Coming Up Next on the Will Wight Channel

4/16/2021

I know you always want to know exactly when the next book is coming out, but I'm allergic to commitment, so how about a rough plan instead?

Now that Bloodline has been tossed out into the wilds of Amazon to fend for itself, I'll be working on Cradle 10. I can't be sure when I'll finish that, because the Parrot Who Sees the Future will no longer speak to me, but typically Cradle books tend to come out about 6-7 months after the last one.

That's not a commitment on my part, just an observation. Don't mark your calendars just yet.

After that, depending on how much time Cradle 10 took me, I'll either immediately dive into Cradle 11 or start something shiny and new.

It's been five years since I've written a new series, and I'm looking forward to it!

Either way, it's looking like Cradle 12 will be the endpoint, after which we abandon Lindon and company to their own devices. I'd like to have a new series begun before then, but if that doesn't work, oh well.

If the "new thing" is the second Traveler's Gate trilogy, then great! Whatever I begin after that will be more original.

If it isn't, then I'll go back to Traveler's Gate afterwards.

...at least, that's the plan.

But without the divine support of the Parrot Who Sees the Future, how secure can any mortal plans be?

-Will

72 Comments

Jeremiah

4/16/2021 07:15:50 am

I'll take whatever comes, as you well know. I'm looking forward to Cradle 10-12, or Travelers Blade or that paranormal detective romance set in Victorian London that you keep hinting at!

Francisco

4/16/2021 07:21:44 am

I have your parrot. He just keeps squawking, "the end is near!" And demanding oreos.

Benjamin

4/17/2021 09:54:30 pm

yeah i can hear him from accross the street. can you quiet him down a bit? thanks.

Grumpy

4/16/2021 07:26:32 am

I cannot wait to read your new work! <insert fan girl screaming> Cradle 11 in 6-7 months</end fan girl screaming>

FrenchCowboy

4/16/2021 07:36:45 am

Do you know if the story you write will be within the Willverse/Wayverse? Also, goodluck with the next book.

Replier

4/16/2021 01:56:56 pm

I think that so far all of Wills books are in the Willverse. So the next ones he writes will most likely be as well

Alex

5/6/2021 12:29:22 pm

I'd love to see a 'origins of the Abidan' series or something of that nature...rise of the vroshir?

Aluteyn

4/16/2021 07:37:09 am

I don't think I'll ever be ready to say goodbye to Lindon, Yerin, and the gang. :(

Summer

4/16/2021 08:58:16 am

I feel the same way!

Alistair

4/19/2021 09:48:35 pm

yes I am prepared to hold said parrot hostage for more cradle books. I just love them so much!

Adam Johnson

4/20/2021 10:13:52 am

I know. Weve grown so much with them. Sign of a great story when you want to stay with the characters forever

Bolt

4/22/2021 04:57:08 pm

I'll be sad to see Lindon go although I'm honestly that attached to Yerin. I'd say reorder that statement as "I'll miss Lindon, Mercy, Ethan and the gang." Yerin is just the +1.

Kolai

4/16/2021 07:53:34 am

Travelers Gateeeeee sequeeeeel ! Also thanks for the update

Dovi

4/16/2021 07:56:29 am

Bittersweet news. As with all good series, you want to see the characters' story explored and detailed, their adventures richly imagined and ongoing. So, y'know, adding another book or five to the Cradle plan won't get much pushback from us washed, well-read, and polite masses.

On the other hand, very excited to see what's next. I read Traveler's Gate back in the day and devoured Cradle these past few years. Looking back at your earlier work, your writing is now much more nuanced and ideas polished. Interested to see what the next series holds!

Madeline

4/17/2021 12:03:02 pm

I really hope that after Lindon's story is told, Will returns to Cradle to continue more characters' stories. We've met so many fascinating minor characters over the years, it would be really neat to see them grow and develop as well. Has Cassius's path ended? How will the Emperor manage to spin everyone's accomplishments in the tournament into strengthening the Empire in the future? Is that nameless girl from the restaurant who was actually observant enough to realize immediately that picking a fight with Lindon and Yerin is bad going to do anything interesting? Over the long term, not just as short term refugees, will the people who were saved from Sacred Valley be able to adapt a more honorable culture?

Chris McFarland

5/18/2021 10:42:08 am

Exactly on point Madeline. We respect the creative need to explore, but please do not abandon Lindon et al forever

Genocyde

6/21/2021 08:39:40 pm

I say At the end of cradle they all have send and join Azriel and help him fight against the Avedon and brochure that way we get at least 10 more books out of it. I never want this series to end it is my absolute favorite series in the world I even love it more than Robert Jordan‘s wheel of time. And I read it 15 times every book. I was wanting to write a book like this before I read this one and this one makes me want to write my own even more you are an excellent writer Mr. well I am blind and I read or listen to Audible constantly every minute of every day and I’ve read your cradle series at least six times already please keep up the good work and don’t Ian credo let them see Ende and let it go on further. They have to go and fight fury after all.

Bridget

4/16/2021 07:57:52 am

Sounds like someone needs to get more golden walnuts to brine the parrot

Aaron

4/18/2021 06:15:17 am

I wonder if brining the parrot is how we ended up in this situation.

Neil

5/4/2021 11:40:33 am

You don’t have to get all salty on the parrot like that.

John link

4/16/2021 08:02:50 am

I vote yes on Traveler's Gate. I loved those books and would love to read more of them.

Petr Dvorak

4/16/2021 08:07:17 am

I'm a bit sad that we will only get 3 more books, but on the other hand I'm glad that you have end in sights.
Don't get me wrong i immensely enjoy Cradle and all the other works.
But problem with xianxia and related works for me is that usually authors prolong series by adding higher and higher realms and it takes so much from the story.
Knowing that such a successful story is slowly ending, how scared are you that the new series won't be as successful?

Mother of Chickens, Goddess of the Kitchen

4/16/2021 08:21:25 am

Wait, only 12 Cradle books?! Those are weak numbers!!!

I might be OK with -just- 20 Cradle books. Maybe.

I also need a plethora of a Cradle short stories to fill in the stuff that didn't happen on screen throughout the series.

Don't Mahe your fan base go all Misery on you. We will do it!!

Specs

4/16/2021 08:38:06 am

With all the cradle fanfic that has come out in the past year; have you considered officially opening up the cradle world for other authors to publish books?

Tony

4/27/2021 07:45:02 am

I had the same thought. The world is so well flushed out, it could be the center for dozens of storylines.

Jon

4/16/2021 08:41:27 am

Appreciate the update!

I'm just happy to hear that you've got a plan out to 12 😁
... And also relieved that you're not milking it to, say, 40!

Nicholas Lange

4/16/2021 08:49:36 am

Well I'm thoroughly excited now! I've been waiting for more Traveler's Gate for a long time and also waiting for Cradle to finish so I can start it. Excellent news on both fronts! Here's to all your successes so far, and hopes of more to come! Thanks for everything :)

Trantham

4/16/2021 09:22:21 am

One of the things that I love so much about the world of Cradle is how the variations in the sacred arts are very different magic systems and have always been impressed with how you have them all interact. It reminds me of one of the reasons that I've always loved Brandon Sanderson, it's why I loved Rothfuss... visiting their worlds always felt new. You seem to have a gift for this and I'll continue to come back for any book you write because of it. Thank you for all your effort.

Mouser

4/16/2021 09:41:26 am

Let's be clear, when you say leave Lindon and company behind, that obviously implies that after book 12 of Cradle we will have Book One of the Most Epic Saga of Dross the First, which will be quickly followed by a plethora of more Dross books (it would mean a lot to the fans).

Ints

4/16/2021 11:40:09 am

I think crossover series in same "universe" as Cradle and OKAK is logical next step? :)

Cobaltdog

4/16/2021 02:24:53 pm

Assuming you and the Gnomes aren't sleeping right now, I'm just going to think out loud.

There is a saying that you might meditate on: "Custom builders live in production homes, and Production builders live in custom homes." Pause, gears whirring. In short, once you have an idea that works, work it for all its worth. New ideas don't pay the bills; taking an idea that works and working it does.

Terry Brooks, by example, has more than 30+ Shannara books. He threw in a few triples. I liked the "Word" trilogy and the six "Landover sextuple, and he is finishing up his first Fae-type book due later this year that I'm looking forward to, but he hauled his tuna to the side of his boat with the Shannara line of lures and tackle.

Robert Jordan, Jim Butcher, Modesitt, and many others also had a single flagship series that fed them. And gave them a foundation to create new ideas. The books of Cradle and the Way are a pretty solid legacy.

Keep the idioms coming, brother.

And maybe another 6 books; 12 books must have been a typo.

Kroz

4/17/2021 12:14:42 pm

There are other authors that have written their series into oblivion. Honestly, I'd love more books set in this series, the problem with the world he's created is that it's based on constant power leveling. I love it, and I would love any book based in this world, but it may be hard to reel in the big tuna on this one for a new series. You never know until you try though

Cobaltdog

4/18/2021 09:52:27 am

The majority move forward or back in time. It might be fun to explore the first batch of Abidan to ascend from Cradle. Or to explore the Angler's ascension.

I don't like the future books - following the family bloodlines, etc. - but some parallel books with all new characters but some kind of tie in to the other books - maybe through the Abidan-Vroshir conflict - could be interesting.

This is where licensing the Cradle concept could be very cool. Have other writers take up the mantle and explore different aspects of this magic system and universe.

Bryce

4/18/2021 04:11:35 pm

God i hope not, there are so many authors that have diluted a great story, or at least one with potential by not letting it end.

You bring up some great authors but another that Will has mentioned and styled the way his series interact on is Sanderson, someone with multiple well regarded series instead of just a singular tent pole.

Cobaltdog

4/18/2021 06:19:17 pm

Writing is a tough business. There are definitely authors that have had several success parallel projects. Others have only had one and can't find a stride. Others that used the same theme and cranked out dozens of books. One of my favorite books was a one-trick pony. He managed 3 very different plotted books but two were pretty awful and he stopped publishing. Even if you have the skills, you have to have an audience. I'm sure he'll find the balance that works for him.

Kris

4/20/2021 01:14:04 pm

This. Totally agree with everything said above. Aside from the wealth of stories that could be told as part of the larger Abidan Universe, Cradle itself has the potential for so many spin off stories. As @Colbaltdog mentioned, the story of the original Abidan rising from Cradle would be a great read. Same with Ozriel and his story. A collection of short stories like Will did for the Traveler's Gate books would be neat. I know in past blog posts, he's outlined some other paths, so follow up stories about characters using those would be interesting. I'd pay to see how someone with a seemingly non-powerful sacred art could use their powers in interesting ways. I think there was one path that was about...cooking I think? I can picture a scene where a talented practicioner is being bullied and suddenly uses a ruler technique to.....I don't know...make their saliva suddenly taste like sewage or something.

As you said, Modesitt has had great success with moving his stories back and forth in time. So the 'legendary' characters that are mentioned in one book become the focal point of another book. He does this for not only his Recluce books, but also the Imager series. I know I've enjoyed that way of world building from multiple perspectives. Including some of those that we consider the antagonist or 'bad guy' in some books shown in a wildly different light in others.

Butcher has done a pretty good job of advancing his character without turning him into some sort of unstoppable magic machine. The growth of the CHARACTER had been far more important than the growth of the characters ABILITIES.

On a different track, I'm not sure how the Kindle Universe thing works. If you just license your IP and other authors can write whatever they want, it if it's a collaborative work, or if the original author gets veto power or what, but the Abidan Universe is almost perfect for that type of effort. You could do it similar to how the old Stratemeyer Syndicate did it and provide a detailed outline of a story for another author to write. That system worked pretty well for The Hardy Boys, Tom Swift, and Nancy Drew series. How many hundreds of books over 70 or so years were written that way? Clive Cussler was fairly successful in partnering with other authors on a lot of the series which were spun off from his Dirk Pitt novels. Eric Flint took a different approach by giving an overall structure for anyone who wanted to write fan fic and the taking the best stories and publishing them as part of his 1632 series, which also gave him a mechanism to identify authors to do collaborative books with. That seems to have been fairly successful as they're at 29 individual books with another 12 published anthologies....and who knows how many digital collections if short stories.

It's a crap shoot, and I don't know enough about how those collaborations were done to know what the best way might be. I was less than impressed with the Kindle Universe spin off of the Jack Reacher books for example. But it's something I think at least worth considering.

Katherine

4/29/2021 04:03:05 pm

There is something to be said for meal ticket series but I can't imagine how boring it must be for those authors to keep writing the same characters over and over again.

Plus the more prolific you are, the more repetitive you can become. I read the first Shannara books when I was in highschool 20 years ago and by the fourth of fifth one I knew exactly how the story was going to play out. I haven't read anything by him since. LE Modesitt is, if anything, WORSE.

[soapbox time -- just skip to the last paragraph if you aren't interested in this]

And by repetitive I mean REPETITIVE. Brooks may have evolved since I last read him but 20 years ago his stories all went something like this:

Teenage character born with recessive trait not seen in many generations leaves home against parents/guardians' wishes to join [can't remember the guy's name] in fighting evil. Along the way he discovers latent powers and uses them to save the day. There's more but it's been 20 years and I don't care to unpack it all.

LE Modesitt's stories have a bit more variety but you will see at least 80% of the following.

The lead is a do-gooder with a two syllable first name (with a double letter in the middle) and a tendency to work themselves half to death (literally).
They are reluctantly powerful heroes who go through life bewildered by the social injustice (usually against women) they encounter and are frequently shocked by the amount of power they wield.
They regularly take people in need into their employ.
There is always social commentary. Lots of social commentary..
The hero is invariably respected by those sent to spy. Said spy will spend an extended period of time rehashing recent events and expositing on the virtues of the hero's actions.
It isn't uncommon for an adversary to decide to have the hero's child.

[/soapbox]

I've already purchased more books by Will Wight than Brooks or Modesitt combined.

Unknown Caller

4/16/2021 05:37:18 pm

Great news Will! I can safely say I’ve enjoyed every series you’ve written. Cradle is my favorite for now, but I don’t want our crew to overstay their welcome. I think I speak for everyone when I say we’re excited to see what you come up with next. Whatever your new passion is, we’ll be on board. It’s more important for us to keep reading what you’re passionate about writing. Loved Bloodline, but I for one really miss Amalgam. Traveler’s Gate was my first foray into the Willverse. And maybe Travis can narrate the new Amalgam series too? In the immortal words of Dross “Not that I think he's better than you, or anything. Of course not. But uh...could you think about it?”

You’re the man, and I appreciate everything you do for the genre and the fans. Thanks Will.

4/16/2021 09:47:29 pm

12 books... only 12 books.... I got a little sick to my stomach reading that.

On a side note. looks like Lindon and the gang will not slow down at all. I was hoping we would get to see them relax a little and maybe grow into their powers some. but with the way things are escalating looks like they will be sprinting full tilt towards the END.

Dave

4/17/2021 12:18:58 am

But how could a true path end?

Kandra

4/17/2021 12:58:12 am

Pretty sure that's Shuffles not a parrot, and he only wants to announce your Doom and eat your fish...

Harshdeep Singh

4/17/2021 02:28:09 am

I'm not writer, but I think it's a smart decision to end Cradle at book 12. For me, Uncrowned followed by Wintersteel were the peak of Cradle in many, many ways. These kinds of books don't need to have the main character end up as the strongest guy in the multiverse to make a point (though I realize that's kind of where it's headed now). For me, it's about excellence. Lindon and gang achieved excellence at the end of Wintersteel, and it's hard to put into words how I felt as Eithan carved out the badge during his conversation with Lindon at the book's end.

Now, I liked Bloodline a lot, but it was clearly a build-up kind of book, like Soulsmith had been. I wish I could fast forward to when you've released them all, because I believe you can surpass even Wintersteel by the time the series is reaching is conclusion.

But for now, on a personal level, this series is "finished". Lindon had proved far more than he set out to at the end of Wintersteel. I'm going to sit back and enjoy as the mysteries of the Cradle world are solved.

One thing I'm looking forward to is how the Vroshir will impact Cradle. I figured beyond-realm stuff would be a bit more delayed, but it makes sense now that they're strong enough to push back Dreadgods, so they're basically old enough to get involved with the adult's schemes.

Finally, a Traveler's Gate sequel/same-universe trilogy would be rather nice. The original trilogy would be great if it was called "Traveler's Gate : Incarnation Trilogy", but as a stand alone trilogy I felt a bit cheated by the end, with how much of the world had been left alone, and how much of the story was about the Incarnations.

AshMyst

4/17/2021 05:37:22 am

12 books %100. Unless I'm wrong. I'm wrong; it cannot end. I want to see the end. No I don't want it to end. One can wish! Lindon make a wish, no 2 wishes; end but do not end.

(My Dross impersonation sucks I know but I tried).

@Will - I'm a well versed reader, over 30 years, and many many authors which most of your fans would recognize. For what it's worth; you are the first author I've ever written a review for! Thank You for making me chuckle, belly laugh, cry, ponder and so much more.

Bryce

4/17/2021 07:26:47 am

12 books, it will be interesting to see what you do with that.

My assumption is that 12 books will mean the end of "Cradle". They would ascend at that point, thereby leaving Cradle and a new series would mark the start of that journey. But of course time will tell.

The series bit i feel like a completely new thing makes sense, especially after the Empire books. If going into the unknown, as far as how it will be received, it would make sense to have a strong series like Cradle supporting it at least at first. While the new Travelers series should do ok on its own.

Still want a book or two with the short stories released though if they are canon.

Cobaltdog

4/18/2021 10:06:09 am

There is so much on the other side of ascension from Cradle that hasn't been explored. So much.

Fury was named an "Adept" as he passed through the portal into "Threshold". What is life like in Threshold, especially if you are an Archlord. Are you the guys flipping burgers surrounded by demi gods? What does an Adept do. How does it relate to the various levels within the Abidan military complex. So much to explore.

Ted

4/18/2021 06:56:44 am

I am sad that the cradle series will only have 12 books...

With regards tot eh parrot... have it watch you take a frozen chicken out of the freezer.

Madeline

4/18/2021 05:35:20 pm

Things I would like to see answered in other books, if they aren't answered in Lindon and Yerin's story:
1. Will the black dragon who hated the gold dragons' rule from Wintersteel take advantage of the death of the gold dragon Monarch and Herald and the rise of a Blackflame Sage to shatter the gold dragons' dominance?
2. What will happen to the Seishen kingdom now that they've lost both heirs?
3. I would love to see Wei Mon Teris, or another of Lindon's bullies, being forced to cope with just how wrong everything they learned in Sacred Valley was. Someone who might be a decent person, if their face is rubbed in the fact that their previous actions were less than honorable, and then learning and growing past that. Teris is especially appealing for this (if he survived) because he has a child now, which gives him both something to lose, and something to gain (resources to help ensure his daughter is able to advance at a rate that's normal for children outside Sacred Valley)
4. What will the Arelius homeland look like several years from now? Will the shattered survivors rebuild and return to power now that the land is/will be healed, or were too many talented members of the next generation lost for them to hold on, especially when/if Eithan ascends?
5. Will the sect of Twin Stars survive past Lindon and Yerin's ascension?

Dreithan

4/20/2021 12:33:02 am

I understand the need for a story to end at some point but I am still sad to see lindon's story end in 3 more books. I really hope you don't move away from the world of cradle even if you end his story, we still haven't seen so much T-T

Treyvon

4/20/2021 12:29:53 pm

I just got a notification from audible saying there was a revised version of bloodline available and that I should delete my current version and install this one. I just finished the book yesterday, what's this new one?

Jay K

4/20/2021 02:24:53 pm

Great Anime has a very finite story to tell and when it's the end, it's the end. Cradle is much the same - tell the story that needs to be told and that's all. Who knows? It might go to 14 books; it might be 12. Whatever the output, it's going to be great. Something new also sounds exciting! TG is also exciting - there have to be more rooms to explore in Valinhall, new powers to gain and a second shelf of dolls for Simon to pal around with.

N Madden

4/22/2021 07:11:19 pm

Just like everyone else in the comments section, I'm sad we'll see the end of the series.

I just pray the pacing remains as with the other books. I just don't see how the Vroshir can possibly be defeated in 3 books. I would be so pleased if the books ended with the gang ascending at 12 books.

There is so much to do in Cradle. Bad guys to defeat within Cradle: all four dread gods, Reigan Shen, and Subject One. To do: one sect to establish and lead. Advancement: Archlord and Monarch (and we've seen almost nothing of the Sage powers and only a few pages at Overlord). Plot lines to return to: numerous!

I know we've seen the end of many characters, but even so I wonder what they're all up to. Fisher Gesha, the Naru Saeya, and all our buds back in the Blackflame Empire, and many more!

Bewildered

4/22/2021 08:59:48 pm

Regarding Cradle #12 being the endpoint, will that be the endpoint of the Cradleverse or merely the Lindon series? Is there any reason a pre- or post-Lindon series wouldn't be of interest to readers?

Modesitt's Saga of Recluce is 22 books long with series ranging from 1-3 or 4 books. The Imager Portfolio is similar.

Is there thus any reason why a new hero with a new struggle couldn't be equally interesting as Lindon? Perhaps an elderly character who has long hit his maximum then discovers a breakthrough and no clear limits except his age. Or a social outcast despised by all - Lindon was loved by his family and sorta protected by his clan. What of a character whose talent is at odds with his clan's teachings and expectations? What of ...?

Ultimately it'd be up to Will to decide what the problem is and what conflict occurs to overcome it. I think, done right, there's plenty left in the Cradleverse. I for one would especially love to know more about the flora, fauna, and geography of the world. There is so much imagination and creativity in the series that I think there's massive potential to grow, even with a slower and\or reduced cultivation speed protagonists.

DO others concur that more Cradle even without Lindon would be awesome?

Madeline

4/23/2021 10:55:40 am

Or a character who is TRULY loved by all. Lindon wasn't loved by all, he was considered annoying and useless. It would be interesting to see a character who is lauded as their family's young genius realize, say, that the perfect Iron body their family wants to give them will make getting to Underlord impossible, which might not bother a family that thinks a Truegold young genius at best is perfectly acceptable and has no ambition to produce something greater, but would bother a kid who's just found a text saying there's a dead end in their future. Or realize that the Remnant their family has found for them to advance to Gold has a hidden downside, or some other flaw within an existing structure that the main character is attached to.

Or even just a young genius, in a family of people like the Wei clan, who realizes, early, that there is no honor here, and rather than leaving, stays and works to turn things around.

Vee

4/24/2021 07:12:31 pm

12 ? Noooo 😔 I don’t want it to end !

Grant

4/25/2021 06:23:08 pm

So will we not have a bid an continuation story?

A fan

4/25/2021 07:08:01 pm

please please please don't end Cradle so soon, deep sadness invades me...

Usopp

4/27/2021 07:04:29 am

You should go after the One Piece record! Keep Cradle going!

Benjamin

4/27/2021 12:51:59 pm

I was hoping Cradle would be at least 12 books, leaning towards 16ish. But at this point in the story, I understand wrapping it up in 3 more. I'll be heartbroken, but relentlessly grateful for your work. That said, next project HAS to be an anime Cradle series. I mean sure, a heavy CGI movie would be legit. But if we're honest, anime is the strong play.

Stewart

4/30/2021 12:55:57 am

I will be really very sad indeed to have Linden's story end. Its honestly my favourite series in so very long. I hope at some point we can at least come back to that world.

I would never say write more of this, or don't write that, as I'm looking forwards to reading whatever is coming next.

Jonathan

4/30/2021 05:08:46 pm

I read the entire cradle series in a few weeks. I absolutely love it, finished the final book today. Now I'm seeing that there may only be 3 more 😓 so sad.

I love them!!!

Maybe new characters same world??? Or another world where Orthos is still around.

The dragon advances!

Drake

5/1/2021 09:35:26 pm

I guess all good thing needs to end at some point. Also i kinda hoped we'd see them battle outside of cradle, but that may just be me wanna see where all their cultivation has brought them.

charles

5/2/2021 08:45:21 am

You have changed my brother's and I's life. This series has created a special bond between my brother and I. We devour them and spend hours talking about them. Thank you for sharing your creative genious with us. I look forward to anything you produce.

Lightsyde link

5/2/2021 02:20:32 pm

If I’d read this after reading Wintersteel, I’d have been upset, because I never want the stories I really love to end. After reading Bloodlines however, then I say you should probably finish the series as fast as possible.

I really dislike stories where the author makes (or heavily implies) a promise and then chicken’s out when it’s time to deliver. I believe that most people who read the conclusion to Eragon and Arya’s relationship at the end of Christopher Paolini’s ‘Inheritance Cycle’ will agree on this point. The way you handled Heaven’s Glory... I’d wish I could forget about it.

Madeline

5/3/2021 10:28:24 am

I definitely see why you didn't like it, but to me, it made sense. For all Lindon's dreams of impressing his family, and Yerin's dreams of revenge... I've spent the entire series expecting an eventual moment where the heroes come home and realize how cheap, tawdry, and petty everything is, and I was not disappointed. Of course the Heavens Glory arc was resolved in such a disappointing manner. Were you really expecting a dramatic climactic fight when Lindon and Yerin are a Sage and a Herald? Were you expecting the same girl who scolded Malice for swatting the gold dragons like gnats to crush Heavens Glory like a bug under her heel? It doesn't make sense.

If the individuals within Heavens Glory are going to survive, they will have to adapt to a changed world where Lindon and Yerin are the next thing to gods. If they can't adapt, their own stupidity will kill them. It's entirely fitting that rather than a dramatic revenge arc, they will now sink or swim under the weight of their own stupidity. It's part of why I badly want Will to write another Cradle series after this, watching them struggle through the eyes of a character who isn't really familiar with Lindon and Yerin but who does know these people are idiots who are trying to spit at a forest fire would be immensely satisfying.

Kris

5/3/2021 01:06:11 pm

I sort of agree.

I said in another post that on the second read through I was able to pick up on the 'You can't go home again' vibe. Once I thought about it, it made a more sense. However, I don't think it was done very well. Which made understanding the character's actions much more difficult.

I enjoy the fact that on the whole, the Cradle series is very thought provoking. That on a second or even third read through you can pick up tidbits or subtle phrasings which hint at events in the future or character arcs to come. But there is a huge difference between catching something like that on a subsequent read through and having to fill in huge gaps in the plot of the book by making up something in my head to explain the numerous WTF moments.

And while I can understand the motivation of the characters not to heartlessly wipeout characters at a lower level of advancement, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to stick to that mentality when you're ACTUALLY at the same strength as them due to the suppression field. Sure in the fight Lindon had meeting up with Orthos, he was still high enough above the Jades that holding back was the right thing to do. But after that? Knowing what was at stake? He should have come down like a ton of bricks on any resistance. Better the deaths of even all of the Wei clan Elders if it meant that more people could evacuate. Especially after the last book. Lindon was shown to become much more of a forceful leader who understood when it was time to be firm and order rather than ask. His behavior in this book felt like a step backwards in his character advancement.

Madeline

5/4/2021 12:23:16 pm

It was interesting, and it showed the limitations Lindon, Eithan, and even Mercy still have to grow through. Eithan was limited because he assumed a greater intelligence level on the part of Heavens Glory than they actually had, Mercy was limited because she WANTS to live up to her namesake, even when that's not possible. Lindon was limited because as much as he's grown, it's funny how when people who have grown into being adults return to their parents/family, all that growth goes away. In a way the Phoenix did him a massive favor. It rendered a return to Sacred Valley impossible. All his dreams of saving everyone, and then his newly grown dreams of helping everyone rebuild, only served as a distraction, and he needs to firmly put Sacred Valley behind him to continue his path. Sometimes the near impossible is actually impossible, and at least the people he has grown to care about in the Blackflame Empire have been spared.

Vashti link

5/2/2021 07:37:46 pm

So.. Here's how into these books (I've listen to the whole series on Audible.. I'll be super sad if you go with a different narrator for Vol.10 btw) .. Anyway.. Yesterday I was visiting my mom and was telling her about some tough stuff I need to work through and I was like.. "I'm fine! I'll just cycle my made a and it will be fine!" She was like "uhh..??" 🤣🤣 can't wait for 10!!

Sadhana link

5/3/2021 05:54:08 am

Please tell PARROT WHO SEES THE FUTURE that I beg it to talk to you as a favour for me.....😭😭😭🐋🐬😭😭😭😭😭

Sleepy Shock

5/4/2021 05:04:40 pm

Don’t listen to anything he says. Will is the father of lies. 10 is done and Lindon dies. Why you ask? Because he is sick of writing the name Lindon.

John

5/16/2021 05:09:51 pm

I don't think I can handle the end of the cradle series... I'm not emotionally equipped for such things...

Stephen Y.

5/24/2021 03:50:03 pm

I my head read "don't quote me, but 6-7 months until the next book", my heart heard "it'll really only be 2-3 months", but I know that I'll be checking back next week to see if Reaper is released yet.

Mariah L.

5/26/2021 01:41:40 pm

I just recently became a subscriber to Audible. Cradle has easily become one of my top favorite worlds to dive into. The person who narrates these books is wonderful! I've cried, laughed, and smirked in satisfaction on numerous occasions listing to these books while I work. I have blown through the first 6 books in a week, and I'm about a quarter through the seventh. This story, the characters, and everything about this world is amazing. I Just needed to let you know that I am now a HUGE fan, and plan on reading/listening to all other books of yours for the rest of your career (and hopefully its a very long one :) ) Thank you!

In which we ramble on.
And by we, I mean me.