#blackflame empire

[the--grin--reaper]

Mercy: *sharing her plan on how to get back into Nightwheel Valley and into the Vault*

Charity, who had been listening: Yoo Seishens you won't guess what I just overheard lmaoo haha! Do you wanna hear the Blackflame Empire's plan is? Yo here lemme tell you-

[yerinarelius]

does eithan arelius is gay?

[val-of-the-north]

More observations for the trailer I am going insane!!!

I can't claim the original observation of this candle tree detail is mine, but it's from a Japanese Twitter user, here's a screenshot of the post and a link to it as well [x]

The rest of this observation IS mine though, so let's get to it:

With all the talk of cardinal sin, Messmer having a few parallels to Lucifer as pointed out by some friends of mine [x] I have to wonder if he is the cause of a speculated first burning of the Erdtree.

If this is the first time you have heard about this concept, I'll give a short summary. You know how Leyndell is covered in ash by the time we reach it in-game, and how that goes unexplained? We know for a fact that must be the Erdtree's ashes because after we claim the Rune of Death and the Erdtree burns even more, the capital is entombed in it.

We are also told that the Age of Plenty, an age in which the Erdtree gave physical blessings from its sacred sap, swiftly came to a close and the tree had to be changed to simply an object of faith...

So the theory claims that the reason why the Age of Plenty ended so swiftly was due to the Erdtree being set on fire. In theory spaces, the go-to culprit for this speculated action has often been the Gloam-Eyed Queen, with her connections to fire (Blackflame specifically) and Destined Death, but now there's the possibility that this was all Messmer's doing after all. Promotional material and dialogue seems to really denote his affinity for scorching and setting things ablaze.

This probably also means he is the inventor of that scary flame construct that according to Miyazaki as per this interview [x] was an old war machine, no doubt used during this "unsung battle".

Another important part of Messmer's design is the two snakes, which point us back to the Age of Plenty! Godfrey likely ruled during and directly after that time, and the arenas were likely built because of him. It had to be during Godfrey's rule because by the time Radagon became Elden Lord the practices of the colosseums had died down, as told to us by the Ritual Sword and Shield Talismans:

One of the more interesting aspects of the gladiatorial battles that once took place is the snake symbolism on the gladiators' armor.

So the snake was a symbol of a generic "traitor to the Erdtree", and it predated Rykard's blasphemy by an entire age at least... so what if it wasn't generic at all and it represented Messmer himself? He might have been the perpetrator of a betrayal so foul that Marika removed all traces of his existence from her empire's history, but kept the symbol of the snake as a spiteful reminder of him and all other subsequent traitors. After all, she does seem to have power over which one of her children gets remembered or not, and if not her, then the collective of the Golden Order:

Do note that we don't know when she said this. It could have been while she was still at the height of her rule or right before the Shattering. What we do know for a fact is that the soulless demigods inside the Walking Mausoleums have no known history to speak of, which is quite unlike Godwyn, one of the more accomplished members of the family. So yeah, being forgotten by history might be something the Golden Order does to those they deem unfit, so Messmer could be a likely candidate for such treatment... except instead of doing nothing noteworthy he did TOO much lol.

Now I gotta wonder if Marika hated him more or less than her Omen babies. One could argue that locking them down in a sewer close to where she lives was done more as an obligation than any true resentment. She could have sent them to the Shadow Lands if she really wanted them gone and unaccessible, as that place seems filled with Crucible-related things...

I am not saying she was a good mother to them because she didn't kick them to the Shadow Lands, but perhaps she DID have some small affection for them that she really couldn't follow through with.

Of course, maybe she just couldn't banish them anymore after banishing Messmer for whatever reason (maybe she cut-off a connection to that realm?). However, the most likely possibility is that he WAS known like the many soulless demigods and that Mohg and Morgott predate him. It's just that while those two were born undesirable through no fault of their own and were thus only hidden away, he BECAME undesirable which was worse in Marika's eyes so he gets the extra banishment and the removal of all of his history... there are so many possibilities...

[somerunner]

I often forget that the Blackflame royal family was like, very recent history for the empire. No wonder it’s basically a crime to bring their Path back. The Skysworn being simultaneously wary, sympathetic, and controlling to Lindon makes a lot of sense. They’re handling a human weapon of a type that most of the empire has personally witnessed.

[dragon-communion]

I don't have a solid theory for Melina yet, so I'm just going to compile the ideas I have so far.

Messmer's sibling. Not born to Godfrey. Considering my current crack theory that Eiglay might be Messmer's other parent, maybe Melina is involved with that too?

While I originally thought the GEQ would be Marika's sister, with the revelation of Messmer's fairly Satanic role and direct threat to the Erdtree by virtue of existing, it would make sense for any immediate sibling of his to be just as dangerous and associated with fire/snakes.

The GEQ is associated with blackflame and the serpentine Godskins, which I would honestly take as a connection to Messmer no matter what.

Melina uses dagger attacks similar to the Black Knife assassins and can summon tiny Erdtrees. This implies she's very close to Marika in terms of abilities and potentially even origins.

We're directly told Melina was given her purpose inside the Erdtree by her mother. That's Marika, and would also align with Marika's later interest in burning down the Order, but does not make sense considering in the early years Marika seemed invested in building the Order rather than breaking it. Why, at that early stage, would she want a daughter to destroy her empire?

If Melina was always meant to burn down the Erdtree, I think there's a comparison to be drawn between the fact that she's burned and bodiless, and the Erdtree is also burned and bodiless. The Erdtree we see is a phantom made of grace, and Leyndell is covered in so much ash that people started sealing the walls and doors with wax. She clearly half-succeeded once, and managed to half-kill it and herself, in a manner similar to Ranni and Godwyn's respective half-deaths.

Marika is impaled by a spear of Destined Death. Other than possibly the Elden Beast, who has a crucifixion move, and by extension Radagon, the only people to have wielded Destined Death are: the Black Knife Assassins and Ranni, the Godskin Apostles and the Gloam-Eyed Queen, and Maliketh.

I am not ruling out Maliketh, because he strikes me as the type to get amnesiac after attacking his Empyrean and it would mirror Blaidd's storyline. Marika did directly attack their god after all.

There is a chance that "giving Melina her purpose" was not an order, but a prophecy, and Marika could have been afraid of her.

Giantsflame is the meteoric fires of creation. With the absence of true Death, it's a good second option for trying to destroy something permanently. I have a feeling other characters have dabbled in it before, and it can't be pure coincidence that the Fire Monks enraptured by flame occasionally turn coats to become Blackflame Monks. There's a relation between the fires somehow, I think, as eldritch forces and living ideologies. The madness of them both is linked.

[mehmetminded]

Hoo boy, this one for sure got away from me. Hope it makes sense. Sorry in advance!

To your first point, I don’t know if I’d characterize Oz as being particularly upbeat or lighthearted, though I do recall Suriel saying he had a “grim” sense of humor or something similar. What I would say is that he’s always been a drama queen.

Oz was dramatic in the way that Shadow the Hedgehog is dramatic vs Eithan’s mysterious, dubiously queer, mentor thing he’s got going on.

I think there’s a mid point in there we don’t get to see much. We don’t know much about Eithan’s time with Tiberian, but the few glimpses we get show us a much more serious Eithan than we ever see in the series proper. That all changes after Shen.

When he gets his family killed he just gives up. This is where I’d say he hits “full burn out”. He has no real plan after that and is kinda just power-leveling Lindon and co. because he can at first. Like yeah sure it’d be nice if they could ascend, but that’s not really on his mind when he takes them in. He’s bored. Bored because with his skill level, underlord noble in the ass end of “desert wasteland continent” is for sure phoning it in.

My man could likely have been a sage at any point during the series and leveraged that into enough power to put down the dreadgods. If Shen could almost do it then Eithan absolutely could have. He could have started his search for apprentices over again (he was nominally looking for his “reapers” after all), but he doesn’t. He spends six years in the Blackflame Empire just kinda spinning his wheels.

Eithan only goes to the Transcendent Ruins because he feels Suriel messing with Fate over in that direction and has nothing better to do. He takes in Lindon and Yerin because they’re interesting and gives them a bunch of sacred arts exploits because being an aristocrat is a bore. It’s only after they start showing real potential that he gets invested and is forced to start taking down some of his walls and really work on himself.

TL;DR: I don’t think he really “burnt out” until after Shen. Before that I think he was trying to fix his rapidly destabilizing support structure before it came crashing down around him.

Turns out I’m not done with Eithan. This has probably been said better by smarter, more sober people, BUT!!!

Eithan is the ultimate burnt-out-former-gifted-kid.

All his life Ozmanthus was the best. He was the smartest, strongest, coolest, most badass dude to ever do it, and he could never be anything less. When he was a kid this was great! All the adults said he was super smart and that was super cool! Sure he left his friends behind, but he’d make other friends at some point! Just as soon as he gets this whole “cultivation” thing figured out…

Can’t be too long…

Any day now…

Fuck…

Now he’s a monarch who focused on being the most efficient cultivator alive and he has a reputation as a cold, friendless, genius that no one really likes and that everyone is super afraid of. Not exactly prime friend material.

“Oh well” says Ozmanthus, “This place fucking sucks and you’re all a bunch of bitches. Later!”

[one ascension later]

“Hey look! A bunch of heavenly people who don’t think I’m a friendless weirdo! I should go talk to them!”

[mass casualties]

“Okay, friends weren’t that important to me! Guess I’ll go back to the ol’ standby of self-imposed isolation and cultivation!”

Oz kept this up until he solved Heaven and became the Grim Reaper. Shockingly, this did not make him any friends and oh look: we’re right back where we were on Cradle with a reputation as a cold, friendless genius that no one really likes and that everyone is super afraid of.

That lasts a couple thousand years before he has a bit of a breakdown and does the judge equivalent of moving into his parents basement.

He goes and tries to fix some “small” problems and finally clean up that pesky hunger madra problem this shithole has. He fucks it up completely, burns down the house, and has to move in with his weird relatives in another state, where he finally makes some friends in the form of a baby gym bro and a knife girl.

I cannot emphasize enough how literally just having friends changed this man’s life. He went from brooding, cynical, anti-hero to goofy, comedic relief/mentor figure in like 3 years.

All it took was numerous life or death struggles, the death of a significant portion of his family, an entire hero’s journey, and a clash for the fate of the multiverse!

The moral of the story is, find someone to match your vibe or you might oops your way into being Death? I guess? Idk I lost track of this one a while ago…

[reverie-quotes]

"If you don't feel like you're going to die when you're training, then you're doing it wrong."

— Will Wight, Blackflame

[ao3feed-tgcf]

by Ojogrande

A slice of life taking place after Bloodline.

Words: 11824, Chapters: 10/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Cradle Series - Will Wight, Cradle - Fandom, Cultivation - Fandom

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Characters: Naru Huan, Lindon - Character, Yerin, Eithan

[travalicious]

Books read in 2020:

Blackflame by Will Wight

Rating: 4/5

Lindon has a year left. When his time runs out, he’ll have to fight an opponent that no one believes he can beat. Unless he learns sacred arts the right way, from scratch, he won’t have a chance to win…and even then, the odds are against him. In the course of their training, he and Yerin travel to the Blackflame Empire, where they fight to master an ancient power. Success means a chance at life, but failure means death. In the sacred arts, only those who risk the most can travel far.

[swipestream]

New Release Roundup, 2 March 2019: Fantasy and Adventure

Arthur returns, samurai clash with cultivator mages, and fourteen authors roll the dice on famous battles in this week’s roundup of the newest releases in fantasy and adventure.

Arthur Dux Bellorum (A Light in the Dark Ages #4) – Tim Walker

From the ruins of post-Roman Britain, a warrior arises to unite a troubled land.

Britain in the late Fifth Century is a troubled place – riven with tribal infighting and beset by invaders in search of plunder and settlement. King Uther is dead, and his daughter, Morgana, seizes the crown for her infant son, Mordred. Merlyn’s attempt to present Arthur as the true son and heir of Uther is scorned, and the bewildered teenager finds himself in prison. Here our story begins.

Arthur finds friends in unexpected quarters and together they flee. Travelling through a fractured landscape of tribal conflict and suspicion, they attempt to stay one step ahead of their pursuers, whilst keeping a wary eye on Saxon invaders menacing the shoreline. Arthur’s reputation as a fearsome warrior grows as he learns the harsh lessons needed to survive and acquire the skills of a dux bellorum, a lord of war.

Defiler (Monster Tamer #3) – 

Monsters. Girls. Mayhem.

The Darkness has taken Malem. The Breaker fights for Vorgon now.

But that doesn’t mean Malem is going to let anyone harm the five women he’s bound to. They give him the power to control monsters, after all. Besides, they’re super hot.

Vorgon doesn’t like the devotion Malem shows his women, so the evil demon decides to send him on a fool’s errand—-his mission is to infiltrate the kingdom of the Tree Elves and Break their queen. No easy task, given that she is surrounded by an army of bloodthirsty fighters and merciless mages, not to mention a crapload of monsters.

This errand might just backfire on Vorgon, however, because if Malem succeeds, he will grow in power far beyond anything the demon ever dreamed of…

A Mighty Dawn – Theodore Brun

Hakan, son of Haldan, chosen son of the Lord of the Northern Jutes, swears loyalty to his father in fire, in iron, and in blood. But there are always shadows that roam.

When a terrible tragedy befalls Hakan’s household he is forced to leave his world behind. He must seek to pledge his sword to a new king. Nameless and alone, he embarks on a journey to escape the bonds of his past and fulfil his destiny as a great warrior. Whispers of sinister forces in the north pull Hakan onwards to a kingdom plagued by mysterious and gruesome deaths.

But does he have the strength to do battle with such dark foes? Or is death the only sane thing to seek in this world of blood and broken oaths?

Simple Things (The Valens Legacy #13) – Jan Stryvant

Sean’s found himself trapped in the realm of the demons, and he’s also found a mystery there as well – a lioness. How and why she’s there, and if she’ll help him, he doesn’t know yet. But if anyone knows the lay of the land, the demons, and how to get out of there, he figures it would have to be her.

Back home, Adam is doing his best to fit in and not make too many mistakes. At least he heals fast so no one notices the bruised shins from being kicked by Roxy all the time. The war however is already starting to heat up, even without the main gateway being open. Apparently Sean’s actions are having an effect, and not necessarily a good one.

But people are pulling together and everyone is starting to discover just how high the stakes really are.

The Sword of Kaigen – M. L. Wang 

On a mountainside at the edge of the Kaigenese Empire live the most powerful warriors in the world, superhumans capable of raising the sea and wielding blades of ice. For hundreds of years, the fighters of the Kusanagi Peninsula have held the Empire’s enemies at bay, earning their frozen spit of land the name ‘The Sword of Kaigen.’

Born into Kusanagi’s legendary Matsuda family, fourteen-year-old Mamoru has always known his purpose: to master his family’s fighting techniques and defend his homeland. But when an outsider arrives and pulls back the curtain on Kaigen’s alleged age of peace, Mamoru realizes that he might not have much time to become the fighter he was bred to be. Worse, the empire he was bred to defend may stand on a foundation of lies.

Misaki told herself that she left the passions of her youth behind when she married into the Matsuda house. Determined to be a good housewife and mother, she hid away her sword, along with everything from her days as a fighter in a faraway country. But with her growing son asking questions about the outside world, the threat of an impending invasion looming across the sea, and her frigid husband grating on her nerves, Misaki finds the fighter in her clawing its way back to the surface.

When the winds of war reach their peninsula, will the Matsuda family have the strength to defend their empire? Or will they tear each other apart before the true enemies even reach their shores?

Those in Peril (The Phases of Mars #1) – edited by Chris Kennedy and James Young

Fourteen outstanding authors. Fourteen worlds that never were.

Throughout the human experience, historians have wondered, “What if?” What if Japan had been on the side of the U.S. in World War II? What if things had been just a little different in the Falklands? What if Russia had started World War Three?

Wonder no more, for these questions, along with many others, are answered within the pages of this book. Told by a variety of award-winning authors, like Sarah Hoyt, the 2018 Dragon Award Winner for Alternate History, and Kacey Ezell, the winner of the 2018 Baen Reader’s Choice Award, “Those in Peril,” deals with naval warfare that never happened in our world…but easily could have.

The first book in the exciting new “Phases of Mars” anthology series, there is something for everyone inside! From sailing ships, to steam, to today’s modern aircraft carriers, “Those in Peril” traces several centuries of naval warfare…that wasn’t. From adding a psychic…to making a different choice of friend or foe…to something insignificant toppling a kingdom, this book has it, so come aboard and find out “what if” all of these things had changed history…just a little. You’ll be glad you did!

Viridian Gate Online: Firebrand – J. D. Astra and James Hunter

New worlds get new kings, and that’s exactly what Abby thinks she’s found in her boss’ hacked code.

With a cataclysmic asteroid careening toward Earth, the VRMMORPG project Viridian Gate Online has become more than just a game, and Abby thinks her boss, Robert Osmark, wants to be more than just its founding father.

Now, Abby holds a hacked key to the kingdom that could earn her a punishment worse than death. To uncover the secret that drug lords and corrupt politicians paid millions for, Abby must dive into the game she helped create and team up with one of its AI creations. It’s a race against the clock as she tries to discover what’s hidden in the secret code before Osmark can crown himself ruler over all that remains of humanity.

Underlord (Cradle #6) – Will Wight

A tournament approaches.

All around the world, great clans and sects prepare their disciples to fight against one another in a competition of young Underlords. Even the Blackflame Empire is drawn in, but their youth are not strong enough to compete.

Yet.

New Release Roundup, 2 March 2019: Fantasy and Adventure published first on https://medium.com/@ReloadedPCGames

[the--grin--reaper]

Huan @ Kiro: Bro you are so pathetic, wtf bro, you lost to a group of Truegolds?? Bro that is sad, what kinda Underlord are you ahaha, if I was your dad I'd disown you because those are Golds and you still lost lmao-

[somerunner]

6. Geisha meets Jaran

(whatever context you like)

Gesha meets Jaran

Fisher Gesha had advanced to Truegold during her time in the Blackflame Empire. Her family had migrated with her and integrated into the empire, no longer scraping by in the Desolate Wilds. No, now they were being paid for fulfilling services and responsibilities left behind by the collapsing Jai clan.

Because she had followed an Arelius Underlord's whims, her family was now rather prosperous. She had access to Soulsmithing research that was normally kept secret. The only thing she was missing was that mind-spirit attached to the Wei clan boy, Lindon.

She did wonder what happened to him after the Uncrowned King tournament. Reportedly, the Wandering Titan woke up and attacked his home, and he got them out. Then he founded a sect, called himself a Sage, and led it himself.

She had to find the Arelius man's ear to confirm that one. It seemed that the real one behind the sect was the Arelius Underlord. Well, Archlord now. He didn't scare her all that much anymore, either because he was too busy or because she had gotten used to his antics. Now, she was usually the one hounding him.

Right now, she was asking for Lindon. She was working on a particularly difficult Soulsmithing project and could use some simulation work. Mister sees-everything didn't respond to her, though, so she looked for the next person she could find.

Surprisingly, she came across Lindon's father. He was at the market for Soulsmithing tools and parts, same as her. She only recognized him because of the scowl on his face, so similar to his son's. She confirmed it by asking if he knew the boy. "I'm looking for a boy named Lindon, do you know him? Has a white arm, looks like you?" She neglected to mention he was the leader of the Twin Star sect. Everyone in this city knew that already.

He turned to face her fully. "Huh? You're looking for Lindon? That boy really does get into too much trouble. Your best bet is with the Twin Star Sect, but I can pass along a message if you're in a hurry." He shifted his weight as he spoke, trying to get comfortable with standing still. He had Remnant eyes, and he seemed to be in the process of getting used to them. And maybe a Remnant leg, judging by his gait.

She snorted. "Oh, I'm not settling a debt with him. I need some Soulsmithing help, and he's the only one I trust to do the job right. Without paying through the nose, that is. I taught him, you know?"

His face shifted off from its scowl. "Oh, you're his Soulsmithing master? He said something about that. I hope he wasn't too much trouble. He's a frustrating student. He's my son, in fact, so I taught him when he was young." He neglected to mention how little he had actually taught Lindon of the sacred arts. His wife, Wei Shi Seisha, would consider him a model student.

Internally, Fisher Gesha frowned. This man had badmouthed his son twice now. She only did that right in front of the boy, when his head was getting too big, which was always. It wasn't worth the effort to do that when he was gone.

Well, considering the trouble Lindon had caused her only a week into his stay in the Desolate Wilds, she didn't exactly disagree that the boy was a troublemaker…

He continued. "Well, my wife is a Soulsmith and she sent me out for parts, so would you mind joining us for a while? Lindon said he would visit her foundry today." He was only a Jade. His wife was probably only a Jade. Gesha would learn nothing in their little workshop.

However, it was a sure bet to seeing Lindon, so she went.

A few hours later and she had learned quite a bit about Sacred Valley. As much as she left her smithing foundry and heard the common news, Gesha missed out on quite a lot. Wei Shi Seisha and Jaran were both only recently Jade, as was almost everyone from Sacred Valley. The whole valley was under some kind of suppression field, which Lindon had used to his advantage to fight the Wandering Titan. He had actually fought a Dreadgod, him!

Seisha was suitably impressed by this, but Jaran seemed reluctant to offer any praise to his son. It wasn't a case of general pessimism, he was sure impressed by some of Gesha's basic Soulsmithing knowledge, but not by his son's achievements. She knocked her opinion of his perception down a few steps.

A knock came at the door. Jaran walked over and opened it. "Humblest apologies, family of the Sage of Twin Stars. The Emperor has requested his presence, and he will be gone for a few days. The Sage sends his apologies, and has sent me with these dream tablets."

Hmph. Gesha would have to come back another day, then. "Sure bet," she thought, but that was clearly wrong. She spent a few more minutes at the Shi household, then bid farewell.

The boy was too busy. What did advancement get you? Just more people looking for your ear, that was what. Even Truegold was almost too high for her. But the boy would just keep climbing anyway, wouldn't he?

---------

Author's notes: Yeah, this was really meandering. This whole thing was kind of a first draft, but I don't know if I would change all that much. I'm not sure how to get the characters' voices quite right, so I'm just going to leave it where it is. For what it's worth, I don't think Gesha would clash all that much with Jaran; they are both rather negative towards Lindon. The only difference is that Gesha is demanding, and Jaran is dismissive.

I do like how in Waybound, Gesha is completely dismissive of Jaran as a teacher figure. I didn't know how to fit that in here, so I didn't.

[somerunner]

Uhhhh more Cradle posts possibly. Cradle ask game

So I have a serious work-avoidance and screen addiction problem, like 8-10 hours a day. I also have an undergraduate thesis to write. I can get a little bit of work done every day, and can get more done if I am kept accountable. I can also get more done if I get the ball rolling by doing some unrelated task.

With that in mind, here’s an ask game! It’ll give me a reason to convince myself to actually work on those Cradleposts that I said I would make a few months ago. Send one or more numbers or the questions verbatim, and add your input (i.e. send an ask that’s like “1, Ziel’s arc” or “1: Thoughts on a character arc in Cradle. I’d like to hear your thoughts on Ziel”). You could also just send the number/question with no input, and I’ll write about whatever I feel like.

Thoughts on a character arc in Cradle

Thoughts on a Path

Thoughts on a one-appearance character

Thoughts on any other character

What’s the last idle theory I had about Cradle (basically, just “Thoughts”)

Write a short canon-compliant fanfic (i.e. a battle Yerin had, or Gesha actually enjoying her time in the Blackflame Empire while the kids train)

Write a short fanfic, not canon-compliant (i.e. Lindon gets visited by Zakariel and not Suriel, or Yerin gets Solo Leveling system powers. It could be literally anything)

Draw a crappy fanart (please have low expectations lol, I don’t know how to draw and will also draw the whole thing in like 2 minutes)

Funny post (i.e. funny hypotheticals like “I wonder if Reigan Shen was any good at DDR” or funny observations like “Biggest Lindon L: he never made a totally epic launcher construct out of the Dreadgods. Huge loss”)

Short crackfic (basically the same as above, but narrated)

Hypothetical situation (i.e. how would the gang fare vs. Goku, what kind of pasta would Eithan cook, which member of the group would be best at video games, etc.)

Add an Image ID to Cradle art (I’ve been meaning to do that for all the ones I’ve seen but it’s so much easier to just scroll)

Just a reminder, send a number or the full question, and then add what you’d like for the question to be answered about! I’ll only spend a few minutes on any of these unless I lose track of time, since the point is to get me out of a scrolling rut and get to work on college stuff.

Does this actually work to get me on task? Kinda! It’s better than uninterrupted scrolling, which is my usual state.

Oh, and if you want to send these asks about Will Wight’s other work, I can also answer those. I’ve read all his other stuff too.

[somerunner]

More Cradle posts

Well I’ve seen a bit more fanart and a couple more text posts over the last couple weeks. I think it’s time for me to throw my hat into the ring and give people something to read.

Most of my posts will only technically have spoilers up to Blackflame, but since I’ve read the whole series I might mess up on that front.

—————

Thoughts on the Blackflame Trials, I guess:

I thought the Trials were a really good way to give Lindon each of the techniques in the Path of Black Flame. No living sacred artist (besides Orthos) followed the Path in the empire that could show him, so he had to go off of ancient writings and Yerin’s sword-madra demonstrations. The Trials showed that the Path was a big part of the empire and contributed to the course of history—if, for example, he had to learn from dream tablets and fight ordinary scripted stone, we wouldn’t have seen the massive influence of Blackflame artists in their time.

Additionally, this book pulls off the “MC does the same thing other people do, but way cooler and more dangerously” thing that we saw in Soulsmith when he got his Iron body. Cassias says that ordinarily, Lindon would just have to *hold* his technique, not *use* it. And he’s constantly surprised by Lindon and Yerin’s accomplishments and strategies (such as taking on the trial three times in a day to drain the batteries).

Anyway, post over. I’ll do some more posting later about other stuff I liked in the books.

[somerunner]

Thoughts on Skysworn as part of the series

More thoughts on Cradle pacing/structure

Skysworn, for all that I think it’s pretty boring, does a good job at introducing us to the wider Blackflame Empire and gives active reasons for Lindon’s need to advance. In Blackflame, he had the upcoming duel. And overall, he needed to get strong enough to protect Sacred Valley. But it would be boring if he and Yerin didn’t have any enemies to fight until then.

This book introduces Redmoon Hall, villains that are not just a massive sentient natural disaster (but they do worship one). Lindon and Yerin aren’t strong enough to fight them, but we get to see that among the powers in the world, there are definitely-more-evil ones on the scale of entire empires. It’s not just the Jai clan, there’s organized atrocity at the next big level of henchman-number too.

The duo join a task force that evacuates and protects people, which is also cool—they’re not lone heroes, but can operate in a big support network (though under strict parole because they’re both considered to be ticking time bombs, through no fault of their own).

…I’ve been rambling. Anyway, it quite competently introduces new conflicts and introduces us to one of the Dreadgods as well as a new semi-viewpoint character. It’s a great springboard for several later books, gives us more motivation/backstory for Yerin, oh and it shows the power of a Monarch…there’s a lot of stuff this book does.

I think of it as the Avengers: Age of Ultron of Cradle. It is good on its own, but not as enjoyable as its peers; however, it accomplishes a *lot* in terms of preparing the reader for several of the later books.

(Maybe I’ll do some writing analysis on the first two books, but I’ve already started at Blackflame so I’ll continue from there. Also, you may note, this is pretty rambly. I don’t expect to have any takes hotter than lukewarm, or to make a point in my posts.)

[reverie-quotes]

"There's an old saying about asking for forgiveness rather than permission," Eithan said, "but the essence of it is, I'm going to do what I want."

— Will Wight, Blackflame