Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

This is a Buddy Read for The Cradle (Unsouled) series by Will Wight, starting January 2, 2022.

Figure each one the first of the month:
Unsouled 1/1/22
Soulsmith 2/1/22
Blackflame 3/1
Skysworn 4/1
Ghostwater 5/1
Underlord 6/1
Uncrowned 7/1
Wintersteel 8/1
Bloodline 9/1
Reaper 10/1
Book 11 no release date yet.

Also going to try to join. Have had this in my TBR for a couple years now.

I’m in.

In

+1

I am in

Choko wrote: "I am in"

Happy to see you post! =D

Me too!

I just got the Kindle version for 99 cents on Amazon. Looking forward to reading it with everyone.

I want to join in but, i can't because i don't have the book yet

Reed wrote: "I want to join in but, i can't because i don't have the book yet"

Not starting until January 1st :)

I'll come and have a chat along with you because I've just re-read it :)

The author does a cool deal and puts the books up for free once or twice a year. During the pandemic, I think I've seen the books go on the zero sale 4 times. The series is on KU for those who have it. =)

I'm in!

Hoping to join in.

In!

so many books i wanna read @□@
im in (๑˃ᴗ˂)ﻭ

The first few books are short & easy to devour. lol

I did audiobook for most of them and did a mix of read/listen for the first few. Out of Will Wright's books, this series is my fav by him.

Nice, I've had these books on my shelf for a while now, so I'm totally joining this. :)

I'm in, as well! I read the first one ages ago, so I'll need to reread it to refresh my memory.

If I can find the book at my library in time then I'd like to join as well.

I just got a copy and am excited to join in!

I started this morning, one chapter in. So far, so good. I feel bad for our hero. He has a rough start.

Yup! Bottom of the ladder guy.

I think I might do a re-read... I was pretty unforgiving of the first book, and waited forever to read the 2nd, but I imagine I'll be more open to it on re-read, like I get with October Daye/Dresden/etc...

Takes some time for Linden to start finding his place in the world, and some true allies...

I will join this one. 🙂

I'll start this one tonight. I'm looking forward to it!

I’ll be starting in a couple days :)

I'll be starting it this Monday!

I have finished the first 3 chapters and am really enjoying it so far.

I started a little this morning. In chapter 2. So far so good.
(view spoiler)[Nice that Wight gives us the magic system in a simple fashion right away. Looks a little YA'sy/coming of age outcast who comes to power eventually trope, but hey it's early. See where it goes. (hide spoiler)]

Rob wrote: "I started a little this morning. In chapter 2. So far so good.
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[the trope seems pretty common in the LitRPG genre... pretty much every LitRPG I've read, the MC is doing things that should be impossible, or discovering OP legendary classes that only one person in the world/server can have, etc etc etc...

As a result, the story comes down to the quality of the writing/character/plot direction...

My go-to example is Awaken Online, where I pretty much love the MMORPG story, but there's a real world lawsuit/corruption story that takes up like 30% of the pages, too, that I could do without... (hide spoiler)]

I’ll be hopping in on this one.
Look at me doing a buddy read again! 🤭

Just cracked open the first page!

If anyone is interested in knowing, the character 空 means "empty" or "sky" in both Chinese and Japanese. More empty than sky in Chinese, more sky than empty in Japanese. In Japanese, it is read "aki" (or "sora" when sky) and in Chinese it is "kong."

I read somewhere that the author was inspired by Japanese anime like Naruto when writing this series, but the characters in the titles of the series (I glanced at them all), lean Chinese, though many are also words in Japanese.

@Timelord Ian--is Cradle a litRPG series? I only heard that term for the first time recently, and haven't read anything I know of that is labeled as such.

Chapter 2. (view spoiler)[The first few chapters remind me of Sanderson's Rithmatist and White Sand and Butcher's Codex Alera--using the trope of a low/no powered individual who uses those handicaps to hone their other skills. At least it seems as though he may have higher skill at the script, to be able to create a circle so quickly. I think Naruto also fits this trope, though its been ages since I saw that anime. (hide spoiler)]

Enjoying so far!

Nirkatze wrote: "@Timelord Ian--is Cradle a litRPG series? I only heard that term for the first time recently, and haven't read anything I know of that is labeled as such.

Chapter 2. [spoilers removed]

Enjoying s..."

Yea... kinda... Soo calls it cultivation... which I just label as a subgenre of LitRPG... it doesn't have the straight numbering of levels of a LitRPG, but it has a system of progression similar to LitRPG...

Soo can probably go into more detail... Cradle is the only Cultivation series I've read... I think it's an asian-inspired genre?

LitRPG has stats. So there will be like in a video game a moment where the protagonist levels up and you’ll see text like: receiving XP, using items, using skills. Distributing skill points.

“He had to decide whether to add a point to strength or endurance. He thought “status” and his profile opened up in front of him.

Karl. Level 2. Human. Strength: 9; Endurance: 11; HP: 456/456”

Etc. Instead of playing a RPG you’re reading it!

The stats can be super omnipresent to the point where there is a stat sheet every few pages. Plus every move gives XP. And some novels have very light stats and only occasionally are numbers mentioned.

Progression Fantasy is what Cradle is. No actual stats. The progression is in the text.

Tao Wong explains it well: https://www.mylifemytao.com/xianxia-w...

Joining in

Finished chapter 2

(view spoiler)[I am also really enjoying the simplicity of the magic system. Right away, it also reminded me of the Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher, Nirkatze. (hide spoiler)]

@Timelord Ian, @Olivia--thank you for the clarification!
@Jenna--I loved those books! And if you think about it--(view spoiler)[Codex Alera was inspired by Pokemon, so both series share a taste of East Asian/video game roots. (hide spoiler)]

On foxes, through Chapter 4. (view spoiler)[I think it's cool that Elder Whisper is only a 5 tail fox, and it is an interesting detail that the clan both has him imprisoned and gives him great respect. I've always liked foxes in East Asian mythology--they're a lot like the Raven in Native Alaskan stories--wise tricksters who can fall on either side of the moral line.

This page does a pretty good job of summarizing their role in mythology: https://the-demonic-paradise.fandom.c...


And anyone else think of "journey before destination" when Whisper talks of the Path having no end? (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 4, on mornings (view spoiler)[How the whole clan comes out to meditate and "cycle."--This reminds me of walking through the park at 7am in Beijing on my way to class, and seeing all the elders doing Tai Chi together.

Like in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgh_B...

Saw a lot of that in China! This book is very nostalgic so far. (hide spoiler)]

@Nirkatze - That would be something to see! Thanks for the video. (view spoiler)[I liked the 5 tail fox too. So is a 9 tail fox a more powerful spirit? Since the kids in the forest were chasing a 3 tail fox. (hide spoiler)]

Ch 5 (view spoiler)[Very clever duel. Yeah, being a Master is impressive! I'm liking this a lot. Lindon is a great underdog to root for. I'm also surprised that we're through the training phase, unless there's a lot more of that to go. Obviously Lindon doesn't stay Unsouled. (hide spoiler)]

@Narilka, re: foxes. (view spoiler)[Yeah, the more tails, the more powerful the fox. Foxes gain tails as they become older and wiser--and more spiritually enlightened. I think the standard myth is one tail per century. They max out at 9--and a nine-tailed fox can have powers of omniscience among other things. At least in Japanese mythology. It's most common to see foxes with tails in odd number bunches in stories. Evens don't come around as much for some reason. (hide spoiler)]

re: master and training. (view spoiler)[And yeah, that Master is pretty awesome! Something for us (and Lindon) to look forward to. And I agree, I always love an underdog story. :)

Pretty sure this was just opening chapter training. From what Timelord Ian and Olivia were saying about "progression" stories, I have a feeling we're going to be seeing a LOT of training--like shounen anime style training arcs. (hide spoiler)]

Does anyone here watch anime or read manga? I did a lot more in college, but I still pick some up every now and then. The structure of the story so far (even just the first few chapters!) is very reminiscent of shounen manga--which makes total sense, since the author is a fan. Considering how huge anime/manga has been in world culture for the past twenty years or so, it's kinda cool to see stories outside of Japan influenced by it. I guess I'm also more used to reading stories influenced by the more common fantasy ancestors, so it's fun to see something different.

Hi. I just joined the buddy read a few seconds ago. I will most likely start reading it tomorrow.
*Edit*: Changed my mind and started tonight. Currently reading chapter 2.

Progression vs Cultivation:

I see progression type stories to have training/learning as a core part of the plot.

Whereas cultivation has martial arts aspects/philosophies embedded into the culture, training and main plot threads. To me, Cradle is a cultivation series.

Cradle is a great example of what it would be like to read an anime like story. =)

I don't see much resemblance in this and the litrpgs I've read, but I haven't read very many of them. I tend to not really enjoy them. I've never heard of progression or cultivation genres, so I guess this is the first for me to actually read. I do see the resemblance to Codex Alera.

I thought I had this series on my kindle but turns out it's the author's Elder Empire series that I have which, confusingly enough, appears to be two trilogies happening concurrently - same events from two different, opposing POVs. But the first Cradle book is free with Amazon Prime so I nabbed it. Guess I'm joining in. First BR in probably two years. :-)

I've read through the first six chapters and I can't say that it's hooked me yet. (view spoiler)[I do like that Lindon doesn't have an antagonistic relationship with his sister. Suriel just made an appearance and I have no idea what that's all about though the mention of Ozriel having to make his own path sounds like what Lindon wants to do. Are they (Suriel, Makiel, Osriel) like angels? And what exactly is the Cradle? (hide spoiler)]

Definitely starts a little slow. I'm usually not a big fan on LitRPGS but I've heard great things about this series. In the reviews I've read I heard it gets going about half way through book 1.

Hi @Nyssa, @Veronica!

@Soo, thank you for the clarification! @Tammie, me too!. I'd never heard of Cultivation or Progression (or LitRPG) before this past month. I think this is my first one.

On that note, through Chapter 11 (view spoiler)[I find it interesting how Lindon keeps meeting more and more powerful people. First the Copper bully, then his sister, almost an Iron, then the First Elder, the Patriarch, the Grand Patriarch, and now Suriel. I wonder if power levels are going to be 1:1 books? Who is it going to take to overtop Suriel? I guess there's the shadow that destroys the valley. (hide spoiler)]

@Veronica, re: Elder Empire. Oh, so that's what's going on with those books! I was looking at them and wondering why all the titles were swapped on some versions.

@Veronica, @Brian re: picking up halfway through. Chapter 11--I think I just hit that part. (view spoiler)[This bit reminded me a little of The Aeronaut's Windlass--there being a big build up to prepare for a duel, and then an event throws the whole world as we know it so far out the window. I'm glad it was seeded properly a few chapters ago. I'd actually forgotten about Suriel by the time I read it. (hide spoiler)]

@Veronica, re: Cradle (view spoiler)[I'm getting almost a cosmere vibe with this. Multiple worlds, some aware of the interconnected spheres, some not. Only with a policing force, keeping things in line. From the name "Cradle" and Suriel's description, it sounds like Lindon's world might be the origin of the world-hopping peoples. I wonder if our world is one of the iterations?

I'm also hearing the Glossary/Codex voice from the Mass Effect games in my head when reading the bold computery text. (hide spoiler)]