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scam_likely's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mightyjor's review against another edition
3.0
3.5/5 stars
I know in the past I’ve praised this series for being a very fast paced fantasy series, but this was honestly too fast. So much happens in such a short time that it’s frankly tough to get invested in any one thing, even when it’s a giant apocalyptic threat. On paper, I love everything that happens in this story. In execution, not so much. There’s not enough development of these big threats to really feel like there’s a payoff when they’re resolved.
Let’s go through some spoiler free plot details to show where I had some of my problems. The book opens with some set up for the greater universe here and establishing some threats that I expect to be big players in the coming books. This part is excellent. Next we move on to Lindon captured in his Skysworn prison, picking up where we left off in book 3. Also great.
Where I got completely thrown for a loop was that we’re all of a sudden in our 3 book long awaited showdown with Jai Long. We’re suddenly a year in the future when the last books were only a few weeks per book. We’re also dropped on this mountain for the duel with barely any set up or reestablishing of the stakes with our villains. During the duel itself, we have some very strange actions by certain characters that aren’t explained until after the duel is over, but it just lead to a very frustrating fight scene to follow. Things escalated, sure, but I didn’t understand why characters were acting the way they were, causing things to escalate.
The battle doesn’t even fully resolve before we’re introduced to our new huge villain and more fighting and more death defying actions. It’s just a bit exhausting to read. I would have loved more time to settle in with our characters after the conflict is resolved and the status quo has now changed significantly. With a threat as huge as the one now presented is with our Dreadgod, I think it deserved most of the book to set it up. Instead, we’re pulled around between the duel with Jai Long, the members of the Skysworn who for some reason I don’t quite understand want to murder our main characters in cold blood, and the Dreadgod arrival.
And on top of all of that, we’ve got the parasite attached to Yerin that has been teased and teased through the last few books and is resolved in basically a chapter. Like, I honestly thought this thing was going to be a huge threat that would take multiple books to resolve based on all the teasing it did in prior books. I’ll say the finale of the story was incredible to read, and I appreciate that it was given personal stakes by the use of Yerin’s parasite. But I didn’t feel like our heroes showed any cleverness or resourcefulness in this story the way we’d seen in prior books. Most conflicts are brought up and then resolved either through brute strength or force of will. The clever thinking of our main characters to beat enemies far stronger is mostly absent.
All of that said, the book is still great. It does some wonderful things with our characters and introduces some really good ones as well. It also does more to expand the world building and scale of power levels than we’ve seen in any of the prior books and it does it extremely well. The book is making some amazing promises and reminding us of the threat that exists, but also making that threat so much more intense by shortening our timeline dramatically.
I also appreciate that our advancement was spent more on Yerin, though I really think we should have spent a lot more time with her and in her POV given what this story was trying to do. It wasn’t until the book was over that I realized a significant part of the plot actually revolves around her, but it’s overshadowed by all the big apocalyptic end of world stuff.
I also love that Lindon still has to be careful. There’s a lot of people in the world that could still vaporize him so navigating the politics of the world is still important. I hope this sort of thing continues to persist in the world.
I’m still very excited for the next book, but I’m hoping now that we’ve set up some of these threats we can take a step back and marinate in all the new developments for this world.
Also, no bloopers? What the heck. I love those.
I know in the past I’ve praised this series for being a very fast paced fantasy series, but this was honestly too fast. So much happens in such a short time that it’s frankly tough to get invested in any one thing, even when it’s a giant apocalyptic threat. On paper, I love everything that happens in this story. In execution, not so much. There’s not enough development of these big threats to really feel like there’s a payoff when they’re resolved.
Let’s go through some spoiler free plot details to show where I had some of my problems. The book opens with some set up for the greater universe here and establishing some threats that I expect to be big players in the coming books. This part is excellent. Next we move on to Lindon captured in his Skysworn prison, picking up where we left off in book 3. Also great.
Where I got completely thrown for a loop was that we’re all of a sudden in our 3 book long awaited showdown with Jai Long. We’re suddenly a year in the future when the last books were only a few weeks per book. We’re also dropped on this mountain for the duel with barely any set up or reestablishing of the stakes with our villains. During the duel itself, we have some very strange actions by certain characters that aren’t explained until after the duel is over, but it just lead to a very frustrating fight scene to follow. Things escalated, sure, but I didn’t understand why characters were acting the way they were, causing things to escalate.
The battle doesn’t even fully resolve before we’re introduced to our new huge villain and more fighting and more death defying actions. It’s just a bit exhausting to read. I would have loved more time to settle in with our characters after the conflict is resolved and the status quo has now changed significantly. With a threat as huge as the one now presented is with our Dreadgod, I think it deserved most of the book to set it up. Instead, we’re pulled around between the duel with Jai Long, the members of the Skysworn who for some reason I don’t quite understand want to murder our main characters in cold blood, and the Dreadgod arrival.
And on top of all of that, we’ve got the parasite attached to Yerin that has been teased and teased through the last few books and is resolved in basically a chapter. Like, I honestly thought this thing was going to be a huge threat that would take multiple books to resolve based on all the teasing it did in prior books. I’ll say the finale of the story was incredible to read, and I appreciate that it was given personal stakes by the use of Yerin’s parasite. But I didn’t feel like our heroes showed any cleverness or resourcefulness in this story the way we’d seen in prior books. Most conflicts are brought up and then resolved either through brute strength or force of will. The clever thinking of our main characters to beat enemies far stronger is mostly absent.
All of that said, the book is still great. It does some wonderful things with our characters and introduces some really good ones as well. It also does more to expand the world building and scale of power levels than we’ve seen in any of the prior books and it does it extremely well. The book is making some amazing promises and reminding us of the threat that exists, but also making that threat so much more intense by shortening our timeline dramatically.
I also appreciate that our advancement was spent more on Yerin, though I really think we should have spent a lot more time with her and in her POV given what this story was trying to do. It wasn’t until the book was over that I realized a significant part of the plot actually revolves around her, but it’s overshadowed by all the big apocalyptic end of world stuff.
I also love that Lindon still has to be careful. There’s a lot of people in the world that could still vaporize him so navigating the politics of the world is still important. I hope this sort of thing continues to persist in the world.
I’m still very excited for the next book, but I’m hoping now that we’ve set up some of these threats we can take a step back and marinate in all the new developments for this world.
Also, no bloopers? What the heck. I love those.
frootlupo's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Cradle is starting to get its bearings as a series. This third instalment didn’t take me in directions I was expecting, but as usual was a fun ride.
As the series continues to introduce new characters, Wight does a decent job keeping the focus on our three main heroes.
Overall the books continue to be short and sweet - but more and more the books are feeling less like their own narratives and more like continuations in a larger story.
As the series continues to introduce new characters, Wight does a decent job keeping the focus on our three main heroes.
Overall the books continue to be short and sweet - but more and more the books are feeling less like their own narratives and more like continuations in a larger story.
ethias's review against another edition
4.0
God I’m having so much fun I love this series. This was the most engaging one so far. I love with Orthos and Eithan with my entire soul.
I think the only thing bringing this one down for me is that I really hate the Skysworn…. I don’t like a single one of them and they suck as an organization as well… so dealing with them the whole book got kind of frustrating.
I think the only thing bringing this one down for me is that I really hate the Skysworn…. I don’t like a single one of them and they suck as an organization as well… so dealing with them the whole book got kind of frustrating.
marshmalow01's review
adventurous
inspiring
medium-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
4.0
ninett's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
A bit more muddled after the big event at the beginning goes down. I'm not sure how structured the plot will be, or whether to expect a series of events that are indeed unfortunate but not particularly influential to one another? I can see where Lindon is headed, though, and I am certain he will reach that goal given his history. Furthermore, I am glad that some of the Suriel elements have taken more of a front stage position this time.
lowlandhowler's review against another edition
adventurous
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
4.0
abhi_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75