Betrayed. Murdered. Reborn. One last chance, to make it right. Theo's adventure ended with his mentor's hands around his neck. The betrayal cost him his friends, allies and everything he had built... but not his life. Though broken and powerless, Theo has one last chance to enter the Nine Worlds, wielding the knowledge and expertise of his first life. This time, he needs more than just power, he needs to unravel the deception that killed him once... and is coming for him again.
Theo's path back to power leads him through one of the most dangerous areas he encountered in his first life: the Chasm of Lamentations. But this time, the Chasm is the site of a vicious war between factions hungry for the resources within. Theo has no choice but to gather his allies and head into the chaos, where darker secrets are waiting...
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Sigh wear to begin I'll start by apologising for not being able to give better score and warn that will maybe be few mild spoilers.
Senka and soul cultivating.? Are saving graces of this book and senka is easily best female in series and one of favorite characters & has been from 1st showed up. (Just so fun.)
Relationship drama sucks and was terribly done.... one of the many, many reason's why solo journey of the mc is so much better. (At 77% when said maybe should forget about relationship I thought god yes please author.)
Thought Theo was MC of this series and liked him being so but in this book he pushed out seemed in favour of Nauda & fiyu (Unfortunately) he needs be more in story even if is usually an unlikeable character he is mc. Don't like when suddenly change mc like seemed do hear.
Could of done without relationship drama it made for very unpleasant and just uncomfortable reading could do without lesbian relationship suddenly added, would be ok if was from start but suddenly put in out of nowhere. Almost made me stop reading & just give up on series altogether was out of place and just felt forced was unwated & unnecessary. Honestly I much prefer them them just being good friend and nothing more makes much better & pleasant read.
Also why did Nauda seem to change so much in this book barely recognised her from all previous books and not in good way, for one she seemed to like Senka yet now she suddenly finds her annoying.??. Fiyu in this book just didn't feel right to how she was in previous book at all and didn't fit most time with who she was previously.
Spent way too much time with fiyu and nauda characters skipped most so didn't get too bored. And the slow pace of these books was ok in the previous books but was painfully dull in this one most of the time.
So will read next book yes probably as like original way doing cultivation, action sciens are well written and story itself is interesting hope not one dragged out to longer series then probably should be. (Don't want to abandone out of bordem or despear with being turned into trash gay Romance suddenly for one I am not into that at all. )
Finally. This was worst novel ever read from this author and hope not get any worse or I'm out, (also read all street cultivation & it was good.)
While still a lot of fun, I don't think Chasmfall is among the best instalments of Weirkey series so far.
This book reminds me of Underlord (Cradle book 5) in which the main characters should explore a contested mysterious realm for a certain period of time, with so many powerful factions involved. In itself, it's a fun and time-tested premise. However, while reading this book, I found myself missing Sarah Lin's trademark profound ideas and in-depth worldbuilding.
The Chasm of Lamentation read like a generic dangerous realm containing MacGuffins. Don't get me wrong, it is still a fun romp of a book with lots of actions and adventures, not to mention a sweet, sweet twist towards the end of the book. Still, when you compare this book with Archcrafter this book lacks that sweet balance between high stakes and fun side quests.
Sigh. First things first. Am I going to continue with this series? Probably. There's too many interesting plot points and they're so easy to read, my curiosity wouldn't say no. But...a lot of unnecessary plot points that felt like they could have been cut. The island bit at the end probably being the biggest issue I had. Oh well.
Because I am a person who visualizes things easily, this idea of creating a soulhome is totally captivating me. It also helps I come from a family of builders and enjoy floorplans. So I’m getting into how each character is making choices as to how they will fortify and expand their soulhomes. Sarah Lin brings in the magic of sublime materials which they hunt for to enhance their skills, to increase their power, and the effectiveness of their weapons.
Each of the characters makes their selections as to what fits the themes they have chosen for their blueprint. They also have a knack for spotting unusual building materials and knowing if this one is not for their own home, it may be the right material for a friend's soulhome. So Theo, Fiyu, and Nauda continue to help each other harvest and buy the various sublime materials and tools from the worlds they explore. This is such a novel idea for this genre. I love it!
Lin is an exceptionally good writer in both the high quality content and execution. She isn’t someone putting things out in a hurried fashion, but writes with depth in her character development, good balance, and an exceptionally high level of accuracy. I like the introduction of a new world in each book. (We have a total of 9 to explore.) The descriptions of the various new worlds and cultures are finely tuned and consistent throughout the series.
As an engineering student working my way thru my masters I love this series’ focus on consistent growth!
The unique magic system is very refreshing! It’s a solid book series. I’m looking forward to the rest and Sarah Lin seems super productive in her writing of the books!
The first three books are OK in my opinion, but this one feels like a step up. It's really digging its teeth into the scope of the setting.
The relationship between Fiyu, Nauda, and Theo and how it develops and they grow as individuals and in relationship to one another is the best part by far. Soulshomes for progression is definitely interesting, and I expect to see it copied by other progression fantasy going forward. It has some clear parallels to dungeon core works, but unfortunately it retains the core problem of most of those books--which is that the building itself isn't very interesting. Nauda helps a little in that regard, especially in this book where we see how her push to progress for power (for good reasons) comes back to bite her with a lack of a shielding wall.
That said, I do appreciate how gradual the current progression is, and the confirmation from Senka that the tiers of power are not as simplistic as initially suggested.
Vistgil's plans are certainly a mystery, but they're too abstract and far-ranging to really capture my immediate interest. By far the parts holding my attention most right now are the black box of the vault from the Chasm (which I suspect will be integral to either Nauda's recovery, or the three of them tying their homes together), and who could have manipulated Fiyu's message and to what purpose.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
The first half of the book was about preparation for the Chasm. I enjoyed the scenes from a new world visited. And finally, we get to meet Navim again - wish there were more scenes with him though.
The second half upped the ante as expected. The Chasm was really interesting by itself and events continued to escalate till the end. Some very emotional scenes too, hope things work out better in the next book. Plenty of revelations - too many that a reread would prove beneficial imo.
This one had a little slower pacing to it, since there wasn’t an obvious antagonist hanging over the group’s head the entire time. Lots of setup for future events, and while there was progress on the trio’s soulhomes, it was a bit more opaque than in the previous three books, with no real new abilities or shifts in the characters’ fighting styles.
All that said, I think I enjoyed this book the most (other than the very first one). The characters’ synergy is just about perfect, and there was a moment with Fiyu about halfway through the story that just perfectly showcased the group’s developing dynamic. That was a nice bit of character development that had been greatly lacking in the earlier volumes.
While the political situation on Fithe is starting to heat up and is admittedly rather interesting, I do hope future books will start exploring more of the nine worlds, as my favorite part in this volume was the very beginning, exploring the plant world of Aathali.
Overall though, still a strong volume in a great series.
this feels like the first step of the series torwards something much bigger. We get new worlds, deeper glances into old ones, character developement, interpersonal conflict. In short, everything a sequel needs to convince you into reading further in the series.
Personally I found Theo's exploration of his relationship with his past lifes refreshing, as, unlike in many other isekai/portal fantasy/regression stories, it is acknowledged here to have had a past life and the way it affects a person, also how how this person carries all the bagagge of a full-lived life already, if not the wisdom of one.
4/5 really good, would recommend wiating until this one book, as they are short, to decide if you would like to keep reading/listening the series.
Another solid book in the series. The series is getting better with each book. I finished four books in a week. If there were audiobooks, I could've finished even quicker. Sarah Lin follow Will Wight's style of not wasting page to write insignificant plots and characters. Everyone in the story matters. I quite enjoyed characters' progression and their relationship. The Asplundat movement is an interesting entity added to the Fithe politics mixer. The plot has much intrigue, progression, fun characters, and importantly some secrets to reveal. Oh there is the epilogue that adds more mystery. Sadly I need to wait for book 5. I'm sure that I'm going to read it.
A strength of these books is that when character make some serious progress, it feels earned. They didn't just flop around and cry a little and get an upgrade, they put in WORK, and it feels like it. The character dynamics are great, everyone in the party coming from a different background, and the hints at romance are great.
Pros: Cool magic stuff
Cons: Kinda slow, also are there potatoes in this world? Who knows. Stakes are low while implied to be high
Again, if you liked the previous books, it's them plus more better. Will re-read the series when it finishes, will beg Sarah Lin for an autograph
This was a good entry in the series. I'm listening to these and I found myself not remembering parts of the book though I got the gist. I really enjoy the dynamic of Theo, Nauda, and Fiyu. We finally get to see our crew make the final trek to the Chasm, but in it, we're greeted by someone who we've come to expect from the epilouge in the last book. My mind anyways was blown near the end of the book and some new things come to light and I was floored by what happened. This another strong entry in the series and I'm so glad I tried this one out. The characters, magic, and world building are so unique.
This book was excellent both as its own installment and as part of the larger series. The stakes were great and new secrets were discovered, old friends came back and new ones are on the horizon. I can't wait for the next book so I can continue to enjoy this sublime world.
The last 20% of this book immediately make me more interested in this series.
I'm hoping book 5 picks up right where some of these mysteries end and wished that more of the series was spent exploring the mysteries of the world instead of the home and garden section of the soul.
Series definitely feels strong though and Sarah continues to do great writing characters.
In novel three there did not seem to be and direction or cohesion to the characters or the plot. Definitely a dip in the series and I look forward to seeing it bounce back in book 4.
I find myself further and further intrigued by this story. The magic system and works building is unique and I find that I enjoy the plot lines and undertoned mystery implied.
This book is imaginative and unique. It’s basically a wuxia/cultivation novel. However, it keeps the plot moving as the mystery behind the nine+ worlds are slowly revealed.
I really enjoyed this latest book in the series. The characters are fun and the pacing is great. The books are easy to read and the story is really engaging.
I am fully invested in the characters and the story is exciting enough that I can’t wait for the next book to release. I had a hard time resisting the urge to continually say just one more chapter.
Enjoyed the book but felt the story did not progress much. It felt rushed too and some of the descriptions left me puzzled as to what was happening. This is new as the last three books didn’t make me feel this way.
If you’ve come this far, you don’t need me to tell you to keep reading. As always, my least favorite parts of the book were the combat scenes, but only because the cultivation process is so amazing that I always want more. Keep up the great work!
Solid book. Not quite as good as the last book. I guess I expected greater advancement which actually may have happened but the advancement in the last book felt more significant. The ending was cool and got me excited for the next book.
Each book in the series gets better and better. Love the progression system with the soulhomes and then it expanded on the overall plot of the series with the villain from Theo's past playing a bigger role. Can't wait for book 5
Saran Lin keeps growing as an author. Many plot lines are resolved and we even see glimpses into the greater Universe and larger plots. Ill definitely be keeping up with the series!
The pacing of these books is so bizarre. There will be 20 uninterrupted pages about building a soulhome which can be quite tedious. And then the fight that the entire book has been building to is over in 2.
They sometimes feel more like side stories than an actual series.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ - ok now this one was interesting solely because the reunion with theo's past killer surprised me and the story progressed a lot faster than i thought it would. thank goodness tbh bc it's the fourth book and something needed to happen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I was expecting this entry to further the story along more than it did. However, it was still a fun entry with lots of good cozy-esque soulhome building. There were scenes that had me laughing out loud and I enjoyed the reveals and twists.