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The Elder Empire: Shadow #3
Of Killers and Kings
Shera, the new Head of the Consultant’s Guild, faces more responsibility than she ever asked for. The Guilds are in a state of open war, her Consultants have been forced to relocate from their ancestral home, and Elder cultists plague the streets.
In their tombs, the Great Elders stir.
With the sky cracked and more Elders rising than ever before, Shera and her faction of Independent Guilds seek a truce with their Imperialist opponents.
But they know that any alliance is a gamble. The Imperialists have appointed Calder Marten to the throne, and history has proven that a single ruler is vulnerable to Elder corruption.
Even so, Shera and her allies want to bring the division to an end…if the enemy Guilds are willing to cooperate.
And if Calder hasn’t been corrupted already.
On the seas, a man clings to his own power.
In the shadows, a woman fights for peace.
In their tombs, the Great Elders stir.
With the sky cracked and more Elders rising than ever before, Shera and her faction of Independent Guilds seek a truce with their Imperialist opponents.
But they know that any alliance is a gamble. The Imperialists have appointed Calder Marten to the throne, and history has proven that a single ruler is vulnerable to Elder corruption.
Even so, Shera and her allies want to bring the division to an end…if the enemy Guilds are willing to cooperate.
And if Calder hasn’t been corrupted already.
On the seas, a man clings to his own power.
In the shadows, a woman fights for peace.
393 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 24, 2020
889 people are currently reading
1383 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
July 15, 2023
The Great Elders, humanity's ancient enemy, are always plotting. With a crack in the sky they are ready to move. The Independent Guilds are ready to make peace with the Imperial Guilds to stop the Great Elders from getting what they want, but who knows exactly what any of the Great Elders have planned...
Of Killers and Kings was a good story. I wish, as I have with the entire series, that it didn't go over the same information as its parallel novel. It just removed too much of the intrigue when so much of what happens has already been told. It doesn't make the books into equals, it makes whichever book you read second into a companion novel that simply fills in gaps.
Shera has been made into the Guild Head of the Consultants against her will and she's bristling at the unwanted promotion. Having her vessels, Bastion and Syphren, as voices in her head made her more intriguing. I was happy to see her gain some balance.
I didn't really find any other Consultants all that interesting, but the Regents Estyr Six, Jorin Curse Breaker, and Loreli were great characters. The Emperor's companions were quite the group. Estyr all power and rough edges, Jorin the scientist, and Loreli the heart. I would have loved more from them.
So this is book 6 of 6 for me in my reading of The Elder Empire. The series had a rocky start for me as I began with Of Darkness and Dawn, but I slowly went back to it. I read all three books of the Sea side because the greater world building elements fascinated me. Then I decided to go back to the Shadow side which I found I enjoyed more than I imagined after book 1. Will Wight created quite the terrifying world and situation along with people who fought to make the world better. I loved the greater view we gained on the Emperor and how we learned despite all his power, at his core he was a man who cared deeply for humanity as a whole. He also lived through a world full of horror that the inhabitants today couldn't relate to which made some of them view him as harsh. The Emperor simply knew what was a stake.
In the end I'm glad that I read the Elder Empire and I'd be happy to revisit it down the line, hopefully without parallel novels.
Of Killers and Kings was a good story. I wish, as I have with the entire series, that it didn't go over the same information as its parallel novel. It just removed too much of the intrigue when so much of what happens has already been told. It doesn't make the books into equals, it makes whichever book you read second into a companion novel that simply fills in gaps.
Shera has been made into the Guild Head of the Consultants against her will and she's bristling at the unwanted promotion. Having her vessels, Bastion and Syphren, as voices in her head made her more intriguing. I was happy to see her gain some balance.
I didn't really find any other Consultants all that interesting, but the Regents Estyr Six, Jorin Curse Breaker, and Loreli were great characters. The Emperor's companions were quite the group. Estyr all power and rough edges, Jorin the scientist, and Loreli the heart. I would have loved more from them.
So this is book 6 of 6 for me in my reading of The Elder Empire. The series had a rocky start for me as I began with Of Darkness and Dawn, but I slowly went back to it. I read all three books of the Sea side because the greater world building elements fascinated me. Then I decided to go back to the Shadow side which I found I enjoyed more than I imagined after book 1. Will Wight created quite the terrifying world and situation along with people who fought to make the world better. I loved the greater view we gained on the Emperor and how we learned despite all his power, at his core he was a man who cared deeply for humanity as a whole. He also lived through a world full of horror that the inhabitants today couldn't relate to which made some of them view him as harsh. The Emperor simply knew what was a stake.
In the end I'm glad that I read the Elder Empire and I'd be happy to revisit it down the line, hopefully without parallel novels.
October 15, 2025
I read this as the last book of the two series, and I definitely recommend it that way, as it has a more satisfactory ending than Of Kings and Killers.
Ugh, but I can't believe I don't get to spend any more time in this world.
Also, the bloopers at the end were absolutely hilarious.
Ugh, but I can't believe I don't get to spend any more time in this world.
Also, the bloopers at the end were absolutely hilarious.
February 27, 2021
4.5*'s for all three books in this part of the series.
May 9, 2020
I waited to review until I had finished the series. I thoroughly enjoyed the read. Will Wight writes very interesting stories. I doubt he'll try to write two books side-to-side again. It was probably one of those concepts that sounded cool in his head but was a nightmare to implement.
As a reader, it was a lot of work. I wanted to have both books running side-by-side rather than one at a time and I actually sort of read them that way. I would read a section from one and then go read a section from the other. I found I personally preferred the consultant books. I resonated more with Shera than with Calder - but I know that's just a personal preference, other people reading these will have different takes. I found Shera to be hilarious.
What I didn't like: Too much like work to hop around and read stories side by side. I liked the concept, I thought it was clever, but I didn't enjoy reading it that way all that much.
On top of that, the author was all over the time stream - 10 years ago, current day, 2 years ago, current day. It was really choppy and I don't know if I missed stuff or if the author didn't include certain information. I never really read what happened when Shera did the job for the emperor that she was hired for - but I wasn't sure if that was included and I missed it or if Will Wight wanted that to be in our imagination.
There was no regard for human life. I realize when gods fight that there is going to be collateral damage, but how can you have the head of the Champions guild fall and no one seems to even notice. This is a man that we've seen bring his young daughter to strategy sessions. This is a man who we've seen try to carry a wooden rocking horse without breaking it for his family. And no one mourns his passing. That really irked me.
I love Will Wight books. He has a great imagination and writes really good main characters. His secondary characters have a tendency to facelessness. (I couldn't really tell Cheska, Bliss and Teach apart for the longest time - same with the leaders of the consultants guild)
I'm glad I read this series, but I'm also glad that it's done.
As a reader, it was a lot of work. I wanted to have both books running side-by-side rather than one at a time and I actually sort of read them that way. I would read a section from one and then go read a section from the other. I found I personally preferred the consultant books. I resonated more with Shera than with Calder - but I know that's just a personal preference, other people reading these will have different takes. I found Shera to be hilarious.
What I didn't like: Too much like work to hop around and read stories side by side. I liked the concept, I thought it was clever, but I didn't enjoy reading it that way all that much.
On top of that, the author was all over the time stream - 10 years ago, current day, 2 years ago, current day. It was really choppy and I don't know if I missed stuff or if the author didn't include certain information. I never really read what happened when Shera did the job for the emperor that she was hired for - but I wasn't sure if that was included and I missed it or if Will Wight wanted that to be in our imagination.
There was no regard for human life. I realize when gods fight that there is going to be collateral damage, but how can you have the head of the Champions guild fall and no one seems to even notice. This is a man that we've seen bring his young daughter to strategy sessions. This is a man who we've seen try to carry a wooden rocking horse without breaking it for his family. And no one mourns his passing. That really irked me.
I love Will Wight books. He has a great imagination and writes really good main characters. His secondary characters have a tendency to facelessness. (I couldn't really tell Cheska, Bliss and Teach apart for the longest time - same with the leaders of the consultants guild)
I'm glad I read this series, but I'm also glad that it's done.
August 30, 2020
Solid ending.
October 25, 2023
Rating: 4.25/5.
The narrative dragged at the beginning, but it did get better towards the end. Shera gets some much-needed character development after 2.5 books. Meia was my favorite character in the Sea set of Elder Empire books. It had some heartwarming moments and some mind-blowing twists. The climactic final battle, despite the raised stakes, didn't feel as action-packed as it should have been. However, the book ends on a great note.
Detailed review to be posted soon.
The narrative dragged at the beginning, but it did get better towards the end. Shera gets some much-needed character development after 2.5 books. Meia was my favorite character in the Sea set of Elder Empire books. It had some heartwarming moments and some mind-blowing twists. The climactic final battle, despite the raised stakes, didn't feel as action-packed as it should have been. However, the book ends on a great note.
Detailed review to be posted soon.
May 31, 2023
Ok-ish
Truthfully 2.5* for this one. Not bad, but jumping between times made this story bit messy I think. In points I was losing track of story.
Truthfully 2.5* for this one. Not bad, but jumping between times made this story bit messy I think. In points I was losing track of story.
October 6, 2020
Total Rating: 3.75
Trilogy Rating: 4.5
Character Arc: 5
Characters: 4.75
Tone: 4.5
This book has received my lowest rating of the series, but it’s not worse than all the other books, it has the problem of the highs being much higher, but the lows being much lower (Wise Man’s Fear syndrome if you will). This ends on a great character arc coming to a natural but for me at least, not at all predictable end. I was happier with the character arc aspect of this book than I was in any other book in the series. However King had much stronger plotting, and I feel like that should have permeated the ends of both books, but I didn’t feel that was the case here. Nothing in this volume felt as bombastic or fun as King, but it fell short on some of the through lines of the shadow series, as well. As always, the tone stayed very well-executed, and the characters resonated well. The pacing suffered here more than most if not all the other books, but I found the end to be more satisfying on a character level (unfortunately the Shadow books have a much smaller cast, and they’ve suffered casualties to boot).
Since this is the last book in the series, I’m going to make it something of a series review. If you’ve read each of the independent reviews, I’m not introducing much new here. If you’re looking for a spoiler free review and guide, this is for you.
My preferred reading order to recommend now is Sea 1, Shadow 1, Sea 2, Shadow 2, Shadow 3, Sea 3. This order will keep spoilers to a minimum, allow you to start with a better cast of characters, end on a better plot points, and by reading Shadow 2 and 3 in sequence, perhaps make it read as a larger novel with a slower pace but better plot.
Selling points of the series:
Setting- Lovecraftian fantasy that has unique world-building that makes you want all the info dumps you get, rather than forcing them on you up front. It often feels like getting new pieces to the puzzle rather than having wikipedia articles shouted at you.
Fun characters- You’re not going to get the depth of an Abercrombie character in this series, but what you will get are characters that are genuinely fun to follow and don’t make dumb decisions for the sake of the plot.
There’s a lot left to be explored is Wight ever chooses to go back to this world as many characters could easily have entertaining prequels, we good get stories of people living through this turbulent time that don’t actually effect it but just have to survive it in their day-to-day. Options are aplenty.
Warnings and considerations
Pacing- some entries have exceptional pacing, I was especially fond of it in the Sea books. Others feel disjointed and the past present cycle can really feel like it gets in the way.
This is a popcorn read. It’s not going to make you contemplate philosophy, and unless you are a very sensitive empath, you’re not going to weep for these characters. You might cheer for them, though. If you’re looking for good escapism, this is it. If you’re looking to compare and contrasts
Trilogy Rating: 4.5
Character Arc: 5
Characters: 4.75
Tone: 4.5
This book has received my lowest rating of the series, but it’s not worse than all the other books, it has the problem of the highs being much higher, but the lows being much lower (Wise Man’s Fear syndrome if you will). This ends on a great character arc coming to a natural but for me at least, not at all predictable end. I was happier with the character arc aspect of this book than I was in any other book in the series. However King had much stronger plotting, and I feel like that should have permeated the ends of both books, but I didn’t feel that was the case here. Nothing in this volume felt as bombastic or fun as King, but it fell short on some of the through lines of the shadow series, as well. As always, the tone stayed very well-executed, and the characters resonated well. The pacing suffered here more than most if not all the other books, but I found the end to be more satisfying on a character level (unfortunately the Shadow books have a much smaller cast, and they’ve suffered casualties to boot).
Since this is the last book in the series, I’m going to make it something of a series review. If you’ve read each of the independent reviews, I’m not introducing much new here. If you’re looking for a spoiler free review and guide, this is for you.
My preferred reading order to recommend now is Sea 1, Shadow 1, Sea 2, Shadow 2, Shadow 3, Sea 3. This order will keep spoilers to a minimum, allow you to start with a better cast of characters, end on a better plot points, and by reading Shadow 2 and 3 in sequence, perhaps make it read as a larger novel with a slower pace but better plot.
Selling points of the series:
Setting- Lovecraftian fantasy that has unique world-building that makes you want all the info dumps you get, rather than forcing them on you up front. It often feels like getting new pieces to the puzzle rather than having wikipedia articles shouted at you.
Fun characters- You’re not going to get the depth of an Abercrombie character in this series, but what you will get are characters that are genuinely fun to follow and don’t make dumb decisions for the sake of the plot.
There’s a lot left to be explored is Wight ever chooses to go back to this world as many characters could easily have entertaining prequels, we good get stories of people living through this turbulent time that don’t actually effect it but just have to survive it in their day-to-day. Options are aplenty.
Warnings and considerations
Pacing- some entries have exceptional pacing, I was especially fond of it in the Sea books. Others feel disjointed and the past present cycle can really feel like it gets in the way.
This is a popcorn read. It’s not going to make you contemplate philosophy, and unless you are a very sensitive empath, you’re not going to weep for these characters. You might cheer for them, though. If you’re looking for good escapism, this is it. If you’re looking to compare and contrasts
March 12, 2024
Wow. Incredible. This one is definitely my favorite of the three in the Shadow series. Again, I have to recommend to not listen to the audiobook. It is worth it.
Its bad ass, devastating, inspiring, thrilling, heart breaking, action packed, satisfying even when it hurts.
Its bad ass, devastating, inspiring, thrilling, heart breaking, action packed, satisfying even when it hurts.
April 11, 2021
First ever review I'm writing on a book so here goes....but let me just say I'm a big fan of Will Wright (thanks to Cradle, which I beg of you to plliiss hurry up).
So i loved Calder's books & character more than Shera's, Shera story was urrrgggh!! a pain to read probably because they all were too serious, though I loved how it answered a lot of my questions, i also think it's unfair the way Shera was beefed up in terms of power and Calder well... Was just Calder except with a slightly bhadass sword and oh! he later became a messed up Mia. He wasn't acknowledged enough by Shera or the regents then ended up killing himself (almost).
Shera had more character development than Calder, Shera left more of a mark on humanity than Calder yet Calder had waayy more to offer, Shera had enough power to kill even a regent, only she stabbed The emperor, heart of Nakothi,a Guild head, Kelarac, a champion.... Like I said too powerful.
All in all Elder series is up there in imagination and creativity with books like with Mistborn and City of stairs. And I absolutely love how overpowered you make your characters.
So i loved Calder's books & character more than Shera's, Shera story was urrrgggh!! a pain to read probably because they all were too serious, though I loved how it answered a lot of my questions, i also think it's unfair the way Shera was beefed up in terms of power and Calder well... Was just Calder except with a slightly bhadass sword and oh! he later became a messed up Mia. He wasn't acknowledged enough by Shera or the regents then ended up killing himself (almost).
Shera had more character development than Calder, Shera left more of a mark on humanity than Calder yet Calder had waayy more to offer, Shera had enough power to kill even a regent, only she stabbed The emperor, heart of Nakothi,a Guild head, Kelarac, a champion.... Like I said too powerful.
All in all Elder series is up there in imagination and creativity with books like with Mistborn and City of stairs. And I absolutely love how overpowered you make your characters.
May 31, 2020
A fast paced and satisfying resolution to the story. I look forward to reading its companion book to see the other side
July 31, 2020
I want to start this review by saying that Will Wight spins an amazing epic fantasy yarn. A little creepiness here, a little JRPG influence there, and the Elder Empire makes for an epic saga. He has a way of writing that draws you in and makes you believe in his fantasy world and all its quirks.
So why the low rating? The reading experience of having a story split between two series.
It sort of worked at the beginning, but by this big finale it left me feeling deeply unsatisfied. Even having just finished Of Kings and Killers, the companion novel, only a day ago, I'm left with this feeling of having only read half a story. OK, so this time I know what happened in the other side of the narrative but... Equally I kept forgetting details. I was frustrated by having to read the same scene again just from a slightly different perspective. It offered only minor insights into the characters, and to be blunt I found it a bit tedious going over old ground.
Unlike Calder's novel of slightly disjointed flashbacks, we didn't really get much more on the characters around Shera. Her flashbacks did have more continuity, but I felt that Meia never really got her time to shine (she just pops up, becomes even more awesome, goes away again until needed), and Shera's relationship with Lucan was another case of telling rather than showing I really liked the ones that looked more at the history of the Empire and Emperor though, as it filled in a few blanks.
I got confused a few times during the book. For example, there are some events that would make no sense if you hadn't read Calder's book first (Bliss' vendetta for example, and what Shera means by an offhand comment about it), but at other times characters are introduced here before turning up in his novel as if they've already been explained in his timeline, but they haven't. And then the final showdown sections. With Calder I was mildly confused about how easy his part was right at the end, but Shera..?
Whatever, I still think it's a great story. I only wish it had been 3 novels with the two protagonists rather than this conceptually cool but nightmare to read dual series. If I'd had known what I did now, I would have alternated both book 3s to read at the same time (Calder's first, then over to Shera once Rainworth is mentioned, switch back at pivotal moment and repeat) because it would have been a far more enjoyable way to experience the ending.
I would definitely be open to reading more by this talented writer... Just as long as everything's in one book/series next time.
So why the low rating? The reading experience of having a story split between two series.
It sort of worked at the beginning, but by this big finale it left me feeling deeply unsatisfied. Even having just finished Of Kings and Killers, the companion novel, only a day ago, I'm left with this feeling of having only read half a story. OK, so this time I know what happened in the other side of the narrative but... Equally I kept forgetting details. I was frustrated by having to read the same scene again just from a slightly different perspective. It offered only minor insights into the characters, and to be blunt I found it a bit tedious going over old ground.
Unlike Calder's novel of slightly disjointed flashbacks, we didn't really get much more on the characters around Shera. Her flashbacks did have more continuity, but I felt that Meia never really got her time to shine (she just pops up, becomes even more awesome, goes away again until needed), and Shera's relationship with Lucan was another case of telling rather than showing I really liked the ones that looked more at the history of the Empire and Emperor though, as it filled in a few blanks.
I got confused a few times during the book. For example, there are some events that would make no sense if you hadn't read Calder's book first (Bliss' vendetta for example, and what Shera means by an offhand comment about it), but at other times characters are introduced here before turning up in his novel as if they've already been explained in his timeline, but they haven't. And then the final showdown sections. With Calder I was mildly confused about how easy his part was right at the end, but Shera..?
Whatever, I still think it's a great story. I only wish it had been 3 novels with the two protagonists rather than this conceptually cool but nightmare to read dual series. If I'd had known what I did now, I would have alternated both book 3s to read at the same time (Calder's first, then over to Shera once Rainworth is mentioned, switch back at pivotal moment and repeat) because it would have been a far more enjoyable way to experience the ending.
I would definitely be open to reading more by this talented writer... Just as long as everything's in one book/series next time.
September 26, 2020
Of Killers and Kings is the last book in the Elder Empire: Shadow series. The story concludes the tale of Shera and her conflict with Imperialists and the Elders. Shera is now the head of the Consultants and wields a second soul-bound shear (knife) to go with her first. She has mist powers now and is more powerful than ever. I found her more interesting this time, perhaps because as the new guild head she has more on her mind than sleeping and her love of Lucan. She tends to be action and problem focused in this book which suits her.
The backstory concerns Lucan's investigation into the Consultants post Emperor and the Regents. We finally learn why Lucan is in jail and Shera is in hot water with the guild at the start of the story. Its satisfying to finally get answers to these questions after so long.
The first half of the story is Shera and friends in conflict with Calder and his Imperialists. This was not my favourite part. Shera's faction makes a bid for peace before throwing it away almost immediately. Shera hates Calder but its not clear why she hates him so much since she already knows Calder didnt kill Lucan. I assume she hates him because he has inconvenienced her and she's a psycho. Its weird because in general Shera doesnt really put effort into caring about anything. Anyway, she and her allies crush the Imperialist faction, and she personally kills Calder with little effort.
The second part of the book is a little better. It focuses on conflict with the Elders which is both complex and exciting. The Regents finally fight somebody in their weight class and we see the end game of the Elders. Shera has a sort of crisis of character near the end the book where she realizes she has feelings. It was okay, it felt a little flat but it a was conclusion to her character arc.
One problem with Shera during her whole series is that I never really believed she was in danger and she would generally succeed no matter the odds. We're told she has limitations but it never really felt like that. I can only recall one time she lost a fight she actively engaged in, the one with Bliss. This is in contrast to the series other main character Calder, who feels like he loses a lot. However I suspect if I had read her part of the series first and not alternated between the two series, she might have come off a little better.
A final thought on the series, though it's probably too late if youre reading a review of book 3 is that both parts are both reading. However rather than alternating between the two series per book I suggest you read Shera's part entirely and then read Calder's for an alternative perspective.
TL:DR - Okay end to the series, a bit mixed in the beginning but improves greatly towards the end.
The backstory concerns Lucan's investigation into the Consultants post Emperor and the Regents. We finally learn why Lucan is in jail and Shera is in hot water with the guild at the start of the story. Its satisfying to finally get answers to these questions after so long.
The first half of the story is Shera and friends in conflict with Calder and his Imperialists. This was not my favourite part. Shera's faction makes a bid for peace before throwing it away almost immediately. Shera hates Calder but its not clear why she hates him so much since she already knows Calder didnt kill Lucan. I assume she hates him because he has inconvenienced her and she's a psycho. Its weird because in general Shera doesnt really put effort into caring about anything. Anyway, she and her allies crush the Imperialist faction, and she personally kills Calder with little effort.
The second part of the book is a little better. It focuses on conflict with the Elders which is both complex and exciting. The Regents finally fight somebody in their weight class and we see the end game of the Elders. Shera has a sort of crisis of character near the end the book where she realizes she has feelings. It was okay, it felt a little flat but it a was conclusion to her character arc.
One problem with Shera during her whole series is that I never really believed she was in danger and she would generally succeed no matter the odds. We're told she has limitations but it never really felt like that. I can only recall one time she lost a fight she actively engaged in, the one with Bliss. This is in contrast to the series other main character Calder, who feels like he loses a lot. However I suspect if I had read her part of the series first and not alternated between the two series, she might have come off a little better.
A final thought on the series, though it's probably too late if youre reading a review of book 3 is that both parts are both reading. However rather than alternating between the two series per book I suggest you read Shera's part entirely and then read Calder's for an alternative perspective.
TL:DR - Okay end to the series, a bit mixed in the beginning but improves greatly towards the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 21, 2022
That was an unexpected ending in many ways.
This book kind of made the rest of the series worth it. I still didn't really like all the jumping around of the timeline, and to the end I was convinced that Lucan wasn't really dead, but it was a good ending on Shera's side.
It's odd though, the empire is the Aurelian empire which sounds like the Aurelius family on Cradle. So is the emperor some sort of descendant of the death scythe dude? Or, did the death scythe dude just talk to the emperor and he was so impressed that he took on the name? Or, did he read about him in Ach'magut's library and then take on the name? Actually, that's probably the most likely. He didn't have a name after all and he got to spend a bunch of time in that library, so I could see that happening.
Benji's butterflies made me super happy.
I am wondering about how Intent and Awakening are going to interact with madra and soulsmithing though. The whole premise of the worldbuilding in the Cradle series is that there is a huge galaxy with world's all over the place and each Iteration is slightly different, but people can ascend out of each world and join the way. So at some level every Iteration uses madra. Does this world just not know that they are using madra? Or is it some sort of weird twist because of the presence of what I assume are Void monsters? Do creatures of the Void not use madra? Do they have their own dark version that is Intent? Is this a light/dark side of the Force kind of thing?
I don't think the next one is going to shed any light on these external to the world questions...but it might, so off I go to read it!
This book kind of made the rest of the series worth it. I still didn't really like all the jumping around of the timeline, and to the end I was convinced that Lucan wasn't really dead, but it was a good ending on Shera's side.
It's odd though, the empire is the Aurelian empire which sounds like the Aurelius family on Cradle. So is the emperor some sort of descendant of the death scythe dude? Or, did the death scythe dude just talk to the emperor and he was so impressed that he took on the name? Or, did he read about him in Ach'magut's library and then take on the name? Actually, that's probably the most likely. He didn't have a name after all and he got to spend a bunch of time in that library, so I could see that happening.
Benji's butterflies made me super happy.
I am wondering about how Intent and Awakening are going to interact with madra and soulsmithing though. The whole premise of the worldbuilding in the Cradle series is that there is a huge galaxy with world's all over the place and each Iteration is slightly different, but people can ascend out of each world and join the way. So at some level every Iteration uses madra. Does this world just not know that they are using madra? Or is it some sort of weird twist because of the presence of what I assume are Void monsters? Do creatures of the Void not use madra? Do they have their own dark version that is Intent? Is this a light/dark side of the Force kind of thing?
I don't think the next one is going to shed any light on these external to the world questions...but it might, so off I go to read it!
December 27, 2024
A solid end to the trilogy! Probably my second favorite of the three behind the first book.
Similar to the third Sea book, I think this may have the strongest plot of the Shadow trilogy. The final part of The Elder Empire overall is really solid in my opinion, and this side of the story contributes to that. The ending is also really well done, feeling suitably climactic and epic for the way that this series has been building up. The action scenes here are really good as well. While I preferred the third book in the Sea trilogy overall, I did enjoy the ways in which this book tied into it; a strength of this series overall is seeing the alternating perspectives on the story, which this book does very well.
As for negatives, I do feel this one wasn’t as strong as past books on a character front. I’ve never connected too strongly to the characters in this series but they felt particularly lacking here—not bad at all, but just unremarkable. I also do think this book doesn’t stand on its own as well as the first two. While this is part of a larger series, I do enjoy that each trilogy feels like you could read it on its own without the other; this one didn’t feel that way, though, and I think those who read this book without reading Of Kings and Killers will not receive as good an experience as you could get with just reading the first two Shadow books. This book feels more like a supplement to the Sea book, rather than a conclusion in its own right to its own series.
Overall, not a ton to say about this one, but I enjoyed it. This means I’ve now wrapped up the whole TEE series, which has been a fun journey. A solid ending.
Rating: 7.5/10
Similar to the third Sea book, I think this may have the strongest plot of the Shadow trilogy. The final part of The Elder Empire overall is really solid in my opinion, and this side of the story contributes to that. The ending is also really well done, feeling suitably climactic and epic for the way that this series has been building up. The action scenes here are really good as well. While I preferred the third book in the Sea trilogy overall, I did enjoy the ways in which this book tied into it; a strength of this series overall is seeing the alternating perspectives on the story, which this book does very well.
As for negatives, I do feel this one wasn’t as strong as past books on a character front. I’ve never connected too strongly to the characters in this series but they felt particularly lacking here—not bad at all, but just unremarkable. I also do think this book doesn’t stand on its own as well as the first two. While this is part of a larger series, I do enjoy that each trilogy feels like you could read it on its own without the other; this one didn’t feel that way, though, and I think those who read this book without reading Of Kings and Killers will not receive as good an experience as you could get with just reading the first two Shadow books. This book feels more like a supplement to the Sea book, rather than a conclusion in its own right to its own series.
Overall, not a ton to say about this one, but I enjoyed it. This means I’ve now wrapped up the whole TEE series, which has been a fun journey. A solid ending.
Rating: 7.5/10
May 11, 2020
This was, overall, a very nice conclusion to a series that has been waiting for a few years. Trying to avoid spoilers:
I felt like Shera's emotional arc reached the final punch we've been waiting for since that first opening chapter back in Of Shadow and Sea. She finally came to a point where the ending felt like the only logical place to go with her character.
The Shadow side of the series has always been Shera's story and I do think we got a satisfying conclusion to it. If you have enjoyed the previous books you will (most likely) enjoy this one.
That being said, I did have some problems with this final book.
This was the first time I'd read one of the Shadow side of the series and found it lacking as a standalone book. I didn't feel like I got a whole and complete story until I read the Sea side. Which was disappointing, but also something that had happened to me on the Sea side, so perhaps it was just time for the Shadow side. This probably bothered me more than it should due to the several years wait for the books. Without that wait I doubt it would have bothered me at all.
For all their build up I was somewhat disappointed by the Great Elders. The battle, when it finally happened, just didn't seem to have the weight of the build up. Despite that I did enjoy the conclusion and how it reflected on Shera.
Overall I have some conflicted feelings on the book, but I do think most of those are just because of the wait for the finish, especially with Will Wight's normally frantic publishing pace.
I felt like Shera's emotional arc reached the final punch we've been waiting for since that first opening chapter back in Of Shadow and Sea. She finally came to a point where the ending felt like the only logical place to go with her character.
The Shadow side of the series has always been Shera's story and I do think we got a satisfying conclusion to it. If you have enjoyed the previous books you will (most likely) enjoy this one.
That being said, I did have some problems with this final book.
This was the first time I'd read one of the Shadow side of the series and found it lacking as a standalone book. I didn't feel like I got a whole and complete story until I read the Sea side. Which was disappointing, but also something that had happened to me on the Sea side, so perhaps it was just time for the Shadow side. This probably bothered me more than it should due to the several years wait for the books. Without that wait I doubt it would have bothered me at all.
For all their build up I was somewhat disappointed by the Great Elders. The battle, when it finally happened, just didn't seem to have the weight of the build up. Despite that I did enjoy the conclusion and how it reflected on Shera.
Overall I have some conflicted feelings on the book, but I do think most of those are just because of the wait for the finish, especially with Will Wight's normally frantic publishing pace.
July 12, 2023
I did enjoy this story, but I didn't love the way it was written. This story is told through two different characters perspectives. 3 books tell the story of a swaggering sea captain and 3 other books tell the story of a trained assassin. The books cover the same time period but from different perspectives. I just feel like I would have liked the series better if both characters perspectives would have been in the same book. It was interesting, but a little frustrating to finish a book and then have to go back in time and hear the story told again through a different perspective. On top of that, each of the books has significant time devoted to the characters backstories (close to half of the book is flashback chapters.) I don't mind an occasional flashback, but I would rather hear what is happening in the present. In addition to that, I listened to the book on tape, and I would often miss the fact that a character was having a flashback so I would become totally confused about what was happening. Having said all that, I did enjoy this series and will probably listen to it again one day.
August 5, 2020
Oh man! I really loved listening to this last book in the side-by-side trilogies that Will Wight orchestrated. Between you and me, I secretly believe that Will was a bit maniacal, and possibly masochistic for even making the attempt. But whatever his motivation was, he pulled it off brilliantly! And, yes you could read either of the trilogies... it will stand alone, following a complete story ARC! But why would you want to do that? You could get a much fuller/deeper sense of the world by getting both trilogies!!!
In one series you follow Captain Calder Marten and in the other story ARC, you're getting Shera's POV! Both characters are deadly serious about stopping the Elder Gods... but they're polar opposites on how to go about doing that... and oh yeah, they're Bitter enemies. The few times their paths cross, you get a whole new perspective, and I guarantee you won't be bored! All that takes some awesome writing chops, so thank you Will Wight!
Emily Woo Zeller gave a simply stellar performance as the narrator of this book! Check out some of her other works available on Audible!
In one series you follow Captain Calder Marten and in the other story ARC, you're getting Shera's POV! Both characters are deadly serious about stopping the Elder Gods... but they're polar opposites on how to go about doing that... and oh yeah, they're Bitter enemies. The few times their paths cross, you get a whole new perspective, and I guarantee you won't be bored! All that takes some awesome writing chops, so thank you Will Wight!
Emily Woo Zeller gave a simply stellar performance as the narrator of this book! Check out some of her other works available on Audible!
March 7, 2022
This is the final book of the Shadow portion of The Elder Empire, and my sixth and final book of the series. After having read all six books, I can say that the Shadow side is the weaker trilogy. Maybe I am only saying this because I read the Sea side first, and every parallel novel was redundant. Plot aside, the characters in Shadow are less likeable and fun, so I stand by Sea being the better books.
The story follows Shera as she attempts to lead the Consultant's Guild after the fall of the Gray Island. We get to witness events from the Consultant's side, but there isn't much new ground being covered. Overall, it was pretty blah.
Shera's ending was interesting, and not something that I was expecting, even though it was very subtlety foreshadowed throughout the entire series.
I'm not sure if this was the weakest book in the series, but I definitely enjoyed it the least. Maybe I was just not into reading it after having the story conclude in Sea book #3. Overall I would give it a 3.5* rounded down to 3*.
The story follows Shera as she attempts to lead the Consultant's Guild after the fall of the Gray Island. We get to witness events from the Consultant's side, but there isn't much new ground being covered. Overall, it was pretty blah.
Shera's ending was interesting, and not something that I was expecting, even though it was very subtlety foreshadowed throughout the entire series.
I'm not sure if this was the weakest book in the series, but I definitely enjoyed it the least. Maybe I was just not into reading it after having the story conclude in Sea book #3. Overall I would give it a 3.5* rounded down to 3*.
November 9, 2020
This was the last of the 6 books in the series I read. I wasn't sure how reading the 5th book (Kings and Killers) would spoil this, but I think there were enough new things that this was interesting.
Reading this one first in some ways may be slightly less spoilery - or maybe more so; there are a few more "behind the scenes" things in this book than in Kings and Killers, and I think Kings and Killers refers to some of these things more off-screen, but there's not a huge difference in which one should be read first.
Overall, this was a strong enough series and I liked that there are still a few open points for future series - maybe even as a single series. I can't believe one of the spoilers in this book which gives context for the whole series - the series, due to how it is written, almost deserves a re-read.
Reading this one first in some ways may be slightly less spoilery - or maybe more so; there are a few more "behind the scenes" things in this book than in Kings and Killers, and I think Kings and Killers refers to some of these things more off-screen, but there's not a huge difference in which one should be read first.
Overall, this was a strong enough series and I liked that there are still a few open points for future series - maybe even as a single series. I can't believe one of the spoilers in this book which gives context for the whole series - the series, due to how it is written, almost deserves a re-read.
February 6, 2021
What a satisfying ending.
“You are invincible! one of her shears cried. But don’t let it go to your head, the other counseled.”
Really appreciated the tension between the two opposing shears and especially reading about her ability to control Bastion’s Veil.
I didn’t realize how much I valued the relationship between Meia and Shera until Meia bullied her into a measure of self-awareness, that she’s more human and more passionate than she allows herself credit for.
Part of what I really enjoyed about the three books that follow Shera’s storyline was the insight into TPTB in this world, the Emperor and the Regents, the origin of the human world and the two thousand year battle against the Great Elders. With Shera’s rapidly accumulating powers, her fierce loyalty to the empire, having her join this group at the end is truly fitting.
Terrific work wrapping up the series.
“You are invincible! one of her shears cried. But don’t let it go to your head, the other counseled.”
Really appreciated the tension between the two opposing shears and especially reading about her ability to control Bastion’s Veil.
I didn’t realize how much I valued the relationship between Meia and Shera until Meia bullied her into a measure of self-awareness, that she’s more human and more passionate than she allows herself credit for.
Part of what I really enjoyed about the three books that follow Shera’s storyline was the insight into TPTB in this world, the Emperor and the Regents, the origin of the human world and the two thousand year battle against the Great Elders. With Shera’s rapidly accumulating powers, her fierce loyalty to the empire, having her join this group at the end is truly fitting.
Terrific work wrapping up the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 16, 2020
Great end to the series
The Elder Empire series has always been a distant third for me behind the Traveler's Gate and Cradle books. But these last books in the series were quite good. The Cradleverse easter eggs/tie ins were cool.
I've never minded the flash back chapter approach to explain more of the story, though some readers may not like that device. It was nice to see more of the backstory for the characters and the overall world.
I mostly preferred Calder's story viewpoint, but again both books were really good this time around. Shera seemed more understandable/relatable and not a mindless assassin, killing machine.
There are very few authors like Will Wight where I can say I've thoroughly enjoyed most, if not all, of their books/series. Keep up the good work!
The Elder Empire series has always been a distant third for me behind the Traveler's Gate and Cradle books. But these last books in the series were quite good. The Cradleverse easter eggs/tie ins were cool.
I've never minded the flash back chapter approach to explain more of the story, though some readers may not like that device. It was nice to see more of the backstory for the characters and the overall world.
I mostly preferred Calder's story viewpoint, but again both books were really good this time around. Shera seemed more understandable/relatable and not a mindless assassin, killing machine.
There are very few authors like Will Wight where I can say I've thoroughly enjoyed most, if not all, of their books/series. Keep up the good work!
June 9, 2020
Shera of the Consultant's Guild is the new Guild Head of the Am'haranai. She gets super beefed up with 2 awakened blades and uses them to resolve problems.
I like how the story ended but it felt annoying at times. I think Lucan was the heart and the head of the trio. It was a pity he wasn't there to temper Shera's excesses.
The story is mostly linear, with some flashbacks of what happened after the death of the Emperor. I found the Regents to be super-powered beings without much wisdom or skills in dealing with matters that does not require brute use of power, which they have in abundance.
All in all, this time I preferred book 3(a) to book 3(b) whereas I preferred the shadow series for the other books. However, give this book a read to get more back story to tie off loose ends.
I like how the story ended but it felt annoying at times. I think Lucan was the heart and the head of the trio. It was a pity he wasn't there to temper Shera's excesses.
The story is mostly linear, with some flashbacks of what happened after the death of the Emperor. I found the Regents to be super-powered beings without much wisdom or skills in dealing with matters that does not require brute use of power, which they have in abundance.
All in all, this time I preferred book 3(a) to book 3(b) whereas I preferred the shadow series for the other books. However, give this book a read to get more back story to tie off loose ends.
January 11, 2022
This side of the story was definitely more technical and methodical than the other. The conclusion to the not assassin story line was wrapped up nicely and the regent characters were shown off so much better here than most of the others. Shera was given a better ending than Caldur (spelling? I did audiobook) and her resolution to the conflict as well as her epilogue we're much more satisfying than Caldurs. While I liked Caldurs books better from most angles shera seemed to be the favorite child and wrapped up her story better.
The audio narration was a bit to be desired for me, the narrator definitely pulled off shera well but she did a whispering voice while appropriate was not the best for listening to her.
The audio narration was a bit to be desired for me, the narrator definitely pulled off shera well but she did a whispering voice while appropriate was not the best for listening to her.
January 17, 2022
3.5/5
Following Shera as the last book out of the two trilogies was something I wasn’t really thrilled about at first considering I wasn’t the biggest fan of her in the previous books. It still feels like the book had a far more interesting story in all of the past chapters instead of the present. However the ending for this book was certainly much better than the ending for Calder’s side which was a surprise.
Overall I still believe that a far better story could have been told with a smaller scale conflict building up over more books. I would have loved to see the past chapters as real time events rather than snippets that constantly interrupted the present timeline. But as mentioned the end was definitely more gratifying and it makes sense to finish with this book last.
Following Shera as the last book out of the two trilogies was something I wasn’t really thrilled about at first considering I wasn’t the biggest fan of her in the previous books. It still feels like the book had a far more interesting story in all of the past chapters instead of the present. However the ending for this book was certainly much better than the ending for Calder’s side which was a surprise.
Overall I still believe that a far better story could have been told with a smaller scale conflict building up over more books. I would have loved to see the past chapters as real time events rather than snippets that constantly interrupted the present timeline. But as mentioned the end was definitely more gratifying and it makes sense to finish with this book last.
January 18, 2023
As Shera's tale comes to an end I feel like I started to understand her more and more. At first I thought she was a little detached and slightly psychotic but as the series progressed and there were small reveals to how she actually felt I started to like her more and more. After she became head of her guild I really sympathized, there is nothing worse than being thrust into a leadership position that you never asked for or wanted, sometimes you're happy being an assassin, no need to complicate things. I enjoyed the ending and the way Wight intertwined the series together, it was fun going back and forth. It felt like one big novel but I can see reading just one series if I wanted to, but I would suggest the two in tandem.
April 3, 2024
A good enough ending, but it definitely only made sense in conjunction with the companion volume. I like Will Wight's writing and his imagined worlds. I can't help but wonder if this story would have been better without the contrivance of the dual volumes, and the style of alternating between past and present. Would the story have been as good if he had told it in strict chronological order? Maybe. I definitely had a bit of trouble keeping track of all the events as he jumped around. I think maybe it worked well enough in the first volume, but not as much in the later volumes.
Still, I would recommend the series, and the author generally, to anyone looking for a new fantasy series to read. I'll be checking out his other series soon...
Still, I would recommend the series, and the author generally, to anyone looking for a new fantasy series to read. I'll be checking out his other series soon...
April 13, 2021
A 3.5 that I chose to round down.
The series was good, I enjoyed it.. it's just that 5 stars are reserved for books that make me excited and keep me thinking back to them for months or years to come, masterpieces, if you will.
4 stars are for books that are great. This series was not quite great, just good. And now that (this section) of the trilogy is over, I dont think that I will think back to it much, unless any of the characters ever show up in the 'willverse' in later books. This is also liable to be bumped up if 'kings and killers' really does something special to this book retroactively when I read that, but for now, a very healthy 3 stars.
The series was good, I enjoyed it.. it's just that 5 stars are reserved for books that make me excited and keep me thinking back to them for months or years to come, masterpieces, if you will.
4 stars are for books that are great. This series was not quite great, just good. And now that (this section) of the trilogy is over, I dont think that I will think back to it much, unless any of the characters ever show up in the 'willverse' in later books. This is also liable to be bumped up if 'kings and killers' really does something special to this book retroactively when I read that, but for now, a very healthy 3 stars.
May 20, 2020
Shera gets more powerful with +1 Awakened Shear. It has a calm/protect vibe which helps balance out the crazy/kill everyone vibe from the other. Lucan dies (carry over from last book). Shera operates as Guild Leader. Guild wars continue with epic fights with Regents. Eventually everyone comes together to fight the Great Elders (1 escapes, 2 killed, others stay away). 1 Great Elder that escapes fights "Outsider" (which apparently had contact with Calder). Shera becomes 4th Regent and is put into sleep at end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 18, 2020
At his best
You know that somewhat sad feeling when you get to the end of a great story? You get that for a second when you finish the last book of the Elder Empire series, and then you realize: there's another 'last book' still to read.
I am not a fan of the slow pacing the Cradle series has taken on. To me, the Elder Empire series, with the depth of world building, space left open for readers to think about what things mean or what really happened without simply being told everything, and consistently advancing plot is Wight's best work.
You know that somewhat sad feeling when you get to the end of a great story? You get that for a second when you finish the last book of the Elder Empire series, and then you realize: there's another 'last book' still to read.
I am not a fan of the slow pacing the Cradle series has taken on. To me, the Elder Empire series, with the depth of world building, space left open for readers to think about what things mean or what really happened without simply being told everything, and consistently advancing plot is Wight's best work.
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