I wanted to take time today to appreciate my favorite book series. Currently, this series is yet to be completed. 11 out of 12 books have been written so far. The 12th book Waybound is slated to to be published some time this year. Excited would be an understatement to describe how much I am looking toward this final book.
Cradle follows the story of Wei Shi Lindon on his quest to save Sacred Valley and become the most powerful sacred artist he can be. The premise is extremely simple (which makes it so compelling). This allows Will Wight to maneuver the plot wherever he desires. That is what’s so amazing about this series. There is one ultimate goal but besides that the opportunity for gaining power, training, fighting, and adventures are limitless.
Will Wight has a particularly tight writing style which makes this series so enjoyable. He doesn’t waste a single word. His novels are so straightforward, never allowing for a dull moment. His writing is so captivating because the story never loses focus. Even when Lindon and Yerin are just training the intensity and excitement are through the roof.
The sub-genre this series falls under is called progression fantasy. Progression fantasy tells a story about a character who is trying to acquire power in order to progress. The best example of a progression fantasy series that I can give is Avatar The Last Air Bender. In that series Aang is progressing toward becoming the Avatar by learning each element. He is an air bender so that means he must learn how to bend water, earth, and fire in order to achieve his ultimate goal. Cradle is similar, Lindon has a goal to save his homeland and in order to do so he must advance in the sacred arts. When you advance from one level to another you unlock something within yourself or through an object that grants you more power.
As Lindon’s journey persists the audience is eager to see his advancement. I found myself pushing for him to advance as soon as possible no matter the cost. You want to see what type of power the next advancement will grant him. It gets more exciting the further he goes. At the beginning he do only little because he had hardly advanced. In later books he can perform at levels incomparable to the beginning.
There is so much to love about this series. The character work, the fast-paced plot, the fight scenes, the training scenes, the magic system, and even the low-key romance between Lindon and Yerin are all remarkable.
I love this series and I hope that its audience continues to grow. Cradle deserves to be talked about amongst the heavy hitters in the fantasy genre. Will Wight has created an exteremely enjoyable series and deserves all of the praise bestowed upon him.
If you want to check out Will Wight’s best-selling series here is the link to the first book:
Unsouled, written by Will Wight.
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