Will Wight


William Lawrence Wight III is an American author of fantasy literature. He independently published the Cradle series, which has topped the Amazon Kindle Store's bestseller list on multiple occasions and made the New York Times Best Seller list. He also wrote the Traveler's Gate trilogy and Elder Empire series.

Early life

Will Wight was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and received his B.A in 2011 and M.F.A in 2013 in Creative Writing from the University of Central Florida. He is the first of three siblings.

Career

Will Wight began self-publishing novels in 2013 with the Traveler's Gate series, starting with the book House of Blades, which he wrote while earning his master's degree. He has stated his coursework during his degree was integral to helping him form the structure that he uses to write his books. House of Blades was so successful that Wight was able to become a full-time independent writer shortly after it was published. He later founded Hidden Gnome Publishing as an independent business to handle publishing, merchandising, and other related activities. In 2022, he funded the publication of physical books through Kickstarter.
He won the Stabby Award for Best Self-Published/Independent Novel of 2013 on Reddit's r/Fantasy for his first book House of Blades. Wight subsequently won the same award two more times in 2018 for Ghostwater, and in 2019 for Underlord. Due to his number of wins, Wight was retired from eligibility for the awards in 2020. The audiobooks for Bloodline, Reaper, Dreadgod, and Waybound narrated by Travis Baldree, appeared on the New York Times Best Seller list for the month that they were released. The audiobook of the final volume of Cradle, Waybound was the best seller on Audible the week it was released. An animatic for Cradle, covering the first two books of the series, premiered on November 1st 2025.
Wight takes inspiration from xianxia and wuxia literature, as part of the emerging Western equivalent, the progression fantasy and cultivation genres.
Wight has attended Dragon Con, and frequently livestreams on Twitch before and after book releases.

Novels

The novels take place in the same multiverse, within universes called Iterations which have different magic systems but which follow similar underlying principles. An organization named the Abidan maintains and manages these Iterations, though maintaining a policy of non-interference regarding day-to-day affairs.

Traveler's Gate series

On an Iteration called Amalgam, Travelers gain power from otherworldly Territories. The series centers on Simon, a boy who earns his power to save his friends and family. Soon, he finds himself caught in greater battles.
  1. House of Blades,
  2. The Crimson Vault,
  3. City of Light,

    Elder Empire series

On the Iteration of Asylum, Elders are powerful inhuman entities, restrained by the Emperor of the Aurelian Empire. After his death, the balances of power begin to shift.
These books consist of two parallel series, with a different protagonist.
The Elder Empire: Shadow
The assassin Shera pursues anti-authoritarian agenda.
  1. Of Shadow and Sea
  2. Of Darkness and Dawn
  3. ''Of Killers and Kings''
    The Elder Empire: Sea
Calder Marten, captain of The Testament, works to restore the Empire.
  1. Of Sea and Shadow
  2. Of Dawn and Darkness
  3. ''Of Kings and Killers''

    Cradle

On the Iteration known as Cradle, Wei Shi Lindon is born a weak Unsouled, forbidden to seek power in the sacred arts, a dictate which he breaks.
  1. Unsouled
  2. Soulsmith
  3. Blackflame
  4. Skysworn
  5. Ghostwater
  6. Underlord
  7. Uncrowned
  8. Wintersteel
  9. Bloodline
  10. Reaper
  11. Dreadgod
  12. Waybound
  13. ''Threshold''

    The Last Horizon

In the Iteration called Fathom, Varic Vallenar captains The Last Horizon while trying to save his Iteration from various apocalypses.
  1. The Captain
  2. The Engineer
  3. The Knight
  4. ''The Pilot''

    Short stories

  • "The Savior of Garden's Gate"