, or Harry Potter on my first readthrough. Because the authors who forge a connection between you and their characters open a window into a world you never knew existed. And when that window closes, you have the sense the world keeps moving without you. New adventures are unfolding, but you're not there to see them! And so it can be difficult to keep perspective - that we should be grateful for the time we had with them.
I first picked up and was introduced to the world of Cradle, and to Wei-Shi Lindon during the period of lockdown during the pandemic. And it's not an exaggeration at all to say that Lindon, Yerin, Eithan, Akura Mercy, Ziel, Dross, Orthos, and Little Blue got me through a really dark time in my life. Things are better now, but Cradle has become my go-to comfort series, for its quick readability and my emotional attachment to these characters. I've read, and listened, to every one of the books multiple times, and I would absolutely be remiss if I didn't mention the incredible and his work on the audiobooks. If you haven't listened to Cradle, you haven't really lived it, in my ever so humble opinion. His voice work is unmatched, as he makes each character distinct, and is able to give even female characters unique and believable voices, which is something most male narrators struggle with. This isn't to say there aren't other great narrators out there, as I have others of my own I love (I'm looking at you, Michael Kramer, Kate Reading, and Nick Podehl). It's just that Travis is so entwined with my perception of these characters and these books.
Guys...that's pretty much it. If you've read this far, you're a brave soul and I question your sanity. If you've read this far and you haven't yet set foot in the waters of Cradle...what are you doing man?! Or woman?! Or sacred beast or spirit?! You know what, just go pick it up, and take that first step to finding your own Path. But just remember:
I think I heard that somewhere once.
P.S. Will's dedication in this book almost broke me right at the start.
“To you, for reading this far. Thank you for walking this Path with me all the way to the end.�
�
To that, all I can say is...gratitude. Thank you, Will. For all of it.
Okay. Let me start out by saying I'm not great at the whole review...thing. There's a structure and flow to great reviews (my friend Anna absolutely slays them on the regular) and I just don't have that ability. I love to talk books, but getting my thoughts nice and orderly? That's when it gets tricky. So, you get what you get here. I'm sorry! It's probably gonna be a bunch of word vomit, and I'm definitely going to miss some things, but it's going to be genuine and it should, should reflect my passion for the book, one way or the other.
(PPS: This will be a non-spoiler review, apparently. I rambled for too long. Maybe I'll come back and write another one some day. Who knows? These thoughts all felt important to me in the moment.)
NON SPOILER REVIEW
5/5 stars, and it's a totally legit 5 stars. Not 4.5. Not 4.75. Five. Cinco. Four fingers and an opposable thumb.
I laughed, I cried, I was on the edge of my seat. For fans of , it felt like a 600+ page Sanderlanche in terms of its pacing, or like watching Avengers:Infinity War in the theater the first time. It just grabs you and goes, with no regard for your sleep schedule, your life, or your ability to function outside your imagination.
Did it hit literally every single plot point on my wish list? No, of course not, but that was always a fantasy. I was absolutely shocked by how many it did manage to hit, however, and how satisfying I found everything else.
The plot brings us exactly what we expect on a large scale, with a wrench thrown into the works about halfway through. They say, "Making plans is a good way to hear God laugh," or something like that. Change it to "gods" and it kind of applies perfectly to our Scooby Gang here. But they persevere. That's what they do. Lindon's Archlord revelation holds true now as it did when he advanced in Reigan Shen's face: "We will never stop."
Every single one of the main characters gets their moment to shine. If I were to provide some advice, I'd say go in expecting less Eithan than you might be, because this book isn't really about him. It's about his students, and what they need to do to finish what he started on Cradle, and then join him. We get more Akura Mercy than we've gotten before, because she has a big jump to make. We get a lot of Ziel. We get, of course, a ton of Lindon and Yerin. And we get more insight from Orthos than we've ever had, which is surprisingly wonderful. Little Blue is great, as always, and it's hilarious to see her so strong.
The action is spectacular - the fights every bit as epic as you'd expect - and yet I found myself lingering on the breathers between action scenes even longer. The sweet moments between Lindon and Yerin, or the way Will makes it so effortlessly clear these people care so much about each other. They're a family. Lindon meant what he told Akura Pride in : If you're on his team, you're on his team, and that means everything to Lindon. If you're not...well...don't get in his way or come after anyone he loves. People who do that don't tend to last long.
But despite the joy it brought me in the telling, also hit me with a profound sense of sadness as I turned the last page, because I knew this was the last time I would do so in this world, with these characters I'd grown to love. I felt the same when The Wheel of Time came to a close, or Harry Potter on my first readthrough. Because the authors who forge a connection between you and their characters open a window into a world you never knew existed. And when that window closes, you have the sense the world keeps moving without you. New adventures are unfolding, but you're not there to see them! And so it can be difficult to keep perspective - that we should be grateful for the time we had with them.
I first picked up and was introduced to the world of Cradle, and to Wei-Shi Lindon during the period of lockdown during the pandemic. And it's not an exaggeration at all to say that Lindon, Yerin, Eithan, Akura Mercy, Ziel, Dross, Orthos, and Little Blue got me through a really dark time in my life. Things are better now, but Cradle has become my go-to comfort series, for its quick readability and my emotional attachment to these characters. I've read, and listened, to every one of the books multiple times, and I would absolutely be remiss if I didn't mention the incredible and his work on the audiobooks. If you haven't listened to Cradle, you haven't really lived it, in my ever so humble opinion. His voice work is unmatched, as he makes each character distinct, and is able to give even female characters unique and believable voices, which is something most male narrators struggle with. This isn't to say there aren't other great narrators out there, as I have others of my own I love (I'm looking at you, Michael Kramer, Kate Reading, and Nick Podehl). It's just that Travis is so entwined with my perception of these characters and these books.
Guys...that's pretty much it. If you've read this far, you're a brave soul and I question your sanity. If you've read this far and you haven't yet set foot in the waters of Cradle...what are you doing man?! Or woman?! Or sacred beast or spirit?! You know what, just go pick it up, and take that first step to finding your own Path. But just remember:
There are a million Paths in this world, but any Sage will tell you they can all be reduced to one. Improve yourself.
I think I heard that somewhere once.
P.S. Will's dedication in this book almost broke me right at the start.
“To you, for reading this far. Thank you for walking this Path with me all the way to the end.�
�
To that, all I can say is...gratitude. Thank you, Will. For all of it.
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