ŷ������

“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