Unsouled

Executive Summary: This is a short, fast-paced fantasy adventure series in the vain of many shonen fighting series, especially Naruto which definitely puts this series into my wheelhouse. I really enjoyed it and plan to continue reading.Full ReviewA good friend of mine who I innendate with book referrals almost constantly has been telling me to check out [a:Will Wight 7125278 Will Wight https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1442891069p2/7125278.jpg] for awhile, but like most (all?) of you on this site my backlog of books to check out is huge and I just never seemed to get to him. He actually recommended [b:House of Blades 18047306 House of Blades (Traveler's Gate, #1) Will Wight https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1370699959s/18047306.jpg 25327975], but when the new book in this series came out they were giving this book away for free so I figured it was finally time to give him a shot.The idea of a protagonist whose less powerful/an outcast than everyone around him is not a new one. One of my favorite fantasy series, Codex Alera does a very similar thing. Then of course there is Naruto. I'm sure there are numerous other examples but those are the first two that come to mind.There are some similarities to both series but Mr. Wight definitely does a good job putting his own spin on the trope. The magic system is interesting enough, but so far it doesn't seem to be too well explained or very unique.The supporting characters and the world building are both pretty good. I was hoping for a bit more of the magic school trope as our protagonist strives to rise above his station in life, but we'll see what the latter books hold.I do like the contrast of a character whose much less powerful than everyone he encounters because it forces them (and therefore the author) to explore interesting ways to either use the limited magic they have or to simply work around it. Many of the work-arounds proved to be some of my favorite part of the story so far.Things took a turn for the unexpected about 25% that definitely ramped up my interest in the series beyond just a story of an outcast whose determined to “level-up”. These books seem pretty short (about 250 pages) compared to most fantasy I read which tends to be door-stopping epics. It makes for a nice change of pace and I already bought the second book to jump right into it. I haven't seen too many people talking about Will Wight, but I feel like he's one of those Indie authors going under the radar of many readers who'd enjoy his work like myself.

Actually, I have been reading this for awhile now, I just keep forgetting to add to my TBR.

The first few pages was like how anyone lives in this mundane world of ours(the reason I kept forgetting, writing was good, just plain, no embellishments, but it did not grab me like some), plain and earthy, no excitement, and reading a person who does not have any astounding ability, well it made it more tedious, the fun part came in little bits and pieces, I think this was our author's intention, lull you to everyday chores, a bit of information here and there...........

Then it happened, a page before, I was yawning, the next page............WHAT????!!!!!(let me re-read that), then IT STARTS............

Reading this then trying to imagine the actions of the characters, this looks, sounds like those Hong Kong fantasy movies, asian melodrama, fantasy and action all rolled into one, and it works......really works.....imagine Chow Yun Fat, practicing Snake Style, with Chi meditation, then suddenly he shouts “Seh Chu Chi”(Snake coming out!!!!!) and the boulder in front of him explodes!!!!

A devious way of storytelling, some prophetic vibes.........this is one tantalizing start to a series!!!

So, I finally started reading Cradle by Will Wight, beginning with the first book in the series, Unsouled. Now, there are 12 planned books in the Cradle series, and I have made it one of my reading goals this year to get through this series and see what all the fuss is about, as each time I look for recommendations for a series this comes up.

Unsouled introduces us to the World of Cradle, and its main protagonist Wei Shi Lindon, as well as other people in the series.

So, with Cradle, I am finding myself introduced to new words and concepts, which is always a pleasure as it sends my brain a whirring. According to other reviewers, the Cradle series resembles Shonen Anime/manga in its inspiration.

Got to say, I haven???t a clue, and I will take their word for it!

In addition to the anime/manga thingy, I am an absolute noob when it comes to progression fantasy.

(I did have to look up the meaning for this as you can see from my earlier musings on the why I chose this book)

Now, whilst I have a little bit of trepidation on that lot of information, the main concerns for me is whether I would enjoy it. It???s always a bit nerve wracking when you start a series, and it was particularly nerve wracking when you have decided to devote this as a 10 ??? 12-month endeavour.

However, not to worry, coz I positively devoured this book over two days and could not put it down. It was such an enjoyable and easy read.

The story is set in an Asian inspired world with a people that devotes itself to the practice of magic and their progression through the mystical arts. Each member of the society that Lindon grows up in is tested for whichever brand of magic that they possess and when Lindon is tested, the special substance that is used to identify the individual???s magic, shows that Lindon does not possess any magical abilities. He is subsequently labelled as unsouled (which I thought was a bit harsh to be honest!). This has an impact throughout his life, and he is seen as a freak and an encumbrance (yay highly enlightened people for accepting difference). This means that Lindon cannot progress in the magic/martial arts system that he resides in, which is a kind of isolated world in the mountains and hidden from the world outside, reminding me of the legends of Shangri ??? La.

However, through various misadventures he sees a way to progress and forge his own path. At one point he is entered into a duel against a much more powerful opponent, and he orchestrates the opponent so that he cannot win, and Lindon comes out of a potentially devastating situation unscathed. Throughout the book, Lindon has to employ his wits to overcome insurmountable odds, and whilst at times, Lindon can come across as a little unscrupulous in his methods and without any thought as to their actual consequences, you can see that he is highly disadvantaged in the society that he lives in. I have seen that some reviewers thought that there was a level of dishonesty in the methods that Lindon employed. However, for me, I thought that he was battling against overwhelming odds in one of the harshest and elitist societies in SFF that I have seen, and that whilst he uses some dodgy methods, he uses his quick wittedness to do what it is natural to do in this highly competitive environment. And as a world view, he is a little selfish in his goals, but the whole society is built on the principle that you can elevate yourself is to be solely enamoured of your own abilities.

This is very much an introduction to the story of Cradle, and at times there is some info dumping on the reader, which at some points slowed the pace a little, yet on the whole, it did not affect my enjoyment of it.

Initially, I did find the characters a little two dimensional, but this changes about halfway through when there is an incident that changes that whole direction of the book. I have to say that I had no idea that this inexplicable event would happen, but when it does it certainly pulls the rug out from you. And another point to add, is that by the very nature of the society that Will Wight introduces us to, is pretty two dimensional in all honesty, when its only goal is to progress further in their search for more power.

Now, you cannot write a review of the Cradle series without mentioning the magic system. It is such an integral part of the book, and is so intricately woven, with it having some influence from Chinese spirituality and mixing it with the use of artifacts and elixirs.

I don???t want to go too much into the minutia of the book, as I think the best way to go into this is without any indication (except from the obvious!) of the plot.

I have got to say that I really did not have a clue what this book was about in all honesty, but I can definitely say, that I was not expecting that.

And for those of us that are old enough to have a ???what the hell is going on??? look on our faces when anime or manga is thrown at us, it really doesn???t confuse you at all, and me, with very little anime experience was able to appreciate the story.

Unsouled is a fantastically paced romp that had me hooked. It???s one part coming of age, with one part underdog story, mixed with a whole lot of adventure.

Give it a go!