Unsouled (Cradle Book 1) by Will Wight

Wei Shi Lindon is unique in the Wei clan. Unlike anyone else in his tribe, or indeed in the entire Sacred Valley, Lindon is unsouled and seemingly lacks the core of vital energy required to perform even the most basic sacred arts. Forbidden access to his clans resources and teachings, Lindon wants nothing more than to become a skilled sacred artist. Thanks to a vision given by a being so far above the masters of his world that there is no name for it, he knows that if he doesn’t, in thirty years, everything and everyone he knows and loves will be destroyed.

First off, let’s talk about what Unsouled is not. If you want a deep character piece or a life changing novel that will recontextualize the genre and bring cultivation fantasy into the mainstream, Unsouled will not deliver. What it is, though, is an extremely fun, action packed and imaginative story. One that, somehow, manages to translate the over-the-top martial arts action of Dragonball or Naruto into text and, instead of losing something in the translation, manages to imbue it with a level of depth and nuance seldom seen in a more visual medium. Don’t get me wrong, though. While there is plenty of movement, the name of the game for this book is not non-stop action. The name of the game is perseverance. Lindon is your typical shonen protagonist which means, yes, he solves many of his problems by beating them up until they stop being problems. It also means that he is usually way out of his league, and his victories are more about not giving up than about being stronger and better than his foes and His early wins often have more to do with cleverness than toughness.

Lindon himself is actually a very interesting protagonist. Given his initial poor treatment by his clan and his determination to become stronger, you’d expect him to be brash if not outright abrasive. He’s, actually, a very respectful person especially in regards to his elders and those with more power. I suppose this makes sense in a world where power is everything, when might makes right, being the usual cocky shonen protag would probably get you all kinds of dead really quickly. Nevertheless, it is a combination that makes Lindon an interesting and compelling character. He’s far more interesting to read about than your typical headstrong anime hero. The rest of the cast is interesting. Although we spend very little time with the likeable ones, we do obtain enough background to care and hope that future volumes will indulge our curiosities. The one positive supporting character we really get to know is Yerin, the apprentice to a murdered sword sage. Yerin is the opposite of Lindon in almost every way. She’s brash, hotheaded, aggressive, and extremely talented. About the only thing they do have in common, aside from needing to get out of the Sacred Valley, is determination.

The story itself is nothing overly unique. Weak person needs to get stronger, struggles against adversity, and overcomes every obstacle with determination, cleverness, help from friends, and the occasional intervention from a higher being. It takes place in a giant wonderous world filled with spirit animals, over the top martial arts, and glimpses of something even stranger on the horizon. Honestly, if I could take a tour of Cradle, the world in which Unsouled takes place, the chance to see spirit foxes who can project dreams, ancient trees that develop rudimentary consciousness, and fighters wielding lightning bolts from the backs of winged beasts would be worth the tremendous risk to life and limb that spending any time on Cradle would bring.

I can recommend this book to anyone who has ever had to struggle to overcome a disability, anyone who enjoys over the top action with anime flair, and anyone who knows the true meaning of "Dattebayo!”