The second volume in the New York Times best-selling Cradle series! Lindon has taken his first step on the road to power, but the sacred artists of the world outside his homeland are still far beyond him. To advance, he turns to the arcane skills of the Soulsmiths, who craft weapons from the stuff of souls. With new powers come new enemies, but also new allies, including a mysterious mentor who seems interested in Lindon for his own purposes. Even with new training and new help, Lindon is still only a Copper, and he soon finds himself facing down an entire sect of enemy Golds. SERIES DESCRIPTION The Cradle series is the best-selling example of the Progression Fantasy subgenre, which includes works of fantasy where the primary plot revolves around a character growing more powerful in their use of magic. Cradle is high-stakes, fast-paced, and action-focused, with minimal time dedicated to world-building, and as such the books are lean and focused. The series is often compared to anime, with fans using phrases like “anime in book form” or “fantasy novels meet Dragon Ball Z,” emphasizing the story’s specialty of loud and colorful super-powered battles. A Perfect Blend of Character Progression and Hard Magic This was the most fun book I've read in quite a while. It's a worthy successor to Unsouled, which I also enjoyed significantly. If you liked Unsouled, I think you'll like this as well. The bottom line? Will Wight is defining a new genre that blends the long-term character progression of Eastern fiction with Sanderson-esque hard magic - and I can't wait to read more. -- Andrew Rowe Brilliant Character personality writing. Progressive growth in power. Engaging story. Fun and Action Packed. Will Wight does a great job of making a reader emphatize with his main characters. The story feels reasonably realistic and the world feels harsh, as well as well developed and enticing. This is the kind of story where the protagonists grow from strength to strength - my favourite kind. The main character is absolutely weak compared to the people around him, but has energy, drive and cunning. He knows how to think on his feet and his interactions with the world and people around him feel substantial and real. -- Lightsyde The rubber meets the road I just love that Wight doesn't give Lindon anything freely. No gods granting him powers, no personal epiphanies unveiling surprising abilities, just his own grit and determination as he claws his way forward even as he's shoved two steps back. His newest and extremely powerful benefactor could have been framed as an easy-way-out solution to leveling Lindon up quickly and efficiently, but it's already clear that nothing about his plans will be straightforward or easy. -- Meghan Remington My favorite story yet from Will Wight The real prize in this story however, is the magic system Mr. Wight has created to fuel the plot. He gives enough detail about how and why the Sacred Arts work to satisfy my technical curiosity, but was also able to structure things in a way that there aren't really any boundaries to this power. The author is pretty much unrestricted in the fireworks he can show us, and have it still make perfect sense in the storyline. -- Anvil Will Wight is the  New York Times and #1 Kindle best-selling author of The Cradle series, as well as The Traveler's Gate trilogy and the Elder Empire cycle, though these titles may differ in alternate timelines. His true power is only unleashed during a full moon when he transforms into a monstrous mongoose. Will lives in Florida, lurking beneath the swamps to ambush prey. He graduated from the University of Central Florida where he received a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and a cursed coin of Spanish gold. Visit his website for eldritch incantations, book news, and a blessing of prosperity for your crops. If you believe you have experienced a sighting of Will Wight, please report it to the agents listening from your attic. To contact him, you can comment on his website , visit his official  Facebook page , track him down on  Instagram , or write his name thirty-three times on the beach at low tide. Any of the above will cause him to call to you from the waves. He’d lost his smile somewhere along the way, and he was giving her a look of such intensity that she wondered if she was seeing him for the first time. “And that is exactly the problem I wish to solve. I have been looking for people to walk with me every step of the way.” “Where to?” she asked. “To the end.” He let that hang in the air, resonating with honest yearning like a pure musical note. The end of the sacred arts. It was the definition of a myth, the unattainable goal sought by every Path. “You think Lindon can keep up?” Eithan gave a little shrug. “He’s a gamble, I’ll admit. But if it pays off, then I’m more worried about you keeping up with him.” Pg 271