Reviews

Underlord by Will Wight

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meesterfarkaboy's review against another edition

adventurous funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Another great entry in the Cradle series.

Once again, Wei Shi Lindon is advancing. This is the first time in the series that he truly feels like a force of nature, and it’s extremely fun to watch him brawl with characters that would have smashed him to bits just last book.

The fights were exceptionally good in this book, and they are lent intensity by the bonds that we now share with the core cast. I care deeply about Lindon and Yerin’s relationship, and Mercy became a much more impactful character in this book alongside them.

Eithan has been the highlight of the series by far for me and we get to see a good amount of him in Underlord. Almost everything he did in this book made me cackle. His presence is a delight, and with every subsequent book he cements himself further as one of my all time favorite characters.

What else can I say? I devoured this book, as I have with every Cradle book past the first one. They’re so fun, easy to read, and memorable. I’m so glad I’ve gone on this journey, and I’m sad that I’m already halfway done.

diabeticfox's review

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adventurous funny mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

dharshanirymond's review

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5.0

Unsouled ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Soulsmith ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Blackflame ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Skysworn ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ghostwater ⭐⭐⭐⭐

tzurky's review

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5.0

This is the literary equivalent of a sugar rush. And after a period of forced reading for work and for one of my courses I just had to dip into a little junk food for the mind.

And this hit just the right spot. It is utterly predictable, just like all the previous ones and by virtue of the story itself but it’s also an incredibly enjoyable ride. The technique-building or the magic system, if you will, is very well thought-out, though not lacking for some Deus ex. The action scenes are very gripping and well-written and I have grown to love the characters. Yes, even Lindon, that sad sack.

The only problem is that I now have to wait for the author to finish the next one. That’s going to be tough. Ah, well, at least he’s no GRRM.

summitend's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny inspiring mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

joeri81's review

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4.0

This is again another very good addition to the series, maybe even the best book so far.

The path to become an Underlord isn't reserved for everybody. Up until now advancing was putting in a lot of hard work, training each day and becoming better and stronger on your path. Once you reach Truegold and are at its limits, you still have several important steps to make to become an Underlord. You need to create your soulspace and you need to be capable in creating soulfire. The most important one is however to delve into oneself and understand the motivations why you started practicing sacred arts in the first place. It's not an easy step for our main characters. Definitely not under the circumstances they get themselves into.

That brings us to the actual plot of the story. This book focuses a lot on the rivalry between the Blackflame Empire and the Seishen Kingdom. That rivalry already exists between these two regions, but is sparked up even more by the proposal from Akura Charity. As the weakest Akura vassal territories, they both get access to one of the Akura sacred training grounds, Night Wheel Valley, with treasure abounds and where sacred artists can more easily advance. Their goal must be to advance as many sacred artists as possible to Underlord. Among the Underlords under 35, Akura Charity will pick three that will have the right to participate as a team in the upcoming Uncrowned King Tournament. It's evident that Lindon, Yerin and Mercy are set on participating.

With this as an outset of the story I can guarantee a lot of exciting fights ; the sacred arts that are being displayed in the concluding chapters are (again) the best of what I've read so far in the series. Long before that this book is a treat to get through with some nice twists along the way ... up until the end.

Conclusion:
In short: great book, not more needs to be said. Contrary to my initial intention, I won't continue with the series now (although I really want to), but I'll pick it back up after having finished "The Heroes" from Joe Abercrombie.

Rating: 8.7/10