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Cradle #5
Ghostwater
Long ago, the Monarch Northstrider created a world of his own.This world, known as Ghostwater, housed some of his most valuable experiments. Now, it has been damaged by the attack of the Bleeding Phoenix, and a team of Skysworn have been sent to recover whatever they can from the dying world.Now, Lindon must brave the depths of this new dimension, scavenging treasures and pushing his skills to new heights to compete with new enemies.Because Ghostwater is not as empty as it seems.
303 pages, Paperback
First published May 31, 2018
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October 5, 2020
4.5/5 stars
Started a bit stale for me but it ended up being a gripping and entertaining story with Dungeon Crawl element.
For this review, let’s start with why I haven’t given any books in the series a full 5 stars rating, shall we? If you want to know what the premise is about, read the official blurb at your own risk. Ghostwater is the fifth book in the Cradle series, and it didn’t start off as smoothly as I hoped. Don’t get me wrong, I have enjoyed the series very much and I continue to do so; my rating for each installment pretty much speaks for themselves. However, I want to love it more, if I were to be brutally honest, Cradle has been missing one crucial aspect that’s, more often than not, is very necessary for me to love a book even further: an empathizing main character. Up until now, the side characters—Yerin, Eithan, Orthos, Jai Long, Little Blue—were the characters that made the series shine for me. This notion of mine was proven even further with the inclusion of a new character in Ghostwater, an A.I named Dross which I loved ever since its first appearance. I don’t think I need to explain further how much I loved Eithan, Yerin, Mercy, Orthos; I have enjoyed reading about all the side characters more than I enjoyed reading about Lindon.
Lindon himself felt like a ‘platform’ merely used to show the gradual advancement of power in the series; he made the Sacred Arts and the side characters shine but he was lacking in characterizations. With that info in mind, many action scenes throughout the series—especially the first quarter of this novel—that involved Lindon became stale and non-reactionary to me. Don’t misinterpret this as me saying that the action sequences were lacking in quality, they’re not. The actions have always been well-written; the anime-style display of power and magic system were all superbly put to the series, and they totally worked well when they involved the supporting characters of the series. However, at the end of the day, if an action scene involves characters I don’t care about, then the actions were exactly just that, cool flashy fight scenes that don’t spark emotions in me, and that’s what happened with Lindon. Throughout the series so far, Lindon’s sole motivation has always revolved around getting stronger, there’s no complexity to his character motivations other than that. Thankfully, the second half of Ghostwater finally started to fix this issue. Wight showed Lindon’s depth of relationship with the other characters; there’s more to life than Sacred Arts advancement and this was incredibly effective in improving my enjoyment of reading his chapters.
I noticed that many people were disappointed with Skysworn—my favorite of the series so far—because it didn’t have any training or advancement stage for Lindon. There’s still no training per se here, but Lindon’s advancement is back, and it’s back stronger than ever by involving an interesting Dungeon crawl method. The advancement’s scenes in Ghostwater actually became my favorite in the series since Blackflame; I found it to be intriguing. Within these advancement pages, we also get to see Lindon’s relationship development with Orthos, Dross, and Little Blue. As for Yerin, her and Mercy’s story were utterly impressive and badass. It’s a bit unfortunate that Eithan didn’t have many presences here, but the few chapters he appeared in, as usual, stole the highlight of the novel for me.
I did fear I wasn’t going to enjoy this one at the beginning of this book but by the conclusion, I ended up feeling incredibly positive for the sequel. I continue to enjoy reading Cradle. Ghostwater was exciting, full of destructive anime-style action scenes, and most importantly, it gave the series the much-needed characterizations for Lindon that I’ve been craving for five books. Because of these, I have a good feeling that the next book, Underlord, will finally earn the first 5 stars rating for the series from me. Let’s find out.
You can order the book from: Book Depository (Free shipping)
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Devin, Hamad, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas.
Started a bit stale for me but it ended up being a gripping and entertaining story with Dungeon Crawl element.
For this review, let’s start with why I haven’t given any books in the series a full 5 stars rating, shall we? If you want to know what the premise is about, read the official blurb at your own risk. Ghostwater is the fifth book in the Cradle series, and it didn’t start off as smoothly as I hoped. Don’t get me wrong, I have enjoyed the series very much and I continue to do so; my rating for each installment pretty much speaks for themselves. However, I want to love it more, if I were to be brutally honest, Cradle has been missing one crucial aspect that’s, more often than not, is very necessary for me to love a book even further: an empathizing main character. Up until now, the side characters—Yerin, Eithan, Orthos, Jai Long, Little Blue—were the characters that made the series shine for me. This notion of mine was proven even further with the inclusion of a new character in Ghostwater, an A.I named Dross which I loved ever since its first appearance. I don’t think I need to explain further how much I loved Eithan, Yerin, Mercy, Orthos; I have enjoyed reading about all the side characters more than I enjoyed reading about Lindon.
“And I can see your face so much clearly now! It’s…well, at least you have a wonderful spirit. Yes, indeed. That spirit of yours, wow.”
Lindon himself felt like a ‘platform’ merely used to show the gradual advancement of power in the series; he made the Sacred Arts and the side characters shine but he was lacking in characterizations. With that info in mind, many action scenes throughout the series—especially the first quarter of this novel—that involved Lindon became stale and non-reactionary to me. Don’t misinterpret this as me saying that the action sequences were lacking in quality, they’re not. The actions have always been well-written; the anime-style display of power and magic system were all superbly put to the series, and they totally worked well when they involved the supporting characters of the series. However, at the end of the day, if an action scene involves characters I don’t care about, then the actions were exactly just that, cool flashy fight scenes that don’t spark emotions in me, and that’s what happened with Lindon. Throughout the series so far, Lindon’s sole motivation has always revolved around getting stronger, there’s no complexity to his character motivations other than that. Thankfully, the second half of Ghostwater finally started to fix this issue. Wight showed Lindon’s depth of relationship with the other characters; there’s more to life than Sacred Arts advancement and this was incredibly effective in improving my enjoyment of reading his chapters.
“The prize is an illusion…The mountain has no peak. You keep climbing and climbing until you fall and break yourself at the bottom. Highgold is one step, Truegold is another step, but there’s no end to it. You could walk forever, but every Path ends in a fall.”
I noticed that many people were disappointed with Skysworn—my favorite of the series so far—because it didn’t have any training or advancement stage for Lindon. There’s still no training per se here, but Lindon’s advancement is back, and it’s back stronger than ever by involving an interesting Dungeon crawl method. The advancement’s scenes in Ghostwater actually became my favorite in the series since Blackflame; I found it to be intriguing. Within these advancement pages, we also get to see Lindon’s relationship development with Orthos, Dross, and Little Blue. As for Yerin, her and Mercy’s story were utterly impressive and badass. It’s a bit unfortunate that Eithan didn’t have many presences here, but the few chapters he appeared in, as usual, stole the highlight of the novel for me.
“Just focus on doing your best. Don’t think about the massively improbable odds, or what will happen if you fails.”
I did fear I wasn’t going to enjoy this one at the beginning of this book but by the conclusion, I ended up feeling incredibly positive for the sequel. I continue to enjoy reading Cradle. Ghostwater was exciting, full of destructive anime-style action scenes, and most importantly, it gave the series the much-needed characterizations for Lindon that I’ve been craving for five books. Because of these, I have a good feeling that the next book, Underlord, will finally earn the first 5 stars rating for the series from me. Let’s find out.
You can order the book from: Book Depository (Free shipping)
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Devin, Hamad, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas.
August 30, 2021
3rd reading:
For me, this is still a highlight of the series. It's my 3rd read and I still love the pocketworld setting. I didn't know such a thing really existed and so it's all new to me. I love the concept. Will is amazing how well he guides this story and he's great at bringing the new and big ideas. Although, it does seem that when the plot needs Lindon to be weak, he can't win so that later, Lindon will blow all of them away. It sort of comes and goes at Will's whim. Mostly, he gives good reasons, but there are times, it simply because Lindon needs to win. Anyway, I love this story and I was going to slow down, but I just want to keep going.
The beginning is okay. It's the last dregs of the horrible 4th book. I just hate how the Skysworn treat Eithan's students. It's so boring to read. It might be tension, but not good tension and it grows so old. Then, the story becomes the gem it is.
2nd reading
I thought I read this last year, but it was only this past April. This year feels so long. After reading all 8 books, this is still one of my favorite of the series and I stand by the 5 star rating. Lindon gets to leap 2 stages in this book and it's great how it goes down. This is unique to the series and it holds up well to re-reads.
Previously,
Holy fried giant fish, this story was amazing. I mean, this book had me. This story brings it and it’s the best in the series so far. At first, I didn’t think this bubble world would be a good story but once I got going with it, I mean I could not put it down. I mostly read this story in 2 days. I do wish the books in this series had more information. It needs to be a bit longer and give us more information.
This was Lindon’s story. We also see perspectives from other cultures and Underlords and even Monarchs. We learn so much about this world and how it works and how much power people can really attain if they are lucky and work hard.
My last story, I complained that no one seems to have any sense of life, love or down time. Here, several characters try and tell Lindon that he needs to live a little. The mountain never ends and there is always another level to get to and he needs to rest and spend some time enjoying life. Lindon doesn’t listen.
We see Eithan again being awesome. It’s time he goes from Underlord to Overlord. He needs to up his game now. Mercy does not level up in this book. She is still Lowgold. Yerin finally levels up to Truegold from Highgold. Lindon has the book and he has to fight with Truegolds with Orthos and he finds potions and water to drink to help him. IN this story he goes from Lowgold to Truegold. He is set up to learn about Soulfire and learn to be an Underlord.
There is some big competition coming up for all the kingdoms to compete in and we see Eithan wanting to set up his disciples to fight in that competition.
Another cool thing Lindon did was he finds this construct that is self thinking and he helps it progress and become a thinking entity and then attaches it to his body. Lindon is getting to be amazing in power and he’s learning to fight.
My one complaint or critique about this story is we see so little of Yerin and Mercy bonding. They spent about a month in the woods together, camping together and having each other’s back and we see so little of that. Will should have take some more pages and shown us an emotional bond that started to form or at least respect. I am beginning to think he is writing these too fast with all the other series he is doing and he’s missing some moments. I know showing character growth will slow down an action story, but I love character development. I feel he pushes his story too hard and he doesn’t really give us enough character development when he can. Take a breath and let us see some vulnerability or some tension between them or some bonding, something. There were in the story so little that this is a little thing.
This book had everything and this was amazing. I love it. This is some entertaining stuff. It is non-stop action pulse pounding thriller going on.
When can I start Book 6!!!
For me, this is still a highlight of the series. It's my 3rd read and I still love the pocketworld setting. I didn't know such a thing really existed and so it's all new to me. I love the concept. Will is amazing how well he guides this story and he's great at bringing the new and big ideas. Although, it does seem that when the plot needs Lindon to be weak, he can't win so that later, Lindon will blow all of them away. It sort of comes and goes at Will's whim. Mostly, he gives good reasons, but there are times, it simply because Lindon needs to win. Anyway, I love this story and I was going to slow down, but I just want to keep going.
The beginning is okay. It's the last dregs of the horrible 4th book. I just hate how the Skysworn treat Eithan's students. It's so boring to read. It might be tension, but not good tension and it grows so old. Then, the story becomes the gem it is.
2nd reading
I thought I read this last year, but it was only this past April. This year feels so long. After reading all 8 books, this is still one of my favorite of the series and I stand by the 5 star rating. Lindon gets to leap 2 stages in this book and it's great how it goes down. This is unique to the series and it holds up well to re-reads.
Previously,
Holy fried giant fish, this story was amazing. I mean, this book had me. This story brings it and it’s the best in the series so far. At first, I didn’t think this bubble world would be a good story but once I got going with it, I mean I could not put it down. I mostly read this story in 2 days. I do wish the books in this series had more information. It needs to be a bit longer and give us more information.
This was Lindon’s story. We also see perspectives from other cultures and Underlords and even Monarchs. We learn so much about this world and how it works and how much power people can really attain if they are lucky and work hard.
My last story, I complained that no one seems to have any sense of life, love or down time. Here, several characters try and tell Lindon that he needs to live a little. The mountain never ends and there is always another level to get to and he needs to rest and spend some time enjoying life. Lindon doesn’t listen.
We see Eithan again being awesome. It’s time he goes from Underlord to Overlord. He needs to up his game now. Mercy does not level up in this book. She is still Lowgold. Yerin finally levels up to Truegold from Highgold. Lindon has the book and he has to fight with Truegolds with Orthos and he finds potions and water to drink to help him. IN this story he goes from Lowgold to Truegold. He is set up to learn about Soulfire and learn to be an Underlord.
There is some big competition coming up for all the kingdoms to compete in and we see Eithan wanting to set up his disciples to fight in that competition.
Another cool thing Lindon did was he finds this construct that is self thinking and he helps it progress and become a thinking entity and then attaches it to his body. Lindon is getting to be amazing in power and he’s learning to fight.
My one complaint or critique about this story is we see so little of Yerin and Mercy bonding. They spent about a month in the woods together, camping together and having each other’s back and we see so little of that. Will should have take some more pages and shown us an emotional bond that started to form or at least respect. I am beginning to think he is writing these too fast with all the other series he is doing and he’s missing some moments. I know showing character growth will slow down an action story, but I love character development. I feel he pushes his story too hard and he doesn’t really give us enough character development when he can. Take a breath and let us see some vulnerability or some tension between them or some bonding, something. There were in the story so little that this is a little thing.
This book had everything and this was amazing. I love it. This is some entertaining stuff. It is non-stop action pulse pounding thriller going on.
When can I start Book 6!!!
February 18, 2019
4.5 stars.
Ghostwater is a worthy winner of the Reddit r/Fantasy 2018 Stabby Awards for Best Independent Book; I am now a huge fan of the Cradle series.
The author kept on surprising me with his inexhaustible imagination and the ever-increasing, mind-blowing, magnitude of magical and martial power in this series. All without ever making me think that it was ridiculous. Well, okay, it was - just ridiculously fun and exciting, that is.
I have mentioned in my previous review about the monstrous leap in power and ability that would be required to achieve Eithan's mysterious grand plans. And also that I was uncertain how many books that would take for our main characters to get there. Ghostwater provided quite a leg-up in that respect. The amazing part was that with the foundation of the worldbuilding and magic systems in place and all that was possible, it didn't even seem improbable anymore. This was due to Wight skillfully seeding and nurturing these two key elements into the story over the past few books. As a reader, I did not feel that I needed to suspend disbelief when a huge advancement occurred. While on this topic of worldbuilding, Lindon's story in this book predominantly took place in an underwater pocket world created by one of those insanely powerful entities called Monarchs. How cool was that?
Character-wise, Lindon took centre-stage in this instalment, given that he had the most to catch-up on in terms of growth in power. Fortunately, I have progressively grown to enjoy his characterisation more with each book. He continued to push himself to the brink and one had to appreciate how far he had come from sheer determination. Granted that fate was on his side, but ever one to seize an opportunity against the odds, the gifts did not simply fall on his lap. It took some serious hard work, a lot of suffering, and savvy to get there. And where Lindon was, there would also be Orthos, the fire-breathing turtle - a partnership that had been gone through many trials and was ever the stronger for it.
While Yerin was almost shoved to the sidelines in Ghostwater, she continued to shine with her grit and tenacity in the fewer pages alloted to her POV. An interesting new character introduced in the previous book, Mercy, was also gaining importance in the story. Coming from an immensely powerful family, her pleasant disposition contrasted starkly against the supreme arrogance of her relations and was probably the cause of her estrangement. Mercy was a great addition to the team together with Lindon and Yerin - a team that Eithan was now most eager to train and groom for whatever ends he was planning for.
While I had a fantastic time reading Ghostwater, I was quite disappointed that Eithan did not appear much in this book. He was so brilliantly manipulative that he lent himself to be underestimated by peers and opponents alike. Whenever it was time for him to show his cards, the scene would inevitably become one of my favourites. I still wondered how much more of his powers, ability and knowledge that he was keeping a secret. All the same, you get the sense that he was doing all this for some greater good, or at least I hoped that is the case.
And now, I wait.
PS: Not much longer now, as Underlord will be released on 1st March.
You can purchase a copy of the book, or read it free via Kindle Unlimited on Amazon US.
You can also find this and my other reviews at Novel Notions.
Ghostwater is a worthy winner of the Reddit r/Fantasy 2018 Stabby Awards for Best Independent Book; I am now a huge fan of the Cradle series.
The author kept on surprising me with his inexhaustible imagination and the ever-increasing, mind-blowing, magnitude of magical and martial power in this series. All without ever making me think that it was ridiculous. Well, okay, it was - just ridiculously fun and exciting, that is.
I have mentioned in my previous review about the monstrous leap in power and ability that would be required to achieve Eithan's mysterious grand plans. And also that I was uncertain how many books that would take for our main characters to get there. Ghostwater provided quite a leg-up in that respect. The amazing part was that with the foundation of the worldbuilding and magic systems in place and all that was possible, it didn't even seem improbable anymore. This was due to Wight skillfully seeding and nurturing these two key elements into the story over the past few books. As a reader, I did not feel that I needed to suspend disbelief when a huge advancement occurred. While on this topic of worldbuilding, Lindon's story in this book predominantly took place in an underwater pocket world created by one of those insanely powerful entities called Monarchs. How cool was that?
Character-wise, Lindon took centre-stage in this instalment, given that he had the most to catch-up on in terms of growth in power. Fortunately, I have progressively grown to enjoy his characterisation more with each book. He continued to push himself to the brink and one had to appreciate how far he had come from sheer determination. Granted that fate was on his side, but ever one to seize an opportunity against the odds, the gifts did not simply fall on his lap. It took some serious hard work, a lot of suffering, and savvy to get there. And where Lindon was, there would also be Orthos, the fire-breathing turtle - a partnership that had been gone through many trials and was ever the stronger for it.
While Yerin was almost shoved to the sidelines in Ghostwater, she continued to shine with her grit and tenacity in the fewer pages alloted to her POV. An interesting new character introduced in the previous book, Mercy, was also gaining importance in the story. Coming from an immensely powerful family, her pleasant disposition contrasted starkly against the supreme arrogance of her relations and was probably the cause of her estrangement. Mercy was a great addition to the team together with Lindon and Yerin - a team that Eithan was now most eager to train and groom for whatever ends he was planning for.
While I had a fantastic time reading Ghostwater, I was quite disappointed that Eithan did not appear much in this book. He was so brilliantly manipulative that he lent himself to be underestimated by peers and opponents alike. Whenever it was time for him to show his cards, the scene would inevitably become one of my favourites. I still wondered how much more of his powers, ability and knowledge that he was keeping a secret. All the same, you get the sense that he was doing all this for some greater good, or at least I hoped that is the case.
And now, I wait.
PS: Not much longer now, as Underlord will be released on 1st March.
You can purchase a copy of the book, or read it free via Kindle Unlimited on Amazon US.
You can also find this and my other reviews at Novel Notions.
![Profile Image for Anna [Bran. San. Stan].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1593184464i%2F98245866._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
June 1, 2023
4.5 stars. Whoa. What a ride!
Minor spoilers for the previous books below!
__________
After book 4 saw the departure of one antagonist and the temporary defeat of a Dreadgod, this book dives into a new plotline with plenty new characters. It took me a bit to get used to the new setting/plot as it was pretty far removed from everything that has happened before, but once I did, the adventures and advancement of Lindon and Yerin were fast-paced and incredibly fun. I didn’t even mind that the two of them are split up and embark on different journeys, as - in a minor plotline - we get to see Yerin team up with clumsy Akura Mercy, whom I already loved in the previous book. And, of course, the AI construct Dross is introduced; the comic relief he provides was just delightful, especially when read by Travis Baldree, who is just wonderful with voices. (Highly recommend the audiobooks!)
Apart from the two respective plotlines of Yerin/Mercy and Lindon/Dross/Orthos, the aftermath of the Bleeding Phoenix’s defeat leaves Eithan and others fighting the emissaries of Redmoon Hall. And it sure as hell looks like Eithan is hiding a lot more power. Seeing him unleashed was awesome! I can’t wait to see what else he will and can do.
As for Lindon, the initial impression that piece of dirt Mu Enkai has of Lindon in the prologue, as “powerfully built“, “loom[ing] over the room, glaring like an executioner about to give judgement“ and generally giving off an “oppressive feeling“ leaves me hoping for the day Lindon will abandon his humble, subservient manner. Once he makes use of the inherent intimidation his outward appearance radiates, especially when combined with his Blackflame eyes, he will be truly terrifying and I’m so here for that.
Onward!
PS: In Skysworn, the “most intriguing character” award went to Akura Mercy, here it goes to Ziel, follower of the Beast Lord with the sliced up core and destroyed madra channels. I hope to see him again!
1 Unsouled – 4 stars
2 Soulsmith – 3.75 stars
3 Blackflame – 4.25 stars
4 Skysworn – 4.5 stars
5 Ghostwater – 4.5 stars
Minor spoilers for the previous books below!
__________
After book 4 saw the departure of one antagonist and the temporary defeat of a Dreadgod, this book dives into a new plotline with plenty new characters. It took me a bit to get used to the new setting/plot as it was pretty far removed from everything that has happened before, but once I did, the adventures and advancement of Lindon and Yerin were fast-paced and incredibly fun. I didn’t even mind that the two of them are split up and embark on different journeys, as - in a minor plotline - we get to see Yerin team up with clumsy Akura Mercy, whom I already loved in the previous book. And, of course, the AI construct Dross is introduced; the comic relief he provides was just delightful, especially when read by Travis Baldree, who is just wonderful with voices. (Highly recommend the audiobooks!)
Apart from the two respective plotlines of Yerin/Mercy and Lindon/Dross/Orthos, the aftermath of the Bleeding Phoenix’s defeat leaves Eithan and others fighting the emissaries of Redmoon Hall. And it sure as hell looks like Eithan is hiding a lot more power. Seeing him unleashed was awesome! I can’t wait to see what else he will and can do.
As for Lindon, the initial impression that piece of dirt Mu Enkai has of Lindon in the prologue, as “powerfully built“, “loom[ing] over the room, glaring like an executioner about to give judgement“ and generally giving off an “oppressive feeling“ leaves me hoping for the day Lindon will abandon his humble, subservient manner. Once he makes use of the inherent intimidation his outward appearance radiates, especially when combined with his Blackflame eyes, he will be truly terrifying and I’m so here for that.
Onward!
PS: In Skysworn, the “most intriguing character” award went to Akura Mercy, here it goes to Ziel, follower of the Beast Lord with the sliced up core and destroyed madra channels. I hope to see him again!
1 Unsouled – 4 stars
2 Soulsmith – 3.75 stars
3 Blackflame – 4.25 stars
4 Skysworn – 4.5 stars
5 Ghostwater – 4.5 stars
January 27, 2021
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I slightly enjoyed Skysworn more than Ghostwater. If you look at my reviews for the whole series, it is still a great series with solid 4 ratings. I think Ghostwater was good too but I had a few criticisms which I am trying to explain here.
The writing is as good as usual, I find the writing quality to be consistent which is awesome. The characters voices is the same and there is a mix between comedy and seriousness. I enjoyed the bloopers at the end of the book because it was a creative addition that I never countered in any books I have read so far.
I think the characters are the most important factors when it comes to rating these books. I like Lindon and I love his development but I am mostly someone who likes secondary characters and actually in this book the same applies. I am a bigger fan of Yerin, Eithan and Mercy than I am of Lindon. I love the interaction between those different characters with the main character and how they all keep growing and moving forward. This book has the characters separated and we have Lindon at the main spot, I think the secondary characters got less pages than I wanted, I really wanted more Eithan and I also miss the iterations throughout the books which were not found in this entry. To be fair, the book adds a new AI character called Dross and he is just funny and lovely! Lindon relationship with Little Blue and Orthos were more deepened in this book and I thought it was a good thing. I am not complaining that it focused on Lindon but I am disappointed the other secondary characters were less explored.
The world building is as strong as ever, I don’t know how the author can keep coming up with ideas to develop the world. In this book we have pocket worlds which are literally what they sound like, whole worlds contained in a small space. The book takes it name from one of those which is Ghostwater. The magic is cool too. There was so many advancing happening in this book and although it made sense, it was a bit too fast and convenient for my taste, I wish things were slowed down till next books.
This book was still short which makes these books addicting and easy to fly through. The books are full of action. Ghostwater starts with a good scene but then the beginning was a bit shaky and things improve later fortunately but those first chapters decreased my overall enjoyment of the book given how the last book started!
Summary: Although I had a few problems with this book regarding the pacing and characters. The books are still addicting and I enjoyed it pretty much. No doubt that I am continuing the series!
“Truth does not care for your feelings”
I slightly enjoyed Skysworn more than Ghostwater. If you look at my reviews for the whole series, it is still a great series with solid 4 ratings. I think Ghostwater was good too but I had a few criticisms which I am trying to explain here.
The writing is as good as usual, I find the writing quality to be consistent which is awesome. The characters voices is the same and there is a mix between comedy and seriousness. I enjoyed the bloopers at the end of the book because it was a creative addition that I never countered in any books I have read so far.
I think the characters are the most important factors when it comes to rating these books. I like Lindon and I love his development but I am mostly someone who likes secondary characters and actually in this book the same applies. I am a bigger fan of Yerin, Eithan and Mercy than I am of Lindon. I love the interaction between those different characters with the main character and how they all keep growing and moving forward. This book has the characters separated and we have Lindon at the main spot, I think the secondary characters got less pages than I wanted, I really wanted more Eithan and I also miss the iterations throughout the books which were not found in this entry. To be fair, the book adds a new AI character called Dross and he is just funny and lovely! Lindon relationship with Little Blue and Orthos were more deepened in this book and I thought it was a good thing. I am not complaining that it focused on Lindon but I am disappointed the other secondary characters were less explored.
The world building is as strong as ever, I don’t know how the author can keep coming up with ideas to develop the world. In this book we have pocket worlds which are literally what they sound like, whole worlds contained in a small space. The book takes it name from one of those which is Ghostwater. The magic is cool too. There was so many advancing happening in this book and although it made sense, it was a bit too fast and convenient for my taste, I wish things were slowed down till next books.
This book was still short which makes these books addicting and easy to fly through. The books are full of action. Ghostwater starts with a good scene but then the beginning was a bit shaky and things improve later fortunately but those first chapters decreased my overall enjoyment of the book given how the last book started!
Summary: Although I had a few problems with this book regarding the pacing and characters. The books are still addicting and I enjoyed it pretty much. No doubt that I am continuing the series!
May 13, 2022
Easily my favorite in the series so far. I did not realize how much I had missed the leveling aspect of the story until it was back! And back in spades. I'm impressed with how much progress almost everyone makes, even Ortho and Little Blue. I love the new addition of Dross. That has some great implications for Lindon's future advancement. I wonder if they'll be able to take Dross's learnings and help enhance everyone else too. Hmmm! Must read the next book soon.
February 25, 2023
Lindon, Yerin, and Mercy are once again under the employment of the Skysworn. They are still treated as disposable and as enemies by Skysworn leadership. The team is sent off to investigate the pocket dimension Ghostwater, created by the Monarch Northstrider. The pocket dimension is collapsing due to the rising of the Bleeding Phoenix. Lindon and Orthos find themselves trapped in Ghostwater while Yerin and Mercy struggle to save them.
Ghostwater is the book I've been waiting for. I felt like the story really came together for everyone. Lindon and Orthos are trapped without any clear means of escape. They are forced to rely on each other. Lindon has often been protected by plot armor, but he really grew and developed in this book largely thanks to Orthos. He wasn't reliant on luck in Ghostwater. Orthos really shined in this book. He showed off his physical prowess and took a mentoring role with Lindon. He had his typical lines regarding what dragons do, but he also taught Lindon much more mentally. He also called him on areas he was ignoring in his overall development. Orthos was simply stellar.
"Once, you were weak. That boy is long dead, but his Remnant still haunts you....Your weakness, Lindon, is thinking you are weaker than you are." - Orthos
Yerin and Mercy's story was more straightforward. We learn more about Mercy and Yerin continues to have more memories from her master's remnant.
The world as a whole expanded in this book. We see other factions such as the Akura Clan, the Gold Dragons, Redmoon Hall, The Beast King, and the Monarchs. All their plans are far from clear, but they are all intriguing in their own rights. They of course don't all get along even when they have truces with one another. Each of these factions seem to be stronger than the Blackflame Empire as a whole.
Eithan takes a bit of a back seat and even he gets to show off a bit. It's interesting to know that he doesn't want anyone to know the extent of his abilities, especially considering how powerful he is whenever he demonstrates them. All with a smile on his face. He loves to irritate his opponents.
Ghostwater is a really excellent book and I'm excited to see how the series continues from here.
Ghostwater is the book I've been waiting for. I felt like the story really came together for everyone. Lindon and Orthos are trapped without any clear means of escape. They are forced to rely on each other. Lindon has often been protected by plot armor, but he really grew and developed in this book largely thanks to Orthos. He wasn't reliant on luck in Ghostwater. Orthos really shined in this book. He showed off his physical prowess and took a mentoring role with Lindon. He had his typical lines regarding what dragons do, but he also taught Lindon much more mentally. He also called him on areas he was ignoring in his overall development. Orthos was simply stellar.
"Once, you were weak. That boy is long dead, but his Remnant still haunts you....Your weakness, Lindon, is thinking you are weaker than you are." - Orthos
Yerin and Mercy's story was more straightforward. We learn more about Mercy and Yerin continues to have more memories from her master's remnant.
The world as a whole expanded in this book. We see other factions such as the Akura Clan, the Gold Dragons, Redmoon Hall, The Beast King, and the Monarchs. All their plans are far from clear, but they are all intriguing in their own rights. They of course don't all get along even when they have truces with one another. Each of these factions seem to be stronger than the Blackflame Empire as a whole.
Eithan takes a bit of a back seat and even he gets to show off a bit. It's interesting to know that he doesn't want anyone to know the extent of his abilities, especially considering how powerful he is whenever he demonstrates them. All with a smile on his face. He loves to irritate his opponents.
Ghostwater is a really excellent book and I'm excited to see how the series continues from here.
May 22, 2023
BookTube channel with my awesome brother, Ed - The Brothers Gwynne
My personal BookTube channel - William Gwynne
Continuing my routine of reading one instalment of Cradle a month, and I enjoyed this 5th instalment of the series so far! More crazy events, more strange and entertaining characters, and a lot more mysteries in this vivid world.
One of my favourite aspects of this series has even the interactions between the key cast of characters. So, what perhaps made Ghostwater feel a bit weaker to me was how many of these characters are taken to different places, removing those interactions. Of course, in a long series such as Cradle, you expect characters to be taken in different directions, but as there was quite a drastic shift, it did effect my love for the book.
Despite that, still a very fun read where Will Wight is making the most of the foundations that he has put down.
3/5 STARS
My personal BookTube channel - William Gwynne
Continuing my routine of reading one instalment of Cradle a month, and I enjoyed this 5th instalment of the series so far! More crazy events, more strange and entertaining characters, and a lot more mysteries in this vivid world.
One of my favourite aspects of this series has even the interactions between the key cast of characters. So, what perhaps made Ghostwater feel a bit weaker to me was how many of these characters are taken to different places, removing those interactions. Of course, in a long series such as Cradle, you expect characters to be taken in different directions, but as there was quite a drastic shift, it did effect my love for the book.
Despite that, still a very fun read where Will Wight is making the most of the foundations that he has put down.
3/5 STARS
June 9, 2018
Hmmm. I am a huge fan of Will Wight and the Cradle series. But, Ghostwater, left me a bit satisfied and a bit annoyed.
The good parts of the book are classic Will Wight. The battles, the world building, the characters, the levelling up. The bad part of the book (only one but it is big) is that there is zero plot in this book. Sure Lindon achieves more levels and he manages to find the next big bad. But, this book is clearly a set-up for the rest of the series.
Overall, go for it. It is a good addition to the series but definitely not the best.
The good parts of the book are classic Will Wight. The battles, the world building, the characters, the levelling up. The bad part of the book (only one but it is big) is that there is zero plot in this book. Sure Lindon achieves more levels and he manages to find the next big bad. But, this book is clearly a set-up for the rest of the series.
Overall, go for it. It is a good addition to the series but definitely not the best.
January 1, 2022
Buddy read with Snezana
Ghostwater is the fifth book in the Cradle series. What I love most about this series is the pace and character development, each book focuses on a different idea and this one is about Ghostwater. The fight scenes, magic system, dialogues, great depiction of friendship and amazing characters are some of my favorite things about this book.
Ghostwater is a pocket world created by Northstrider,(a monarch). The world was abandoned 50 years prior to this book, after the brief wake of the Phoenix, Ghostwater’s anchor is no longer solid and the world is said to collapse in a couple of months. The Skysworn were sent to investigate and what they saw is more than they expected.
“The difference between perceived strength and actual strength is smaller than you would believe”
This book also show more insight on the magic caste, the ones initially mentioned in the previous books are Copper, Iron, low gold, high gold, true gold, under lord, over lord and arch lord in ascending order. There was a few mention of Monarch and Sage, I know they are higher than the aforementioned ones but I don’t know which is higher, and now we have Heralds, another powerful magic caste, I don’t know where they fit yet, I hope I get a better explanation in the next book.
Moving on, I love this book as much as I do the other previous ones, the world building is beyond average, it’s awesome. Will Wight literally have a different world building for each book because each book is set in a different location. The book is written in third person multiple POV.
My favorite character remains Lindon, he remains true to his beliefs, he is humble, kind and courageous. He is brave but not arrogant.
Yerin is so cynical and realistic, I like that about her, it makes her friendship with Lindon all the better, they compliment each other.
Mercy Acura is the daughter of the Acura monarch, details on why she left her family is still vague but I like her already. She is such a good person.
There are lots of new characters in this, my favorite is Dross, a sentient construct, his opinion of everything is hilarious. Then there’s Kiel, he’s still sort of a mystery, can’t wait to read more about him in the next book.
Ghostwater is the fifth book in the Cradle series. What I love most about this series is the pace and character development, each book focuses on a different idea and this one is about Ghostwater. The fight scenes, magic system, dialogues, great depiction of friendship and amazing characters are some of my favorite things about this book.
Ghostwater is a pocket world created by Northstrider,(a monarch). The world was abandoned 50 years prior to this book, after the brief wake of the Phoenix, Ghostwater’s anchor is no longer solid and the world is said to collapse in a couple of months. The Skysworn were sent to investigate and what they saw is more than they expected.
“The difference between perceived strength and actual strength is smaller than you would believe”
This book also show more insight on the magic caste, the ones initially mentioned in the previous books are Copper, Iron, low gold, high gold, true gold, under lord, over lord and arch lord in ascending order. There was a few mention of Monarch and Sage, I know they are higher than the aforementioned ones but I don’t know which is higher, and now we have Heralds, another powerful magic caste, I don’t know where they fit yet, I hope I get a better explanation in the next book.
Moving on, I love this book as much as I do the other previous ones, the world building is beyond average, it’s awesome. Will Wight literally have a different world building for each book because each book is set in a different location. The book is written in third person multiple POV.
My favorite character remains Lindon, he remains true to his beliefs, he is humble, kind and courageous. He is brave but not arrogant.
Yerin is so cynical and realistic, I like that about her, it makes her friendship with Lindon all the better, they compliment each other.
Mercy Acura is the daughter of the Acura monarch, details on why she left her family is still vague but I like her already. She is such a good person.
There are lots of new characters in this, my favorite is Dross, a sentient construct, his opinion of everything is hilarious. Then there’s Kiel, he’s still sort of a mystery, can’t wait to read more about him in the next book.
January 19, 2025
This is the fifth book of a series which must be read in order. In this one surprise surprise!!! it is more of the same. Lindon powers up and battles someone who is more powerful than him. The only difference is that he does not even have to work at it because he basically found a steroid that does it for him.
Okay. It must be me but I just don't get it. I do not understand why this book and every book of this series is so highly rated. This book is not a bad book. It is easily readable but there is nothing new here. I feel the same about this book as I do about the others. There are some interesting concepts but I feel like the exposition to these concepts are lacking. Instead we just jump from battle to battle like it is a video game. I swear I can see the main character's power bar on top of the screen when he is in a battle. Where is the character growth? And the world building is always hinted at but never fully visualized. Instead we will get these fighting styles with exotic names and I am just suppose to know what that is. One time I actually screamed "What the hell is that?" Basically I am saying this book and the other books lack substance for me and I am a reader who enjoys a book every now and then just for the fun time. Not every book has to be thought provoking.
If you cannot tell I am raising the white flag and I am done. And it is not the fault of this particular book. If you have really enjoyed this series up to this point you will most likely enjoy this one as well. For me I have other fantasy series (I just entered Brandon Sanderson's universe) to waste my time in this one when I find myself picking up my phone while I am trying to read. I really think it is me and this type of fantasy is just not for me.
Okay. It must be me but I just don't get it. I do not understand why this book and every book of this series is so highly rated. This book is not a bad book. It is easily readable but there is nothing new here. I feel the same about this book as I do about the others. There are some interesting concepts but I feel like the exposition to these concepts are lacking. Instead we just jump from battle to battle like it is a video game. I swear I can see the main character's power bar on top of the screen when he is in a battle. Where is the character growth? And the world building is always hinted at but never fully visualized. Instead we will get these fighting styles with exotic names and I am just suppose to know what that is. One time I actually screamed "What the hell is that?" Basically I am saying this book and the other books lack substance for me and I am a reader who enjoys a book every now and then just for the fun time. Not every book has to be thought provoking.
If you cannot tell I am raising the white flag and I am done. And it is not the fault of this particular book. If you have really enjoyed this series up to this point you will most likely enjoy this one as well. For me I have other fantasy series (I just entered Brandon Sanderson's universe) to waste my time in this one when I find myself picking up my phone while I am trying to read. I really think it is me and this type of fantasy is just not for me.
May 19, 2025
"Once, you were weak. That boy is long dead, but his remnant still haunts you. Your weakness, Lindon, is thinking you're weaker then you are."
Another book done. Really loving where the story is going. Lindon finally getting some legitimate wins under his belt was great. It felt earned and he really needed it after five books of getting kicked around.
Reread: just as good the second time around. Loved how this felt like the culmination of the previous five books.
Another book done. Really loving where the story is going. Lindon finally getting some legitimate wins under his belt was great. It felt earned and he really needed it after five books of getting kicked around.
Reread: just as good the second time around. Loved how this felt like the culmination of the previous five books.
July 20, 2022
So delicious. I loved the pocket universe dungeon. Yes, almost the entire novel is made up of a few fights and a whole lot of training and exploration, but damn, it was FUN.
This is rapidly becoming one of my most favorite, rather more original than the normal-run, LitRPGs.
Powerful? Did you say POWERFUL? lol, and still so much more power to go. *chortles in glee*
This is rapidly becoming one of my most favorite, rather more original than the normal-run, LitRPGs.
Powerful? Did you say POWERFUL? lol, and still so much more power to go. *chortles in glee*
December 16, 2023
4.25 stars.
This was good! It started a little slow but it was soon packed full of action and adventure which made the pages fly by.
Again, we focus more on our characters advancing their powers but we get a lot more players in the mix. The world continues expanding and it’s as rich as ever. I would have loved some character work but I’ll take what I can get.
I love Dross! We don’t get to see Eithan a lot in this but I’m sure that will be more than made up for in the next book considering the implications at the ending.
As addicting as ever, can’t wait to read the next one.
This was good! It started a little slow but it was soon packed full of action and adventure which made the pages fly by.
Again, we focus more on our characters advancing their powers but we get a lot more players in the mix. The world continues expanding and it’s as rich as ever. I would have loved some character work but I’ll take what I can get.
I love Dross! We don’t get to see Eithan a lot in this but I’m sure that will be more than made up for in the next book considering the implications at the ending.
As addicting as ever, can’t wait to read the next one.
June 2, 2018
Well that was fun. But I really should have tried to savour it a bit longer. Maybe stretched it out to another day. But as it stands, I couldn't put it down. Classic Cradle, Classic Lindon, and oh so many powerups. A few little tid bits about the wider world mentioned, but mainly focused on progression as usual. And it's just so much fun that way.
The only issue is I now have to wait for more.
The only issue is I now have to wait for more.
August 31, 2025
5.0 stars---
After a reread, this one is closer to 5 stars to me. Lindon develops enough where you really care about him. Great new character additions like Dross and Mercy become more central to the storyline. You also meet Ziel and Northstrider who are two of the cooler characters in the series. I can't recommend this series enough.
After a reread, this one is closer to 5 stars to me. Lindon develops enough where you really care about him. Great new character additions like Dross and Mercy become more central to the storyline. You also meet Ziel and Northstrider who are two of the cooler characters in the series. I can't recommend this series enough.
October 9, 2018
Executive Summary: Another strong entry in this series. It started a bit slow, but got really good by the end and now I'm stuck waiting for the next book to come out.
Full Review
I made the mistake of starting this book right before Battle for Azeroth came out. That was unfair to this book. It sat unread for basically 2 months because my reading time was sacrificed to my WoW addiction.
Once things finally settled down, I jumped back into this book and really enjoyed it. I wasn't sure how I felt about the pocket world of Ghostwater. It felt like a side story. However by the end I came to see that it's likely going to have some very implications on series moving forward.
I continue to enjoy the way Lindon approaches things, and this book didn't disappoint on that front. The supporting cast continues to be great. I didn't like nearly Skysworn as much as Blackflame, but I loved the addition of Mercy. She continues to be fantastic in this book. I'm really hoping that Mr. Wight has some more great stuff for her in store.
And that's adding to an already great cast in Yerin, Eithan and especially Orthos. Plus this book added another new character I have about a million questions about in Ziel. I hope he continues to play a role moving forward as well.
Overall this series continues to be a delight. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys Shonen.
Full Review
I made the mistake of starting this book right before Battle for Azeroth came out. That was unfair to this book. It sat unread for basically 2 months because my reading time was sacrificed to my WoW addiction.
Once things finally settled down, I jumped back into this book and really enjoyed it. I wasn't sure how I felt about the pocket world of Ghostwater. It felt like a side story. However by the end I came to see that it's likely going to have some very implications on series moving forward.
I continue to enjoy the way Lindon approaches things, and this book didn't disappoint on that front. The supporting cast continues to be great. I didn't like nearly Skysworn as much as Blackflame, but I loved the addition of Mercy. She continues to be fantastic in this book. I'm really hoping that Mr. Wight has some more great stuff for her in store.
And that's adding to an already great cast in Yerin, Eithan and especially Orthos. Plus this book added another new character I have about a million questions about in Ziel. I hope he continues to play a role moving forward as well.
Overall this series continues to be a delight. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys Shonen.
June 22, 2024
4.5 stars!
This series is as addictive as chocolate!
This series is as addictive as chocolate!
July 13, 2023
One of the best in the series so far... but really, did Lindon just spend and entire book drinking water from a series of wells? :D
I think I've finally figured out what I like most about Cradle. It reminds me of Hunter X Hunter. The world is always getting bigger and more dangerous with each adventure.
I think I've finally figured out what I like most about Cradle. It reminds me of Hunter X Hunter. The world is always getting bigger and more dangerous with each adventure.
February 27, 2024
Ghostwater should carry with it the subtitle "Level Up" as this 5th entry in the Cradle progressive fantasy series is all about power increases at an accelerated rate. Of all the books, this one most feels like a video game about a side quest for the characters to grind for the next boss fight. Lindon and company find a treasure trove of elixirs at the sub-world Ghostwater. This book is fast and furious in it's action but I couldn't help but feel it was all a cheap way to get Lindon to advance very quickly. Nothing really felt earned like it did in previous books so you just kind of have to accept it as a reader.
The fight scenes have only been getting better and more intense as Will Wight has progressed (heh) through this series. There are a number of memorable cinematic battles in Ghostwater that had my heart pumping. It's the creative use of Lindon and Yerin's powers that really stand out and as they've advanced, the possibilities are salivating. Also, every new enemy with their different paths help keep every encounter fresh and exciting. It is fun reading about a new baddie's overwhelming power and then follow Lindon as he tries to figure a way to defeat this new foe. It's especially fun to see his creativity and determination that he was known for in Unsouled continue to be used even as he gains power.
My biggest complaint is the tremendous lack of Eithan. He has a couple chapters of awesomeness, but this is a Lindon centric book with a majority of the chapters being about him. Ghostwater, at least, has helped me realize how much I love Eithan's character and hope for more of him in the future. Lindon is awesome, of course, but Eithan provides all the laughs and piques my curiosity more than any other.
Overall, aside from it feeling like Wight put himself to a corner with too strong of enemies being in Lindon's way and him needing to write a way out, Ghostwater was entertaining. The battles were intense and the end result satisfying. If Ghostwater didn't feel so much like a side quest to the main story, I might have enjoyed it more. That being said, Lindon and Yerin should be ready for tremendous things going forward and Ghostwater is necessary in that way for the series. Just give me more Eithan! Also, there was a remarkable lack of Abidan material here as well. This is Ghostwater: Level Up! - A Lindon story featuring Yerin.
Cradle
Unsouled - 7.5/10
Soulsmith - 8/10
Blackflame - 8.5/10
Skysworn - 9/10
Ghostwater - 8/10
Underlord - 9.5/10
Uncrowned - 10/10
Wintersteel - 10/10
Bloodline - 9.5/10
Reaper - 10/10
The fight scenes have only been getting better and more intense as Will Wight has progressed (heh) through this series. There are a number of memorable cinematic battles in Ghostwater that had my heart pumping. It's the creative use of Lindon and Yerin's powers that really stand out and as they've advanced, the possibilities are salivating. Also, every new enemy with their different paths help keep every encounter fresh and exciting. It is fun reading about a new baddie's overwhelming power and then follow Lindon as he tries to figure a way to defeat this new foe. It's especially fun to see his creativity and determination that he was known for in Unsouled continue to be used even as he gains power.
My biggest complaint is the tremendous lack of Eithan. He has a couple chapters of awesomeness, but this is a Lindon centric book with a majority of the chapters being about him. Ghostwater, at least, has helped me realize how much I love Eithan's character and hope for more of him in the future. Lindon is awesome, of course, but Eithan provides all the laughs and piques my curiosity more than any other.
Overall, aside from it feeling like Wight put himself to a corner with too strong of enemies being in Lindon's way and him needing to write a way out, Ghostwater was entertaining. The battles were intense and the end result satisfying. If Ghostwater didn't feel so much like a side quest to the main story, I might have enjoyed it more. That being said, Lindon and Yerin should be ready for tremendous things going forward and Ghostwater is necessary in that way for the series. Just give me more Eithan! Also, there was a remarkable lack of Abidan material here as well. This is Ghostwater: Level Up! - A Lindon story featuring Yerin.
Cradle
Unsouled - 7.5/10
Soulsmith - 8/10
Blackflame - 8.5/10
Skysworn - 9/10
Ghostwater - 8/10
Underlord - 9.5/10
Uncrowned - 10/10
Wintersteel - 10/10
Bloodline - 9.5/10
Reaper - 10/10
June 27, 2022
Dross & Orthos were the highlights of this show! The setting was fascinating as well.
The bloopers are a nice touch; the last one - LOL!
We got to meet a few other clans/families as well, which was interesting, but I'd be lying if I said I could tell you which was which. Plus, I still don't understand Ziel, so I hope we get to see him again.
Oh, and the scene at the end (before the bloopers) - cold!
All in all, it was a good read.
The bloopers are a nice touch; the last one - LOL!
We got to meet a few other clans/families as well, which was interesting, but I'd be lying if I said I could tell you which was which. Plus, I still don't understand Ziel, so I hope we get to see him again.
Oh, and the scene at the end (before the bloopers) - cold!
All in all, it was a good read.
December 2, 2021
The best book in the series so far, Ghostwater was a really interesting and exciting story and a full 5*
Lindon finally goes beast mode! I loved the creativity behind the "pocket world" of Ghostwater, what a fabulous concept and some very cool scenes unfold within it. Our favourite characters Lindon, Yerin and Mercy feature heavily plus a lot more Orthos! Orthos is actually really cool in this story and has a lot more battles for him to go turtle crazy on fools.
We also get introduced to Dross, whom you will love! Cant wait for his arc to continue. The only negative was a lot less Eithan, although the couple of scenes he was in were pretty epic.
On to the next book! This series is kick ass.
Lindon finally goes beast mode! I loved the creativity behind the "pocket world" of Ghostwater, what a fabulous concept and some very cool scenes unfold within it. Our favourite characters Lindon, Yerin and Mercy feature heavily plus a lot more Orthos! Orthos is actually really cool in this story and has a lot more battles for him to go turtle crazy on fools.
We also get introduced to Dross, whom you will love! Cant wait for his arc to continue. The only negative was a lot less Eithan, although the couple of scenes he was in were pretty epic.
On to the next book! This series is kick ass.
December 23, 2022
What can I say, I'm obsessed with these books now. If everything doesn't work out for everyone every time, I'm going to be so upset. On to the next!
February 9, 2024
Ratings:-🌟🌟🌟🌟1/2
September 9, 2023
3/5
Sadly, this one was underwhelming. It lacked the big moments of Blackflame and Skysworn as well as the interesting story developments seen in those two. Lindon got some decent development but it was at the expense of Eithan having a tiny role in the book, which is a huge negative. The parts of the story dedicated to Eithan carried this one. Needs more Fisher Gesha too, oh, and Jai Long.
Majority of the book just felt like a mish mash of training montages and fight scenes with very little else. It reminded me of a Dragonball Z episode where the story is primarily told through action. Just felt like all flash and no substance.
Poor Orthos was not having a good time here too. I was excited to see Ghostwater as I love ocean/water based worlds but it felt like we saw very little of this side of it. Dross is a welcome addition however. I really like Mercy too.
Here’s hoping this was mostly setup for the next book and we reach the heights of Skysworn again.
Sadly, this one was underwhelming. It lacked the big moments of Blackflame and Skysworn as well as the interesting story developments seen in those two. Lindon got some decent development but it was at the expense of Eithan having a tiny role in the book, which is a huge negative. The parts of the story dedicated to Eithan carried this one. Needs more Fisher Gesha too, oh, and Jai Long.
Majority of the book just felt like a mish mash of training montages and fight scenes with very little else. It reminded me of a Dragonball Z episode where the story is primarily told through action. Just felt like all flash and no substance.
Poor Orthos was not having a good time here too. I was excited to see Ghostwater as I love ocean/water based worlds but it felt like we saw very little of this side of it. Dross is a welcome addition however. I really like Mercy too.
Here’s hoping this was mostly setup for the next book and we reach the heights of Skysworn again.
August 16, 2021
Not sure why this one has such a high rating. It was fine. Probably my least favorite since the first one. Too much Lindon and not enough of the actually compelling characters like Eithan and Yerin. The addition of Driss was welcome, though. As was a character finally pointing out to Lindon that power can't be the only thing that keeps him going.
Mostly, though, this was just the equivalent of a training montage in a movie. It should make the sixth more exciting, but I was utterly underwhelmed during this one.
Mostly, though, this was just the equivalent of a training montage in a movie. It should make the sixth more exciting, but I was utterly underwhelmed during this one.
December 22, 2020
THAT. WAS. INCREDIBLE. Cradle has always been amazing, but with Ghostwater, it officially went to my favorite series list. The battle scene was just freaking awesome. I couldn't stated how brilliant this series was or how it never cease to amaze me to look at the sheer improvement of quality with every installment, without sounding repetitive. It was simply, splendidly addictive.
August 7, 2023
Ghostwater is another installment in the Cradle series that more than lives up to the Subgenres name of "Progression Fantasy". Because Oh Boy does this book describe that perfectly.
Looking back at my previous reviews, these raw training/leveling up sequences were normally what I liked the least, especially if there is no real overarching plotline going on. In this one though, Will Wight actually managed to sell this to me pretty perfectly.
This book has the progression-element more in the forefront than any other had before in my opinion. Maybe with the exception of book 1 or 2, but these still weren't like Ghostwater.
Because talking about Ghostwater: That is the place almost the entire novel takes place in; a pocket-dimension filled to the brim with substances and possibilities to do nothing than wait and increase one's powers. And guess, who gets stranded in said pocket dimension... Correct, it's Lindon! Our beloved 24/7 grinding kid with some validation issues - at least thats what I read into it at the moment because holy crap is he grinding haha
Where that premise could easily be extremely dull and boring - like say book 2 was - the author actually takes out the best elements an enclosed setting like this can offer to a story.
1. a ticking clock element, because of course the pocket-dimension is collapsing;
2. the hugelyy satisfying levels of power aquired, because this is still Cradle;
3. the masterful interactions with him and his tied "remnants", our favourites Little Blue and Orthos, who get so much time to shine here;
4. the worldbuilding, because of course this pocket dimension isn't just a cheap and random plot-device
5. more conflict, since of course Lindon is not the only one knowing of the immense potential of the place. So prepare for some epic stuff here.
There is a "6." too, but that would be a huge spoiler. This book introduces a "thing"/character, that both offers such a great and needed variety to every scene, and at the same time stands for so much stuff to come in the future, it is literally so cool. Even the action scenes and fights get even more versatile and literarily interesting through him/it. It's really noticable, how much fun Will Wight had at that point.
But with all these seemingly great and fun elements in place, how comes, that I still had some gripes with it?
That mostly lies in this being as shut-off from the rest as it is. Don't get me wrong, there are some bigger-picture things going on, especially since Lindon is in the end just one POV character being trapped in this other dimension.
There are the others; mainly Eithan and Yerin of course. Now accompanied by the fourth member of our party, introduced in book 4. And they do... stuff. At least sometimes.
The problem for me though, lies in the balancing of the plotlines.
It is soooo apparent, that the whole point of the book is Lindons advancement and discoveries in Ghostwater. What the others do, literally does not matter in the end.
Eithan does some bigger-picture politicking, but not nearly as much as in the previous books.
There are some new players introduced, but not nearly as efficient and natural as in, say, book 3.
There are some character-dynamics and bondings between Yerin and Mercy, yes. But apart from that, they also feel completely in lack of a plot during the whole book. Just stay there and survive in the wilderness, until Lindon finds his way out of Ghostwater.
So actually this volume in the Cradle series kind of feels like an afterthought; as if Lindon would still have been a bit too weak for the stuff that was normally planned to happen next. So Will Wight then decided to throw in this side-quest to change that problem and in the meantime have the space provided to introduce some more worldbuilding-elements and magic-system details, that he also wasn't quite sure on how/when to introduce.
It was fun as heck, don't get me wrong, but still felt kind of weird.
Especially since what the last books did.
Why I loved book 3 - 'Blackflame' - so much, is that it used the progression-formula at it's best, while still through it introducing bigger-picture elements and converging different players onto each other. There were actual plots and intrigues going on, a overtaking/plot against a whole house in the big Blackflame empire, ... Stuff like this, that showed me, that there is more to the series than just levelling up and beating up stronger and stronger enemies.
Book 4 then took a step back for me on that front, although it set in motion even more and even bigger plot-threads. It almost felt like a teaser to the immense cataclysm that is lying ahead at what I suppose will be the end of the series.
And then Ghostwater came, picked up where book 4 left off and traveled into this weird, almost "side-quest-esk" situation... It is my second favourite entry so far, nontheless. Absolutely great story and a almost perfect iteration (Hah. See what I did there?) of the training/advancement-sequences. Almost like the prefect amalgumation of what a Cradle book is.
But I surely hope that we will be back to bigger-picture stuff, character-stuff and actual conflicts between different players soon...
And with me currently in the middle of the next book in the series 'Underlord', I still don't really know how to answer this question... But more on that, when I have finished that one.
For now, this sits almost at the top of my ranking. And as long as the series doesn't get back to more actually engaging conflicts between characters and/or factions, I don't know how much longer the formula holds up... We'll have to see.
So. No more talking, here comes the fun part:
Updated Cradle-Ranking (so far):
1. Blackflame (Vol.3)
2. Ghostwater (Vol.5)
3. Skysworn (Vol.4)
4. Unsouled (Vol.1)
5. Soulsmith (Vol.2)
Looking back at my previous reviews, these raw training/leveling up sequences were normally what I liked the least, especially if there is no real overarching plotline going on. In this one though, Will Wight actually managed to sell this to me pretty perfectly.
This book has the progression-element more in the forefront than any other had before in my opinion. Maybe with the exception of book 1 or 2, but these still weren't like Ghostwater.
Because talking about Ghostwater: That is the place almost the entire novel takes place in; a pocket-dimension filled to the brim with substances and possibilities to do nothing than wait and increase one's powers. And guess, who gets stranded in said pocket dimension... Correct, it's Lindon! Our beloved 24/7 grinding kid with some validation issues - at least thats what I read into it at the moment because holy crap is he grinding haha
Where that premise could easily be extremely dull and boring - like say book 2 was - the author actually takes out the best elements an enclosed setting like this can offer to a story.
1. a ticking clock element, because of course the pocket-dimension is collapsing;
2. the hugelyy satisfying levels of power aquired, because this is still Cradle;
3. the masterful interactions with him and his tied "remnants", our favourites Little Blue and Orthos, who get so much time to shine here;
4. the worldbuilding, because of course this pocket dimension isn't just a cheap and random plot-device
5. more conflict, since of course Lindon is not the only one knowing of the immense potential of the place. So prepare for some epic stuff here.
There is a "6." too, but that would be a huge spoiler. This book introduces a "thing"/character, that both offers such a great and needed variety to every scene, and at the same time stands for so much stuff to come in the future, it is literally so cool. Even the action scenes and fights get even more versatile and literarily interesting through him/it. It's really noticable, how much fun Will Wight had at that point.
But with all these seemingly great and fun elements in place, how comes, that I still had some gripes with it?
That mostly lies in this being as shut-off from the rest as it is. Don't get me wrong, there are some bigger-picture things going on, especially since Lindon is in the end just one POV character being trapped in this other dimension.
There are the others; mainly Eithan and Yerin of course. Now accompanied by the fourth member of our party, introduced in book 4. And they do... stuff. At least sometimes.
The problem for me though, lies in the balancing of the plotlines.
It is soooo apparent, that the whole point of the book is Lindons advancement and discoveries in Ghostwater. What the others do, literally does not matter in the end.
Eithan does some bigger-picture politicking, but not nearly as much as in the previous books.
There are some new players introduced, but not nearly as efficient and natural as in, say, book 3.
There are some character-dynamics and bondings between Yerin and Mercy, yes. But apart from that, they also feel completely in lack of a plot during the whole book. Just stay there and survive in the wilderness, until Lindon finds his way out of Ghostwater.
So actually this volume in the Cradle series kind of feels like an afterthought; as if Lindon would still have been a bit too weak for the stuff that was normally planned to happen next. So Will Wight then decided to throw in this side-quest to change that problem and in the meantime have the space provided to introduce some more worldbuilding-elements and magic-system details, that he also wasn't quite sure on how/when to introduce.
It was fun as heck, don't get me wrong, but still felt kind of weird.
Especially since what the last books did.
Why I loved book 3 - 'Blackflame' - so much, is that it used the progression-formula at it's best, while still through it introducing bigger-picture elements and converging different players onto each other. There were actual plots and intrigues going on, a overtaking/plot against a whole house in the big Blackflame empire, ... Stuff like this, that showed me, that there is more to the series than just levelling up and beating up stronger and stronger enemies.
Book 4 then took a step back for me on that front, although it set in motion even more and even bigger plot-threads. It almost felt like a teaser to the immense cataclysm that is lying ahead at what I suppose will be the end of the series.
And then Ghostwater came, picked up where book 4 left off and traveled into this weird, almost "side-quest-esk" situation... It is my second favourite entry so far, nontheless. Absolutely great story and a almost perfect iteration (Hah. See what I did there?) of the training/advancement-sequences. Almost like the prefect amalgumation of what a Cradle book is.
But I surely hope that we will be back to bigger-picture stuff, character-stuff and actual conflicts between different players soon...
And with me currently in the middle of the next book in the series 'Underlord', I still don't really know how to answer this question... But more on that, when I have finished that one.
For now, this sits almost at the top of my ranking. And as long as the series doesn't get back to more actually engaging conflicts between characters and/or factions, I don't know how much longer the formula holds up... We'll have to see.
So. No more talking, here comes the fun part:
Updated Cradle-Ranking (so far):
1. Blackflame (Vol.3)
2. Ghostwater (Vol.5)
3. Skysworn (Vol.4)
4. Unsouled (Vol.1)
5. Soulsmith (Vol.2)
June 13, 2022
Solo Lindon chapters are always more dull for me and there were a lot of them in here but the inclusion of Dross and Mercy just makes the cast of supporting characters that much better to make up for it. Cradle is a fun time as always.
May 16, 2021
Looking for book summaries of all the books in the Cradle series? Look no further. My review is below, but you can find a summary of each of the Cradle books to date on my website, Black Forest Basilisks!
Book review:
Ghostwater brings back the Will Wight we knew in Blackflame, with the pacing once more on point and the book significantly more polished. Orthos becomes a much, much more developed character, as does Little Blue. Lindon has the makings of a menagerie in this one, acquiring yet another small companion – a little magical AI named Dross.
Dross provides just the right amount of snarky comic relief the series needed. Comedic characters often run the risk of being overly juvenile, but I’m happy to say that I didn’t feel Dross fell into this trap. Instead, most of his commentary consists of hilariously back-handed compliments. He understands how to phrase things “politely,” but hasn’t quite managed to learn to censor the actual content of his words…
Orthos shines as a partner for Lindon, as well. It would have been easy to write him as a strong character who overtakes and uses Lindon for his own ends, but that’s not the case at all. He supports Lindon completely and utterly, encouraging him and believing in him. Even when Lindon is out of ear-shot, Orthos doesn’t have a single bad word to say about him. Lindon is his partner, and they’re in it together for the long haul.
Yerin takes a slight back seat in this novel, but not to worry… she’ll return in full force in Underlord. She and Mercy spend the majority of the novel looking to save Lindon, who is trapped in a pocket dimension: Ghostwater, an old testing lab previously used by the Monarch, Northstrider.
My only real complaint about this book is that it did feel like Lindon had a lot handed to him. In the Ghostwater facility, he discovers various elixirs in enormous quantities that allow him to train and advance at truly insane paces. Lindon lucking out and having power handed to him has been a theme throughout, but I’ll confess I found it to be a little more egregious in this installment vs the previous books.
Book review:
Ghostwater brings back the Will Wight we knew in Blackflame, with the pacing once more on point and the book significantly more polished. Orthos becomes a much, much more developed character, as does Little Blue. Lindon has the makings of a menagerie in this one, acquiring yet another small companion – a little magical AI named Dross.
Dross provides just the right amount of snarky comic relief the series needed. Comedic characters often run the risk of being overly juvenile, but I’m happy to say that I didn’t feel Dross fell into this trap. Instead, most of his commentary consists of hilariously back-handed compliments. He understands how to phrase things “politely,” but hasn’t quite managed to learn to censor the actual content of his words…
“You’ve got quite a complicated soul, don’t you? Two cores, I feel like that’s an unusual number. And I can see your face so much more clearly now! It’s…well, at least you have a wonderful spirit. Yes, indeed. That spirit of yours, wow.”
Orthos shines as a partner for Lindon, as well. It would have been easy to write him as a strong character who overtakes and uses Lindon for his own ends, but that’s not the case at all. He supports Lindon completely and utterly, encouraging him and believing in him. Even when Lindon is out of ear-shot, Orthos doesn’t have a single bad word to say about him. Lindon is his partner, and they’re in it together for the long haul.
“No, sure, I understand that, but what do you think his odds really are? Ten to one? A hundred to one? Maybe just two to one?” Orthos locked his eyes on the purple-lit gem. “One hundred percent.”
Yerin takes a slight back seat in this novel, but not to worry… she’ll return in full force in Underlord. She and Mercy spend the majority of the novel looking to save Lindon, who is trapped in a pocket dimension: Ghostwater, an old testing lab previously used by the Monarch, Northstrider.
My only real complaint about this book is that it did feel like Lindon had a lot handed to him. In the Ghostwater facility, he discovers various elixirs in enormous quantities that allow him to train and advance at truly insane paces. Lindon lucking out and having power handed to him has been a theme throughout, but I’ll confess I found it to be a little more egregious in this installment vs the previous books.
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