[Threshold] On the future of the Cradle series
I've just finished my 3rd read of the series and I've been fantasizing about how could we get more Cradle content, so I just wanted to put my thoughts into words and toss them in here to see if it sparks a bit of friendly discussion.
Sadly, I genuinely don't think another Lindon-centric series could work. One of the things that makes Cradle work so well is that we see his complete journey from powerless to over-powered, however by the time of his Ascension, while not Judge level, he's already practically a monster by Abidan standards, so the journey would feel incomplete. This however doesn't mean that we can't see him again, since he still has a long Way (hehe) to go (his Archlord revelation was after all that he would never stop trying to gain power), and he has more than enough potential to eventually rival Ozriel.
A series focused on Lirin would also be very volatile, as it would have to somehow introduce stakes to the character without undermining our beloved extremely overpowered Dreadgod, so I think it's a risk not worth taking unless Will gets a Very Good Idea.
I do think however, that there are ways that we could see more of their future adventures in a more complete format than the wonderful Threshold book, mainly 2 that I've thought of:
- Another series in another Iteration with another cast of protagonists but with heavy Abidan presence in the narrative, similar to Cradle, where the gang make regular guest appearances. The problem is that in order to not spark conflict with readers unfamiliar to Cradle, the depth at which the Abidan are explored would have to be about even with Cradle, which to us avid Willverse fans would be entirely insufficient.
- (Personally my favorite) Whenever Will gets tired of writing books for another series, some self-conclusive novels about the adventures of the Reapers could be a way to unwind with a familiar and nostalgic set of characters. Similarly to some of the Threshold stories but more in-depth, the gang could maybe deal with a way harder to save world, requiring them to work together (maybe even power up a bit and butt heads with a Class One Fiend!). I honestly think an occasional standalone post-Ascension book would work great, without the complications of trying to come up with an overarching plot involving the gang.
Anyways that's just the things I've daydreamed about, if anyone has more ideas do share them so we can cope together!