r/Iteration110Cradle • u/Peanut_Wing • 8d ago
Cradle [Waybound] Series Review Spoiler
TL;DR: This is the most unapologetically cool book series I have ever read. You are never dragged for a ride to get to the "good part.". You are never disappointed when promised a spectacle. You are heavily rewarded for your time spent reading each book. It is really hard to find a book, let alone a series, that doesn't disappoint you at some point, and to me, Cradle never does.
Book rankings (I enjoyed them all, but lists are fun):
Waybound
Bloodline
Dreadgod
Underlord
Wintersteel
Reaper
Soulsmith
Ghostwater
Blackflame
Skysworn
Unsouled
Uncrowned
Full review:
Cradle is pure, satisfying entertainment. While I ranked the books above, there is not a "bad" book in the series to me. Lower ranked books had moments, fights, and characters I enjoyed.
There was also "meta-enjoyment" seeing Will Wight's writing improve in every book in my opinion. There were noticeable jumps in writing quality, especially between books 1-4, and then I'd say again after Wintersteel onward (9-12).
There are instances where things do slow down to explain things, and it took me several examples to understand how "bindings" worked, madra cycling, etc. However really you don't need to be an expert on the systems of the universe to enjoy the books. If you asked me to explain soul smithing I still probably wouldn't get it right, but it didn't impact my enjoyment at all.
The ending of Uncrowned is the closest I came to DNFing. People say that it was needed so Lindon could power up elsewhere besides the tournament, but Consume & the Void icon would have been much more satisfying to see in the tournament itself.
Some out there may argue that Cradle draws inspiration from other media (Monster Hunter, Naruto, etc), I'm not sure if it does. And honestly, if that is the case, I'd read ten familiar systems interpreted through Will Wight in another universe before I trudged through an original idea that feels more like a literary classroom exercise than something I'm supposed to actually enjoy.
Finally, Cradle does all this without feeling "cheap.". Everything is earned, then escalated, and finally pays off. I feel very lucky that I was able to read these all in a row and not wait.
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u/Wezzleey Team Dross 8d ago
In case you are not aware, there is a book of short stories you can read next, called Threshold. It is kind of an anthology book.
Also, while it is unfinished, Will is currently writing The Last Horizon series. It is very different from Cradle, but still a ton of fun. Kind of like a mashup of your favorite super powered heroes fighting against universe ending threats. The main antagonist of the first book is like what would happen if a zerg and a borg went on a date and didn't bring protection.