The book is UP! Very very fast.
As usual, this thread is for people who have read the book. If you come into the Megathread and then complain about being spoiled, I will sneak into your room and steal all your left socks.
This is the .com link. If you’re in a different region, change that extension to whatever is appropriate for your Amazon domain and your link should work.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C738F623
Li 2.0 was so satisfying. Both for the nostalgia and for the fact that Lindon needed to show off how strong he was with all of his new treasures but there is literally no one in the entire iteration that he couldn’t swat like a fly.
And it gave us a good power scaling between Cradle and ascended beings. Li turning up and being set up as an ascended Arch Lord, with a couple of hundred years experience gives us a rough ballpark of the level Titans and Silverlords should be at and makes it believable when Lindon is at a similar level to a Silverlord in the finale. Without that extra info we didn't really know if the base level ascended folks were similar to Monarchs or 100x more powerful.
It also explained why he was bothering to return at all in the first book. He really wasn't that big a fish to start with. Now we know he must have really been crapping himself when an actual Judge showed up to boot him into Haven.
I mean figuring the fact that his sword was supposed to be able to *beat* Silverlords and Lindon sort of just shrugged it off, and with Fury's statement about the inconsistencies of Silverlord power levels, I think most if not all Monarchs would be actually stronger than lower level Silverlords, and Lindon stronger still so probably near the mid-range of the Silverlord. Hell, him facing a Class 2 Fiend in the end shows that he is actuallt in the upper ranges of power even Ascended due to the Dreadgod arsenal, as Class 1 Fiends are Judge-level threats
Yeh, the last chapters and epilogue were expertly written to leave us with little doubt about the power scaling. Well done /u/Will_Wight for heading off years of fandom bickering :)
What’s funny is we always assumed Li Markuth was a gold. The suppression field had him limited. Then we get his POV and he’s ascended from Cradle, an arch lord with vroshir weapons on a mission from the mad king. And Lindon just annihilates him.
In Unsouled itself it was implied that his rank was quite higher than a mere gold. In his interaction with his people after his return, he went ahead with "gold" because people in the Sacred valley didn't know highers ranks than that. He was like "yeah ok gold would do".
" A gold badge, etched with a scepter.
The Grand Patriarch took it, chuckling. “I had forgotten this custom. Are there any other sacred artists of the Gold stage currently in Sacred Valley?”
“Not to this one's poor knowledge, Grand Patriarch.”
“Then it will do.” The Grand Patriarch slipped the shadesilk ribbon over his own neck, then lifted the badge so he could examine it. “If there were, I would have had you craft something more valuable. **Gold is entirely deficient to describe the current state of my advancement"**."
\- Li Markuth, Unsouled
Will somewhere also said that he was on Archlord level and had learned more outside of cradle. ) On his blog or some live stream etc.
Yeah, Li Markuth actually impressed me. He could have given any other Sage some trouble - it was unfortunate he decided to barge into the Void Sage's territory.
Yeah same here, I was really hoping Lindon would take her and her family to live at their base. Instead he took the Winter Sage and her people, which I didn't expect at all. He just keeps abandoning poor Fisher Gesha, even though she's like a grandmother to him.
And his family, come to think of it. His parents said they expected they would come with him, even if Kelsa was staying until she could ascend on her own. They aren't mentioned during his ascension or in the epilogue though, unless I missed it.
Am I the only one who interpreted her comment literally? Like, I need *a* Lindon, not *Lindon*? Someone to fill that role, not necessarily that particular person.
Finished last night. Two big thoughts beyond just loving it.
1.) I really like how Yerin's entire arc goes in regards to Eithan from "I will never call you master" to considering herself his Apprentice on such a level she manifests the Death Icon.
2.) Since Unsouled came out 7 years ago and this book ends more or less 7 years after his journey began. Then canonically everything Lindon did was in real time (on average)
>Since Unsouled came out 7 years ago and this book ends more or less 7 years after his journey began. Then canonically everything Lindon did was in real time (on average)
This tidbit amuses thoroughly
Makes me wonder about the hunger Madra implications of leaving a monarch remnant like Tiberius in Cradle.
I mean, Emriss was a remnant that ascended to Monarch (so not quite a monarch remnant) but she had to ascend? Shouldn’t Tiberius have to as well?
There was a scene at the end when he told shens remnant something to the effect that while he couldn’t sense his icons like he once could, he was never good at restoration.
I took this to mean that monarch remnants no longer touch their icons because they become purely spiritual beings, but beyond heralds or something. So safe to live in cradle.
I’m sad to see it’s over but that was an amazing ride. Can’t wait to start over tomorrow and appreciate it when I’m fully awake.
Favorite moment was Mercy manifesting the Joy icon. I am a little sad we didn’t get Eithan’s reaction to it, though. Out of all of them I think she got closest to being Eithan’s, rather than the Reaper’s, successor. Mercy’s journey in general, really, was really nice. The fact that her remnant was just chibi Mercy was adorable.
I completely expected at least a blooper with him telling everyone that he was right about the icon and everyone rolling their eyes and telling him to stop being jealous lol
Yep! When Shen goes into the void space and Tiberian is writhing on the ground in pain, it’s because Shen broke his soul oath and the collar transfers the consequences to Tiberian. (or something else, maybe not the collar, but I think it is) The mega thread is for folks who finished so you don’t need to spoiler tag here:)
It’s hard to believe it’s over.
I first read a Will Wight book back in 2013 when I was looking through Amazon and saw a relatively new but still highly rated book called House of Blades. Once I started I couldn’t put it down.
I have read every book Will has released since that day, usually within a day or two of release.
Cradle though, Cradle has consumed my life for the past seven years like no book series before and perhaps after.
I binged when books came out a day or two before a final I should have been studying and I’ve reread every book (except Waybound) at least 3 times. Most of them far more. Today I got home from work at midnight to find a surprise early release, and instead of sleeping, I read it straight through. It brought tears to my eyes multiple times but none more than when I read the final line of the last chapter.
“I am the End.”
Will, thank you so much for bringing this series to our lives and crafting such a fitting end. I look forward to seeing what else you have in store for us.
Now excuse me, I have to go have another cry and start my reread.
Well everyone, it’s done…I’ve read the last book of Cradle.
It’s a fantastic, momentous, *huge explosion* book, but somehow it’s overshadowed by the knowledge that we may never see this gang again, and that sucks.
But all things end, and I’ve been very lucky to be along for the ride (almost) from the beginning.
Gratitude, u/Will_Wight, it has been an honor.
Also that last report ? *Chef’s kiss*
I couldn't quite sense if there was a particular one that Mercy's intervention was referring to. Familiar though.
But Ziel showing up to save the Lifestream via Taxation on Mako was great.
LOVED the ff7 reference. I originally found the house of blade series on reddit by googling: books similar to Final Fantasy 7.
And here we are now, 7 years later <3
The only other possible meaning I could get out of the name would be a reference to the wheel of time and having a heron marked blade be a mark of a sword master. But it's definitely just her name being misheard.
I wanted to list one moment that cracked me up:
“**Save me!**” Cried Reigan Shen.
The most pathetic use of authority ever? I literally laughed out loud.
So many awesome moments. So many "holy shit this is actually happening" moments. Lindon was able to leave the iteration with his limited edition Dreadgod collectibles. Was not expecting Yerin to manifest death icon, but in my opinion suits her more than the icons people predicted (sword, blood, strength). Also protect Mercy's remnant at any cost.
My only question is whether Lindon can still use consume after leaving. Can't tell when he told Li Markuth "Your power won't go to waste" if he meant something else(like soulsmithing his dead matter) or if he meant that Li Markuth was going become a gummy vitamin. probably both. Before that though, he did absorb an attack from Shen's remnant.
Position of Makiel is open for whoever manipulated fate in order for Waybound to release a day early. Also Sha Miara backstabbing Shen is gold. He thought she was so easy to manipulate before the uno reverse card got played. 12/10 now I must reread for dopamine.
I assume he could since Northstrider had a blood/hunger path and could ascend. My thought was that he basically had to lose a few Dreadgod lbs after how close he’d come to going full Slumbering Wraith.
>My only question is whether Lindon can still use consume after leaving
This is Lindon we're talking about. If he couldn't use consume after he left, he'd definitely fix that before doing anything else. Lindon would go to ridiculous lengths to get his cheat code back.
>Lindon creates a new power-up to fight his son’s villains and the stress of the power-up kills Orthos
>All the new villains are inexplicably more powerful than Lindon and Yerin somehow
>Yerin fires off two techniques “oh no I’m out of madra”
>Lirin starts off complaining that his dad never spends any time with him, but when you see his life it turns out his dad hangs out with him all the time
>No airtime for Rock Lee’s kid
Truly the worst timeline.
Have no complaints. Fitting end, excellent story. Could stand to read their meandering adventures as the Reaper division forever, of course, but this was never that kind of story, and I also still got a pleasantly content sense of completion after the epilogue where I expected only crushing disappointment that it's done. It was a nice surprise, and a sign of excellent writing.
Thanks a ton, Will, won't forget this series anytime soon.
I felt somewhat the same after Reaper tbh. Folk may forget now but going into the book I was convinced after all we read upto that point that revealing Eithan as Ozriel as a twist would be a bad idea. Apart from the issues around the foreshadowing - it was an obvious possibility, everyone had considered it and already formed strong opinions for or against already. I thought it would either be a stale revelation or an unpopular one depending.
But the execution was absolutely brilliant, Will dug in and made the hints from the very start of the book slowly easing us into the idea and convincing us it would be a good idea. I suppose there might still have been some who read the book too quickly to notice and felt let down by the reveal, but I loved it and I thought there was no way that could happen going in. It was a masterpiece of writing in my mind.
> Could stand to read their meandering adventures as the Reaper division forever,
Honestly, Yerin being isekai'd for her first abidan adventure really makes me want to eventually see some sort of twist on that genre from Will.
I just love this universe that's being created. Every kind of magic you can think of? Check. Cultivation? Check. Sci-fi? Check. Summoning heroes from another world? Hell yeah. Check.
The world going black and white for the Reaper’s Sword is the most anime part of the entire series. Until she is full on summoned to a different world as Saitama.
A beautiful ending! I cried, I laughed I shouted. Wonderful.
Every scene was immaculate but want go over some favourites
Jaran getting some respect for his son! Finally! Even in his own way he cares.
Malice getting called out for sounding like Disney villain, actually recognising it and still being a giant bitch afterwards.
Ziel growing passed his trauma but still facing it to ascend was a great touch that was very real.
Suriel and Lindon sitting down and chatting! I sobbed loudly.
Lindon and Yerin just slamming their names together like a tumblr ship to name their kid makes so much sense for the characters and is hilarious.
They're both so bad at names. They should have asked Mercy. Then their child would have a \*real\* name. Something like, Blessed Union of the Reapers. Yeah.
I thought it was an homage to Stormlight archive - >!Kaladin's father is named Lirin!< - and now I'm wondering if it was *both*. In which case, absolutely brilliant!
I've got Lirin in my head as "main character's asshole dad" I guess, because for a second I heard Lirin and my train of thought was "What's Lindon's father doing running around? Wait no shit that's Jaran. Wait... Lirin is Kaladin's dad wtf?"
Also I think biggest asshole of a father on Roshar might be pushing it. Shallan's dad takes the cake.
Thank you, Will, for a superbly satisfying ending. Just finished the first read through.
Favourite moments -
1) The reveal of the penance arrows and Ziel and Mercy using them to kill a dreadgod and a monarch, respectively.
2) Yerin realising she was hoping for jewellery. Also, Lindon stealing a bit of the Queen's gem from Emriss *two years* before its use is revealed. :D
3) Mercy's herald advancement - that was so incredibly in character and so unexpected at the same time :)
4) Human-sized Little Blue acting like a twelve-inch tall spirit.
5) Li Markuth's return and the seven year festival.
6) Everything with the eight-man empire.
The last line: And then Lindon Woke up, and he was excited to finally test to see if he could advance past the foundation stage for the tenth year in a row.
I laughed when Dross shut her down early, but Sage Little Blue would be amazing.
Called >!the Hammer Icon showing up for Lindon ages ago, so that was fun to see. Same with our cameos of old friends.!<
>!"I am the End", and the last few chapters/epilogue in general, were just a lot of fun.!<
Loved how this whole adventure wrapped up! The ending was definitely given plenty of time to breathe, which I appreciate. Excited to discuss this book with folks as they finish it, and looking forward to Traveler's Blade, The Last Horizon, and whatever else Will comes up with next!
> I'm... satisfied.
This. (But to be clear, "satisfied" in an enormously positive way, not "barely acceptable.")
Like, could Will have shoehorned in some more epic moments if he wanted to? Maybe. There's a few places for that.
But the story didn't need any more. To me, this just feels like the correct ending for the story. I still want to read more stories in this universe, but I'm putting down the series happy and not feeling like there were threads left unexplored. Nothing shut down early. The story ran its course and ended, and the ride was great.
This series is going on my re-read list for when I'm out of books for the rest of forever. I hope we see these characters again, but for now? I have nothing but praise and admiration for Will and team. Ten years of work under what I understand to be pretty inhospitable conditions for independent publishers. No bad entries in the series. A rich story with a satisfying conclusion. Well done.
My favourite part of the book is when Mercy reveals to Lindon that he's her father and invites him to conquer the world as a daddy-daughter duo. So touching. \*wipes tears\*
Omg all these theories about Suriel or Ozriel dying because Ozriel's power was restricted and Will calls us fools on the first paragraph of the prologue
Impressively pulled off. Wasn't sure how he'd managed to tie everything together, but Will did it. I'm not even disappointed or feeling empty that the series is over like I often do. Which is not a criticism of the series, but a sign that he tied everything up excellently, and gave enough glimpses of the future to make me satisfied. Good work.
>I'm not even disappointed or feeling empty that the series is over like I often do
I've seen this sentiment from a bunch of people, and I feel it myself.
I'm not sure if Will specifically *intended* this beyond just wanting a satisfying ending, but there's something poetic about finishing a series with such a strong focus on Hunger with satiety.
Yeah, not sure what it is. Maybe the fact it’s a 12 book series and every arc is tied up. Usually that dissatisfaction is because of a trilogy with a brief epilogue immediately after the climax, whereas the last 50-100 pages are an extended epilogue.
Did I just stay up until 4am to finish the book when I have to be up for work in 5 hours? Yes I did. Was it worth it? Yes it was.
I cried. I’m not a super emotional person, but wow it was just so good and it made me so happy and I can’t believe it’s over. I’ve been reading Cradle along with release since Blackflame and it’s my favorite series ever. I am so sad it’s over but wow what a ride. Lindon, Yerin, Eithan, Little Blue, Orthos, Mercy, Ziel and all the rest, have been with me through so many ups and downs over the years.
Thank you u/Will_Wight for giving me a world to escape to when life was tough, and for writing a series with characters that inspired me to improve myself.
That’s why I didn’t want to name the kid that, but I couldn’t escape the idea of just fusing their names together. I thought it was a very Lindon and Yerin thing to do.
When I first saw the name was Lirin I cycled through stages of laughter and disbelief before settling on the fact that yeah, Lindon and Yerin would just smash their names together and call it a day.
My only regret is that I can only read this book for the first time once.
This was an amazing end to an amazing series. Thank you for letting us walk this Path with you.
>A vast, smiling face with twinkling blue eyes.
>**“Die,”** Yerin ordered.
> And at Yerin’s command, the Eithan Icon descended on Akura Malice.
*As it crashed down, it said, it's voice stretched and distorted as it passed, "Monarch, this is a mistake."*
Just got finished with the book. Fucking well done. Will, you somehow made what... wait, I have to make a list real quick:
1. Orthos to Overlord
2. Orthos to Archlord
3. Orthos to Dragon Sage
4. Little Blue to Archlord level (spirits are weird huh)
5. Little Blue to Herald
6. Yerin to Monarch (Eithan Icon)
7. Ziel to Shield Sage
8. Ziel to Monarch
9. Mercy to Archlord
10. Mercy to Herald
11. Mercy to Monarch (Joy Icon)
**11 protag advancements** feel not only earned and unique, but somehow unrushed? All while wrapping everything up in a super satisfying way? Fucking Bravo.
That's not technically advancing. He was already a Sage. As Emriss's chapter mentioned, having multiple Icons doesn't come with a power increase, just more options.
God I hope so. At the same time, I hope that it's primarily cameos. I'd love to see, for example, a few paragraphs of the main character of a book seeing Yerin solving some side-problem and then her yeeting herself from the iteration. Or just a quick conversation and then out. I'd hate to have them solve anything too big in a book about someone else.
Not that I think Will would do that, mind you.
I neeeeed it!
Just in some low-stakes situation in literally any of Will's other books. Some strange woman with eight arms appears out of nowhere and yells "**STOP**". The main characters, just taking a random stroll, freeze in place and start freaking out.
The mysterious woman picks one of them up, moves them one foot to the left, gives them a red-eyed wink and says "if you stepped on that rock, the world would end." Then she vanishes.
Later, in the bloopers, you find out that the main character is allergic to bees and would have died after stepping on the rock and annoying a nest.
“Denied. Report Complete” this line literally had me in tears, the whole series was so great and just ending it in the fashion of the Abidan where they had finally made it, alongside the pure finality of that statement leaving no doubt that we have reached the end of the story just felt so perfect, cheers Will, absolutely incredible
Larian has been one of, if not the, funniest character ever since she ~~watched passively~~ fought a heroic battle against Lindon when he tried to rob the Monarchs. ^ptchew ^^ptchew
After promising that I would pace myself, I still just ended up reading the whole book in one sitting. What a journey! So glad I stumbled onto Unsouled all those years ago. After too many once loved adventures have failed to stick their landings (looking at you GOT), I am so happy with how this series finished. My hunger icon has been sated, replaced with the Joy icon. To Will and his entire team, gratitude.
How was there not a scene where Eithan acknowledged that the Joy Icon was real?? When they ascended I was waiting for it…. And I just kept waiting… and then I had to put my faith in the bloopers… and then I had to accept that it wasn’t gonna happen…
But seriously, a great end to a great series. I’ll miss my time in Cradle and always remember it fondly
Ugh, it was amazing!
100% needed the 7 year festival beatdown.
Yerin and the Death Icon was amazing, but from that moment on I felt such fear for Lindon
Mercy's advancements had me sobbing.
Eithan hugging Lindon and sobbing had me sobbing. I cried a lot.
My only disappointments, on my first read:
1) no Adriel / not enough Hammer Icon business
2) wanted a better look at the paths of heaven. That sounded very intriguing
3) the "cores" not "core" thing.
No book will ever perfectly satisfy everyone, but it was better than I could have fathomed. Thank you, Will.
I'm obviously a fan of the series, but I have to say spending 100 pages on denouement (one of those words I learned in school that stuck with me, but this may be the first time I've ever used it in a sentence) is one of the most brilliant things I've seen a writer do. I think the reason so many people are saying how satisfying the conclusion was is because Will took the time to wrap up the entire series, not just the book.
On a side note, I totally want to see a spin off based on Larian now, she catapulted into being one of my favorite characters.
One of my stated goals for *Waybound* was to make it the denouement for the whole series, so it’s gratifying to hear you call that out!
Thanks, and I’m glad it worked for you!
Yerin’s six spread sword-arms rang like an entire cathedral full of bells.
I spent 10 mins laughing at this line. And this was not even the funniest part.
Man, I’m not ready to praise Will yet, so he doesn’t get an inflated ego, but I think he’s the best fantasy author ever.
I know I said this part was the funniest, but this was a close second
“Whew, sorry I’m late, it’s amazing all the…traffic. You don’t happen to have a sword left, do you?”
First day at a new job this morning, got four hours of sleep. Don’t regret it for a minute - this book was too good to put down and so I didn’t. I like the way northstrider ascended, and the lindon v. Li markuth rematch was everything I ever wanted ever since I heard he was the level of a sage. The dreadgod weapons were badass and I want to see more adventures of the reaper division as they get legends spread of them all across the multiverse.
I do wonder how they would’ve been reapers if oz hadn’t ascended and stayed as eithian but I’m sure he had a plan. I didn’t see Makiel making the sacrifice play at the end there, but he really did put his money where is mouth was and showed he wasn’t as much a hypocrite as I thought.
Between spiderverse and waybound, I consumed two truly great pieces of fiction- and I still can’t tell which one is better because they’re both that good. Thanks for the series will, I can’t wait for what comes next.
There were a lot of great moments where I teared up, and a real sense of struggle as Lindon barely holds it together for days of endless fighting as one man vs multiple monarchs and Dreadgod(s).
I’m surprised on two fronts: Lindon didn’t lose control as bad as was implied
And
we didn’t see the empty seats of the Abidan filled, but it makes sense since it’s outside the scope of the book and that the crew would become reapers outside the pact, operating under Eithan. Maybe in a world with an Abidan series, the crew take up the mantle, but I do feel like the epilogue truly seals the deal on the story.
Wonderful book. My only complaint is that there was no blooper that included the Last Horizon. I thought for sure there would be one for when they were suggesting possible new names for Little Blue.
*"Maybe something sky related? How about... 'Horizon?'"*
*"Mmm!"*
I love how when we saw their jobs as Reapers, Yerin gets to beat an enemy up (and got isekai’d which was fantastic, Mercy gives people things and confuses them, Lindon takes on a force of destruction akin to a natural disaster, and Ziel. Ziel gets to do bureaucracy.
It’s also really funny that the sect members want him back to deal with all of their disagreements.
I can’t wait until we get new art of the characters! Mercy with her floaty hair, Ziel with the green scars, and Lindon has white parts throughout him I think. I could be wrong, but I don’t think we get a full description of him in his monarch form. I’m assuming the merge with subject one was the equivalent of merging with his remanent because he’s definitely got monarch level power. No changes from Yerin that I’m aware of, but human forms for Orthos and little Blue are fun!
This was a fantastic way to end an amazing series, thank you so much Will! I’m looking forward to more of the Last Horizon, and whatever else you write in the future!
>Yerin…got isekai’d
I’m an Immortal Swordswoman Banished to Another World But I’m Already Overpowered So I Crush the Dark Lord on the First Day and Go On to Save More Worlds: The Legend of the Mighty Warrior Heron
28% of the way in now, >!holy shit was the fight with Northstrider good. Especially the reveal which reminded [me of one of my favorite parts of Bleach](https://preview.redd.it/8343yn0f7vm81.jpg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=6aca18e8e84545303556f18a6ccabc59e5dba3cb)!<
I just got it this morning. Assumed it was a publishing fluke.
I was surprised Lindon died so soon. I knew it would happen but not in the first 40 pages. Never predicted Little Blue would adopt the hunger arm and work her way up to consuming Makiel.
I’m just glad Yerin and Ziel finally got together. I would have been happier if Eithan declared his love for Suriel over Fisher Geisha though. I really don’t think that made any sense.
My favorite part was Mercy going all murder hobo and trying to end all life on Cradle once she saw it as corrupted. Still would have been happier if Shen hadn’t just used constructs to kill her.
At least as a silverlord, Wei Shi Seisha will finally learn some real soulsmithing.
Little Blue, or I guess we should call her Dreadblue now since she's the 7th dreadgod, after Lindon (may he rip) and Yerin (The newest hound), really was the main character all along.
Little Blue made a noise that sounded like a ringing bell tower. “I will never be called little again!” And she advanced to Archlord, where she immediately manifested the Cute Icon. She stared down all 8 Monarchs and the remaining Dreadgods. She then used her authority and uttered a single word. “Die!” In an instant, they all fell to the ground, dead.
Will and family and team. Breathe. Relax. Its been a horribly stressful few days for you guys. Don't worry. We still love you. We have our book and we're even happier now because we have it early.
So stop, take a moment and enjoy your spectacular achievement!
Well, that was about as perfect as I could have imagined.
I think the best parts were the ones with Mercy. What a great story! I think I had to wipe away tears every time she had a chapter. Her Archlord revelation, her battle against House Shen, her battle against Malice and finally her Sage revelation... I think this book managed to take from my fourth or fifth favorite character, to my #1 favorite.
Thank you, Will. You ended the series brilliantly.
It is down to the way you look at it in all objectivity but the number of advancements we got throughout the series, in the last two books and especially in the last book is also an affirmation of Eithan's belief (and I am paraphrasing here) that sacred arts are easier, in every way, when you are not alone.
Lindon helps each of his friends develop their willpower and steals resources of incalculable value for them to advance and then meditate on the nature of their sacred arts. He creates extra time for them. Ziel does the same for Mercy and everyone else's Dross.
Even earlier, when two sages (technically 3) and a Monarch come together to help Yerin advance she becomes the world's first overlord Herald in an unprecedented way.
When Mercy and Ziel become Monarchs, their spirit is unstable and they are not the equivalent of true Monarchs but another Monarch in Emriss helps them become stable enough to fight and ascend. So many more examples.
We also see alliances change many times during the series; lies, politics and backstabbing rampant so it makes sense that this sort of collective effort is very rare. Even the Sword Sage asks Tiberian sarcastically if he has another spare Sage/Herald he can trust to send with Adama into the Labyrinth to explore and Tiberian has no answer.
All that to say that the power of friendship trumps all. I like that very much btw.
Just finished the book. Absolutely incredible ending to the series.
The most impressive thing to me is how the book handled the “hype moments”. Every book up to this point has had a moment or two that makes you go “oh my god, that’s insane!”, but it’s almost always tied to growth. Usually Lindon or Yerin jumping farther up the ladder than expected.
But the thing is, this is the finale of a cultivation series. They’re pretty much at the top, and the last few rungs are steps we all already know they’re going to take. We’re at the top, there are no more steps left to skip.
The best moments in the first eleven books are all hype moments where we wonder what the heroes will be like by the end, and Waybound had to show us that destination, and it couldn’t really have any of those hype growth moments itself because it’s the end.
And Waybound absolutely NAILED IT. The characters hitting their un-ascended peaks felt rewarding, and the fights still felt tense, but with a sense of awe instead of excitement. This is the book that cashes in the checks that the first eleven wrote, and it nailed it.
I never found myself saying “oh my god, whaaat” like the first eleven, but I was constantly smiling and nodding my head, thinking “that’s exactly how it should be”
Waybound stuck the landing, and I can only hope that Will wrights more about the Reaper devision in the future. If not, I’m more confident than ever in The Last Horizon.
Amazing job, Will 💙
Some of my personal highlights
Dross & Mercy & Lindon moment
> Uncle Fury liked our father a lot, so you can imagine what he was like. Always fighting somebody.” [What kind of an unstable person would live like that?] Dross said, and even without looking up, Mercy was sure he was staring at Lindon.
The fight with Reigan & Malice & NorthStrider (shivers!)
> When the third Penance arrow struck at him from behind, that was when Reigan realized he was going to die. Every shield, barrier, script, and scrap of armor he could summon leaped out of his many vaults and onto his body. The blue plates of absolute Abidan protection shivered under the weight of triple execution…and then they cracked. The metal strapped to his wrist, the platinum Titan artifact, tore in half like cloth. “Protect!” Northstrider commanded. “Stop!” Malice ordered. “Save me!” Reigan Shen cried.
Dross & Orthos moment
> “It was my mother’s name.” Dross paused for a moment. […I feel like I’m supposed to compliment the name now, but I still don’t like it.]
Dross & Ziel moment
> Well…I said that with a lot of confidence, but without Lindon waking up, I’m—no offense, but I’m not working with top-quality tools here.
Yerin & Dross
> [More importantly, why am I red?] Dross asked. Her new spirit looked and felt like Dross in every way. Except he was red. Hold a second, I’ll ask my mind-spirit, she responded.
Malice & Lindon
> Malice saw where her arrow would pierce Yerin’s chest only a split second before Lindon awakened. His first sight would be what Malice had done. She didn’t see anything further in Fate than that. Her future cut off at that moment. “Return!” Malice commanded desperately.
Northstrider & Codex moment
> New possibility, the codex said again. Don’t tell me that, Northstrider snapped back. Acknowledged. I will not consider this possibility.
Shen & Phenix moment
> Then she picked up a goblet, swirled some wine in his direction, and upended it into her mouth. That had to be intentional. As though she were reading his mind, she gestured with the empty goblet. “It’s annoying when someone’s swirling wine while you’re talking, isn’t it?”
Fuck Malice
> It was time to remind the entire world who Akura Malice was. If it cost her some rebellious children, that was a cheap price to pay.
Ziel & Lindon Moment
> Ziel’s muttered voice sounded like it was coming from next to Lindon’s ear. “Advance to Archlord, he’s a Sage. Advance to Sage, he’s a Dreadgod. Advance to Monarch, he’s off to kill a Dreadgod on his own.”
Orthos being a good caretaker
> They weren’t reacting like Lindon had expected. “How long was I out?” Orthos set the tray down. “That depends on how much you remember. We had this same conversation earlier this morning.” “Ah.” “And several days before that.”
All the Larian moments :)
And the 7 year festival dual as well <3
Incredible. Just so good. I finished around 6 am and had enough time for about 3 hours of sleep. I have a lot of favorite scenes, but Mercy's ascension to Herald, Yerin's ascension to Monarch, Lindon vs Li Markuth, and Lirin are some of them. I'm not sure what the madra evaporating to steam is supposed to mean, and I don't have the brain to go figure that out just now, haha.
Even the most ancient and imperious Dragon could not begin to comprehend the dizzying heights of arrogance achieved by those fel matriarchs who manifest the Girlboss Icon.
Waybound word count: 160k words.
Waybound word count without the phrase "ring/rang like a bell": 60k words.
But seriously, this was an amazing ending to an amazing series. I'm blown away by the twists and turns, this book went so far beyond what I expected!
>\[We’re clear on the Fate end,\] Dross reported. \[Their legends of you are going to get…weird.\]
>
>*Wait, how weird?* Mercy asked. *How weird, Dross?* Dross wouldn’t answer her.
They are going to make Mercy their fertility goddess, aren't they? Lol
The book is UP! Very very fast. As usual, this thread is for people who have read the book. If you come into the Megathread and then complain about being spoiled, I will sneak into your room and steal all your left socks. This is the .com link. If you’re in a different region, change that extension to whatever is appropriate for your Amazon domain and your link should work. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C738F623
That confrontation with Li Markuth was everything I didn't know I needed.
“You felt it that time, didn’t you?”
Li 2.0 was so satisfying. Both for the nostalgia and for the fact that Lindon needed to show off how strong he was with all of his new treasures but there is literally no one in the entire iteration that he couldn’t swat like a fly.
And it gave us a good power scaling between Cradle and ascended beings. Li turning up and being set up as an ascended Arch Lord, with a couple of hundred years experience gives us a rough ballpark of the level Titans and Silverlords should be at and makes it believable when Lindon is at a similar level to a Silverlord in the finale. Without that extra info we didn't really know if the base level ascended folks were similar to Monarchs or 100x more powerful.
It also explained why he was bothering to return at all in the first book. He really wasn't that big a fish to start with. Now we know he must have really been crapping himself when an actual Judge showed up to boot him into Haven.
I mean figuring the fact that his sword was supposed to be able to *beat* Silverlords and Lindon sort of just shrugged it off, and with Fury's statement about the inconsistencies of Silverlord power levels, I think most if not all Monarchs would be actually stronger than lower level Silverlords, and Lindon stronger still so probably near the mid-range of the Silverlord. Hell, him facing a Class 2 Fiend in the end shows that he is actuallt in the upper ranges of power even Ascended due to the Dreadgod arsenal, as Class 1 Fiends are Judge-level threats
Yeh, the last chapters and epilogue were expertly written to leave us with little doubt about the power scaling. Well done /u/Will_Wight for heading off years of fandom bickering :)
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When he hit him with the full power Empty Palm and it utterly crushed him was just, just *chef’s kiss*
What’s funny is we always assumed Li Markuth was a gold. The suppression field had him limited. Then we get his POV and he’s ascended from Cradle, an arch lord with vroshir weapons on a mission from the mad king. And Lindon just annihilates him.
In Unsouled itself it was implied that his rank was quite higher than a mere gold. In his interaction with his people after his return, he went ahead with "gold" because people in the Sacred valley didn't know highers ranks than that. He was like "yeah ok gold would do". " A gold badge, etched with a scepter. The Grand Patriarch took it, chuckling. “I had forgotten this custom. Are there any other sacred artists of the Gold stage currently in Sacred Valley?” “Not to this one's poor knowledge, Grand Patriarch.” “Then it will do.” The Grand Patriarch slipped the shadesilk ribbon over his own neck, then lifted the badge so he could examine it. “If there were, I would have had you craft something more valuable. **Gold is entirely deficient to describe the current state of my advancement"**." \- Li Markuth, Unsouled Will somewhere also said that he was on Archlord level and had learned more outside of cradle. ) On his blog or some live stream etc.
Yeah, Li Markuth actually impressed me. He could have given any other Sage some trouble - it was unfortunate he decided to barge into the Void Sage's territory.
This makes London’s original empty palm in Unsouled even funnier.
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Pride finally coming out of the Void closet
This is high quality content
we really needed gesha to push him out of the way and ask where she should set up shop
Yeah same here, I was really hoping Lindon would take her and her family to live at their base. Instead he took the Winter Sage and her people, which I didn't expect at all. He just keeps abandoning poor Fisher Gesha, even though she's like a grandmother to him. And his family, come to think of it. His parents said they expected they would come with him, even if Kelsa was staying until she could ascend on her own. They aren't mentioned during his ascension or in the epilogue though, unless I missed it.
We didn't actually get told everyone who was in the void key afair. We just got the amusing highlights
I wonder if he ever figured out Lindon and Mercy aren't an item.
Did we ever figure that out? I'm pretty sure she's still crushing on him given the "I need a Lindon." comment.
Am I the only one who interpreted her comment literally? Like, I need *a* Lindon, not *Lindon*? Someone to fill that role, not necessarily that particular person.
Finished last night. Two big thoughts beyond just loving it. 1.) I really like how Yerin's entire arc goes in regards to Eithan from "I will never call you master" to considering herself his Apprentice on such a level she manifests the Death Icon. 2.) Since Unsouled came out 7 years ago and this book ends more or less 7 years after his journey began. Then canonically everything Lindon did was in real time (on average)
>Since Unsouled came out 7 years ago and this book ends more or less 7 years after his journey began. Then canonically everything Lindon did was in real time (on average) This tidbit amuses thoroughly
This just makes me think: what the hell have any of us done in the last seven years that was worth writing 12 books about?
I got chills when Yerin’s death icon appeared. My favorite moment on this read.
Mercy's Herald advancement may be my favorite of the series.
Fucking hilarious. “We have to reinforce the area. Our battle will be legendary!” “Want to team up? Sure!”
Ozmanthus relentlessly mocking Shen the entire time from his inheritance was peak hilarity
The fool invited Eithan to live in his head
Rent Free!
Oh, don't you worry, Ozmanthus was charging rent.
Makes me wonder about the hunger Madra implications of leaving a monarch remnant like Tiberius in Cradle. I mean, Emriss was a remnant that ascended to Monarch (so not quite a monarch remnant) but she had to ascend? Shouldn’t Tiberius have to as well?
There was a scene at the end when he told shens remnant something to the effect that while he couldn’t sense his icons like he once could, he was never good at restoration. I took this to mean that monarch remnants no longer touch their icons because they become purely spiritual beings, but beyond heralds or something. So safe to live in cradle.
Remnants aren’t Monarchs. Emriss had to ascend because she *became* a Monarch again after her first death.
I’m sad to see it’s over but that was an amazing ride. Can’t wait to start over tomorrow and appreciate it when I’m fully awake. Favorite moment was Mercy manifesting the Joy icon. I am a little sad we didn’t get Eithan’s reaction to it, though. Out of all of them I think she got closest to being Eithan’s, rather than the Reaper’s, successor. Mercy’s journey in general, really, was really nice. The fact that her remnant was just chibi Mercy was adorable.
it had a very nega scott feel to it from scott pilgrim vs the world.
Cried a bit at the Joy icon reveal.
I completely expected at least a blooper with him telling everyone that he was right about the icon and everyone rolling their eyes and telling him to stop being jealous lol
I was expecting in the bloopers a scene with Eithan getting the Joy Icon after finding out that Lindon had used his shampoo!
I was expecting that to happen right there and then in the book proper!
The series in general has insufficient Eithan and Mercy scenes.
To everyone who bribed me to screw up the preorder so they could get the book early, pay up.
Sorry mate, I know we swore an oath, but I >!transferred it over to Tiberian.!<
>!Wait, is that how that works? I was thinking last night that they never explained how Shen got out of oaths. !
Yep! When Shen goes into the void space and Tiberian is writhing on the ground in pain, it’s because Shen broke his soul oath and the collar transfers the consequences to Tiberian. (or something else, maybe not the collar, but I think it is) The mega thread is for folks who finished so you don’t need to spoiler tag here:)
Ozriel is such a troll. I couldn't believe that's where he hid it. Lmfao
The guys who said it was a broom in the janitors closet weren't far off!
Pre E=O I wrote a fic on this sub where Ozriel was hiding under Makiel's couch. So... called it!
It’s hard to believe it’s over. I first read a Will Wight book back in 2013 when I was looking through Amazon and saw a relatively new but still highly rated book called House of Blades. Once I started I couldn’t put it down. I have read every book Will has released since that day, usually within a day or two of release. Cradle though, Cradle has consumed my life for the past seven years like no book series before and perhaps after. I binged when books came out a day or two before a final I should have been studying and I’ve reread every book (except Waybound) at least 3 times. Most of them far more. Today I got home from work at midnight to find a surprise early release, and instead of sleeping, I read it straight through. It brought tears to my eyes multiple times but none more than when I read the final line of the last chapter. “I am the End.” Will, thank you so much for bringing this series to our lives and crafting such a fitting end. I look forward to seeing what else you have in store for us. Now excuse me, I have to go have another cry and start my reread.
❤️
For me it was the fight sequence that namedropped all the books. A bit cheesy, but I loved it.
So this is it? We’re some kind of Cradle Squad?
Will, you landed it well.
🫡
I wonder how that girl is doing, the one that ran away from Eithan to live with two-headed bears.
She went to the moon so he wouldn't try to train her again
Well everyone, it’s done…I’ve read the last book of Cradle. It’s a fantastic, momentous, *huge explosion* book, but somehow it’s overshadowed by the knowledge that we may never see this gang again, and that sucks. But all things end, and I’ve been very lucky to be along for the ride (almost) from the beginning. Gratitude, u/Will_Wight, it has been an honor. Also that last report ? *Chef’s kiss*
Not quite done yet but had to come here to post about the Eight Man Empire and their greed, as well as the great Heron saving the Fractured Realm.
Is that scene a reference to something?
Think the whole planet is a spoof on isekai, don't think the rest is in reference to anything.
I couldn't quite sense if there was a particular one that Mercy's intervention was referring to. Familiar though. But Ziel showing up to save the Lifestream via Taxation on Mako was great.
I think Tax-man Ziel was my favorite joke in the entire book. Possibly the series.
As a person with absolutely no background in isekai, manga, or anime at all, I feel like I missed a ton of these jokes But I love the series anyway.
I was hoping somebody would pick up on the FFVII thing. I knew Yerin’s Isekai Adventure would make a splash, but this was my personal favorite.
Now I'm wondering if Lindon's final chapter was him and Superman fighting Galactus.
LOVED the ff7 reference. I originally found the house of blade series on reddit by googling: books similar to Final Fantasy 7. And here we are now, 7 years later <3
No, just thought that whole chapter was hilarious.
Yeah when the princess said great hero Heron I laughed out loud haha
The only other possible meaning I could get out of the name would be a reference to the wheel of time and having a heron marked blade be a mark of a sword master. But it's definitely just her name being misheard.
>!They literally named their kid by mixing up their names, what dorks.!<
Yeah, I was thinking the same, they named their kid like someone that was a huge fan of the books lol
It's also the name of Kaladin's father in Brandoo Sanderson s Stormlight Archive. That's what I thought of first, but the name combo makes sense!
Ooh that’s who it was! The whole time I was like hang on, that’s someone’s dad’s name, but could not remember whose.
My stupid ass thought, "Oh, wow! Lindon named his son after his father!" That's what I get for reading this between Stormlight archive books lmao
Better than Severus McGonagall Potter or whatever the fuck fan-fiction names JK Rowling made up for the flash forward finale.
I wanted to list one moment that cracked me up: “**Save me!**” Cried Reigan Shen. The most pathetic use of authority ever? I literally laughed out loud.
With that command, he earned the pussyfoot icon. The most cowardly of cats.
Can’t wait to hear Travis read that line!
So many awesome moments. So many "holy shit this is actually happening" moments. Lindon was able to leave the iteration with his limited edition Dreadgod collectibles. Was not expecting Yerin to manifest death icon, but in my opinion suits her more than the icons people predicted (sword, blood, strength). Also protect Mercy's remnant at any cost. My only question is whether Lindon can still use consume after leaving. Can't tell when he told Li Markuth "Your power won't go to waste" if he meant something else(like soulsmithing his dead matter) or if he meant that Li Markuth was going become a gummy vitamin. probably both. Before that though, he did absorb an attack from Shen's remnant. Position of Makiel is open for whoever manipulated fate in order for Waybound to release a day early. Also Sha Miara backstabbing Shen is gold. He thought she was so easy to manipulate before the uno reverse card got played. 12/10 now I must reread for dopamine.
I assume he could since Northstrider had a blood/hunger path and could ascend. My thought was that he basically had to lose a few Dreadgod lbs after how close he’d come to going full Slumbering Wraith.
>My only question is whether Lindon can still use consume after leaving This is Lindon we're talking about. If he couldn't use consume after he left, he'd definitely fix that before doing anything else. Lindon would go to ridiculous lengths to get his cheat code back.
Like bringing a planet spanning labyrinth across dimensions that was of central significance to the Hungering Wraith...
Sooooo…. When’s Lirin: Cradle next generations coming out?
>Lindon creates a new power-up to fight his son’s villains and the stress of the power-up kills Orthos >All the new villains are inexplicably more powerful than Lindon and Yerin somehow >Yerin fires off two techniques “oh no I’m out of madra” >Lirin starts off complaining that his dad never spends any time with him, but when you see his life it turns out his dad hangs out with him all the time >No airtime for Rock Lee’s kid Truly the worst timeline.
>Lindon adopts Pride who shoves him into a pocket space and convinces everyone that Lirin killed him.
>Everything that’s ever happened has been the fault of aliens …actually that one kind of works for Cradle.
I haven’t seen Baruto, but I feel like this is Baruto
It is Boruto, yeah. Don’t watch it.
Have no complaints. Fitting end, excellent story. Could stand to read their meandering adventures as the Reaper division forever, of course, but this was never that kind of story, and I also still got a pleasantly content sense of completion after the epilogue where I expected only crushing disappointment that it's done. It was a nice surprise, and a sign of excellent writing. Thanks a ton, Will, won't forget this series anytime soon.
This was my exact feeling also. I wasn’t even sure how I want it to end but this was perfect. Phenomenal finish, Will, and gratitude for the journey!
I felt somewhat the same after Reaper tbh. Folk may forget now but going into the book I was convinced after all we read upto that point that revealing Eithan as Ozriel as a twist would be a bad idea. Apart from the issues around the foreshadowing - it was an obvious possibility, everyone had considered it and already formed strong opinions for or against already. I thought it would either be a stale revelation or an unpopular one depending. But the execution was absolutely brilliant, Will dug in and made the hints from the very start of the book slowly easing us into the idea and convincing us it would be a good idea. I suppose there might still have been some who read the book too quickly to notice and felt let down by the reveal, but I loved it and I thought there was no way that could happen going in. It was a masterpiece of writing in my mind.
> Could stand to read their meandering adventures as the Reaper division forever, Honestly, Yerin being isekai'd for her first abidan adventure really makes me want to eventually see some sort of twist on that genre from Will.
Also, the idea of an isekai'd hero ending up being Yerin is so fucking funny. Hats off.
If you spin the Isekai Gacha enough, eventually you get an SSR.
I just love this universe that's being created. Every kind of magic you can think of? Check. Cultivation? Check. Sci-fi? Check. Summoning heroes from another world? Hell yeah. Check.
The world going black and white for the Reaper’s Sword is the most anime part of the entire series. Until she is full on summoned to a different world as Saitama.
A beautiful ending! I cried, I laughed I shouted. Wonderful. Every scene was immaculate but want go over some favourites Jaran getting some respect for his son! Finally! Even in his own way he cares. Malice getting called out for sounding like Disney villain, actually recognising it and still being a giant bitch afterwards. Ziel growing passed his trauma but still facing it to ascend was a great touch that was very real. Suriel and Lindon sitting down and chatting! I sobbed loudly. Lindon and Yerin just slamming their names together like a tumblr ship to name their kid makes so much sense for the characters and is hilarious.
They're both so bad at names. They should have asked Mercy. Then their child would have a \*real\* name. Something like, Blessed Union of the Reapers. Yeah.
Wei Shi Lirin Arelius, Blessed Union of the Reapers. God, I didn’t even realize his name was just his mom and dad’s mashed together.
I thought it was an homage to Stormlight archive - >!Kaladin's father is named Lirin!< - and now I'm wondering if it was *both*. In which case, absolutely brilliant!
Maybe the reapers read Stormlight and want their child to grow up to be a doctor.
I can't believe Lindon and Yerin gave birth to the biggest asshole of a father in all of Roshar
I've got Lirin in my head as "main character's asshole dad" I guess, because for a second I heard Lirin and my train of thought was "What's Lindon's father doing running around? Wait no shit that's Jaran. Wait... Lirin is Kaladin's dad wtf?" Also I think biggest asshole of a father on Roshar might be pushing it. Shallan's dad takes the cake.
Thank you, Will, for a superbly satisfying ending. Just finished the first read through. Favourite moments - 1) The reveal of the penance arrows and Ziel and Mercy using them to kill a dreadgod and a monarch, respectively. 2) Yerin realising she was hoping for jewellery. Also, Lindon stealing a bit of the Queen's gem from Emriss *two years* before its use is revealed. :D 3) Mercy's herald advancement - that was so incredibly in character and so unexpected at the same time :) 4) Human-sized Little Blue acting like a twelve-inch tall spirit. 5) Li Markuth's return and the seven year festival. 6) Everything with the eight-man empire.
I don't know if I'm ready. I don't want it to ever end!
Yeah, me too… I expecting a couple of month of post-cradle depression after finishing the book
The last line: And then Lindon Woke up, and he was excited to finally test to see if he could advance past the foundation stage for the tenth year in a row.
I laughed when Dross shut her down early, but Sage Little Blue would be amazing. Called >!the Hammer Icon showing up for Lindon ages ago, so that was fun to see. Same with our cameos of old friends.!< >!"I am the End", and the last few chapters/epilogue in general, were just a lot of fun.!< Loved how this whole adventure wrapped up! The ending was definitely given plenty of time to breathe, which I appreciate. Excited to discuss this book with folks as they finish it, and looking forward to Traveler's Blade, The Last Horizon, and whatever else Will comes up with next!
Yeah I was waiting for the hammer icon since like Wintersteel. Creation and destruction in one.
Yknow what, Will? This was perfectly done. I'm... satisfied.
> I'm... satisfied. This. (But to be clear, "satisfied" in an enormously positive way, not "barely acceptable.") Like, could Will have shoehorned in some more epic moments if he wanted to? Maybe. There's a few places for that. But the story didn't need any more. To me, this just feels like the correct ending for the story. I still want to read more stories in this universe, but I'm putting down the series happy and not feeling like there were threads left unexplored. Nothing shut down early. The story ran its course and ended, and the ride was great. This series is going on my re-read list for when I'm out of books for the rest of forever. I hope we see these characters again, but for now? I have nothing but praise and admiration for Will and team. Ten years of work under what I understand to be pretty inhospitable conditions for independent publishers. No bad entries in the series. A rich story with a satisfying conclusion. Well done.
Yeah. Satisfied in the sense that my hunger is sated. Full meal. What a great series
My favourite part of the book is when Mercy reveals to Lindon that he's her father and invites him to conquer the world as a daddy-daughter duo. So touching. \*wipes tears\*
Omg all these theories about Suriel or Ozriel dying because Ozriel's power was restricted and Will calls us fools on the first paragraph of the prologue
And then him repeatedly >!trying to summon the Scythe!< is hilarious.
“There was one obvious first step.” Well, yeah, I guess there was.
Impressively pulled off. Wasn't sure how he'd managed to tie everything together, but Will did it. I'm not even disappointed or feeling empty that the series is over like I often do. Which is not a criticism of the series, but a sign that he tied everything up excellently, and gave enough glimpses of the future to make me satisfied. Good work.
>I'm not even disappointed or feeling empty that the series is over like I often do I've seen this sentiment from a bunch of people, and I feel it myself. I'm not sure if Will specifically *intended* this beyond just wanting a satisfying ending, but there's something poetic about finishing a series with such a strong focus on Hunger with satiety.
Yeah, not sure what it is. Maybe the fact it’s a 12 book series and every arc is tied up. Usually that dissatisfaction is because of a trilogy with a brief epilogue immediately after the climax, whereas the last 50-100 pages are an extended epilogue.
And so it begins The beginning of the end
This is not the End.....but the beginning of.........................LOSS.
The beginning of great depression and hunger for a quality book
Did I just stay up until 4am to finish the book when I have to be up for work in 5 hours? Yes I did. Was it worth it? Yes it was. I cried. I’m not a super emotional person, but wow it was just so good and it made me so happy and I can’t believe it’s over. I’ve been reading Cradle along with release since Blackflame and it’s my favorite series ever. I am so sad it’s over but wow what a ride. Lindon, Yerin, Eithan, Little Blue, Orthos, Mercy, Ziel and all the rest, have been with me through so many ups and downs over the years. Thank you u/Will_Wight for giving me a world to escape to when life was tough, and for writing a series with characters that inspired me to improve myself.
I just finished, I only cried a little, and by a little I mean a lot. >!And now Lindon’s kid goes on to be Kaladin’s father, yeah?!<
That’s why I didn’t want to name the kid that, but I couldn’t escape the idea of just fusing their names together. I thought it was a very Lindon and Yerin thing to do.
When I first saw the name was Lirin I cycled through stages of laughter and disbelief before settling on the fact that yeah, Lindon and Yerin would just smash their names together and call it a day.
Now the only question is who got the better name, Lirin or his younger brother Yendon
Lirin, by a wide margin. Honestly, poor Yendon. Maybe they can have a girl and name her Zercy.
Miel wouldn't be bad.
This has just made me think if Ziel married Mercy and took her name, everyone would probably think his name was spelled “Zeal.”
Should have gone with the safe choice and named him Fleshripper
My only regret is that I can only read this book for the first time once. This was an amazing end to an amazing series. Thank you for letting us walk this Path with you.
>A vast, smiling face with twinkling blue eyes. >**“Die,”** Yerin ordered. > And at Yerin’s command, the Eithan Icon descended on Akura Malice. *As it crashed down, it said, it's voice stretched and distorted as it passed, "Monarch, this is a mistake."*
On some level the Death icon is almost literally just Eithan lol.
Just got finished with the book. Fucking well done. Will, you somehow made what... wait, I have to make a list real quick: 1. Orthos to Overlord 2. Orthos to Archlord 3. Orthos to Dragon Sage 4. Little Blue to Archlord level (spirits are weird huh) 5. Little Blue to Herald 6. Yerin to Monarch (Eithan Icon) 7. Ziel to Shield Sage 8. Ziel to Monarch 9. Mercy to Archlord 10. Mercy to Herald 11. Mercy to Monarch (Joy Icon) **11 protag advancements** feel not only earned and unique, but somehow unrushed? All while wrapping everything up in a super satisfying way? Fucking Bravo.
What about Lindon advancing further as a Sage by touching the Hammer Icon?
That's not technically advancing. He was already a Sage. As Emriss's chapter mentioned, having multiple Icons doesn't come with a power increase, just more options.
That's fair. And Lindon did advance three times this book anyway. (Hunger advancements)
Damnit, wish I could just drop in the GIF but… #[[RELEASE AUTHORITY: 009 -LITTLE BLUE](https://images.app.goo.gl/aamr1wvbTQkPD1JKA)]
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God I hope so. At the same time, I hope that it's primarily cameos. I'd love to see, for example, a few paragraphs of the main character of a book seeing Yerin solving some side-problem and then her yeeting herself from the iteration. Or just a quick conversation and then out. I'd hate to have them solve anything too big in a book about someone else. Not that I think Will would do that, mind you.
I neeeeed it! Just in some low-stakes situation in literally any of Will's other books. Some strange woman with eight arms appears out of nowhere and yells "**STOP**". The main characters, just taking a random stroll, freeze in place and start freaking out. The mysterious woman picks one of them up, moves them one foot to the left, gives them a red-eyed wink and says "if you stepped on that rock, the world would end." Then she vanishes. Later, in the bloopers, you find out that the main character is allergic to bees and would have died after stepping on the rock and annoying a nest.
“Denied. Report Complete” this line literally had me in tears, the whole series was so great and just ending it in the fashion of the Abidan where they had finally made it, alongside the pure finality of that statement leaving no doubt that we have reached the end of the story just felt so perfect, cheers Will, absolutely incredible
Shen thinking he was a lion but his remnant being human was one of my favorite parts, and I haven’t seen anyone else talking about it
Also The Bleeding Phoenix drinking wine and then remarking to Shen how it's annoying to wait for someone while they drink wine.
Larian’s infatuating with the gifted Bow is truly incredible 😂 come to Mama
"The scary man is gone now" Lindon: "Why am I the scary man?"
God this cracked me up. In such a short time with her, she became one of my favorites just for her antics with the bow.
Larian has been one of, if not the, funniest character ever since she ~~watched passively~~ fought a heroic battle against Lindon when he tried to rob the Monarchs. ^ptchew ^^ptchew
Got graduation and waybound on the same day I don’t think my body can handle this
Haha you'll just be in the corner of someone's after party, reading
After promising that I would pace myself, I still just ended up reading the whole book in one sitting. What a journey! So glad I stumbled onto Unsouled all those years ago. After too many once loved adventures have failed to stick their landings (looking at you GOT), I am so happy with how this series finished. My hunger icon has been sated, replaced with the Joy icon. To Will and his entire team, gratitude.
How was there not a scene where Eithan acknowledged that the Joy Icon was real?? When they ascended I was waiting for it…. And I just kept waiting… and then I had to put my faith in the bloopers… and then I had to accept that it wasn’t gonna happen… But seriously, a great end to a great series. I’ll miss my time in Cradle and always remember it fondly
The duel against Northstrider was perfection. Dross you sneaky, beautiful, bastard.
Ugh, it was amazing! 100% needed the 7 year festival beatdown. Yerin and the Death Icon was amazing, but from that moment on I felt such fear for Lindon Mercy's advancements had me sobbing. Eithan hugging Lindon and sobbing had me sobbing. I cried a lot. My only disappointments, on my first read: 1) no Adriel / not enough Hammer Icon business 2) wanted a better look at the paths of heaven. That sounded very intriguing 3) the "cores" not "core" thing. No book will ever perfectly satisfy everyone, but it was better than I could have fathomed. Thank you, Will.
I would have loved to see the gang's initial Abidan compatibility results!
I'm obviously a fan of the series, but I have to say spending 100 pages on denouement (one of those words I learned in school that stuck with me, but this may be the first time I've ever used it in a sentence) is one of the most brilliant things I've seen a writer do. I think the reason so many people are saying how satisfying the conclusion was is because Will took the time to wrap up the entire series, not just the book. On a side note, I totally want to see a spin off based on Larian now, she catapulted into being one of my favorite characters.
One of my stated goals for *Waybound* was to make it the denouement for the whole series, so it’s gratifying to hear you call that out! Thanks, and I’m glad it worked for you!
Yerin’s six spread sword-arms rang like an entire cathedral full of bells. I spent 10 mins laughing at this line. And this was not even the funniest part. Man, I’m not ready to praise Will yet, so he doesn’t get an inflated ego, but I think he’s the best fantasy author ever.
I know I said this part was the funniest, but this was a close second “Whew, sorry I’m late, it’s amazing all the…traffic. You don’t happen to have a sword left, do you?”
Yeah, the 8ME cowering until Lindon Clause talks about presents was hilarious
Or the emo lady talking about night and darkness only to finish with “yeah I’ll take a dagger”. will’s humor is peak dude
First day at a new job this morning, got four hours of sleep. Don’t regret it for a minute - this book was too good to put down and so I didn’t. I like the way northstrider ascended, and the lindon v. Li markuth rematch was everything I ever wanted ever since I heard he was the level of a sage. The dreadgod weapons were badass and I want to see more adventures of the reaper division as they get legends spread of them all across the multiverse. I do wonder how they would’ve been reapers if oz hadn’t ascended and stayed as eithian but I’m sure he had a plan. I didn’t see Makiel making the sacrifice play at the end there, but he really did put his money where is mouth was and showed he wasn’t as much a hypocrite as I thought. Between spiderverse and waybound, I consumed two truly great pieces of fiction- and I still can’t tell which one is better because they’re both that good. Thanks for the series will, I can’t wait for what comes next.
ngl I teared up when Lindon told Eithan "I missed you". *Such* a good moment.
It’s beautiful. 2:49am. crying.
hahaha it's so funny that the scythe was hidden next to makiel all along
There were a lot of great moments where I teared up, and a real sense of struggle as Lindon barely holds it together for days of endless fighting as one man vs multiple monarchs and Dreadgod(s). I’m surprised on two fronts: Lindon didn’t lose control as bad as was implied And we didn’t see the empty seats of the Abidan filled, but it makes sense since it’s outside the scope of the book and that the crew would become reapers outside the pact, operating under Eithan. Maybe in a world with an Abidan series, the crew take up the mantle, but I do feel like the epilogue truly seals the deal on the story.
Wonderful book. My only complaint is that there was no blooper that included the Last Horizon. I thought for sure there would be one for when they were suggesting possible new names for Little Blue. *"Maybe something sky related? How about... 'Horizon?'"* *"Mmm!"*
When I wrote these bloopers, I wasn’t sure The Captain would come out first. Otherwise I definitely would have done something like this.
I love how when we saw their jobs as Reapers, Yerin gets to beat an enemy up (and got isekai’d which was fantastic, Mercy gives people things and confuses them, Lindon takes on a force of destruction akin to a natural disaster, and Ziel. Ziel gets to do bureaucracy. It’s also really funny that the sect members want him back to deal with all of their disagreements. I can’t wait until we get new art of the characters! Mercy with her floaty hair, Ziel with the green scars, and Lindon has white parts throughout him I think. I could be wrong, but I don’t think we get a full description of him in his monarch form. I’m assuming the merge with subject one was the equivalent of merging with his remanent because he’s definitely got monarch level power. No changes from Yerin that I’m aware of, but human forms for Orthos and little Blue are fun! This was a fantastic way to end an amazing series, thank you so much Will! I’m looking forward to more of the Last Horizon, and whatever else you write in the future!
>Yerin…got isekai’d I’m an Immortal Swordswoman Banished to Another World But I’m Already Overpowered So I Crush the Dark Lord on the First Day and Go On to Save More Worlds: The Legend of the Mighty Warrior Heron
28% of the way in now, >!holy shit was the fight with Northstrider good. Especially the reveal which reminded [me of one of my favorite parts of Bleach](https://preview.redd.it/8343yn0f7vm81.jpg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=6aca18e8e84545303556f18a6ccabc59e5dba3cb)!<
OMG! Lindon is the heroic better version of Aizen!
I just got it this morning. Assumed it was a publishing fluke. I was surprised Lindon died so soon. I knew it would happen but not in the first 40 pages. Never predicted Little Blue would adopt the hunger arm and work her way up to consuming Makiel. I’m just glad Yerin and Ziel finally got together. I would have been happier if Eithan declared his love for Suriel over Fisher Geisha though. I really don’t think that made any sense. My favorite part was Mercy going all murder hobo and trying to end all life on Cradle once she saw it as corrupted. Still would have been happier if Shen hadn’t just used constructs to kill her. At least as a silverlord, Wei Shi Seisha will finally learn some real soulsmithing.
Little Blue, or I guess we should call her Dreadblue now since she's the 7th dreadgod, after Lindon (may he rip) and Yerin (The newest hound), really was the main character all along.
Little Blue made a noise that sounded like a ringing bell tower. “I will never be called little again!” And she advanced to Archlord, where she immediately manifested the Cute Icon. She stared down all 8 Monarchs and the remaining Dreadgods. She then used her authority and uttered a single word. “Die!” In an instant, they all fell to the ground, dead.
Pot smoking does this sometimes, I think
It is time. My people need me. * proceeds to hermit for the next 24 hours while reading this book and try not to feel loss *
There was no "lindondies" >:(
There was nothing Will could do, any time he started to write Lindon’s death the Empty Ghost said “**NO**” and his computer would blue screen.
I cackled loudly when Shen screamed "save me" in sage voice.
Yerin was so kind to Mercy when they killed Malice. 🥹
I can still remember how Yerin complained about Eithan as a teacher. And now >!she does 10k scythe slice imitations!<.
Will and family and team. Breathe. Relax. Its been a horribly stressful few days for you guys. Don't worry. We still love you. We have our book and we're even happier now because we have it early. So stop, take a moment and enjoy your spectacular achievement!
Well, that was about as perfect as I could have imagined. I think the best parts were the ones with Mercy. What a great story! I think I had to wipe away tears every time she had a chapter. Her Archlord revelation, her battle against House Shen, her battle against Malice and finally her Sage revelation... I think this book managed to take from my fourth or fifth favorite character, to my #1 favorite. Thank you, Will. You ended the series brilliantly.
It is down to the way you look at it in all objectivity but the number of advancements we got throughout the series, in the last two books and especially in the last book is also an affirmation of Eithan's belief (and I am paraphrasing here) that sacred arts are easier, in every way, when you are not alone. Lindon helps each of his friends develop their willpower and steals resources of incalculable value for them to advance and then meditate on the nature of their sacred arts. He creates extra time for them. Ziel does the same for Mercy and everyone else's Dross. Even earlier, when two sages (technically 3) and a Monarch come together to help Yerin advance she becomes the world's first overlord Herald in an unprecedented way. When Mercy and Ziel become Monarchs, their spirit is unstable and they are not the equivalent of true Monarchs but another Monarch in Emriss helps them become stable enough to fight and ascend. So many more examples. We also see alliances change many times during the series; lies, politics and backstabbing rampant so it makes sense that this sort of collective effort is very rare. Even the Sword Sage asks Tiberian sarcastically if he has another spare Sage/Herald he can trust to send with Adama into the Labyrinth to explore and Tiberian has no answer. All that to say that the power of friendship trumps all. I like that very much btw.
Just finished the book. Absolutely incredible ending to the series. The most impressive thing to me is how the book handled the “hype moments”. Every book up to this point has had a moment or two that makes you go “oh my god, that’s insane!”, but it’s almost always tied to growth. Usually Lindon or Yerin jumping farther up the ladder than expected. But the thing is, this is the finale of a cultivation series. They’re pretty much at the top, and the last few rungs are steps we all already know they’re going to take. We’re at the top, there are no more steps left to skip. The best moments in the first eleven books are all hype moments where we wonder what the heroes will be like by the end, and Waybound had to show us that destination, and it couldn’t really have any of those hype growth moments itself because it’s the end. And Waybound absolutely NAILED IT. The characters hitting their un-ascended peaks felt rewarding, and the fights still felt tense, but with a sense of awe instead of excitement. This is the book that cashes in the checks that the first eleven wrote, and it nailed it. I never found myself saying “oh my god, whaaat” like the first eleven, but I was constantly smiling and nodding my head, thinking “that’s exactly how it should be” Waybound stuck the landing, and I can only hope that Will wrights more about the Reaper devision in the future. If not, I’m more confident than ever in The Last Horizon. Amazing job, Will 💙
Some of my personal highlights Dross & Mercy & Lindon moment > Uncle Fury liked our father a lot, so you can imagine what he was like. Always fighting somebody.” [What kind of an unstable person would live like that?] Dross said, and even without looking up, Mercy was sure he was staring at Lindon. The fight with Reigan & Malice & NorthStrider (shivers!) > When the third Penance arrow struck at him from behind, that was when Reigan realized he was going to die. Every shield, barrier, script, and scrap of armor he could summon leaped out of his many vaults and onto his body. The blue plates of absolute Abidan protection shivered under the weight of triple execution…and then they cracked. The metal strapped to his wrist, the platinum Titan artifact, tore in half like cloth. “Protect!” Northstrider commanded. “Stop!” Malice ordered. “Save me!” Reigan Shen cried. Dross & Orthos moment > “It was my mother’s name.” Dross paused for a moment. […I feel like I’m supposed to compliment the name now, but I still don’t like it.] Dross & Ziel moment > Well…I said that with a lot of confidence, but without Lindon waking up, I’m—no offense, but I’m not working with top-quality tools here. Yerin & Dross > [More importantly, why am I red?] Dross asked. Her new spirit looked and felt like Dross in every way. Except he was red. Hold a second, I’ll ask my mind-spirit, she responded. Malice & Lindon > Malice saw where her arrow would pierce Yerin’s chest only a split second before Lindon awakened. His first sight would be what Malice had done. She didn’t see anything further in Fate than that. Her future cut off at that moment. “Return!” Malice commanded desperately. Northstrider & Codex moment > New possibility, the codex said again. Don’t tell me that, Northstrider snapped back. Acknowledged. I will not consider this possibility. Shen & Phenix moment > Then she picked up a goblet, swirled some wine in his direction, and upended it into her mouth. That had to be intentional. As though she were reading his mind, she gestured with the empty goblet. “It’s annoying when someone’s swirling wine while you’re talking, isn’t it?” Fuck Malice > It was time to remind the entire world who Akura Malice was. If it cost her some rebellious children, that was a cheap price to pay. Ziel & Lindon Moment > Ziel’s muttered voice sounded like it was coming from next to Lindon’s ear. “Advance to Archlord, he’s a Sage. Advance to Sage, he’s a Dreadgod. Advance to Monarch, he’s off to kill a Dreadgod on his own.” Orthos being a good caretaker > They weren’t reacting like Lindon had expected. “How long was I out?” Orthos set the tray down. “That depends on how much you remember. We had this same conversation earlier this morning.” “Ah.” “And several days before that.” All the Larian moments :) And the 7 year festival dual as well <3
Excellent series. We got to see Lindon and the gang's journey from Cradle to The Grave
Is the book out already, or are you just being pro-active? O.o
Feverishly refreshing the amazon.ca page every 5 mins. I just manifested the hunger icon.
Incredible. Just so good. I finished around 6 am and had enough time for about 3 hours of sleep. I have a lot of favorite scenes, but Mercy's ascension to Herald, Yerin's ascension to Monarch, Lindon vs Li Markuth, and Lirin are some of them. I'm not sure what the madra evaporating to steam is supposed to mean, and I don't have the brain to go figure that out just now, haha.
A couple more: Fury conversing with Lindon Fury abducting Pride Northstrider ascending
I was incredibly surprised that he ascended while malice didn't. I seriously thought she was going to snap out of her girlboss mentality.
Even the most ancient and imperious Dragon could not begin to comprehend the dizzying heights of arrogance achieved by those fel matriarchs who manifest the Girlboss Icon.
I loved it. Thank you Will, for nailing the ending
Waybound word count: 160k words. Waybound word count without the phrase "ring/rang like a bell": 60k words. But seriously, this was an amazing ending to an amazing series. I'm blown away by the twists and turns, this book went so far beyond what I expected!
>\[We’re clear on the Fate end,\] Dross reported. \[Their legends of you are going to get…weird.\] > >*Wait, how weird?* Mercy asked. *How weird, Dross?* Dross wouldn’t answer her. They are going to make Mercy their fertility goddess, aren't they? Lol