Finished The Heart Forger (21), by Rin Chupeco. Great follow up to the first. This is a very unique story, told in multiple timelines. And, I can't put them down once starting.

Finished Caine Black Knife(20), by Matthew Stover. Really good book. I liked it alot more than the torture porn that is Blade of Tyshalle. Quick fun read for anyone out there. Though, I suspect you need to read the previous two first.

@Wilshire, I said in an earlier post that I couldn't wait for the sequel to The Unhewn Throne. Er, I've read the trilogy. Lmao, guess I was confusing it with another trilogy.

@SmilerLoki,  I won't say you're wrong, but I think that's why I enjoyed it so much. See, every "new age" dark, gritty fantasy, all we see is grey characters. It was refreshing to read some bullshit I guess. I was quite fond of it.

The Fifth Season (Broken Earth 1) N. K. Jemisin (33)
This was a great book. Or at least, the plot was very interesting - I was really sucked into it - and the worldbuilding seemed to be pretty deep - if left mostly mysterious. The magic was quite fun as well. Writing/prose was not the best, but she did some great things with  perspective (who writes in 2nd person??) and timeline, which made it a fun read. Highly recommended.

Then you'll be pleased with the sequels. Because the depth and mystery of that world is revealed. And, it's pretty damn cool.

Figured this the best place to post this. But, Erikson has just released a new sci-fi novel Rejoice, a Knife to the Heart.

Here's the link, http://thewertzone.blogspot.com/2018/09/rejoice-knife-to-heart-by-steven-erikson.html

ETA: not released, will be in October.

My understanding of your post also was, it might be that the No-God itself is just a tool to reduce the population to the blessed 144k, with no other function. Which would mean the 144k is what needs to be achieved, not the No-God. Personally, i don't think so, as I've outlined above. But that's in no way certain, and is mainly based on the fact that the existence of the No-God even without the world being reduced to the 144k has a certain effect on the great cycle of souls, which involves the Outside. Additionally, there is that whole "invisible to the Gods" thing.

Bakker said in a Q&A that when the Inchies inoculated the Nonmen and it resulted in the death of the females;  that they then found a dread function for the No-God. I assume that means that no births will occur during the rise of the No-God.

I have seen theories upon theories about 144,000. It's the only reason I mentioned it. One, that during Akka's dream where Nayu is a wretch in line, being led to the Golden Room, that the Consult was feeding the No-God. And, once it had 144,000 souls it would rise. We now know that's patently false.

The Outside is not shut, correct. Bakker has even stated that the gods can function, as you've said. But, the No-God has stopped the cycle of souls, hence the still births. To shut the Outside, it would seem that the No-Gods purpose is to whittle the population down to 144,000. It's like a threshold needed to shut the Gods off from the Inside (Earwa).

Again, I never expect to get the how's of things, only the why's.

It's a strange thing. Yes, the No-God does something with birth, though we don't know what. But just by being there it doesn't close the world. Sorcery is contingent on the Outside and still works, the Gods are able to act and were able in the First Apocalypse, I'm pretty sure Ciphrang can still be summoned, and also, as dragharrow succinctly put it above, if it was enough for the No-God to just exist to prevent souls from going to Hell (or, much less likely, Heaven), the whole Apocalypse and 144k thing would've been totally unnecessary.

Considering all of this, I don't think it is correct to say that the world is closed in any way.

All of that is true, just I have a thought on the above bolded. It's said/prophesied that once the population is below 144,000 then Earwa is shut from the Outside. Hence, the No-God. The means to reduce the population to below 144,000. That is the plan of the Consult/Mutilated, to free themselves of damnation. That number was never needed to raise the No-God, it is the goal.