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Cradle #10
Reaper
Sacred Valley has been saved…at least, what’s left of it. With his home finally secure, Lindon delves deep into the ancient labyrinth, seeking long-lost Soulsmithing knowledge and the secret to destroying the Dreadgods. Monarchs plot against him and against each other, unaware of the threats gathering in realms beyond. Far above Lindon and the Monarchs and the Dreadgods, another war is waged. Suriel and the Abidan clash against the Mad King and his forces in a battle for the fate of many worlds. And if it is lost, Cradle will be destroyed.
486 pages, Paperback
First published November 2, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,119 reviews
November 30, 2021
Will Wight, I’m so tired of saying this statement on so many books in Cradle, but once again, Reaper is the new best book of the series so far.
I’m an ant, and Will Wight is the human wearing a boot named Cradle to stomp me. By this stage of the series, it’s not possible to resist adding Will Wight and Cradle into my list of favorite authors and series. Ever since Blackflame, the third book of the series, Wight’s increasing fame with this series has been earned due to his consistency in his work for the series, both in release output—two books per years—and quality. Rating wise, everything from Blackflame to Reaper ranges between 4 to 5 stars rating. And yes, Reaper undoubtedly received a full 5 stars rating from me. Read this series; it is a worthy investment.
I won’t be talking about the plot of Reaper on this review; this is book number ten in the series, after all. But I will elaborate—as spoiler-free as possible—upon my point on why this series and getting to Reaper is worth your investment. Reaper, even by Cradle standard, is special. I’m serious. I’ve talked about this a few times before, but I don’t usually agree with the majority of the fans of the series when it comes to the matter of which book is the best installment in Cradle. I did agree on Underlord, but that’s about it. I almost never see Skysworn, Uncrowned and Bloodline being considered as their favorite volumes, but I consider them to be some of my favorites in Cradle. On the other hand, I think Wintersteel, the fans’ favorite before Reaper came out, is the third weakest book in the entire Cradle series. We do, however, agree on two things. First, as I said, every book since Blackflame has been incredible regardless of which one is our favorite. Second, Reaper is the best of the series so far.
Unlike the previous books, there are some different things about the storytelling structure in Reaper. The first quarter in Reaper is “the calm before the storm” moments; this allowed Wight to create the right footing for the relentless pacing, development, and revelations that occurred beyond the first quarter. There’s so much packed into Reaper, and one of the revelations—those who’ve read it will know what I’m talking about—immediately increased the reread value of the entire series. I do believe if you’ve read Reaper, rereading the series from Unsouled will provide a new increased experience. I am genuinely impressed by this. I never saw Wight as a writer who planned his series, at least not on this level. But this revelation made it obvious now that Wight has been planning this since the early stage of the series. Whether you predicted this revelation or not, I guarantee you, the confirmation of it is still staggering.
Wight conveyed emotions in Reaper excellently. Lindon, Yerin, Eithan, and the characters in the series have come so far. It felt great to see how far they’ve come in their journey. Friendship and teamwork continue to be some of the key driving points of the character’s development, and I think it will be hard for Wight to top the friendships and banter displayed in Reaper. Remember how weak Lindon was in Unsouled? Now, I wish you good luck trying to keep up with his barrage of weapons and skills. I actually can’t keep track of all his skills anymore, and just like his opponents, I’ll just let Lindon do whatever he wants now. The balance between serious and humorous moments was magnificent. The humor was hilarious, the tension felt so real, and the wholesome moments were emotional. Everything reached its peak in Reaper. The stakes of the plot were epic, and my goodness, the battles were insanely over-the-top, and it’s out of this world awesome.
Will Wight is currently participating in a marathon with himself; he’s going to keep on pouring out books that top his previous best at this point. And once again, Reaper is the best installment in Cradle so far. It is emotional, explosive, and mind-blowing. It is quite likely that Cradle will end next year. As I mentioned, Wight has been very consistent in releasing two books in Cradle each year, and at this rate, Dreadgods and the final unnamed book of the series will be out in 2022. I know one thing Cradle fans will be doing until then, it’s time to cycle our madra (a.k.a patiently waiting or rereading the series) again, y’all. We’re going to need it after that reaping.
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Andrew, Annabeth, Ben, Blaise, Diana, Dylan, Edward, Element, Ellen, Gary, Hamad, Helen, Jimmy Nutts, Jennifer, Joie, Luis, Lufi, Melinda, Meryl, Mike, Miracle, Neeraja, Nicholas, Oliver, ReignBro, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Scott, Xero, Wendy, Wick, Zoe.
“An ant had a better chance of resisting a boot.”
I’m an ant, and Will Wight is the human wearing a boot named Cradle to stomp me. By this stage of the series, it’s not possible to resist adding Will Wight and Cradle into my list of favorite authors and series. Ever since Blackflame, the third book of the series, Wight’s increasing fame with this series has been earned due to his consistency in his work for the series, both in release output—two books per years—and quality. Rating wise, everything from Blackflame to Reaper ranges between 4 to 5 stars rating. And yes, Reaper undoubtedly received a full 5 stars rating from me. Read this series; it is a worthy investment.
“I consider the things I’ve given you to be the best investments I’ve ever made.”
I won’t be talking about the plot of Reaper on this review; this is book number ten in the series, after all. But I will elaborate—as spoiler-free as possible—upon my point on why this series and getting to Reaper is worth your investment. Reaper, even by Cradle standard, is special. I’m serious. I’ve talked about this a few times before, but I don’t usually agree with the majority of the fans of the series when it comes to the matter of which book is the best installment in Cradle. I did agree on Underlord, but that’s about it. I almost never see Skysworn, Uncrowned and Bloodline being considered as their favorite volumes, but I consider them to be some of my favorites in Cradle. On the other hand, I think Wintersteel, the fans’ favorite before Reaper came out, is the third weakest book in the entire Cradle series. We do, however, agree on two things. First, as I said, every book since Blackflame has been incredible regardless of which one is our favorite. Second, Reaper is the best of the series so far.
“I wanted to raise up peers. In theory, it was possible. If you started from the beginning, you can raise a generation of truly unparalleled sacred artists who would never leave each other behind.”
Unlike the previous books, there are some different things about the storytelling structure in Reaper. The first quarter in Reaper is “the calm before the storm” moments; this allowed Wight to create the right footing for the relentless pacing, development, and revelations that occurred beyond the first quarter. There’s so much packed into Reaper, and one of the revelations—those who’ve read it will know what I’m talking about—immediately increased the reread value of the entire series. I do believe if you’ve read Reaper, rereading the series from Unsouled will provide a new increased experience. I am genuinely impressed by this. I never saw Wight as a writer who planned his series, at least not on this level. But this revelation made it obvious now that Wight has been planning this since the early stage of the series. Whether you predicted this revelation or not, I guarantee you, the confirmation of it is still staggering.
“We don’t have much time left. If this is going to be the end, then remember one thing from me: I loved every second with you all. I really, truly…had so much fun.”
Wight conveyed emotions in Reaper excellently. Lindon, Yerin, Eithan, and the characters in the series have come so far. It felt great to see how far they’ve come in their journey. Friendship and teamwork continue to be some of the key driving points of the character’s development, and I think it will be hard for Wight to top the friendships and banter displayed in Reaper. Remember how weak Lindon was in Unsouled? Now, I wish you good luck trying to keep up with his barrage of weapons and skills. I actually can’t keep track of all his skills anymore, and just like his opponents, I’ll just let Lindon do whatever he wants now. The balance between serious and humorous moments was magnificent. The humor was hilarious, the tension felt so real, and the wholesome moments were emotional. Everything reached its peak in Reaper. The stakes of the plot were epic, and my goodness, the battles were insanely over-the-top, and it’s out of this world awesome.
“The truth? Here is the truth you deserve. You do not decide who lives and who dies… That’s my job.”
Will Wight is currently participating in a marathon with himself; he’s going to keep on pouring out books that top his previous best at this point. And once again, Reaper is the best installment in Cradle so far. It is emotional, explosive, and mind-blowing. It is quite likely that Cradle will end next year. As I mentioned, Wight has been very consistent in releasing two books in Cradle each year, and at this rate, Dreadgods and the final unnamed book of the series will be out in 2022. I know one thing Cradle fans will be doing until then, it’s time to cycle our madra (a.k.a patiently waiting or rereading the series) again, y’all. We’re going to need it after that reaping.
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Andrew, Annabeth, Ben, Blaise, Diana, Dylan, Edward, Element, Ellen, Gary, Hamad, Helen, Jimmy Nutts, Jennifer, Joie, Luis, Lufi, Melinda, Meryl, Mike, Miracle, Neeraja, Nicholas, Oliver, ReignBro, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Scott, Xero, Wendy, Wick, Zoe.
November 25, 2021
Hands down, my favourite Cradle book to date!
Reaper was one heck of an insane and unputdownable read. The revelations, the implications! Rereading the previous books after this one will be so amazing, because there'll be so much one will appreciate in a different light.
Also, the payoff at the end of this book literally brought me to tears. I couldn’t even say it had me on the edge of my seat, because I actually leapt off my seat, flailing.
Two more books to go, and it could only get even crazier.
Reaper was one heck of an insane and unputdownable read. The revelations, the implications! Rereading the previous books after this one will be so amazing, because there'll be so much one will appreciate in a different light.
Also, the payoff at the end of this book literally brought me to tears. I couldn’t even say it had me on the edge of my seat, because I actually leapt off my seat, flailing.
Two more books to go, and it could only get even crazier.
July 7, 2022
Will Wight keeps on upping his game; Reaper is the best book of this series so far for me and delivers one hell of a payoff!
You would think that the tenth book in a not yet completed series might be prone to losing some steam, and in many cases, you might be right. Regarding Reaper, the book that takes the Cradle series into double digits, you would be wrong. This is of course only my opinion and is greatly influenced by the spotlight being shone on my favourite character throughout, but that is just one aspect of the story. What makes this better than any other for me, is how much the story focuses on teamwork, and just like this plot, Wight has made all the different parts work together to result in what I believe to be the strongest Cradle entry to date and also the most revelatory.
I won’t say much about the plot as we are getting into major spoiler territory now, even reading the blurb for Reaper will spoil you as to what transpired previously, but suffice it to say that the previous book, Bloodline, was in essence the nexus of the path or plan that Lindon set out on from the first book in the series and that that specific storyline was resolved by the end of that book. Reaper does pick up some threads that still need answering, but also poses the question of what is next, and has our team entering the Labyrinth in search of knowledge long ago lost to the sands of time, an advantage that can help them in their quest to advance, but most importantly to arm them sufficiently in the war against the Dreadgods.
One of the most rewarding aspects of this series is experiencing the growth that the characters have exhibited. Reaper starts off with an extended quiet period, if you can call it that, almost a slice of life, in the wake of the insanity that was the second half of Bloodline and it’s an early peek at how much they have changed. As the story progresses, the characters focus more on unity, growing together, achieving goals through teamwork and not leaving anyone behind, than ever before. I found this to be a clear reflection on their development, as they now place much more value on friendship, trust and loyalty than ever before. And I dare say, this is all thanks to the guidance, investment, wisdom and belief of my favourite Cradle character, Eithan Arelius, who is without a doubt, the star of the show for me here. I am very tempted to wax lyrical on this point, but I will reign in my enthusiasm and leave this review twenty-four thousand words shorter as a result.
“Oh no, I missed something!” Eithan cried. “Quickly, repeat your entire conversation before you forget a word!”
The cherry on top of the cake that ensures Reaper is a cut above its siblings is the finale of this book. Throughout the cradle series Wight has written two distinctive storylines (one the main and the other just fleeting glimpses of one) that have at moments touched upon each other and once or twice firmly stepped into each other's worlds, but for the most part, have read as separate stories. Reaper finally brings the two together in the most awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping way possible, wringing the very essence from the word epic, mixing it in with shock, terror and joy, and making a bonfire of it centre-page. I had been waiting for this very moment without quite knowing what shape it would take, but just knowing it would be an amazing moment, and Will Wight rose to the challenge, delivering it with a perfect sense of occasion and timing and imbuing it with both the flair and gravitas it deserved.
Reaper is a perfect start to Cradle’s endgame. It delivers another fantastic story, progresses the overall arc, showcases how far everyone has come and ramps up the stakes exponentially. All this while dropping some revelatory BOMBS that had me tearfully smiling from ear to ear. I can hardly believe there are only two more books to go. I’m both exhilarated and sad that the end is in sight; I want to see the culmination of this brilliantly absorbing series, how it all ends, but I dread saying goodbye to the characters. Such is the way of great reading, unfortunately. Sigh. Que será, será. It’s been one hell of a journey.
“If we can’t use our power for this, why have it?” He looked from Eithan to Yerin, and he could feel a fire in his eyes even with no Blackflame. “I don’t want to win by giving something up. I want it all. I want all of it.”
• You can find this review and more at Novel Notions
You would think that the tenth book in a not yet completed series might be prone to losing some steam, and in many cases, you might be right. Regarding Reaper, the book that takes the Cradle series into double digits, you would be wrong. This is of course only my opinion and is greatly influenced by the spotlight being shone on my favourite character throughout, but that is just one aspect of the story. What makes this better than any other for me, is how much the story focuses on teamwork, and just like this plot, Wight has made all the different parts work together to result in what I believe to be the strongest Cradle entry to date and also the most revelatory.
I won’t say much about the plot as we are getting into major spoiler territory now, even reading the blurb for Reaper will spoil you as to what transpired previously, but suffice it to say that the previous book, Bloodline, was in essence the nexus of the path or plan that Lindon set out on from the first book in the series and that that specific storyline was resolved by the end of that book. Reaper does pick up some threads that still need answering, but also poses the question of what is next, and has our team entering the Labyrinth in search of knowledge long ago lost to the sands of time, an advantage that can help them in their quest to advance, but most importantly to arm them sufficiently in the war against the Dreadgods.
One of the most rewarding aspects of this series is experiencing the growth that the characters have exhibited. Reaper starts off with an extended quiet period, if you can call it that, almost a slice of life, in the wake of the insanity that was the second half of Bloodline and it’s an early peek at how much they have changed. As the story progresses, the characters focus more on unity, growing together, achieving goals through teamwork and not leaving anyone behind, than ever before. I found this to be a clear reflection on their development, as they now place much more value on friendship, trust and loyalty than ever before. And I dare say, this is all thanks to the guidance, investment, wisdom and belief of my favourite Cradle character, Eithan Arelius, who is without a doubt, the star of the show for me here. I am very tempted to wax lyrical on this point, but I will reign in my enthusiasm and leave this review twenty-four thousand words shorter as a result.
“Oh no, I missed something!” Eithan cried. “Quickly, repeat your entire conversation before you forget a word!”
The cherry on top of the cake that ensures Reaper is a cut above its siblings is the finale of this book. Throughout the cradle series Wight has written two distinctive storylines (one the main and the other just fleeting glimpses of one) that have at moments touched upon each other and once or twice firmly stepped into each other's worlds, but for the most part, have read as separate stories. Reaper finally brings the two together in the most awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping way possible, wringing the very essence from the word epic, mixing it in with shock, terror and joy, and making a bonfire of it centre-page. I had been waiting for this very moment without quite knowing what shape it would take, but just knowing it would be an amazing moment, and Will Wight rose to the challenge, delivering it with a perfect sense of occasion and timing and imbuing it with both the flair and gravitas it deserved.
Reaper is a perfect start to Cradle’s endgame. It delivers another fantastic story, progresses the overall arc, showcases how far everyone has come and ramps up the stakes exponentially. All this while dropping some revelatory BOMBS that had me tearfully smiling from ear to ear. I can hardly believe there are only two more books to go. I’m both exhilarated and sad that the end is in sight; I want to see the culmination of this brilliantly absorbing series, how it all ends, but I dread saying goodbye to the characters. Such is the way of great reading, unfortunately. Sigh. Que será, será. It’s been one hell of a journey.
“If we can’t use our power for this, why have it?” He looked from Eithan to Yerin, and he could feel a fire in his eyes even with no Blackflame. “I don’t want to win by giving something up. I want it all. I want all of it.”
• You can find this review and more at Novel Notions
November 3, 2021
5/5
Replacing Wintersteel as my favourite book in the series, Reaper is bloody brilliant...
It has everything I loved about the Cradle series. Bad ass progression sequence, Fast pacing, Some downtime before the battle, stunning battle sequences and the Reveals (Like.... Ohhhh shitt reveals)
I'm starting my reread soon... I can't get over it y'all..
Replacing Wintersteel as my favourite book in the series, Reaper is bloody brilliant...
It has everything I loved about the Cradle series. Bad ass progression sequence, Fast pacing, Some downtime before the battle, stunning battle sequences and the Reveals (Like.... Ohhhh shitt reveals)
I'm starting my reread soon... I can't get over it y'all..
April 6, 2022
I need my next fix
June 16, 2022
Buddy read with Snezana
Reaper is the 10th book in the Cradle series and now my favourite book in the series. I realise I’ve been saying that for the past three books and that’s because the series gets better with each book which I know sounds unrealistic but it’s totally true, just read it and you’ll know I’m right.
The events in this book started just where Bloodline ended. There was no time jump which was great. This book is just like the other books but better because it has more advanced level fight scenes, the fight scenes were so well depicted, both the ones on Cradle and the ones on Abidan. Then there’s the revelation, I did not see that coming, it blew my mind.
World building and Writing
The world building is one of the best I’ve ever read, it’s so realistic and it’s kind of like anime, with the sacred artist using techniques and all that. The writing is straight forward and fast paced, no info dumped and no rushing, it’s just perfect. The book is written in third person multiple POV.
Characters
The character development in this book is one of the best I’ve ever read, I imagine how they were in book 1 and their growth is not only admirable but realistic, they changed cause they grew but they remain true to who they are, power did not change them.
Lindon, Yerin and Eithan are my favourite characters in this series, I can’t pick one, all three have different personalities and they love each other. Lindon is someone who never gives up no matter the odds, he is also very smart. Then there’s Yerin the swordswoman, the best in the series, she is brave, will die for her friends, one of the best written female characters out there. Finally Eithan, he is so arrogant and can be annoying at times, he acts like he knows everything but he is also very nice and kind and look out for those he calls friends.
The other characters I like are Mercy, Ziel, Kelsa, Jai Long and the others are also great characters, even Reigan Shen, Malice and Northstrider.
Plot
When I read the blurb of this book, I didn’t know it was going to be this exciting. The Monarchs are squabbling amongst themselves unbeknownst to them that their world Cradle might be destroyed. Lindon and Eithan not one to ignore getting more information and soul smithing secrets delves into the Labyrinth, of course Yerin and co went along. It’s was awesome.
Reaper is the 10th book in the Cradle series and now my favourite book in the series. I realise I’ve been saying that for the past three books and that’s because the series gets better with each book which I know sounds unrealistic but it’s totally true, just read it and you’ll know I’m right.
The events in this book started just where Bloodline ended. There was no time jump which was great. This book is just like the other books but better because it has more advanced level fight scenes, the fight scenes were so well depicted, both the ones on Cradle and the ones on Abidan. Then there’s the revelation, I did not see that coming, it blew my mind.
World building and Writing
The world building is one of the best I’ve ever read, it’s so realistic and it’s kind of like anime, with the sacred artist using techniques and all that. The writing is straight forward and fast paced, no info dumped and no rushing, it’s just perfect. The book is written in third person multiple POV.
Characters
The character development in this book is one of the best I’ve ever read, I imagine how they were in book 1 and their growth is not only admirable but realistic, they changed cause they grew but they remain true to who they are, power did not change them.
Lindon, Yerin and Eithan are my favourite characters in this series, I can’t pick one, all three have different personalities and they love each other. Lindon is someone who never gives up no matter the odds, he is also very smart. Then there’s Yerin the swordswoman, the best in the series, she is brave, will die for her friends, one of the best written female characters out there. Finally Eithan, he is so arrogant and can be annoying at times, he acts like he knows everything but he is also very nice and kind and look out for those he calls friends.
The other characters I like are Mercy, Ziel, Kelsa, Jai Long and the others are also great characters, even Reigan Shen, Malice and Northstrider.
Plot
When I read the blurb of this book, I didn’t know it was going to be this exciting. The Monarchs are squabbling amongst themselves unbeknownst to them that their world Cradle might be destroyed. Lindon and Eithan not one to ignore getting more information and soul smithing secrets delves into the Labyrinth, of course Yerin and co went along. It’s was awesome.
![Profile Image for Anna [Bran. San. Stan].](https://cdn.statically.io/img/i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1593184464i/98245866._UX200_CR0,0,200,200_.jpg)
July 12, 2023
THIS. This is what I’ve been waiting for. Everything is coming together so beautifully.
Spoilers below!
NO, REALLY. Heavy SPOILERS!
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Onward!
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 – 4.75 stars
Spoilers below!
NO, REALLY. Heavy SPOILERS!
__________
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Onward!
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 – 4.75 stars
November 4, 2021
OH YES! This book was so good. It did so many things that I've been waiting for. This book ups the ante and I can't wait to see how this proceeds.
I was waiting for the beginning. Finally, Lindon and company finally got some time to live their lives. I loved every second of it. It was amazing. We got to see a little of the Sacred Valley people, now the sect of the Twin Stars learning about their new world. There are some new romances and I'm all in for one in particular.
My biggest complaint is that Mercy felt hollow. She comes and goes and really has very little in the book. I felt like she was transparent and not as well written as before. We see more of Ziel and he is quickly becoming one of my favorite people.
I do think the middle of the book drags a bit. After awhile, the fights seem to get repetitive. It's not till the 3rd act that it feels like the pace picks up. I was all for the Abidan story line finally connecting with the Cradle story.
The answers at the end. WOW! He did drop some good hints through the books, so I picked up on some of them. The ending is one of my favorites of the series. It's the biggest 'oh shit' moments while ending on a melancholy note in some ways.
Some Not so big Spoilers ahead (not talking about the ending here):
I am totally here for Kelsa and Jai Long. Cutest couple and I love Jai Long's reaction to it. We are left hanging and we don't know if Jai Long's face is better, same or worse.
Lindon's dad finally began to see who his son really was. That man is stubborn. It fits that world.
The Labyrinth seemed to be one long fight after another, sort of the same thing. I thought it was rather old, but I guess that's how it would be. That will be all different now and I can't wait to see what will happen with that.
Mercy had little dialogue and what she did have wasn't all that great. Mercy felt off and not totally there. I guess she is. Her mom is all twisting her up. I see trouble ahead in the end of the series.
Regan Shen is the new villain. Wow, that was a good fight between him and the gang. Speaking of the gang, I am wondering if Kelsa and Jai Long are going to be part of Lindon's gang. Jai Chen would make 7. The original 7 Abidan rose together from Cradle long ago and I can see the story get together 7 sacred artists to lift up to Silverlords or whatever comes off world. That is what I'm seeing for the story. Kelsa has a long way to go, but Lindon is trying to push her.
I did love seeing how the suppression field was running in Sacred Valley - that was awesome. Will had this world all figured out before he started this series. You can totally tell. He did his world building well.
Lastly, I loved that Suriel and Lindon once more got a chance to chat.
I think I need to reread it now.
I was waiting for the beginning. Finally, Lindon and company finally got some time to live their lives. I loved every second of it. It was amazing. We got to see a little of the Sacred Valley people, now the sect of the Twin Stars learning about their new world. There are some new romances and I'm all in for one in particular.
My biggest complaint is that Mercy felt hollow. She comes and goes and really has very little in the book. I felt like she was transparent and not as well written as before. We see more of Ziel and he is quickly becoming one of my favorite people.
I do think the middle of the book drags a bit. After awhile, the fights seem to get repetitive. It's not till the 3rd act that it feels like the pace picks up. I was all for the Abidan story line finally connecting with the Cradle story.
The answers at the end. WOW! He did drop some good hints through the books, so I picked up on some of them. The ending is one of my favorites of the series. It's the biggest 'oh shit' moments while ending on a melancholy note in some ways.
Some Not so big Spoilers ahead (not talking about the ending here):
I am totally here for Kelsa and Jai Long. Cutest couple and I love Jai Long's reaction to it. We are left hanging and we don't know if Jai Long's face is better, same or worse.
Lindon's dad finally began to see who his son really was. That man is stubborn. It fits that world.
The Labyrinth seemed to be one long fight after another, sort of the same thing. I thought it was rather old, but I guess that's how it would be. That will be all different now and I can't wait to see what will happen with that.
Mercy had little dialogue and what she did have wasn't all that great. Mercy felt off and not totally there. I guess she is. Her mom is all twisting her up. I see trouble ahead in the end of the series.
Regan Shen is the new villain. Wow, that was a good fight between him and the gang. Speaking of the gang, I am wondering if Kelsa and Jai Long are going to be part of Lindon's gang. Jai Chen would make 7. The original 7 Abidan rose together from Cradle long ago and I can see the story get together 7 sacred artists to lift up to Silverlords or whatever comes off world. That is what I'm seeing for the story. Kelsa has a long way to go, but Lindon is trying to push her.
I did love seeing how the suppression field was running in Sacred Valley - that was awesome. Will had this world all figured out before he started this series. You can totally tell. He did his world building well.
Lastly, I loved that Suriel and Lindon once more got a chance to chat.
I think I need to reread it now.
March 31, 2023
Lindon and company have managed to save Sacred Valley and drive off a Dreadgod. Even victory has its cost and the team all were forced to pay it in their own way. The time for rest has arrived, but before too much time has passed trouble raises its head again. The team is forced to enter the labyrinth to seek knowledge to destroy the Dreadgods, all while dealing with the labyrinth's defenses and enemy forces...forces on their radar and those in the heavens above.
For any long time reader of the Cradle series, you undoubtedly have many questions you are seeking the answer to. Reaper is the book of answers. Not every answer, but certainly the important ones. I'm blown away as I'm reflecting on all the events and information we learned. I will be rereading Reaper, likely soon.
Reaper was an excellent book. The beginning has a combination of loss and learning to live. To fight a Dreadgod below Archlord is a risky affair and the team is lucky to have survived. The losses weigh heavily though. I really enjoyed seeing Lindon be forced to wait and live for the first time since Unsouled. Sometimes there is no immediate way forward and Lindon is forced to admit that. Seeing his choices in this time was truly refreshing.
I enjoyed the character development for some of the characters in the book. Lindon was forced into being patient after his goal of saving Sacred Valley. This allowed him time to learn about and become more in tune with his icon. I love to see how much he grows. Ziel is forced to look towards as his spirit mends. I enjoy Ziel as a character and I was glad to witness some change in him. Mercy learns more about who she is outside her mother. I feel for her, the expectations for her have been too great and she's so different from Malice. Jai Long learns he doesn't know everything and it's fun to see it. Kelsa is great even though she's weak. Her candidness is truly enjoyable to witness. That's not even mentioning Little Blue and Orthos, but that's best left to the book.
I wouldn't say there was anything I disliked, I just wanted more. I wanted more side characters to appear, if only to have some key moments. I wanted more key moments from all the side characters. I wanted to see Lindon's parents more than we did. I would have liked more time from Yerin's perspective as it felt as though she was shortchanged in Reaper. I was simply hungry for more.
Reaper was truly excellent and I continue to be impressed by Will Wight's writing. I can't wait to reread Reaper and to see what Will Wight writes next.
For any long time reader of the Cradle series, you undoubtedly have many questions you are seeking the answer to. Reaper is the book of answers. Not every answer, but certainly the important ones. I'm blown away as I'm reflecting on all the events and information we learned. I will be rereading Reaper, likely soon.
Reaper was an excellent book. The beginning has a combination of loss and learning to live. To fight a Dreadgod below Archlord is a risky affair and the team is lucky to have survived. The losses weigh heavily though. I really enjoyed seeing Lindon be forced to wait and live for the first time since Unsouled. Sometimes there is no immediate way forward and Lindon is forced to admit that. Seeing his choices in this time was truly refreshing.
I enjoyed the character development for some of the characters in the book. Lindon was forced into being patient after his goal of saving Sacred Valley. This allowed him time to learn about and become more in tune with his icon. I love to see how much he grows. Ziel is forced to look towards as his spirit mends. I enjoy Ziel as a character and I was glad to witness some change in him. Mercy learns more about who she is outside her mother. I feel for her, the expectations for her have been too great and she's so different from Malice. Jai Long learns he doesn't know everything and it's fun to see it. Kelsa is great even though she's weak. Her candidness is truly enjoyable to witness. That's not even mentioning Little Blue and Orthos, but that's best left to the book.
I wouldn't say there was anything I disliked, I just wanted more. I wanted more side characters to appear, if only to have some key moments. I wanted more key moments from all the side characters. I wanted to see Lindon's parents more than we did. I would have liked more time from Yerin's perspective as it felt as though she was shortchanged in Reaper. I was simply hungry for more.
Reaper was truly excellent and I continue to be impressed by Will Wight's writing. I can't wait to reread Reaper and to see what Will Wight writes next.
September 14, 2024
5.0 stars---
Reaper is in my top five all time, with satisfying character arcs, top notch action, and humor everywhere, it’s solidified as my favorite installment of the Cradle series.
If you’re a fan of the first 9 books, you’ll love this one too. The revelations made in Reaper have implications for the earlier books, and am looking forward to a reread of the series right before book 11 comes out now that I know the more of the backstory and some secrets were explained.
I would highly recommend this series to anyone that likes fantasy, action, and lighthearted humor.
Reaper is in my top five all time, with satisfying character arcs, top notch action, and humor everywhere, it’s solidified as my favorite installment of the Cradle series.
If you’re a fan of the first 9 books, you’ll love this one too. The revelations made in Reaper have implications for the earlier books, and am looking forward to a reread of the series right before book 11 comes out now that I know the more of the backstory and some secrets were explained.
I would highly recommend this series to anyone that likes fantasy, action, and lighthearted humor.
February 2, 2022
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Unsouled ★★★ 3/4
Soulsmith ★★★ 1/2
Blackflame ★★★★
Skysworn ★★★★ 1/4
Ghostwater ★★★★
Underlord ★★★★ 1/4
Uncrowned ★★★★ 1/2
Wintersteel ★★★★ 1/2
Bloodline ★★★★
Reaper ★★★★ 1/4
Progression fantasy at its best! The way this series has been progressing is crazy good! The book currently has a 4.82 stars average rating which makes my 4.25 stars look bad! I believe this is one of the best books in the series and if I had more time to re-read the previous books I would have even enjoyed it even more!
Wight’s prose is as sharp as usual while being witty, humorous and full of action! The battle scenes in this book were excellent and they had me holding my breath with anticipation.
It is a complex world but at the same time, things were revealed slowly and in digestible chunks which make following the story easy. I have a bad memory for details specially if I can not visualize them so I know I missed a few things but nothing major! It is funny how we used to see Golds as powerful in the first few books and now everyone is just on a whole different level and the magic keeps getting better.
Lindon, Yerin, Mercy and Eithan all show development in this book. I can not say much about the characters because of spoilers but Eithan was always my favorite character of the story and this just cemented that! The revelations in this book are mind-blowing and I know the finale left everyone in awe!
Summary: I find it hard to review this without spoiling it so I am keeping it short. It was a great book that took everything to the next level (Pun intended). I know this will be many reader’s favorite in the series and that makes me very happy! After finishing this one, I wanted to pick up the series from book one and re-read it again. I can not wait for book 11!!!
“Fate, as she understood it, was only a tendency for things to happen a certain way.”
Unsouled ★★★ 3/4
Soulsmith ★★★ 1/2
Blackflame ★★★★
Skysworn ★★★★ 1/4
Ghostwater ★★★★
Underlord ★★★★ 1/4
Uncrowned ★★★★ 1/2
Wintersteel ★★★★ 1/2
Bloodline ★★★★
Reaper ★★★★ 1/4
Progression fantasy at its best! The way this series has been progressing is crazy good! The book currently has a 4.82 stars average rating which makes my 4.25 stars look bad! I believe this is one of the best books in the series and if I had more time to re-read the previous books I would have even enjoyed it even more!
Wight’s prose is as sharp as usual while being witty, humorous and full of action! The battle scenes in this book were excellent and they had me holding my breath with anticipation.
It is a complex world but at the same time, things were revealed slowly and in digestible chunks which make following the story easy. I have a bad memory for details specially if I can not visualize them so I know I missed a few things but nothing major! It is funny how we used to see Golds as powerful in the first few books and now everyone is just on a whole different level and the magic keeps getting better.
Lindon, Yerin, Mercy and Eithan all show development in this book. I can not say much about the characters because of spoilers but Eithan was always my favorite character of the story and this just cemented that! The revelations in this book are mind-blowing and I know the finale left everyone in awe!
Summary: I find it hard to review this without spoiling it so I am keeping it short. It was a great book that took everything to the next level (Pun intended). I know this will be many reader’s favorite in the series and that makes me very happy! After finishing this one, I wanted to pick up the series from book one and re-read it again. I can not wait for book 11!!!
February 7, 2024
“Accepting an unpleasant situation you are powerless to change is not treachery, it is maturity.”
Eithan was Ozriel in hiding. I never would've guessed that. What a great reveal, but man I'm gonna miss him being with the crew. I'm hoping Lindon and everyone can break him out of prison. But who knows, there's only two books left.
Such a great book,and answered quite a few questions about the world, I loved it. It was one big dungeon crawl and it was great. I'm also curious how Lindon plans to fix the world and the Monarch/Dreadgod issue. It seems like everyone is going to be trying to force each other to ascend by force, so that'll be interesting. No idea where the story is going to go from there though.
Also, I absolutely loved the Reigan Shen battles, he's so overpowered with endless weapons. That was great.
Eithan was Ozriel in hiding. I never would've guessed that. What a great reveal, but man I'm gonna miss him being with the crew. I'm hoping Lindon and everyone can break him out of prison. But who knows, there's only two books left.
Such a great book,and answered quite a few questions about the world, I loved it. It was one big dungeon crawl and it was great. I'm also curious how Lindon plans to fix the world and the Monarch/Dreadgod issue. It seems like everyone is going to be trying to force each other to ascend by force, so that'll be interesting. No idea where the story is going to go from there though.
Also, I absolutely loved the Reigan Shen battles, he's so overpowered with endless weapons. That was great.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2022
You know when that big reveal isn't a huge reveal but is much, much bigger than expected and yet it satisfies oh so much?
Yeah. That one. We get that in this book. :)
I personally loved seeing the aftermath and re-build sequence after the big battle in the previous book, loved the new labyrinth even more, considering what it consisted of, and was properly enthralled by the monarchs.
But the end... yeah. The end really puts scale to it all. :)
Yeah. That one. We get that in this book. :)
I personally loved seeing the aftermath and re-build sequence after the big battle in the previous book, loved the new labyrinth even more, considering what it consisted of, and was properly enthralled by the monarchs.
But the end... yeah. The end really puts scale to it all. :)
November 29, 2021
INSANELY BRILLIANT. THE BEST. Of the entire series. Though only so far, because I swear the fantastic quality seems to get surpassed almost in every next installment, which still struck me with dumbfounded amazement and total admiration each freaking time.
November 7, 2021
Three stars for the book and the adrenaline rush. An additional star just for Eithan. But perhaps, I should be saying [Information redacted]
May 22, 2022
This is really 3.75/5. I loved the beginning, the end had some very interesting reveals, but boy did the middle DRAG. FULL RTC
January 24, 2024
ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH THE LAST 20 PAGES OF THIS HOLY SHIT
December 28, 2023
This was amazing! We finally get much some needed answers which got me screamingggg. The plot was tight too. Loved that our characters finally had a chance to breathe. I still mourn the loss of Dross heavily but I’m excited to see where this goes!
August 7, 2021
Great writer, the cradle series is worth the read. When I read his books its like a movie in my head. the next book can't come soon enough!
March 21, 2022
I just realized I never wrote a review for this, but it's been a long time so like....this book was really, really good, and made me want to reread the entire series. Without a doubt, Will Wight has had a plan from the beginning and this book really plays for keeps. Bring on Dreadgod!
September 18, 2023
5/5
Despite a fairly shaky middle, Reaper reaches insane heights due to not only its opening but the books tremendous climactic ending especially. There’s so many incredible reveals and developments that shake up the foundation of this series. It makes me want to go back and reread (or rather listen to the Travis Baldree audiobooks this time round) now that I have all this information and look at the story armed with this insight as well to see what else I can pick up on.
Tremendous story. Cradle is an all timer for me for sure.
Despite a fairly shaky middle, Reaper reaches insane heights due to not only its opening but the books tremendous climactic ending especially. There’s so many incredible reveals and developments that shake up the foundation of this series. It makes me want to go back and reread (or rather listen to the Travis Baldree audiobooks this time round) now that I have all this information and look at the story armed with this insight as well to see what else I can pick up on.
Tremendous story. Cradle is an all timer for me for sure.
November 5, 2021
Excellent! One of the best in the series!
Update: So I guess I should actually write a review. The story in this one progressed a lot more than the previous novel. As far as story progression this is probably the most of any in this series. I just read all of them and the only one that might be close is Wintersteel. There are some parts that were glossed over like a certain progression in advancement that was just lackluster. This entire series has started to include an absolute ton of characters and most of those are characters that are interesting and we want to learn about. Unfortunately these novels aren't 800 pages every time so the individual character development just isn't there. We get plenty of Lindon and some quantity of Yerin. A lot of development for Eithan, and some for Suriel. Little blue is largely ignored and so is Dross, Orthos is a side character at this point, and so is Ziel. Sure you get some content from them, but it isn't real progression. Yerin was such an MC in Wintersteel that I now miss that level of detail in the rest of the books. These books sort of choose an MC and stick with that one. I don't know if this is due to Will being on a time limit, or if he just doesn't like to write long novels, but that is the only real criticism. I love this entire series and I got the long awaited focus on Eithan and his backstory that is long overdue. The in depth look at the Dreadgods and their background was excellent as well. Pretty much all of the content was meaningful and necessary, there wasn't a lot of fluff at all and everything worked well with the previous books to come to a great conclusion by the end of the book. Like I said I loved it! Wish it was longer, but overall it was exactly what I wanted and have come to expect. I read a few chapters waiting on the Audiobook release, and everything was well edited. As usual Travis was excellent!
Update: So I guess I should actually write a review. The story in this one progressed a lot more than the previous novel. As far as story progression this is probably the most of any in this series. I just read all of them and the only one that might be close is Wintersteel. There are some parts that were glossed over like a certain progression in advancement that was just lackluster. This entire series has started to include an absolute ton of characters and most of those are characters that are interesting and we want to learn about. Unfortunately these novels aren't 800 pages every time so the individual character development just isn't there. We get plenty of Lindon and some quantity of Yerin. A lot of development for Eithan, and some for Suriel. Little blue is largely ignored and so is Dross, Orthos is a side character at this point, and so is Ziel. Sure you get some content from them, but it isn't real progression. Yerin was such an MC in Wintersteel that I now miss that level of detail in the rest of the books. These books sort of choose an MC and stick with that one. I don't know if this is due to Will being on a time limit, or if he just doesn't like to write long novels, but that is the only real criticism. I love this entire series and I got the long awaited focus on Eithan and his backstory that is long overdue. The in depth look at the Dreadgods and their background was excellent as well. Pretty much all of the content was meaningful and necessary, there wasn't a lot of fluff at all and everything worked well with the previous books to come to a great conclusion by the end of the book. Like I said I loved it! Wish it was longer, but overall it was exactly what I wanted and have come to expect. I read a few chapters waiting on the Audiobook release, and everything was well edited. As usual Travis was excellent!
February 18, 2022
Please let us know when we can expect book 10 “Reaper” ? Can’t wait!
November 3, 2021
Packed with action, and a twisted surprise towards the end. I enjoyed it. The fights were epic, especially those between the Abidan and the Mad King. Also, there are certain revelations regarding the Aurelius family, and Ozriel the Abidan. This should be made into a television series, because it is so cinematic in style and execution. Somehow this series always reminds me of Dragonball and the anime Record of Ragnarok.
June 10, 2023
Amazing narration by Travis Baldree. he is a prodigy.
As for the story, I enjoyed it. I read this series because it’s brainless and free on kindle unlimited, and I do like Yerin’s smart-ass but straightforward speech patterns. Hilarious. I like all the main characters, and secondaries like Jai Chen and her brother. And Kelsa. etc etc
On the downside, the characters have too much power. Boring. And they rarely act like normal human beings. They rarely eat meals alone or together, being glad for hot grub after a long hard day of training or battle or whatever. When they’re wounded, they don’t seem to feel it for long anymore. It doesn’t feel authentic. They rarely spend time together in any recreational noncombat-related activities. They fight against absurdly ridiculous odds — dreadgods, for example, and monarchs. I preferred the earlier books, where the goal was more reasonable, the battle more manageable, the threat more in balance.
The antagonist is Regain Shen. I will happily spit on his grave. The enemy before Shen was Jai Long (he’s got layers), seconded by Jai Daishou, and the raging ego, Prince Daji.
Now, I can only assume that the future holds more of the same, advancing another level in each book, only out in the universe, in THE WAY, fighting ascended beings of supreme power. Fight scenes go on too long for me.
It could become interesting again, depending on how Wight handles the Abidan judges and Ozriel. And how he handles Northstrider, Akura Malice, etc. Also, I’d like to get to the bottom of the whole labyrinth and abidan history asap. Where is the creator Azriel? Why were the first generation Abidan killed?
As for the story, I enjoyed it. I read this series because it’s brainless and free on kindle unlimited, and I do like Yerin’s smart-ass but straightforward speech patterns. Hilarious. I like all the main characters, and secondaries like Jai Chen and her brother. And Kelsa. etc etc
On the downside, the characters have too much power. Boring. And they rarely act like normal human beings. They rarely eat meals alone or together, being glad for hot grub after a long hard day of training or battle or whatever. When they’re wounded, they don’t seem to feel it for long anymore. It doesn’t feel authentic. They rarely spend time together in any recreational noncombat-related activities. They fight against absurdly ridiculous odds — dreadgods, for example, and monarchs. I preferred the earlier books, where the goal was more reasonable, the battle more manageable, the threat more in balance.
The antagonist is Regain Shen. I will happily spit on his grave. The enemy before Shen was Jai Long (he’s got layers), seconded by Jai Daishou, and the raging ego, Prince Daji.
Now, I can only assume that the future holds more of the same, advancing another level in each book, only out in the universe, in THE WAY, fighting ascended beings of supreme power. Fight scenes go on too long for me.
It could become interesting again, depending on how Wight handles the Abidan judges and Ozriel. And how he handles Northstrider, Akura Malice, etc. Also, I’d like to get to the bottom of the whole labyrinth and abidan history asap. Where is the creator Azriel? Why were the first generation Abidan killed?
November 7, 2021
11/07/21 Notes:
1st Audio Run - Listened to it a few times because there's a lot going on.
Almost 5 Stars! I would not be surprised if I up it to 5 on the next re-read. =)
Lots of active sequences, great follow up from the last book, hilarious moments that are more funny by the end of the book and looking forward to the next book. =D
1st Audio Run - Listened to it a few times because there's a lot going on.
Almost 5 Stars! I would not be surprised if I up it to 5 on the next re-read. =)
Lots of active sequences, great follow up from the last book, hilarious moments that are more funny by the end of the book and looking forward to the next book. =D
April 11, 2024
Reread: My favorite Cradle book. Definitely. It is just so good.
Wow .....what? So many reveals. So much action. It was so good. I wish I could talk about this book, but I do not want to spoil anything. It is just so amazing, particularly the last 20% or so. So many things I didn't see coming. So many awesome moments. I really enjoyed this book. This series is definitely one of my absolute favorites of all time now, and I understand the people that say they look forward to the next Cradle book over the next Stormlight Archives. I can't believe to admit this, but I agree. I....hunger for the next book.
The only complaint I have about this book is I wish there was more time with Lindon's family. Seriously, my complaint is that the slow part of the book is not long enough! I hope they show up more in the next.
Wow .....what? So many reveals. So much action. It was so good. I wish I could talk about this book, but I do not want to spoil anything. It is just so amazing, particularly the last 20% or so. So many things I didn't see coming. So many awesome moments. I really enjoyed this book. This series is definitely one of my absolute favorites of all time now, and I understand the people that say they look forward to the next Cradle book over the next Stormlight Archives. I can't believe to admit this, but I agree. I....hunger for the next book.
The only complaint I have about this book is I wish there was more time with Lindon's family. Seriously, my complaint is that the slow part of the book is not long enough! I hope they show up more in the next.
May 20, 2022
I have never read books with such incredible endings as the Cradle series! Reaper takes everything that has already been insanely epic and takes it to even more epic levels of epicness.
Sorry, this is a bit incoherent.
I was almost in tears at points, and my jaw hit the floor at others. I don't know how Will Wight does it, but he consistently raises stakes, connects far-weaving plot threads, expands and worldbuilds, and does it all so elegantly it seems simple. Characters are amazing. Fights are amazing. Lore is amazing. Pacing is amazing.
AND ORTHOS IS THE MOST AMAZING OF ALL.
Such an amazing, amazing series!! I cannot wait for book #11!!!
Sorry, this is a bit incoherent.
I was almost in tears at points, and my jaw hit the floor at others. I don't know how Will Wight does it, but he consistently raises stakes, connects far-weaving plot threads, expands and worldbuilds, and does it all so elegantly it seems simple. Characters are amazing. Fights are amazing. Lore is amazing. Pacing is amazing.
AND ORTHOS IS THE MOST AMAZING OF ALL.
Such an amazing, amazing series!! I cannot wait for book #11!!!
May 14, 2023
Throughout my journey with Cradle I’ve noticed a few trends.
1. The magic system has extremely blurred edges, and the power levels are too unclear. Its’ rules are sometimes inconsistent. This sometimes leads to feeling anything from “What is this bullshit?” to “This is cool and epic!” to “Okay, this is just ridiculous.” Do oath’s really bind people or not? Does goldsteel really stop magic or not? Can an archlord and 5 other lords really not beat a monarch with drained madra and a malnourished body?” Will has not learned how to drive soft magic with much deftness.
2. Will is a better writer when he focuses only on the most exciting scenes, situations, and elements. All of his books, with the exception of ‘The Captain,’ that are over 400 pages have been bloated, and not as tight as his books need to be.
3. Will has not learned how to write twists yet. He telegraphed wayyy too much and I’d be surprised if anyone didn’t see what was coming.
4. Will likes writing filler scenes. Cradle is not a slice of life story, so writing scenes with no action, revelation, or character discovery is useless.
5. Will leaves out and skips over a lot of detail that is important to the story. How did 5 Lords survive a month in a labyrinth without eating? Oh, let’s write about crafting a world crushing weapon in a magical room of forge implements for 20 pages, and then not describe any of its’ abilities…and then have the creator whip it out 20 minutes into a battle and throw it into a void. Why was I supposed to care about that weapon again? I don’t even know what it did!
6. Will struggles with pov writing. Sometimes he starts telling a story with a simple introduction then says nothing else in that pov for 700 pages before just getting rid of the pov entirely. His timing is also off and left me hanging multiple times by switching to a far less interesting POV. And sometimes, he switches POV’s wayyyy too much and it just feels broken and stuttered.
I found all of these problems in Reaper.
And I somehow am still giving this one 2 stars.
For as flawed as this book is, I’m still really excited to see the story come together and begin to wrap up. I like where everything is going. Also, the jokes and bloopers were absolute 🔥.
But still…
That Reigan Shen fight was so stupid. 🤦♂️
1. The magic system has extremely blurred edges, and the power levels are too unclear. Its’ rules are sometimes inconsistent. This sometimes leads to feeling anything from “What is this bullshit?” to “This is cool and epic!” to “Okay, this is just ridiculous.” Do oath’s really bind people or not? Does goldsteel really stop magic or not? Can an archlord and 5 other lords really not beat a monarch with drained madra and a malnourished body?” Will has not learned how to drive soft magic with much deftness.
2. Will is a better writer when he focuses only on the most exciting scenes, situations, and elements. All of his books, with the exception of ‘The Captain,’ that are over 400 pages have been bloated, and not as tight as his books need to be.
3. Will has not learned how to write twists yet. He telegraphed wayyy too much and I’d be surprised if anyone didn’t see what was coming.
4. Will likes writing filler scenes. Cradle is not a slice of life story, so writing scenes with no action, revelation, or character discovery is useless.
5. Will leaves out and skips over a lot of detail that is important to the story. How did 5 Lords survive a month in a labyrinth without eating? Oh, let’s write about crafting a world crushing weapon in a magical room of forge implements for 20 pages, and then not describe any of its’ abilities…and then have the creator whip it out 20 minutes into a battle and throw it into a void. Why was I supposed to care about that weapon again? I don’t even know what it did!
6. Will struggles with pov writing. Sometimes he starts telling a story with a simple introduction then says nothing else in that pov for 700 pages before just getting rid of the pov entirely. His timing is also off and left me hanging multiple times by switching to a far less interesting POV. And sometimes, he switches POV’s wayyyy too much and it just feels broken and stuttered.
I found all of these problems in Reaper.
And I somehow am still giving this one 2 stars.
For as flawed as this book is, I’m still really excited to see the story come together and begin to wrap up. I like where everything is going. Also, the jokes and bloopers were absolute 🔥.
But still…
That Reigan Shen fight was so stupid. 🤦♂️
June 12, 2023
'Reaper' (Cradle #10) by Will Wight.
Status: First Read.
Dates Read: 22nd January to 24th January 2022.
Rating: 4.75/5.
Review:
Whoa. Awesome!
This book was satisfying on so many levels. The driving purpose behind Lindon's advancement was to save the Sacred Valley, and he did it (in a way) 8 books after 'Unsouled'. With that arc tackled in 'Bloodline', I was excited to see what the rest of the books had in store for us readers. And oh man, Will Wight never ceases to amaze us.
The book does have some weaknesses:
1) It begins with the aftermath of the last book, and we get some quiet casual moments among our main characters. While I appreciated those parts, it felt like most of those individual moments were just introduced for the sake of it but were not connected. I loved the casual life moments in 'Wintersteel', and although this attempt was amazing, it still failed to live up to the standards set by 'Wintersteel'.
2) Akura Mercy is one of my favorite characters in the Cradle-verse, and it felt like she was underutilized in this book. She had her moments, but something was missing about her. It was as if the Mercy in this book was a different version of Mercy pre-Reaper.
Feels like I'm nitpicking too much, but that's it when it comes to this book's weaknesses.
Because when this book gets going, it really gets going. The action ramps up, and the stakes get higher as the book progresses. Some of the humorous moments in the book were quite epic.
What could I say about the reveals? I had a theory going on since the second book, and I was glad it got confirmed in this book. I appreciate the effort Will Wight put in; he had been so subtle while placing those hints throughout the series to THAT reveal. There's also another reveal regarding the dreadgods and the Monarchs that blew my mind.
I loved Lindon's character development throughout this book. Since Ghostwater, Lindon had been too dependent on Dross. Will Wight ended up giving a handicap to Lindon in this book that proved that Lindon can still be awesome even without Dross' help.
Special shoutout to Ziel, who is slowly becoming one of my favorite characters. His disinterest resonates with me on a spiritual level.
I could go on and on about the series. I'm really glad that I finally decided to give this series a chance. But I'm equally gloomy because now I'll have to wait for the next two books in the series. The only consolation is that I have learned that Will Wight's other two series ('The Elder Empire' and 'Traveler's Gate') are set in the Cradle-verse as well. I plan to read those soon as well.
And you know what would have made this book a 5-star read (in my opinion) despite the weaknesses? It would have been amusing if we would have got the perspectives of those characters who kicked that guy after THAT reveal (considering every person saw that in the end).
📚 📚 📚 📚 📚 📚 📚
Status: Second Read.
Dates Read: 8th June to 12th June 2023.
Rating: 4.5/5.
Review:
'Reaper' is, inarguably, yet another fantastic entry in the Cradle series. Being next in line after two magnificent Cradle books ('Wintersteel' and 'Bloodline'), it simply pales in comparison with those tomes of perfection. Although a great book on its own, it lacks the oomph factor of its predecessors.
Since I had already read this book last year, I was able to evaluate the book a bit more precisely without being blindsided by the reveal towards the very end of the book. The book begins with the aftermath of the events of the previous book, and it takes a significant number of chapters to get going. The starting was slow, and although I wasn't bored to bits by it, I wanted things to speed up (as one would expect from a usual Cradle book). There are a lot of personal moments in the beginning, and while I appreciate those being a part of the narrative, they didn't feel as impactful as the personal scenes in the earlier two books.
But once you wade through the initial slower bits, the book does get going. The action ramps up, the stakes are raised, and there is an onslaught of fast-paced action scenes. There are some brilliant team-building moments that I appreciated – the group evolves from being companions to a closely-knit group of friends.
The fast-paced narrative is interspersed with frequent info-dumps. These don't feel like unnecessary and frustrating additions but instead, they enhance the narrative by giving us a closer glimpse at Ozriel's history. We also get to know more about the secrets of the Labyrinth and the origins of the Dreadgods. Ultimately, these info-dumps do succeed at establishing the end goal of the series.
It is time to address the elephant in the room ("Shhh... I'm not talking about you, Del'rek of the Shann!"). Yeah, you guessed it right – the Ozriel reveal! I joined the Cradle (re)read-along not only because of the upcoming 'Waybound' book release but also because I wanted to catch all the subtle hints in the earlier books leading to the Ozriel reveal. As such, I take great pleasure in admitting that I was triumphant in my mission. Being forewarned of the reveal, I was able to pry out all the subtle hints and foreshadowing leading up to the ultimate reveal. Even after knowing Ozriel's alternate identity (thanks to my first read), I was able to completely enjoy the reveal this time around as well. With the immediate climactic fight between Ozriel and the Mad King, the reveal gives an explosive ending to the book. Furthermore, the aftermath of the reveal packs a punch in the guts that makes you want to pick up the next book as soon as possible.
Overall, 'Reaper' was a great read. It might not be as good as 'Wintersteel' and 'Bloodline', but you can't expect godly perfection from every Cradle book. Nonetheless, it is a highly entertaining book on its own – packed with some great character moments, intense action scenes, high stakes, mind-boggling reveals, hilarious instances, and scenes of emotional turmoil. If you still haven't started reading this series, now is the perfect time to do so! Just pick up the first book and join on this amazing journey with Lindon and his friends.
📚 📚 📚 📚 📚 📚 📚
Status: First Read.
Dates Read: 22nd January to 24th January 2022.
"We have stared into the abyss and lived to tell the tale,” Ziel said. “I’m going to sleep."
Rating: 4.75/5.
Review:
Whoa. Awesome!
This book was satisfying on so many levels. The driving purpose behind Lindon's advancement was to save the Sacred Valley, and he did it (in a way) 8 books after 'Unsouled'. With that arc tackled in 'Bloodline', I was excited to see what the rest of the books had in store for us readers. And oh man, Will Wight never ceases to amaze us.
The book does have some weaknesses:
1) It begins with the aftermath of the last book, and we get some quiet casual moments among our main characters. While I appreciated those parts, it felt like most of those individual moments were just introduced for the sake of it but were not connected. I loved the casual life moments in 'Wintersteel', and although this attempt was amazing, it still failed to live up to the standards set by 'Wintersteel'.
2) Akura Mercy is one of my favorite characters in the Cradle-verse, and it felt like she was underutilized in this book. She had her moments, but something was missing about her. It was as if the Mercy in this book was a different version of Mercy pre-Reaper.
Feels like I'm nitpicking too much, but that's it when it comes to this book's weaknesses.
Because when this book gets going, it really gets going. The action ramps up, and the stakes get higher as the book progresses. Some of the humorous moments in the book were quite epic.
What could I say about the reveals? I had a theory going on since the second book, and I was glad it got confirmed in this book. I appreciate the effort Will Wight put in; he had been so subtle while placing those hints throughout the series to THAT reveal. There's also another reveal regarding the dreadgods and the Monarchs that blew my mind.
I loved Lindon's character development throughout this book. Since Ghostwater, Lindon had been too dependent on Dross. Will Wight ended up giving a handicap to Lindon in this book that proved that Lindon can still be awesome even without Dross' help.
Special shoutout to Ziel, who is slowly becoming one of my favorite characters. His disinterest resonates with me on a spiritual level.
I could go on and on about the series. I'm really glad that I finally decided to give this series a chance. But I'm equally gloomy because now I'll have to wait for the next two books in the series. The only consolation is that I have learned that Will Wight's other two series ('The Elder Empire' and 'Traveler's Gate') are set in the Cradle-verse as well. I plan to read those soon as well.
And you know what would have made this book a 5-star read (in my opinion) despite the weaknesses? It would have been amusing if we would have got the perspectives of those characters who kicked that guy after THAT reveal (considering every person saw that in the end).
📚 📚 📚 📚 📚 📚 📚
Status: Second Read.
Dates Read: 8th June to 12th June 2023.
Rating: 4.5/5.
Review:
'Reaper' is, inarguably, yet another fantastic entry in the Cradle series. Being next in line after two magnificent Cradle books ('Wintersteel' and 'Bloodline'), it simply pales in comparison with those tomes of perfection. Although a great book on its own, it lacks the oomph factor of its predecessors.
Since I had already read this book last year, I was able to evaluate the book a bit more precisely without being blindsided by the reveal towards the very end of the book. The book begins with the aftermath of the events of the previous book, and it takes a significant number of chapters to get going. The starting was slow, and although I wasn't bored to bits by it, I wanted things to speed up (as one would expect from a usual Cradle book). There are a lot of personal moments in the beginning, and while I appreciate those being a part of the narrative, they didn't feel as impactful as the personal scenes in the earlier two books.
But once you wade through the initial slower bits, the book does get going. The action ramps up, the stakes are raised, and there is an onslaught of fast-paced action scenes. There are some brilliant team-building moments that I appreciated – the group evolves from being companions to a closely-knit group of friends.
The fast-paced narrative is interspersed with frequent info-dumps. These don't feel like unnecessary and frustrating additions but instead, they enhance the narrative by giving us a closer glimpse at Ozriel's history. We also get to know more about the secrets of the Labyrinth and the origins of the Dreadgods. Ultimately, these info-dumps do succeed at establishing the end goal of the series.
It is time to address the elephant in the room ("Shhh... I'm not talking about you, Del'rek of the Shann!"). Yeah, you guessed it right – the Ozriel reveal! I joined the Cradle (re)read-along not only because of the upcoming 'Waybound' book release but also because I wanted to catch all the subtle hints in the earlier books leading to the Ozriel reveal. As such, I take great pleasure in admitting that I was triumphant in my mission. Being forewarned of the reveal, I was able to pry out all the subtle hints and foreshadowing leading up to the ultimate reveal. Even after knowing Ozriel's alternate identity (thanks to my first read), I was able to completely enjoy the reveal this time around as well. With the immediate climactic fight between Ozriel and the Mad King, the reveal gives an explosive ending to the book. Furthermore, the aftermath of the reveal packs a punch in the guts that makes you want to pick up the next book as soon as possible.
Overall, 'Reaper' was a great read. It might not be as good as 'Wintersteel' and 'Bloodline', but you can't expect godly perfection from every Cradle book. Nonetheless, it is a highly entertaining book on its own – packed with some great character moments, intense action scenes, high stakes, mind-boggling reveals, hilarious instances, and scenes of emotional turmoil. If you still haven't started reading this series, now is the perfect time to do so! Just pick up the first book and join on this amazing journey with Lindon and his friends.
📚 📚 📚 📚 📚 📚 📚
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