Read History

2025 | Score: 9.5

Best book in the series so far by a landslide. Super awesome and fun. I officially understand why the series is so popular, it is just an incredibly enjoyable read. This is like Demon in White of Cradle. Worth reading the series just to get to enjoy this.

Format: Kindle

Days: 13

Date: 8/15/2025 -> 8/28/2025

Summary

Wintersteel
Cradle #8
Will Wight

People:
Wei-Shi Lindon Arelius, Yerin Arelius, Timaias Adama, Subject One, Northstrider, Kiuran, Sha Miara, Reigan shen, akura malice, akura mercy, akura pride, akura grace, Eithan Arelius, AKura Fury, Akura Charity, Sopharanatoth, Ziel, Yan Shoumei, Akura Mercy, Brother Aekin, Calan Archer, Emriss SIlentborn, Tiberian Arelius, Min Shuei, Naru Saeya, Prince Daji, Meira

Places:
Sacred Valley, The Labyrinth, Ninecloud City, Redmoon Hall, Abyssal Palace, Seishen Kingdom

Things:
Dross, Penance, Abidan, Stormcallers, Frozen Blade School, Wandering Titan, Bleeding Phoenix, Little Blue

Story:
Prologue shows us the death of the Sage of the Endless Sword, Timaias Adama, in Sacred Valley. We learn that there is a curse of sorts on sacred valley that makes the sacred arts a lot weaker there, and it is because an entrance to The Labyrinth is hidden there, and the labyrinth contains someone/thing names Subject One, who created the Dreadgods.

We begin right after Wei-Shi Lindon Arelius lost in his bout to Yerin Arelius, making her an uncrowned and him not. Northstrider meets Lindon somewhere else in Ninecloud City, and asks him about Dross. The monarchs discuss the weapon Penance, given by the Abidan Hound, Kiuran. Sha-Miara is secretly a monarch and Reigan Shen is an enemy of Akura malice.

Dross stole a memory from Northstrider and thinks lindon can use his hunger madra arm to consume madra from enemies, helping his advancement.

We see Eithan Arelius use his actual strength for the first time, he reveals he is on the path of the hollow king, and defeats Sha Miara, a hidden Monarch, in 9 seconds. Sopharanatoth tries to advance and fails, she has pushed herself too far too fast and is permanently damaged unless she wins the tournament.

Lindon and Yerin go on a date, Ziel, Yan Shoumei of Redmoon Hall, Akura Mercy, Brother Aekin of Abyssal Palace, and Calan Archer of the Stormcallers all become uncrowned.

All Uncrowned have a month to train with sages. Eithan goes with the Arelius Clan sage and advances to Overlord instantly, he had just been waiting. Reigan Shen then purchases Eithan to throw the next match. Yerin will go with The winter sage, Min Shuei at the Frozen blade school and works to develop her sage-ness. We get reports on Emriss SIlentborn, and Tiberian Arelius, 2 monarchs, 1 dead.

Meanwhile Lindon goes to a city near the Wandering Titan to help evacuate citizens and stall the enemies of the Akura clan. He goes Akura Fury, who teams him up with Akura Pride, Grace, Naru Saeya, and some others. Once Lindon learns there is a point system and defeating remnants can buy him stuff he goes crazy, and practices consuming essence and begins to gain a ton of power.

The Sheisen Kingdom is also there, and Prince Daji still wants to kill Lindon for killing his brother, Prince Kiro.

Eithan throws his match to Yan Shoumei, Ziel barely loses to Brother Aekin. Eithan buys Ziel’s loyalty by saying he may be able to fix his channels. Mercy and Sophara have a very close battle that mercy ends up losing, disappointing her family.

Eithan, Mercy, Lindon, and Fury go back to the wandering titan battlefield and Lindon combines his Pure Core with a pact with Little Blue, similar to what he did with Dross for Blackflame. Daji is angry as always and tried to attack a tower but Lindon was there first, Meira, restrains Daji so Lindon won’t kill him but Daji is very angry.

Yerin discovers her Overlord revelation is that “I am not him” referring to the sword sage. Yerin and Sophara both win their matches and are the final 2. Yerin receives a Moonlight Bridge, allowing her to teleport anywhere on a slight cooldown. Ruby, Yerin’s blood shadow, uses it to teleport herself to Lindon and hang out.

Reigan shen grabs the other uncrowned that lost and tells them he will send them with The Blood Sage to kills Pride and Mercy when they are alone.

Sophara wins the first 2 matches, but then Yerin advances to herald by combining with Ruby. Together they are infinitely more powerful, and the first ever overlord herald. Yerin slaughter Sophara easily. The tournament is over and chaos starts.

Fury has been taunting all of the enemy heralds, and now that Yerin won he attacks them, using the strength icon of a sage, meaning he is becoming a monarch. The 4 monarchs in Ninecloud city also begin battling each other. Reigan shen also starts his assassination plan on Mercy and Pride. Lindon sees the assassin’s appear but is too far away and they teleport off, but Eithan slips into the group before they leave. Lindond has to go force open the portal left by the sage, which should not be possible but he does with Eithan’s help from the other side. Eithan is an Archlord now thanks to Reigan Shen’s resources.

While Eithan distracts the blood sage, Lindon easily tears through and kills the remaining uncrowned assassin’s and 2 overlords. Akura grace and 2 others are already dead though. Pride and Naru Saeya barely live. Lindon finishes by battling Sophara and manifesting the Void Icon, making him a sage.

Yerin uses penance on the Dragon King, Seshethkunaaz, and he just dies. Eithan gives lindon a wintersteel unsouled badge, marking him as a sage.

Orthos helped wei-Shi Kelsa, lindon’s sister, advance to Jade back in Sacred Valley, and then finds Jai-Long and says he needs his help for a mission.