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Cradle #11
Dreadgod: Cradle, Book 11
The battle in the heavens has left a target on Lindon’s back.
His most reliable ally is gone, the Monarchs see him as a threat, and he has inherited one of the most valuable facilities in the world. At any moment, his enemies could band together to kill him.
If it weren’t for the Dreadgods.
All four are empowered and unleashed, rampaging through Cradle, and grudges old and new must be set aside. The Monarchs need every capable fighter to help them defend their territory.
And Lindon needs time.
While he fights, he sends his friends off to train. They’ll need to advance impossibly fast if they want to join him in battle against the kings and queens of Cradle.
Together, they will need power enough to rival a Dreadgod.
His most reliable ally is gone, the Monarchs see him as a threat, and he has inherited one of the most valuable facilities in the world. At any moment, his enemies could band together to kill him.
If it weren’t for the Dreadgods.
All four are empowered and unleashed, rampaging through Cradle, and grudges old and new must be set aside. The Monarchs need every capable fighter to help them defend their territory.
And Lindon needs time.
While he fights, he sends his friends off to train. They’ll need to advance impossibly fast if they want to join him in battle against the kings and queens of Cradle.
Together, they will need power enough to rival a Dreadgod.
12 pages, Audible Audio
First published July 5, 2022
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July 14, 2022
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3.5 stars. An enjoyable read, but sadly my least favorite in the entire series
A 3.5 star book is a solid book and one that I would recommend to other people, but the reality is that I am saddened to give such a low score to this book as my hopes were so much higher. Virtually every book in this series improved upon the previous one in my opinion, and with the 11th book of a 12 book series - I had every confidence in the world this book would be a top tier 5/5 book.
But unfortunately, this book missed the mark in many ways for me - the pacing felt off, the focus on certain characters felt strange, and the plot lacked focus. All of things contribute to me deeply worried that the final book in this series is not going to be able to stick the landing, but I desperately hope that I am wrong.
Story: 3/5
The story for me felt far too rushed, with a breakneck speed that was almost difficult to follow at times. I think this book would have deeply benefited by adding several hundred more pages that allowed more setup of the events of this book, so it didn't have the constant jumping from one action point to the other and allow the reader to appreciate what is being read to a deeper level.
The last 1/3 of the book definitely was the highlight of the book, with events finally mattering and the writing being top notch. But it didn't have a proper ending for the first time in Cradle history, with a major cliffhanger and a severe lack of payoff.
I think a problem with the plot of this book is that Lindon & Co. have reached such a height in power, that the mystery is fully gone and them getting more powerful is losing its magic. It reminds me of the feeling I get when I become too powerful in a video game, and I realize that the fun I was having was the building up to that moment, not the final moment itself.
World Building: 4/5
The world building continues to be one of the strong suits of this series, with a very vivid world that truly feels like a world instead of a single nation. I did feel however that there was a severe lack of description of the locations in this book, and the author is forcing you to remember facts in the past to fill in the gaps that should have been included here so that the reader could form a better picture of what was happening and what things looked like.
Fantasy Elements: 5/5
The best part of this book continues to be the magic system and the different twists that are thrown at you from a magical angle. All the characters continue to pull out new tricks, and they are both inventive and fun to read about. I can't want to continue reading to the end of this series to find out what else the author has in store.
Characters: 3/5
After a rocky start, I have come to like the main cast of characters - but the last book essentially "offed" one of the best characters in the series, and the book before that basically nerfed another. This leaves the focus on some rather bland characters with simple motivations, and is causing the author to focus on other characters with more detail (like Ziel and Orthos) who have largely been neglected in the past. But it's too late to do this effectively, and it felt a bit strange to finally throw some focus on characters with so few pages left in a series.
Writing Style: 4/5
The writing is a little on the "simple" side, and while I do enjoy books that span the spectrum of difficulty, I do end up wishing that the author would expand his prose more. The average word length is rather short and the sentence structure leaves a bit to be desired.
That being said though, the ability for the author to write in a way that lures in the reader in such a captivating manner is awe-inspiring.
Enjoyment: 3.5/5
It didn't get until the final act of the book that I really started to enjoy my experience with this book. I did love parts of this book, but combined with a "non" ending, it ended up being my least favorite in the series.
3.5 stars. An enjoyable read, but sadly my least favorite in the entire series
A 3.5 star book is a solid book and one that I would recommend to other people, but the reality is that I am saddened to give such a low score to this book as my hopes were so much higher. Virtually every book in this series improved upon the previous one in my opinion, and with the 11th book of a 12 book series - I had every confidence in the world this book would be a top tier 5/5 book.
But unfortunately, this book missed the mark in many ways for me - the pacing felt off, the focus on certain characters felt strange, and the plot lacked focus. All of things contribute to me deeply worried that the final book in this series is not going to be able to stick the landing, but I desperately hope that I am wrong.
Story: 3/5
The story for me felt far too rushed, with a breakneck speed that was almost difficult to follow at times. I think this book would have deeply benefited by adding several hundred more pages that allowed more setup of the events of this book, so it didn't have the constant jumping from one action point to the other and allow the reader to appreciate what is being read to a deeper level.
The last 1/3 of the book definitely was the highlight of the book, with events finally mattering and the writing being top notch. But it didn't have a proper ending for the first time in Cradle history, with a major cliffhanger and a severe lack of payoff.
I think a problem with the plot of this book is that Lindon & Co. have reached such a height in power, that the mystery is fully gone and them getting more powerful is losing its magic. It reminds me of the feeling I get when I become too powerful in a video game, and I realize that the fun I was having was the building up to that moment, not the final moment itself.
World Building: 4/5
The world building continues to be one of the strong suits of this series, with a very vivid world that truly feels like a world instead of a single nation. I did feel however that there was a severe lack of description of the locations in this book, and the author is forcing you to remember facts in the past to fill in the gaps that should have been included here so that the reader could form a better picture of what was happening and what things looked like.
Fantasy Elements: 5/5
The best part of this book continues to be the magic system and the different twists that are thrown at you from a magical angle. All the characters continue to pull out new tricks, and they are both inventive and fun to read about. I can't want to continue reading to the end of this series to find out what else the author has in store.
Characters: 3/5
After a rocky start, I have come to like the main cast of characters - but the last book essentially "offed" one of the best characters in the series, and the book before that basically nerfed another. This leaves the focus on some rather bland characters with simple motivations, and is causing the author to focus on other characters with more detail (like Ziel and Orthos) who have largely been neglected in the past. But it's too late to do this effectively, and it felt a bit strange to finally throw some focus on characters with so few pages left in a series.
Writing Style: 4/5
The writing is a little on the "simple" side, and while I do enjoy books that span the spectrum of difficulty, I do end up wishing that the author would expand his prose more. The average word length is rather short and the sentence structure leaves a bit to be desired.
That being said though, the ability for the author to write in a way that lures in the reader in such a captivating manner is awe-inspiring.
Enjoyment: 3.5/5
It didn't get until the final act of the book that I really started to enjoy my experience with this book. I did love parts of this book, but combined with a "non" ending, it ended up being my least favorite in the series.
November 1, 2022
3.5/5 stars
Dreadgod has prepared the series to reach its epic conclusion, but as an installment, Dreadgod was my third least favorite of the series.
First, let me just first state that I love Cradle. You can check my respective review for each previous book in the series. But with how popular and immensely loved Cradle by Will Wight is now, I fully understand that my opinion on Dreadgod will be on the unpopular side. Giving any book in Cradle below a 4-stars rating gives me pain. Cradle is one of my favorite ongoing series, and this rating has never occurred since Soulsmith, the second book of the series, and also, in my opinion, the second weakest book of the series after Unsouled. But I honestly struggled in reading several sections of Dreadgod. Except for the final 30% of the book, which I will get into later, it felt like many scenes were a filler to increase the number of pages. At least that's how it felt to me.
Dreadgod takes place immediately after the conclusion of Reaper. It is the penultimate volume of the entire Cradle series, and as a penultimate volume, there were certain things I hoped the novel would achieve. Or maybe, to be more precise, to not do. The opening of Dreadgod was immediately engaging. Starting with an insanely large-scale battle, knowing how far we are into the series and the arrival of the Dreadgod, I think this was the right story direction. But not long after that beginning, Lindon assigns his friends to advance as soon as possible. In other words, more training sessions. Yes, I know this is progression fantasy, and I think this is what many fans of the series constantly loved, too. Understandably, of course. But personally speaking, when we're this far into the series now, these training sessions didn't get me any satisfaction or enjoyment; it gets even worse when it's not related to Lindon.
I wanted more plot progression, and there are still a lot of things to resolve. We are in the penultimate volume of the series, and it felt so out of place to be reading all the other character's training when there is a planet-scale danger looming and rampaging around the world of Cradle. It's like playing an RPG where we get to grind endlessly before we decide to fight the final boss. But the final boss, instead of destroying the world, decides to just casually sit there in their dungeon waiting until we players become godlike to kill them so easily. It undoubtedly works in a video game, but not in a novel for me. And that's how it felt with Dreadgod. Plus, I was incredibly bored with most of the training montages. Yerin's chapters with the Red gang or whatever were by far the most boring section of the book for me.
As for the main characters, I loved witnessing how far Lindon has come since Unsouled, as always. While for the others, I think I have to say I felt the most for Mercy. She endured a lot of unfairness in her life with a smile, and I hope good things will come her way. But another main issue I had with Dreadgod is the lack of my favorite characters. Now, I don't expect to love Dreadgod as much as Reaper. Reaper was too good, and now I do not think Will Wight can replicate the greatness of that book again. I am, however, happy to be proven wrong in Waybound. But due to the events of Reaper, though understandable, the lack of my favorite characters surprisingly hurt my enjoyment more than I expected it would. I didn't realize how MUCH my enjoyment of the series relies on this specific character appearing or at least being near Lindon and the gang. Reaper not only entertained and surprised me, but it also made me laugh multiple times throughout the book. That humor is also missing here. Unless we're speaking about the bloopers.
As I almost fell asleep multiple times reading it, I genuinely almost DNFed Dreadgod when I was halfway through. Thankfully, I did not do this. When I reached the final 30% of the book, my perseverance was worth it. The climax sequences did not have any more training montages, and the story felt like it could move again. And my god, gratitude, the action scenes in Dreadgod was massive in scope. I am not even sure whether massive is an understatement or not, but the battles were utterly grand in scope, and I loved it. One of the Dreadgod's abilities was heavily reminiscent of Whitebeard's power from One Piece, and I was gleefully reading that scene.
Look, I read the first 70% of the novel in four days. I read the final 30% in one sitting. This comparison should be enough to tell you my fluctuating level of interest in the pages of Dreadgod. The final 30% was easily one of the best sections in the entire series. It was breathtaking, so intense, and it sets up the series for an epic conclusion in Waybound. There are more positive things I'd like to add, but honestly, that goes into the spoiler-territory of explaining the details in the climax sequences.
If you're reading this review, I implore you to take it with a grain of salt. I am 100% confident that no matter how many years have passed, this review and opinion will still belong on the unpopular opinion side. I do not see any possibility of anything that Will Wight writes in this book/series not clicking with the majority of the fans now. And that's good. Wight deserves his success, and yes, as a whole, I still enjoyed Dreadgod. A 3.5/5 stars rating, for me, means I enjoyed the book despite some of the issues I have with it. In the case of Dreadgod, the enjoyment is just not as much as I wanted to or as other readers did. I know most of my review here consists of negative things about the novel, but those are because they're easier for me to point out in a non-spoiler fashion. At the very least, I loved the final 30% of Dreadgod. And I do think Wight has successfully set up the series for its hopefully grand and satisfying conclusion. Whether that will be achieved or not, we'll see. Regardless of how it concludes, the journey has been so worthwhile, and it will be a sad day to see the series ending.
You can order this book from: Amazon US
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Andrew, Andrew W, Amanda, Annabeth, Diana, Dylan, Edward, Elias, Ellen, Ellis, Gary, Hamad, Helen, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Luis, Lufi, Melinda, Meryl, Mike, Miracle, Nanette, Neeraja, Nicholas, Reno, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Scott, Shawna, Xero, Wendy, Wick, Zoe.
Dreadgod has prepared the series to reach its epic conclusion, but as an installment, Dreadgod was my third least favorite of the series.
First, let me just first state that I love Cradle. You can check my respective review for each previous book in the series. But with how popular and immensely loved Cradle by Will Wight is now, I fully understand that my opinion on Dreadgod will be on the unpopular side. Giving any book in Cradle below a 4-stars rating gives me pain. Cradle is one of my favorite ongoing series, and this rating has never occurred since Soulsmith, the second book of the series, and also, in my opinion, the second weakest book of the series after Unsouled. But I honestly struggled in reading several sections of Dreadgod. Except for the final 30% of the book, which I will get into later, it felt like many scenes were a filler to increase the number of pages. At least that's how it felt to me.
Dreadgod takes place immediately after the conclusion of Reaper. It is the penultimate volume of the entire Cradle series, and as a penultimate volume, there were certain things I hoped the novel would achieve. Or maybe, to be more precise, to not do. The opening of Dreadgod was immediately engaging. Starting with an insanely large-scale battle, knowing how far we are into the series and the arrival of the Dreadgod, I think this was the right story direction. But not long after that beginning, Lindon assigns his friends to advance as soon as possible. In other words, more training sessions. Yes, I know this is progression fantasy, and I think this is what many fans of the series constantly loved, too. Understandably, of course. But personally speaking, when we're this far into the series now, these training sessions didn't get me any satisfaction or enjoyment; it gets even worse when it's not related to Lindon.
I wanted more plot progression, and there are still a lot of things to resolve. We are in the penultimate volume of the series, and it felt so out of place to be reading all the other character's training when there is a planet-scale danger looming and rampaging around the world of Cradle. It's like playing an RPG where we get to grind endlessly before we decide to fight the final boss. But the final boss, instead of destroying the world, decides to just casually sit there in their dungeon waiting until we players become godlike to kill them so easily. It undoubtedly works in a video game, but not in a novel for me. And that's how it felt with Dreadgod. Plus, I was incredibly bored with most of the training montages. Yerin's chapters with the Red gang or whatever were by far the most boring section of the book for me.
As for the main characters, I loved witnessing how far Lindon has come since Unsouled, as always. While for the others, I think I have to say I felt the most for Mercy. She endured a lot of unfairness in her life with a smile, and I hope good things will come her way. But another main issue I had with Dreadgod is the lack of my favorite characters. Now, I don't expect to love Dreadgod as much as Reaper. Reaper was too good, and now I do not think Will Wight can replicate the greatness of that book again. I am, however, happy to be proven wrong in Waybound. But due to the events of Reaper, though understandable, the lack of my favorite characters surprisingly hurt my enjoyment more than I expected it would. I didn't realize how MUCH my enjoyment of the series relies on this specific character appearing or at least being near Lindon and the gang. Reaper not only entertained and surprised me, but it also made me laugh multiple times throughout the book. That humor is also missing here. Unless we're speaking about the bloopers.
“Just because the job is grim doesn’t mean you have to be, does it?”
As I almost fell asleep multiple times reading it, I genuinely almost DNFed Dreadgod when I was halfway through. Thankfully, I did not do this. When I reached the final 30% of the book, my perseverance was worth it. The climax sequences did not have any more training montages, and the story felt like it could move again. And my god, gratitude, the action scenes in Dreadgod was massive in scope. I am not even sure whether massive is an understatement or not, but the battles were utterly grand in scope, and I loved it. One of the Dreadgod's abilities was heavily reminiscent of Whitebeard's power from One Piece, and I was gleefully reading that scene.
"...pulled its fist back and slammed it into empty air. Space cracked... It landed another blow on the world, and the empty air was now a mass of dark cracks. It drove the fingers of both hands deep into space and started to heave like it was pulling stuck doors apart."
Look, I read the first 70% of the novel in four days. I read the final 30% in one sitting. This comparison should be enough to tell you my fluctuating level of interest in the pages of Dreadgod. The final 30% was easily one of the best sections in the entire series. It was breathtaking, so intense, and it sets up the series for an epic conclusion in Waybound. There are more positive things I'd like to add, but honestly, that goes into the spoiler-territory of explaining the details in the climax sequences.
If you're reading this review, I implore you to take it with a grain of salt. I am 100% confident that no matter how many years have passed, this review and opinion will still belong on the unpopular opinion side. I do not see any possibility of anything that Will Wight writes in this book/series not clicking with the majority of the fans now. And that's good. Wight deserves his success, and yes, as a whole, I still enjoyed Dreadgod. A 3.5/5 stars rating, for me, means I enjoyed the book despite some of the issues I have with it. In the case of Dreadgod, the enjoyment is just not as much as I wanted to or as other readers did. I know most of my review here consists of negative things about the novel, but those are because they're easier for me to point out in a non-spoiler fashion. At the very least, I loved the final 30% of Dreadgod. And I do think Wight has successfully set up the series for its hopefully grand and satisfying conclusion. Whether that will be achieved or not, we'll see. Regardless of how it concludes, the journey has been so worthwhile, and it will be a sad day to see the series ending.
You can order this book from: Amazon US
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Andrew, Andrew W, Amanda, Annabeth, Diana, Dylan, Edward, Elias, Ellen, Ellis, Gary, Hamad, Helen, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Luis, Lufi, Melinda, Meryl, Mike, Miracle, Nanette, Neeraja, Nicholas, Reno, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Scott, Shawna, Xero, Wendy, Wick, Zoe.
April 10, 2023
I need this. So bad. Cradle 11 when?
Eta: is it just me, or did this book feel entirely rushed?
Eta: is it just me, or did this book feel entirely rushed?
July 6, 2022
4.75/5
Dreadgod by Will Wight is a spectacular penultimate book that sets the grand stage for the final outing with action sequences on unimaginable scales and humor that'll make you cackle like an idiot.
PLOT
With all the 4 Dreadgods going on a rampage throughout the Cradle, the Monarchs sets aside their differences and band together to deal with them. Meanwhile, Lindon sets his friends/team on their path for rapid advancement to gain the power to fight the Dreadgods and Monarchs
WHAT WORKED FOR ME IN THIS BOOK
Action/Battle Sequences: I've never read any action scenes on this grand scale ever before. The world-trembling battle sequences were written with such intensity and brilliance, I flew through pages after pages in a day. The way they used Authority in the fight was just 🔥
it felt like using the force in a lightsaber duel. There are plenty of fight scenes in this book but it was never boring nor repetitive.The battle sequences are LITTT
Humor: There are genuinely a lot of moments in this book that'll make you giggle and cackle like an idiot. Humor in this book just clicked for me. Dross was absolutely a blast in this one.
Writing/Pacing: IMO, this book is the most fast-paced in the entire Cradle series. It was at a breakneck pace but I felt this kinda pacing is necessary to effectively imply the urgency of the situation.
There is a lot more Abidan stuff in this book than we usually get and I was glad for it since we get to see a slightly different version of Eithan than we normally see.
Another thing I liked about this book is we get to see some of the interesting characters from before that were missing in previous installments.
WHAT DIDN'T WORK FOR ME IN THIS BOOK
Some of the secondary characters like Ziel and Orthos didn't get much attention in this one and I would have loved some extra pages for them. And at the last part of the book, the power level of Yerin got me so confused and made me question how can she do that ?!
Even though the breakneck pacing was necessary for the most part, I felt some downtime was needed for a better reading experience.
FINAL WORLD: Dreadgod is without a doubt, one of the best works in the Cradle series. Waybound can't come fast enough.
Dreadgod by Will Wight is a spectacular penultimate book that sets the grand stage for the final outing with action sequences on unimaginable scales and humor that'll make you cackle like an idiot.
PLOT
With all the 4 Dreadgods going on a rampage throughout the Cradle, the Monarchs sets aside their differences and band together to deal with them. Meanwhile, Lindon sets his friends/team on their path for rapid advancement to gain the power to fight the Dreadgods and Monarchs
WHAT WORKED FOR ME IN THIS BOOK
Action/Battle Sequences: I've never read any action scenes on this grand scale ever before. The world-trembling battle sequences were written with such intensity and brilliance, I flew through pages after pages in a day. The way they used Authority in the fight was just 🔥
it felt like using the force in a lightsaber duel. There are plenty of fight scenes in this book but it was never boring nor repetitive.The battle sequences are LITTT
Humor: There are genuinely a lot of moments in this book that'll make you giggle and cackle like an idiot. Humor in this book just clicked for me. Dross was absolutely a blast in this one.
Writing/Pacing: IMO, this book is the most fast-paced in the entire Cradle series. It was at a breakneck pace but I felt this kinda pacing is necessary to effectively imply the urgency of the situation.
There is a lot more Abidan stuff in this book than we usually get and I was glad for it since we get to see a slightly different version of Eithan than we normally see.
Another thing I liked about this book is we get to see some of the interesting characters from before that were missing in previous installments.
WHAT DIDN'T WORK FOR ME IN THIS BOOK
Some of the secondary characters like Ziel and Orthos didn't get much attention in this one and I would have loved some extra pages for them. And at the last part of the book, the power level of Yerin got me so confused and made me question how can she do that ?!
Even though the breakneck pacing was necessary for the most part, I felt some downtime was needed for a better reading experience.
FINAL WORLD: Dreadgod is without a doubt, one of the best works in the Cradle series. Waybound can't come fast enough.
April 3, 2023
In an instant everything changed for Lindon and his team. The battle in the heavens left Lindon without one of his closest allies and the Monarchs are keeping a watchful eye on him. For the time being, everyone's attention is firmly on the strengthened Dreadgods. Lindon has a plan to deal with them, but he needs more time. He's sending his friends off to get stronger while he fights against any enemies that come his way.
Dreadgod is the penultimate book in the Cradle series and the board is getting set for the conclusion. There are so many amazing and unexpected things that happen in this book. Bottom line Lindon and his team are in trouble. With the exception of Mercy, the safest and wisest option would be to simply ascend to leave Cradle with its problems. Lindon isn't willing to do that as he's determined to rid the world of Dreadgods. Unfortunately the solution to that problem is far from simple. Those in power have no interest in the world changing and Lindon will need to be stronger to make his goals come to fruition.
I do appreciate seeing the growth in the characters while they remain true to their personalities. Lindon is still willing to go to insane lengths to win and Yerin loves a good fight. It was great to see Ziel as he spirit recovers. He has the same stoic and solid nature, but his exhaustion is gone and his willingness to help shines bright. I feel awful for Mercy as she goes through a lot in Dreadgod, but in the end she still embodies mercy. There are even some surprises from lesser seen characters. One of which is truly despicable and makes me angry even thinking about it.
Dreadgod was really good. I simultaneously can't wait for the next book yet don't want it to come. Lindon's story concludes in the next book and I don't think I'm ready for that yet.
Dreadgod is the penultimate book in the Cradle series and the board is getting set for the conclusion. There are so many amazing and unexpected things that happen in this book. Bottom line Lindon and his team are in trouble. With the exception of Mercy, the safest and wisest option would be to simply ascend to leave Cradle with its problems. Lindon isn't willing to do that as he's determined to rid the world of Dreadgods. Unfortunately the solution to that problem is far from simple. Those in power have no interest in the world changing and Lindon will need to be stronger to make his goals come to fruition.
I do appreciate seeing the growth in the characters while they remain true to their personalities. Lindon is still willing to go to insane lengths to win and Yerin loves a good fight. It was great to see Ziel as he spirit recovers. He has the same stoic and solid nature, but his exhaustion is gone and his willingness to help shines bright. I feel awful for Mercy as she goes through a lot in Dreadgod, but in the end she still embodies mercy. There are even some surprises from lesser seen characters. One of which is truly despicable and makes me angry even thinking about it.
Dreadgod was really good. I simultaneously can't wait for the next book yet don't want it to come. Lindon's story concludes in the next book and I don't think I'm ready for that yet.
July 23, 2022
Buddy read with Snezana
3.7/5 stars.
Dreadgod is the 11th book out of the Cradle 12-books series. It’s not a bad book; it’s just not as good as the last four books in the series. As much as I love the world, characters, and plot, I must admit that Dreadgod didn’t live up to expectations. Dreadgod felt like a prelude to Waybound, the last book in the series.
The events in this book picked up from where Reaper. I’m glad there was no time jump. We got to see the characters and world adjusting to the events in the previous book. This is Cradle, so there were many action scenes. I love the depiction of fight scenes in Cradle. The relationship between the protagonist just gets better. Their friendship and bond are so realistic.
Characters
The characters in this series are unique, and we finally get to see the Dreadgods at the top of their power. Their power level is like nothing on Cradle. I love The Silent King’s powers; it’s incredible; the Wandering Titan and Bleeding Phoenix were here. It’s just the Weeping Dragon that was barely in this.
Lindon, Yerin, and Ziel achieved some remarkable feats in this, and sadly Mercy was barely in this book. I hope that gets rectified in the next book. Then there’s Dross, Orthos, and Little how I love these three.
We also got to see more about the Abidan judges and the Way. The Monarchs are more selfish than I ever imagined how I loathe Malice now.
Plot
All four Dreadgods are awake and rampaging on Cradle, and the four Dreadgods haven’t been awake at the same time since the last Dreadgods' war that led to the death of the previous generation of Monarchs.
The Monarchs require every capable fighter to aid in defense of their domain. Lindon needs time. He sends his companions off to practice while he fights. If they want to fight beside him against the kings and queens of Cradle, they will need to move quickly. They'll need to work together to have the strength of a Dreadgod.
3.7/5 stars.
Dreadgod is the 11th book out of the Cradle 12-books series. It’s not a bad book; it’s just not as good as the last four books in the series. As much as I love the world, characters, and plot, I must admit that Dreadgod didn’t live up to expectations. Dreadgod felt like a prelude to Waybound, the last book in the series.
The events in this book picked up from where Reaper. I’m glad there was no time jump. We got to see the characters and world adjusting to the events in the previous book. This is Cradle, so there were many action scenes. I love the depiction of fight scenes in Cradle. The relationship between the protagonist just gets better. Their friendship and bond are so realistic.
Characters
The characters in this series are unique, and we finally get to see the Dreadgods at the top of their power. Their power level is like nothing on Cradle. I love The Silent King’s powers; it’s incredible; the Wandering Titan and Bleeding Phoenix were here. It’s just the Weeping Dragon that was barely in this.
Lindon, Yerin, and Ziel achieved some remarkable feats in this, and sadly Mercy was barely in this book. I hope that gets rectified in the next book. Then there’s Dross, Orthos, and Little how I love these three.
We also got to see more about the Abidan judges and the Way. The Monarchs are more selfish than I ever imagined how I loathe Malice now.
Plot
All four Dreadgods are awake and rampaging on Cradle, and the four Dreadgods haven’t been awake at the same time since the last Dreadgods' war that led to the death of the previous generation of Monarchs.
The Monarchs require every capable fighter to aid in defense of their domain. Lindon needs time. He sends his companions off to practice while he fights. If they want to fight beside him against the kings and queens of Cradle, they will need to move quickly. They'll need to work together to have the strength of a Dreadgod.
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July 14, 2023
An unexpected 3.5 stars. I love the Cradle series to the point that I’ve mostly binge-read it. I especially loved he 10th book, Reaper, so it comes as a shock I couldn’t love this penultimate book as much as I wanted and expected to. While Dreadgod did provide some truly great moments, overall it is among my least favorite instalments of the series.
Much of my dissatisfaction had to do with the uneven pacing. After a battle at the beginning, the first 60% of the book felt like taking the foot of the gas and deciding to take the scenic route. As much as I usually love scenic routes, taking the urgency out after the wonderfully fast-paced Reaper left me feeling a bit disappointed. But then, bleed and bury me, we’re back on an autobahn without speed limit, with the foot firmly on the gas pedal. An EPIC battle ensues, involving Dreadgods and Monarchs, putting everything on larger scale – only to slow down around the 80% mark before briefly accelerating again towards the end of the road, which leaves us with a few loose ends to be continued.
As much as I enjoyed the truly spectacular action-packed sequences, I just can’t forget about 70% of slow pacing focused on advancement and object collection instead of plot progression. Yes, I am aware this is a progression fantasy and leveling up resembles an RPG – in fact, I usually quite enjoy this aspect, but I simply expected something different. Maybe, as so often is the case, my expectations are to blame. So go ahead and blame them, but short of a re-read with a different mindset, my feelings are what they are.
Spoilers below!
There are a few other aspects that made me enjoy Dreadgod less than I had hoped. First and foremost, I missed Eithan, my favorite character next to Lindon. I missed his irreverent, cheerful, self-possessed manner and the comic relief he provided. While it is true that I now care more for the Abidan plot because of him and I really loved the reveal of his true identity in Reaper – and what it means in respect of the larger implications –, I miss him on Team Lindon. I realize I’m not being entirely fair here – praising one plot development which inevitably leads to the development I complain about –, but acknowledging this doesn’t keep me from feeling his loss. Yes, having the old Dross back did provide some comic relief; he is just no substitute for Eithan, our lovable “interdimensional god of death.”
Another development that marred my enjoyment is Jai Long’s death. It made his storyline feel so pointless. Why bring him back only to ultimately make him meet an unspectacular end? I truly enjoyed his character for its moral greyness and was hoping for a larger redemption arc. Who knows, maybe his death will mean something in the final book. I’m happy to re-evaluate then.
However, like I said, there were also some great moments in this book, the fight scenes being among them: epic battles showing Lindon & the Monarchs vs. Dreadgods and later showing Lindon & Yerin vs. Monarch. I am constantly in awe of the action sequences WW cooks up. I also delighted in the way Lindon consumed the Silent King and now exhibits even more cool powers. And Yerin finding out about the Monarchs keeping the Dreadgods on Cradle only to widely broadcast that truth was immensely satisfying.
All in all, I absolutely understand why so many people love this book; I know I’m in unpopular opinion territory. I still think Dreadgod is a good book, just not a great one – which is 3.5 stars to me.
Now, I’m Waybound!
1 Unsouled – 4 stars
2 Soulsmith – 3.75 stars
3 Blackflame – 4.25 stars
4 Skysworn – 4.5 stars
5 Ghostwater – 4.5 stars
6 Underlord – 4.25 stars
7 Uncrowned – 4.5 stars
8 Wintersteel – 4.75 stars
9 Bloodline – 4.5 stars
10 Reaper – 5 stars
11 Dreadgod – 3.5 stars
Much of my dissatisfaction had to do with the uneven pacing. After a battle at the beginning, the first 60% of the book felt like taking the foot of the gas and deciding to take the scenic route. As much as I usually love scenic routes, taking the urgency out after the wonderfully fast-paced Reaper left me feeling a bit disappointed. But then, bleed and bury me, we’re back on an autobahn without speed limit, with the foot firmly on the gas pedal. An EPIC battle ensues, involving Dreadgods and Monarchs, putting everything on larger scale – only to slow down around the 80% mark before briefly accelerating again towards the end of the road, which leaves us with a few loose ends to be continued.
As much as I enjoyed the truly spectacular action-packed sequences, I just can’t forget about 70% of slow pacing focused on advancement and object collection instead of plot progression. Yes, I am aware this is a progression fantasy and leveling up resembles an RPG – in fact, I usually quite enjoy this aspect, but I simply expected something different. Maybe, as so often is the case, my expectations are to blame. So go ahead and blame them, but short of a re-read with a different mindset, my feelings are what they are.
Spoilers below!
There are a few other aspects that made me enjoy Dreadgod less than I had hoped. First and foremost, I missed Eithan, my favorite character next to Lindon. I missed his irreverent, cheerful, self-possessed manner and the comic relief he provided. While it is true that I now care more for the Abidan plot because of him and I really loved the reveal of his true identity in Reaper – and what it means in respect of the larger implications –, I miss him on Team Lindon. I realize I’m not being entirely fair here – praising one plot development which inevitably leads to the development I complain about –, but acknowledging this doesn’t keep me from feeling his loss. Yes, having the old Dross back did provide some comic relief; he is just no substitute for Eithan, our lovable “interdimensional god of death.”
Another development that marred my enjoyment is Jai Long’s death. It made his storyline feel so pointless. Why bring him back only to ultimately make him meet an unspectacular end? I truly enjoyed his character for its moral greyness and was hoping for a larger redemption arc. Who knows, maybe his death will mean something in the final book. I’m happy to re-evaluate then.
However, like I said, there were also some great moments in this book, the fight scenes being among them: epic battles showing Lindon & the Monarchs vs. Dreadgods and later showing Lindon & Yerin vs. Monarch. I am constantly in awe of the action sequences WW cooks up. I also delighted in the way Lindon consumed the Silent King and now exhibits even more cool powers. And Yerin finding out about the Monarchs keeping the Dreadgods on Cradle only to widely broadcast that truth was immensely satisfying.
All in all, I absolutely understand why so many people love this book; I know I’m in unpopular opinion territory. I still think Dreadgod is a good book, just not a great one – which is 3.5 stars to me.
Now, I’m Waybound!
1 Unsouled – 4 stars
2 Soulsmith – 3.75 stars
3 Blackflame – 4.25 stars
4 Skysworn – 4.5 stars
5 Ghostwater – 4.5 stars
6 Underlord – 4.25 stars
7 Uncrowned – 4.5 stars
8 Wintersteel – 4.75 stars
9 Bloodline – 4.5 stars
10 Reaper – 5 stars
11 Dreadgod – 3.5 stars
July 17, 2022
3.5 stars.
I've to say that while I enjoyed this instalment, it was the weakest one so far aside from Unsouled. With the build-up from the previous book, Reaper, which now stands as my favourite book in the series, I was somewhat let-down by the relative absence of the key character that was the primary driver of how much I loved Cradle. While I did expect this to happen given the events at the end of that book, it was still quite disappointing to be proven right.
Another issue that I had was that as a penultimate book of the series, Dreadgod lacked any real emotions. One character which I found fascinating and was sympathetic towards at the beginning of the series was brought back in the past few books. But the character's story didn't really go anywhere meaningful as far as I was concerned, but was dealt with a death that felt anti-climactic without hitting any emotional beats at all.
Regardless, this is still a Cradle book and the action was of course epic. In fact, it is getting more so with the main cast of characters getting stronger and stronger. The last third of the book was really good and managed to somewhat make up for the two key issues I had. It left me feeling excited for the final instalment of the series and hope that it's going to be fantastic.
I've to say that while I enjoyed this instalment, it was the weakest one so far aside from Unsouled. With the build-up from the previous book, Reaper, which now stands as my favourite book in the series, I was somewhat let-down by the relative absence of the key character that was the primary driver of how much I loved Cradle. While I did expect this to happen given the events at the end of that book, it was still quite disappointing to be proven right.
Another issue that I had was that as a penultimate book of the series, Dreadgod lacked any real emotions. One character which I found fascinating and was sympathetic towards at the beginning of the series was brought back in the past few books. But the character's story didn't really go anywhere meaningful as far as I was concerned, but was dealt with a death that felt anti-climactic without hitting any emotional beats at all.
Regardless, this is still a Cradle book and the action was of course epic. In fact, it is getting more so with the main cast of characters getting stronger and stronger. The last third of the book was really good and managed to somewhat make up for the two key issues I had. It left me feeling excited for the final instalment of the series and hope that it's going to be fantastic.
June 3, 2023
“Lindon didn’t mind treating them all with respect. Manners were free.”
Unsouled ★★★ 3/4
Soulsmith ★★★ 1/2
Blackflame ★★★★
Skysworn ★★★★ 1/4
Ghostwater ★★★★
Underlord ★★★★ 1/4
Uncrowned ★★★★ 1/2
Wintersteel ★★★★ 1/2
Bloodline ★★★★
Reaper ★★★★ 1/4
Dreadgod ★★★ 3/4
I have put off reading this book for one year because I wanted to read it as close to possible to the last book which comes out in a few days. I am thankful for online summaries and for the Manga-esque summary the author shared on reddit for Reaper which is epic! Ideally, I would have preferred to re-read the whole series but realistically I barely have time to read these days so I prefer exploring new books rather than books I already read. I hope the author releases the whole series as the comic thing which will make the re-read much better and easier.
Anyway, Dreadgod is the penultimate entry in the series and it is a tricky entry given how epic Reaper was and I remember how it broke the community when it came out. Dreadgod is a good entry but I found it a bit hard to get into at first. I am not sure if it is due to the fact that it has been a while since I visited this world or if it was a problem in the book itself since other readers mentioned the same thing. What I am sure of is that the second half was much better and I finished it all in one day.
The writing is good as usual, and the characters keep advancing -quite literally- but there was a certain lack of a favorite character. The story follows more than one character arcs but they all verge into a mutual pathway which will be even more prevalent in the next book. I like how strong everyone is getting and I am certainly looking forward to see what happens with Mercy given she's one of my favorite characters.
So, in short, I enjoyed this book, and it was epic and full of action and character development but still less than the previous book -not surprisingly- I think it mainly sets the stage for the last book which I hope won't disappoint readers after 11 books!
March 24, 2025
Reread: Still amazing. First half is a bit slow, but the second half just blows everything out of the water.
Oh man. This book is epic. Tons of action, tons of plot. We get some touching moments, some funny moments. But I know the real reason you are going to read the book. For the bloopers. Yes, for the bloopers, don't deny it. They are the best part of these books. Also, yes this book is longer than the last one in case you were wondering.
Honestly, I loved every second of this. The audiobook is excellent, as always. Wish I could say more without spoiling, but this is late in the story so not much I can say.
Oh man. This book is epic. Tons of action, tons of plot. We get some touching moments, some funny moments. But I know the real reason you are going to read the book. For the bloopers. Yes, for the bloopers, don't deny it. They are the best part of these books. Also, yes this book is longer than the last one in case you were wondering.
Honestly, I loved every second of this. The audiobook is excellent, as always. Wish I could say more without spoiling, but this is late in the story so not much I can say.
July 26, 2022
I'm surprised that this series is NOT losing steam. Usually, by the upper overpowered levels, it's hard to keep us interested other than the occasional epic battle that destroys worlds or whatnot, gods dying or whatever, but this one walks that fine, fine line of always meeting challenges that are just a little too extreme for our main cast.
Dreadgods? As in, multiple? And our preening friend, revealed to be something a bit more than we thought he was, among still greater others?
(Yes, I'm keeping this vague, but damn... the scope is all kinds of perfect, and I was mightily amused.)
This LitRPG is quite delicious.
Dreadgods? As in, multiple? And our preening friend, revealed to be something a bit more than we thought he was, among still greater others?
(Yes, I'm keeping this vague, but damn... the scope is all kinds of perfect, and I was mightily amused.)
This LitRPG is quite delicious.
November 2, 2022
*** 4.44 ***
So good 👍👍👍! But I hate having to wait for the next book, especially after that cliffhanger for an ending!
So good 👍👍👍! But I hate having to wait for the next book, especially after that cliffhanger for an ending!
July 21, 2022
Despite most of the story feeling like a setup for the final book, there were still some great moments in this, but it had a very noticeable scarcity of my favourite character.
July 7, 2022
Here we are 11 books deep. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again I LOVE CRADLE. In the words of Dr who. It’s The end but the moment has been prepared for!!!
IM NOT READY!!!!!!!!
IM NOT READY!!!!!!!!
July 6, 2022
3.5 out of 5
July 8, 2022
I did enjoy this book and yet, this book is not one of my favorites. It starts all the sudden with Lindon sending everyone on a missing to power up/level up so they can fight better. It's assignment, assignment, the heist begins. Then, the middle is a fight, a good fight and then the end is not the conclusion of this story, but a simple setting down the pen until next time. This wasn't an ending. We are in the middle of a plot and it simply stops. Really.
I felt there was little character work in this one, which I miss. It was fast paced and all about the heist. It felt rushed and hurried and incomplete. I admit, I couldn't put the book down, it is a cradle book after all. Still, it felt hollow to me and I feel like someone took the meal away after having only half of it.
Eithan is in this book, but there isn't enough Eithan. I don't know how he's going to do much the next book. I thought we would be in a different place and the Cradle storyline and the Abidan storyline would finally be together in the last book. It doesn't feel like they are ever really going to come together. What do I know, I could be wrong, but I can't see how it's going to happen.
I did want more from this. I've started reading many more cultivation stories, especially Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by MXTX. Other stories in this world do have characters and an intricate plot that twists and turns. I do feel like Will sacrifices all his characters for a whip lashing pace. I've felt that about most of the books. I still love this series and I am excited to have the ending, but this book did let me down. I still enjoyed the book and it was good, so it still gets 4 stars, but a 4 star rating that could have been much better than it was.
Maybe, Will needs to slow down and take more time with the story? I'm not sure. I do hope the ending is worth it all.
I felt there was little character work in this one, which I miss. It was fast paced and all about the heist. It felt rushed and hurried and incomplete. I admit, I couldn't put the book down, it is a cradle book after all. Still, it felt hollow to me and I feel like someone took the meal away after having only half of it.
Eithan is in this book, but there isn't enough Eithan. I don't know how he's going to do much the next book. I thought we would be in a different place and the Cradle storyline and the Abidan storyline would finally be together in the last book. It doesn't feel like they are ever really going to come together. What do I know, I could be wrong, but I can't see how it's going to happen.
I did want more from this. I've started reading many more cultivation stories, especially Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by MXTX. Other stories in this world do have characters and an intricate plot that twists and turns. I do feel like Will sacrifices all his characters for a whip lashing pace. I've felt that about most of the books. I still love this series and I am excited to have the ending, but this book did let me down. I still enjoyed the book and it was good, so it still gets 4 stars, but a 4 star rating that could have been much better than it was.
Maybe, Will needs to slow down and take more time with the story? I'm not sure. I do hope the ending is worth it all.
May 31, 2025
‘I haven’t even begun to take from you’
This book was top tier. I'm so sad we're close to the end though. Lindon was styling on everyone in this. And Emriss was quietly helping him.
I'm so excited for the final book. Now they're entering the hyperbolic time chamber.
I'm curious how Lindon is going to drag the rest of the monarchs out of Cradle.
This book was top tier. I'm so sad we're close to the end though. Lindon was styling on everyone in this. And Emriss was quietly helping him.
I'm so excited for the final book. Now they're entering the hyperbolic time chamber.
I'm curious how Lindon is going to drag the rest of the monarchs out of Cradle.
March 5, 2022
Hurry up Will I need my fix! It's been 4 months have you abandoned the series?
July 5, 2022
Here kitty kitty kitty
Another adrenaline-pumping installment of the Cradle series. If you've made it this far then you know what you're in for and you're going to get exactly what you want. Huge action moments, great humor, wonderful characters, evocative worldbuilding. The only problem is that since this is the penultimate book I was even more distraught at the end than usual. I need the conclusion ASAP.
Another adrenaline-pumping installment of the Cradle series. If you've made it this far then you know what you're in for and you're going to get exactly what you want. Huge action moments, great humor, wonderful characters, evocative worldbuilding. The only problem is that since this is the penultimate book I was even more distraught at the end than usual. I need the conclusion ASAP.
February 11, 2023
So many thoughts, so much love. This is the first time I don't have the next book available, and I am livid. How could you do this to me, Will Wight? How?!
December 31, 2023
4.5 stars.
This was amazing! Incredibly narrated at lightning speed because the stakes are high and we get to see the much needed advancements required for the battle that’s about to go down in history. I’m so excited to see the end!!
This was amazing! Incredibly narrated at lightning speed because the stakes are high and we get to see the much needed advancements required for the battle that’s about to go down in history. I’m so excited to see the end!!
July 18, 2022
What a ride.
I really love these books. I wish I had waited to start the series until it was complete, because the most difficult part of reading this one was that I'd finished the last one in January. I had clean forgotten all the details and it took DAYS reading at a snail's pace to fall into it. But the book picked up steam as it went, and eventually I was as absorbed as ever. I will continue to devour these novels with the hunger of the Slumbering Wraith.
Dreadgod is another great Cradle novel - particularly from midpoint on, when the action was nuts and the characters were absolute badasses.
From Yerin to Lindon to Little Blue, this series is full of awesome characters and set in an interesting world. Dark Dross is hilarious. Orthos is still my angel. Even Ziel had some personality.
The first couple of novels are focused on world building, which is great, but from there Wight has deepened his storytelling, and I feel like I've been on this journey with these people, like I understand them and value them. That's talented writing!
It's all good plain fun. The only requisite to loving these novels is to enjoy fantasy. I'm saddened that another book is over. I'd have happily read 200 more pages, and am thankful to have discovered this fantastic series.
Thanks for writing, Mr. Wight. Or, as I should say --
"Gratitude. "
I really love these books. I wish I had waited to start the series until it was complete, because the most difficult part of reading this one was that I'd finished the last one in January. I had clean forgotten all the details and it took DAYS reading at a snail's pace to fall into it. But the book picked up steam as it went, and eventually I was as absorbed as ever. I will continue to devour these novels with the hunger of the Slumbering Wraith.
Dreadgod is another great Cradle novel - particularly from midpoint on, when the action was nuts and the characters were absolute badasses.
From Yerin to Lindon to Little Blue, this series is full of awesome characters and set in an interesting world. Dark Dross is hilarious. Orthos is still my angel. Even Ziel had some personality.
The first couple of novels are focused on world building, which is great, but from there Wight has deepened his storytelling, and I feel like I've been on this journey with these people, like I understand them and value them. That's talented writing!
It's all good plain fun. The only requisite to loving these novels is to enjoy fantasy. I'm saddened that another book is over. I'd have happily read 200 more pages, and am thankful to have discovered this fantastic series.
Thanks for writing, Mr. Wight. Or, as I should say --
"Gratitude. "
October 4, 2022
My least favorite book of the series. It was the first time I read a book of Cradle and felt bored out of my head. Was it the lack of Eithan Arelius? Was it the forced sense of humour this time around? Was it the training and the training of separate members of the team that felt simply dull? Perhaps all. Fortunately the last quarter of the book made up to it amazingly and Lindon was as awesome as ever. He's becoming a real visionary leader.
P.S. Has Lindon ever slept? The things that he accomplished, didn't seem like it.
P.S. Has Lindon ever slept? The things that he accomplished, didn't seem like it.
July 6, 2022
Will Wight is a great writer. I love his ideas, his delivery is sharp and concise.
He lacks good editing capabilities- that is apparent in several of his works, but mostly, it works fine, better than fine!
This book felt like Dross splitting himself too many ways, and ultimately breaking.
The pacing is off, the editing is NOT good (jumping too many times for no apparent good reason), and quite frankly, most of the book felt like a filler, instead of progression.
I know Will always saying he doesn’t do that (filler), but this did feel like that, and is such a bummer for me, since I absolutely adore this series!
So, I hope the next book (which we all have to wait for another 8 to 10 months) will correct it…
A small suggestion: take a year to complete a book twice as long, 4 times as good and you have a winner for life.
He lacks good editing capabilities- that is apparent in several of his works, but mostly, it works fine, better than fine!
This book felt like Dross splitting himself too many ways, and ultimately breaking.
The pacing is off, the editing is NOT good (jumping too many times for no apparent good reason), and quite frankly, most of the book felt like a filler, instead of progression.
I know Will always saying he doesn’t do that (filler), but this did feel like that, and is such a bummer for me, since I absolutely adore this series!
So, I hope the next book (which we all have to wait for another 8 to 10 months) will correct it…
A small suggestion: take a year to complete a book twice as long, 4 times as good and you have a winner for life.
July 12, 2023
5* for Dreadgod one of my favorite installments in this series
Wow this book was a ride! So much happens so quickly in this book you have no time to breathe as Lindon, Yerin and company fight for their lives. These guys seem to attract more enemies than honey does bees and in this book we see some of their loosely named 'allies' start to question where Lindon and Yerin's loyalties lie after the epic conclusion to book 10.
I really enjoyed this book it is very fast paced and more interesting than the last couple of installments (IMO) as there are more twists that suprise and keep you on your toes. Lindon also turns on the offensive a little more in this one which I also enjoyed from the polite and thoughtful Lindon.
Top book, hoping book 12 isnt too far off!
Wow this book was a ride! So much happens so quickly in this book you have no time to breathe as Lindon, Yerin and company fight for their lives. These guys seem to attract more enemies than honey does bees and in this book we see some of their loosely named 'allies' start to question where Lindon and Yerin's loyalties lie after the epic conclusion to book 10.
I really enjoyed this book it is very fast paced and more interesting than the last couple of installments (IMO) as there are more twists that suprise and keep you on your toes. Lindon also turns on the offensive a little more in this one which I also enjoyed from the polite and thoughtful Lindon.
Top book, hoping book 12 isnt too far off!
June 6, 2023
Not much to say on this one other than this might just be one of the most consistent series I have ever read.
I delivers fast paced stories at a break neck pace while constantly dialing the stakes and awesome moments up to another new level with each installment.
This book is no exception to that trend and it is indeed the most high octane, high stakes book yet and was awesome to read. If you've loved this series to this point then you'll love this just as much.
I delivers fast paced stories at a break neck pace while constantly dialing the stakes and awesome moments up to another new level with each installment.
This book is no exception to that trend and it is indeed the most high octane, high stakes book yet and was awesome to read. If you've loved this series to this point then you'll love this just as much.
July 15, 2022
6.5/10
The worst Cradle entry since Ghostwater, and probably my third least favorite overall.
This book really suffered from training montages, splitting up the characters that work best, and having book 9 remove one of the humorous characters and book 10 removing another. The series simply isn't as interesting without a certain character.
The last quarter was pretty good, but at that point I was just ready to be done.
The worst Cradle entry since Ghostwater, and probably my third least favorite overall.
This book really suffered from training montages, splitting up the characters that work best, and having book 9 remove one of the humorous characters and book 10 removing another. The series simply isn't as interesting without a certain character.
The last quarter was pretty good, but at that point I was just ready to be done.
July 8, 2022
Idk. I felt like I was just waiting for something big to happen. Every single event didn't feel important. Even his big power up this book was super anticlimactic. The reactions to the power up... Predictable/generic.
This didn't give me any suspense like books prior.
I found myself when I had been listening for about 5hrs thinking "man I hope we're not as deep into it as I think". It felt kind of sad.
Every one of my reactions to the events in this book were an "OK... And?".
I will refer back to ghostwater as it reigns Supreme is enjoyment for me and a lot of others. Every event/fight felt awesome. There was emotion and heart behind the events in the story.
This book lacked that emotion factor. We have once character die and the way it was handled was poorly done. Another "OK whatever" moment.
There was real pressure back then. Now it all seems too routine. Too tame. Too safe.
And yes I did spend the majority of my day listening to this. After all. A big fan.
So my opinion on this book? Feels like filler. Lindon spends the majority of this book basically upgrading the gang and not leaving any one of them behind. It's filler. Which is fine. Just expected a bit more cool moments in a book called Dreadgod.
This didn't give me any suspense like books prior.
I found myself when I had been listening for about 5hrs thinking "man I hope we're not as deep into it as I think". It felt kind of sad.
Every one of my reactions to the events in this book were an "OK... And?".
I will refer back to ghostwater as it reigns Supreme is enjoyment for me and a lot of others. Every event/fight felt awesome. There was emotion and heart behind the events in the story.
This book lacked that emotion factor. We have once character die and the way it was handled was poorly done. Another "OK whatever" moment.
There was real pressure back then. Now it all seems too routine. Too tame. Too safe.
And yes I did spend the majority of my day listening to this. After all. A big fan.
So my opinion on this book? Feels like filler. Lindon spends the majority of this book basically upgrading the gang and not leaving any one of them behind. It's filler. Which is fine. Just expected a bit more cool moments in a book called Dreadgod.
July 13, 2022
What do I say? Dreadgod is good, entertaining and is a page turner. Yes, it does get a bit dense sometimes with many techniques, auras, madras etc; with them being a bit too convenient. Its an anime.
But then, you already know this. If you like the Cradle series, well, you will like this book. If you don't, this book is unlikely to change your opinion.
But then, you already know this. If you like the Cradle series, well, you will like this book. If you don't, this book is unlikely to change your opinion.
March 3, 2024
For a penultimate book, I don't think I need to convince anyone of continuing. If you have read this far into 'Cradle', then you probably won't stop now, even if you have problems with the series or it's current direction.
I therefore decided to not write a review as usual; getting into the different aspects of what I thought this book wanted to accomplish in the bigger context of the series and how its individual parts stand when compared to the entries that came before.
I mean I probably will get into that too, but only in the end when it all drifts off into rambling.
So for now, I have some thoughts regarding the - who would have thought from the beginning of this review - direction of the series. More specifically, I have some issues with how Will Wight seems to have decided to finish it all off; his final vision so to say.
Because as I have previously stated in my reviews for 'Cradle', I tend to prefer the parts of the series, where he gets away from the "progression for progression's sake". Whenever there is a larger thematical conflict driving the narrative or the characters, it tends to get more interesting to me.
I enjoy the mindless action and depictions of power and scale, sure, but that alone was never able to carry the series for me.
I half expected these elements to never really come back to the forefront after entries like 'Uncrowned' or 'Wintersteel', which suprised me a lot by actually featuring a bit more depth and clever writing. The last book - 'Reaper' - for that reason also didn't manage to surpass everything else, as it does for so many people. I was a bit disappointed, that it seemed to in the end really only be about getting "physically" (its magic, so not really, but you get the point) stronger and beating the overpowered foes.
So when I started 'Dreadgod', I was quite suprised.
With how 'Reaper' ends and with how one of the biggest mysteries in the series regarding the nature of the Dreadgods was finally answered, there suddenly was a wide-open path for Will Wight to drop a HUGE bomb on me on the thematical front; subverting everything he had built up until this point.
You see, as the whole series revolved around gaining power and strenght, around mastering the magics of the world beyond understanding and "advancing", the main antagonist suddenly being revealed as being the PRODUCT of that constant struggle for power and progression in the humans, I found myself floored by what this implied for the end of the series.
I was fully convinced, that Will Wight had it in him from the beginning. That all this progression served a larger purpose that he wanted to explore in the first place.
I was hyped as I read on. I got more hyped the more I thought about this.
"Wow" I thought. This should take a huge turn soon," I thought. "They will soon realize, what they have to do. The finale will be so much more intelligent, than I expected!"
Well... No. Turns out, all of this isn't adressed at all.
Maybe I overread it, but honestly don't think so. This will be pretty straight-forward in the end.
Which would be perfectly fine, even if I prefer series having some sort of thematical throughline or a bigger concept like this would have provided 'Cradle' with.
It was just soooo irritating, that all of these elements were there - well present in the text, in the forefront even at times. And I honestly don't know, why Will Wight included all of this, if not for the exact revelation and outcome I hoped for.
The only thing I can do, is to hope he just saved it for the final book, but from what I heard, I honestly don't expect it at this point.
Maybe I should have known from the beginning, but this is probably the point for me, that I expect, that 'Cradle' will never be more than just fun action and flexing with power scales.
It is the element, that stands out among the rest and is on its own able to sustain the series from becoming too dry or repetitive, even if all the rest doesn't really do anything special.
I gave up on layered worldbuilding beyond magic during the first few books;
I gave up on the characters growing beyond being entertaining and vehicles for exploring the magic-system and in-world-dynamics some books ago;
And now it seems I have to say goodbye to Will Wight saving his main-premise and big thematical reveal/exploration for the end...
What remains is the hope for exciting and mind-blowing action and huge powers clashing with each other in badass depictions of pure fucking strenght. A mindless blockbuster, that when being honest, never really wanteed to be more than that.
And that's okay.
I'm enjoying it for that alone.
But let's find out in the last book, which I'll finally get into pretty soon. Another huge series off my TBR, it has been a blast!
And no, I'll not get deeper into my standard things to say for 'Cradle' now. Running out of time for my second screening of Dune: Part II ^^
Cradle-Ranking (so far):
1. Wintersteel (#8)
2. Uncrowned (#7)
3. Blackflame (#3)
4. Bloodline (#9)
5. Reaper (#10)
6. Ghostwater (#5)
7. Dreadgod (#11)
8. Underlord (#6)
9. Skysworn (#4)
10. Unsouled (#1)
11. Soulsmith (#2)
I therefore decided to not write a review as usual; getting into the different aspects of what I thought this book wanted to accomplish in the bigger context of the series and how its individual parts stand when compared to the entries that came before.
I mean I probably will get into that too, but only in the end when it all drifts off into rambling.
So for now, I have some thoughts regarding the - who would have thought from the beginning of this review - direction of the series. More specifically, I have some issues with how Will Wight seems to have decided to finish it all off; his final vision so to say.
Because as I have previously stated in my reviews for 'Cradle', I tend to prefer the parts of the series, where he gets away from the "progression for progression's sake". Whenever there is a larger thematical conflict driving the narrative or the characters, it tends to get more interesting to me.
I enjoy the mindless action and depictions of power and scale, sure, but that alone was never able to carry the series for me.
I half expected these elements to never really come back to the forefront after entries like 'Uncrowned' or 'Wintersteel', which suprised me a lot by actually featuring a bit more depth and clever writing. The last book - 'Reaper' - for that reason also didn't manage to surpass everything else, as it does for so many people. I was a bit disappointed, that it seemed to in the end really only be about getting "physically" (its magic, so not really, but you get the point) stronger and beating the overpowered foes.
So when I started 'Dreadgod', I was quite suprised.
With how 'Reaper' ends and with how one of the biggest mysteries in the series regarding the nature of the Dreadgods was finally answered, there suddenly was a wide-open path for Will Wight to drop a HUGE bomb on me on the thematical front; subverting everything he had built up until this point.
You see, as the whole series revolved around gaining power and strenght, around mastering the magics of the world beyond understanding and "advancing", the main antagonist suddenly being revealed as being the PRODUCT of that constant struggle for power and progression in the humans, I found myself floored by what this implied for the end of the series.
I was fully convinced, that Will Wight had it in him from the beginning. That all this progression served a larger purpose that he wanted to explore in the first place.
I was hyped as I read on. I got more hyped the more I thought about this.
"Wow" I thought. This should take a huge turn soon," I thought. "They will soon realize, what they have to do. The finale will be so much more intelligent, than I expected!"
Well... No. Turns out, all of this isn't adressed at all.
Maybe I overread it, but honestly don't think so. This will be pretty straight-forward in the end.
Which would be perfectly fine, even if I prefer series having some sort of thematical throughline or a bigger concept like this would have provided 'Cradle' with.
It was just soooo irritating, that all of these elements were there - well present in the text, in the forefront even at times. And I honestly don't know, why Will Wight included all of this, if not for the exact revelation and outcome I hoped for.
The only thing I can do, is to hope he just saved it for the final book, but from what I heard, I honestly don't expect it at this point.
Maybe I should have known from the beginning, but this is probably the point for me, that I expect, that 'Cradle' will never be more than just fun action and flexing with power scales.
It is the element, that stands out among the rest and is on its own able to sustain the series from becoming too dry or repetitive, even if all the rest doesn't really do anything special.
I gave up on layered worldbuilding beyond magic during the first few books;
I gave up on the characters growing beyond being entertaining and vehicles for exploring the magic-system and in-world-dynamics some books ago;
And now it seems I have to say goodbye to Will Wight saving his main-premise and big thematical reveal/exploration for the end...
What remains is the hope for exciting and mind-blowing action and huge powers clashing with each other in badass depictions of pure fucking strenght. A mindless blockbuster, that when being honest, never really wanteed to be more than that.
And that's okay.
I'm enjoying it for that alone.
But let's find out in the last book, which I'll finally get into pretty soon. Another huge series off my TBR, it has been a blast!
And no, I'll not get deeper into my standard things to say for 'Cradle' now. Running out of time for my second screening of Dune: Part II ^^
Cradle-Ranking (so far):
1. Wintersteel (#8)
2. Uncrowned (#7)
3. Blackflame (#3)
4. Bloodline (#9)
5. Reaper (#10)
6. Ghostwater (#5)
7. Dreadgod (#11)
8. Underlord (#6)
9. Skysworn (#4)
10. Unsouled (#1)
11. Soulsmith (#2)
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