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The Inheritance Cycle #3
Brisingr
OATHS SWORN . . . loyalties tested . . . forces collide.
Following the colossal battle against the Empire’s warriors on the Burning Plains, Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have narrowly escaped with their lives. Still there is more at hand for the Rider and his dragon, as Eragon finds himself bound by a tangle of promises he may not be able to keep.
First is Eragon’s oath to his cousin Roran: to help rescue Roran’s beloved, Katrina, from King Galbatorix’s clutches. But Eragon owes his loyalty to others, too. The Varden are in desperate need of his talents and strength—as are the elves and dwarves. When unrest claims the rebels and danger strikes from every corner, Eragon must make choices— choices that take him across the Empire and beyond, choices that may lead to unimagined sacrifice.
Eragon is the greatest hope to rid the land of tyranny. Can this once-simple farm boy unite the rebel forces and defeat the king?
The third instalment of a wonderfu fantasy franchise
800 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 20, 2008
9316 people are currently reading
121886 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Paolini
112 books42.7k followersChristopher Paolini was born in Southern California and has lived most of his life in Paradise Valley, Montana. He published his first novel, Eragon, in 2003 at the age of nineteen, and quickly became a publishing phenomenon. His Inheritance Cycle—Eragon and its three sequels—have sold nearly 40 million copies worldwide.
To Sleep in a Sea of Stars
was his first adult novel.
Visit Paolini.net and Fractalverse.net for the latest news about this project and follow Christopher on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.
Visit Paolini.net and Fractalverse.net for the latest news about this project and follow Christopher on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 12,079 reviews
December 20, 2025
Absolutely brilliant!
There's something special about a series that you can read time and time again, and always come away with a new interpretation and sense of wonder.
One thing that hasn't changed (despite how many times I've read this series) is my complete and utter love for the world of Alegaesia.
We follow Eragon, once a simple farm boy, now a Dragon Rider and Alegaesia's only hope for freedom, as he fights for his country and against the evil emperor, Galbatorix.
Through Eragon's detour into Farthen Dur, we learn how deep his morals run and his true character. I appreciate how Paolini is able to keep Eragon human and deeply flawed despite his almost infinite powers.
Through Sapphira's scenes, we finally know what it is like to be a dragon. Complete with magic, mystery and awe-inspiring moments.
"The monsters of the mind are far worse than those that actually exist."
Through the Trial of Long Knives, we learn the strength and tenacity of Nasuada (leader of the Varden). She became an absolute pinnacle of grace, poise and ruthlessness in one, short scene.
"Die puny human!"
And through the election of the next Dwarven king, we truly learn how deeply convoluted and boring Dwarf politics can be (I'm not saying it wasn't important, but good lord that was a long scene).
Overall, I liked this one. (okay, okay I realllllly liked this one.)
Christopher Paolini does such an amazing job fleshing out the world of Alegaesia. I wholly regret that this world is one of fiction.
I loved the return of Angela and her werecat - every scene the two of them were in just absolutely shone.
I adored how much Roran has grown and changed over the past few books. Katrina has stepped up to the plate and has so much more personality now - it's wonderful!
The only thing that I wish would be differed would be the romance. I really wanted to see the romance between Eragon and Arya develop a bit more. I feel like there is so much potential but we only see a small sliver of that.
Absolutely cannot wait for the next book!
Audiobook Comments
Read by Gerard Doyle and I love the consistency of the narration. These books are all over 20 hours, so I really commend the narrator. Also, love the accent that Murtagh (Eragon's brother) has... BUT the dragon accents are just miserable. Picture Yoda with a head cold, gargling nails.
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October 6, 2008
For the love of all that is good and decent in the world, MAKE THE EXPOSITION STOP!!!
I didn't think it was possible for this series to get worse after Eldest. I was wrong. This book is nearly 800 pages of pointless adjectives, with perhaps six pages' worth of plot... most of which is just review (described in *excruciating* detail) from the previous books.
Don't waste your time or money... unless you really need a cure for insomnia.
I didn't think it was possible for this series to get worse after Eldest. I was wrong. This book is nearly 800 pages of pointless adjectives, with perhaps six pages' worth of plot... most of which is just review (described in *excruciating* detail) from the previous books.
Don't waste your time or money... unless you really need a cure for insomnia.
September 7, 2011
An extremely long-winded "full" review by me for this book is on my site here.
Everyone's been asking me to review the third book in this series, so here I go. In case you didn't notice, it took me over a thousand days to force myself to tackle it, but I decided my Labor Day weekend needed to be ruined by something.
My review is pretty much a ramble about everything I disliked about this book, but I'll try to keep it relatively short.
The author still has basic storytelling problems. The main one I keep noticing is that he is trying to work description or exposition into the action more, but it still reads like he's stopping the "movie," ZOOMING IN ON EVERYTHING, and then pushing PLAY again when he's done. We nearly always get an extremely detailed description of every weapon, every person, every room, and every setting the characters encounter, and the adjectives used aren't connected to actions or attitudes. Or if it's exposition, maybe we'll have someone cast a spell, and then the action pauses while we endure two paragraphs of narration about other caveats to the spell that could have been applied but aren't useful here, and what might happen if it fails, and all kinds of trivia about other magics that are like this one--none of which end up being important in the scene. He's still failing to filter these observations through the minds of his characters, which dooms the narrative voice because it takes us OUT of the moment every single time.
He has also made some poor choices with apparently unintentionally sexist phrases and disturbing attitudes toward women, most notably by "telling" that Arya is brave and independent and capable but "showing" that she is not any of these things because she needs to be rescued AGAIN. There were so many other people Eragon could have had to rescue from imminent death, and yet again Paolini chose Arya as the damsel in distress. She holds her own and later saves his ass once too, but framing women like this suggests that the strong ones are the exception to the rule. And sometimes, Roran talks like a rapist. It's really uncomfortable:
Katrina: "My, you are bold, dear sir. Most bold indeed. I'm not sure I should be alone with you, for fear you might take liberties with me."
Roran:"Liberties, eh? Well, since you already consider me a scoundrel, I might as well enjoy some of these liberties."
Katrina:"You're a hard man to argue with, Roran Stronghammer."
So, take note, dudes. If a girl says she's worried being alone with you might lead to you pressuring her, you might as well actually do it since she thinks that way about you anyway. Such coquettish banter, this.
Add to that the fact that Saphira's narration is really obnoxious and recoil in horror at some of the untidy retcons Paolini tried to force into the story, and you have a very good reason to believe this fellow has not learned from experience.
Bad Narration: Stylistically, narration is pretty terrible in this book. The similes and metaphors are especially galling, and I noticed that a disturbing number of his comparisons involved geological themes. I mean everything was hard "as diamonds" or heavy "as lead" or bright "as gold." No one can just be "distinguished"; she's "the most distinguished, like an emerald resting on a bed of brown autumn leaves." Someone should tell Paolini we don't need everything compared to something else in order to understand it. Even a monster's blood, which happens to be blue-green, is described as "not unlike the verdigris that forms on aged copper." Coming across "Her tears appeared like rivers of silvered glass" just made me groan. And how about "Red as a ruby dipped in blood, red as iron hot to forge, red as a burning ember of hate and anger. . . ." So . . . was it red? As red as HATE and stuff? Don't forget to dip red things in other red things so you can go off on how red they are! And let's not forget "A flock of starlings darted across the afternoon sky, like fish through the ocean." 'Cause "a group of animals moved through their habitat, like another group of animals moving through their habitat" really helps us see it better? And the biggest problem with it is it's not just distracting and unnecessary; sometimes they place an alternate image in your mind and draw your attention AWAY from the object or situation he is describing.
The unnecessary description is especially pronounced when it comes to describing weapons. Paolini devotes an inordinate amount of time to his descriptions of swords and other tools. One of the shorter descriptions was as follows: "[A] bizarre implement: a single-edged weapon, two and a half feet long, with a full tang, scale grips, a vestigial crossguard, and a broad, flat blade that widened and was scalloped near the end, a shape reminiscent of a dragon wing." I found one sword description--for a sword the protagonist only used for a couple chapters--at a mind-blowing two hundred words, and don't even get me started on the chapter where Eragon actually makes a sword that matters. Twelve pages of excruciating detail explain how exactly he made the sword, and it reads like an instruction manual. (Because Paolini freely admits he was fascinated with a certain Japanese swordmaking book at the time. Gee, you can't tell.) It's like if you just wanted to watch a crime thriller and twenty minutes of the footage involved an autopsy detailing exactly how the victim died. Some of the descriptions actually truly do not make sense, such as the description of Arya's voice as "Her low, rich voice contained hints of rustling pine needles and gurgling brooks and music played on reed pipes." Can you imagine that? Someone's VOICE having all those things in it? Considering the gurgling, I think Arya may need a doctor.
And let's not forget our old friend the unnecessary speech tags.
"But how could you prove that?" objected Eragon.
::sigh::
I shouldn't have to say it again, but if the WORDS THEMSELVES are an apology, an agreement, or an objection, you DO NOT NEED TO IDENTIFY THEM AS SUCH with your speech tags? ARE YOU ALLERGIC TO THE WORD "SAID," MY DEAR BOY?
("Yes, yes he is," said the exasperated author of this essay.)
And my favorite, of course, was when I encountered a single sentence that was 307 words long. Also known as "this is where the editor fell asleep." The narration described all the dwarves who were sitting around a table, and the sentence contained 9 semicolons, 28 commas, and 26 descriptive adjectives. When the final dwarf was described as "she of the nut-brown skin marred only by a thin, crescent-shaped scar high upon her left cheekbone, she of the satin-bright hair bound underneath a silver helm wrought in the shape of a snarling wolf's head, she of the vermilion dress and the necklace of flashing emeralds set in squares of gold carved with lines of arcane runes" . . . I really thought I was going to shoot myself.
Bad Dialogue: Two big problems. One: everyone--no matter their education--talks as though they are royalty, and it is uncomfortably unnatural. Roran, the illiterate farm boy, says "You dote upon her words as if each one were a diamond, and your gaze lingers upon her as if you were starving and she a grand feast arrayed an inch beyond your reach." You'd never guess his job is beating people to death with a hammer. Two: Other people's reaction is to praise their verbal abilities. This happens like six different times in the book, and I am convinced it is an attempted Jedi mind trick on Paolini's part. A character says something awkwardly phrased, long-winded, and overly ornate, and another character tells him how poetic he is or expresses amazement and surprise at his eloquence. Is he just trying to convince us that's so? (The "cursing," which happens a couple times when characters who are very angry spew out a stream of obscenities, is especially inappropriate. They all sound like they've been taking insult lessons from the French Taunter.)
And I probably don't have to say why a fantasy novel that actually contains the phrase "Die, puny human!" should be punished and reminded to go on the paper.
Predictable Plot Elements: This book is riddled with "revelations" that are written as if they will be a surprise to the reader, but I feel almost insulted when the narration suggests I didn't know. Take for instance monsters that are left for dead and actually aren't--wow, never saw that coming! Or a girl being revealed as being pregnant after her "secret" was already referred to multiple times, including her acting weird whenever having children is mentioned. How about when a character mysteriously referring to his "hearts" instead of his "heart" turns out to--oh my gosh--actually be foreshadowing? Yeah. It's really insulting.
Nonsensical, Contrived, or Contradictory Plot Elements: The most obvious and most drastically awful problem with this book is that the magic system continues to be incoherent and continues to get worse. People cast spells that go against the rules of spellcasting, or in a couple cases contradict everything Paolini has said. (Especially one scene where Eragon saves himself from an attack without using conscious thought or magic words; he has no time to compose a spell either mentally or verbally, and so he just "rewove the fabric of the world into a pattern more pleasing to him." This is established as NOT how magic works.) He also gets a ridiculous magic sword that bursts into flames for no reason every time he says the magic word for "fire," and seems shocked that fire was produced even though he didn't try to cast a spell. Guess what? Saying "fire" in the Ancient Language WHILE THINKING IT WAS A CURSE WORD and NOT KNOWING HE EVEN HAD MAGIC was how Eragon accidentally cast his first spell in the first book. Why is it so unbelievable now? Eragon also randomly guesses--on the first try--another character's true name, by which he can control him with magic. This wasn't a person he knew really well (Arya suggests Eragon doesn't even know her well enough to guess her true name, but he figured out the true name of his cousin's fiancée's dad), and there's no precedent for this random true name discovering in the book, before or since. In fact, when Eragon's worried that Galbatorix might guess HIS true name, Arya completely dismisses it as impossible. Huh?
Eragon denies Roran's request to be made more powerful through magic because he would "lose whatever strength or speed" that Roran would gain from it. This isn't how magic works in his story either. When he cursed Elva to grow up too fast, he didn't literally lose years. When he heals people he doesn't lose his own health. Admit it, Eragon. You just want an excuse to be the most badass in the story. It seems like Paolini's magic system only makes sense in weird little pockets of logic that wouldn't actually add up to a comprehensive set of physical laws. And you know why he does this? Because he constructs his physical laws around what he wants to happen instead of having things happen that reflect the physical laws.
There is also a consistent, disturbing trend for Eragon and Saphira to threaten people, barely suppress their own violent intent, and behave like tyrants. Saphira snorts fire at someone who said she couldn't have mead (after which he changes his mind right quick, and it's written as funny), and she attacks a tree spirit when it doesn't answer her fast enough. Even worse, Eragon tortures a blind man and banishes him (then gets emo about what HE went through having to do that), ignores a man's mortally ill wife to go drinking with his buddies until he's reminded again to heal her, and seriously considers taking the dwarf council hostage if they don't vote how he wants them to. It's horrible, and yet the narration treats Eragon as though he is a gleaming hero.
A hole: Paolini writes in English. The language of the humans is never named, but we just understand that it's the common language. Its not having its own name doesn't fit in with anything established in the story, and he keeps calling it "Eragon's own tongue." C'mon Paolini. Name it. You name everything else, including swords, and you name your main characters three or four times depending on who's talking to them. I bet you named your buttcheeks. You can name the language.
Arya tracks Eragon down at one point, and when he asks how she found him, she explains that "A Rider does not walk unnoticed in this world, Eragon. Those who have the ears to hear and the eyes to see can interpret the signs easily enough." She goes on for a while and it's clear he basically leaves a track in the air. I hereby dub this the Scent of Rider Farts. Which is going to bite Paolini in the ass really hard, if pretty much anyone can track him due to his being unable to walk unnoticed in the world. Perhaps his Protagonist Powers will counter this tremendous disadvantage?
I also have a problem with the magically enhanced soldiers the evil king sends at Eragon and his allies. They've been modified to not feel pain. This somehow makes them harder to kill, which makes no sense. They only die when they're hacked apart or beheaded, like zombies, but if the only reason they keep advancing when they're mortally wounded is that they don't feel or fear pain, it seems ridiculous that mortal injuries don't still make them go into shock or bleed to death. Painless soldiers actually shouldn't be harder to kill.
The aforementioned retcons mostly involved changing Eragon's known father from Morzan to Brom. In order to make Brom fit as his father, an entire chapter devoted to unpacking misconceptions and exposing lies he'd been told had to be inserted, wrapped up by a conveniently "recorded" memory Saphira had kept for Eragon in which Brom confessed to being his father. There were so many holes that had to be plugged and so many queries that ended in "Well Brom never told anyone why he did this or that" that I felt very strongly that this was an attempted twist that fell as flat as M. Night Shyamalan's movies starting with Signs. I imagine Paolini just got tired of being told he was writing Star Wars in Middle-Earth and decided to undo Luke Skywalker being Darth Vader's son.
And as a good thing about the book, I chuckled when Eragon asked if there was anything he could do to appease the dwarf clan that hates him and Orik replied, "You could die." Yes, you could, Eragon. Why don't you get on that?
I must say this was a terribly difficult book for me to read and I honestly do not think Christopher Paolini is improving as a writer. There were perhaps three places in the book that I was interested in what was going to happen, and there were MANY places where I honestly would have just put the book down and not thought of it again if I weren't trying to review it critically. It's frustrating, because Paolini has determination and imagination, but his incredibly debilitating flaws are his inability to write character and his absolutely tone-deaf prose (especially since he decorates it after the fact with gaudy adjectives resembling fake versions of the gemstones he's always shoving into his similes). If he would learn to write people as if they were something other than plot devices and learn to stop writing narration as if he is an overenthusiastic performer, he might improve. Until he does so--until he realizes he ought to--he will continue to be a lucky kid who grew up to be a below average writer . . . an artist whose art is only admired by those who don't know better.
Everyone's been asking me to review the third book in this series, so here I go. In case you didn't notice, it took me over a thousand days to force myself to tackle it, but I decided my Labor Day weekend needed to be ruined by something.
My review is pretty much a ramble about everything I disliked about this book, but I'll try to keep it relatively short.
The author still has basic storytelling problems. The main one I keep noticing is that he is trying to work description or exposition into the action more, but it still reads like he's stopping the "movie," ZOOMING IN ON EVERYTHING, and then pushing PLAY again when he's done. We nearly always get an extremely detailed description of every weapon, every person, every room, and every setting the characters encounter, and the adjectives used aren't connected to actions or attitudes. Or if it's exposition, maybe we'll have someone cast a spell, and then the action pauses while we endure two paragraphs of narration about other caveats to the spell that could have been applied but aren't useful here, and what might happen if it fails, and all kinds of trivia about other magics that are like this one--none of which end up being important in the scene. He's still failing to filter these observations through the minds of his characters, which dooms the narrative voice because it takes us OUT of the moment every single time.
He has also made some poor choices with apparently unintentionally sexist phrases and disturbing attitudes toward women, most notably by "telling" that Arya is brave and independent and capable but "showing" that she is not any of these things because she needs to be rescued AGAIN. There were so many other people Eragon could have had to rescue from imminent death, and yet again Paolini chose Arya as the damsel in distress. She holds her own and later saves his ass once too, but framing women like this suggests that the strong ones are the exception to the rule. And sometimes, Roran talks like a rapist. It's really uncomfortable:
Katrina: "My, you are bold, dear sir. Most bold indeed. I'm not sure I should be alone with you, for fear you might take liberties with me."
Roran:"Liberties, eh? Well, since you already consider me a scoundrel, I might as well enjoy some of these liberties."
Katrina:"You're a hard man to argue with, Roran Stronghammer."
So, take note, dudes. If a girl says she's worried being alone with you might lead to you pressuring her, you might as well actually do it since she thinks that way about you anyway. Such coquettish banter, this.
Add to that the fact that Saphira's narration is really obnoxious and recoil in horror at some of the untidy retcons Paolini tried to force into the story, and you have a very good reason to believe this fellow has not learned from experience.
Bad Narration: Stylistically, narration is pretty terrible in this book. The similes and metaphors are especially galling, and I noticed that a disturbing number of his comparisons involved geological themes. I mean everything was hard "as diamonds" or heavy "as lead" or bright "as gold." No one can just be "distinguished"; she's "the most distinguished, like an emerald resting on a bed of brown autumn leaves." Someone should tell Paolini we don't need everything compared to something else in order to understand it. Even a monster's blood, which happens to be blue-green, is described as "not unlike the verdigris that forms on aged copper." Coming across "Her tears appeared like rivers of silvered glass" just made me groan. And how about "Red as a ruby dipped in blood, red as iron hot to forge, red as a burning ember of hate and anger. . . ." So . . . was it red? As red as HATE and stuff? Don't forget to dip red things in other red things so you can go off on how red they are! And let's not forget "A flock of starlings darted across the afternoon sky, like fish through the ocean." 'Cause "a group of animals moved through their habitat, like another group of animals moving through their habitat" really helps us see it better? And the biggest problem with it is it's not just distracting and unnecessary; sometimes they place an alternate image in your mind and draw your attention AWAY from the object or situation he is describing.
The unnecessary description is especially pronounced when it comes to describing weapons. Paolini devotes an inordinate amount of time to his descriptions of swords and other tools. One of the shorter descriptions was as follows: "[A] bizarre implement: a single-edged weapon, two and a half feet long, with a full tang, scale grips, a vestigial crossguard, and a broad, flat blade that widened and was scalloped near the end, a shape reminiscent of a dragon wing." I found one sword description--for a sword the protagonist only used for a couple chapters--at a mind-blowing two hundred words, and don't even get me started on the chapter where Eragon actually makes a sword that matters. Twelve pages of excruciating detail explain how exactly he made the sword, and it reads like an instruction manual. (Because Paolini freely admits he was fascinated with a certain Japanese swordmaking book at the time. Gee, you can't tell.) It's like if you just wanted to watch a crime thriller and twenty minutes of the footage involved an autopsy detailing exactly how the victim died. Some of the descriptions actually truly do not make sense, such as the description of Arya's voice as "Her low, rich voice contained hints of rustling pine needles and gurgling brooks and music played on reed pipes." Can you imagine that? Someone's VOICE having all those things in it? Considering the gurgling, I think Arya may need a doctor.
And let's not forget our old friend the unnecessary speech tags.
"But how could you prove that?" objected Eragon.
::sigh::
I shouldn't have to say it again, but if the WORDS THEMSELVES are an apology, an agreement, or an objection, you DO NOT NEED TO IDENTIFY THEM AS SUCH with your speech tags? ARE YOU ALLERGIC TO THE WORD "SAID," MY DEAR BOY?
("Yes, yes he is," said the exasperated author of this essay.)
And my favorite, of course, was when I encountered a single sentence that was 307 words long. Also known as "this is where the editor fell asleep." The narration described all the dwarves who were sitting around a table, and the sentence contained 9 semicolons, 28 commas, and 26 descriptive adjectives. When the final dwarf was described as "she of the nut-brown skin marred only by a thin, crescent-shaped scar high upon her left cheekbone, she of the satin-bright hair bound underneath a silver helm wrought in the shape of a snarling wolf's head, she of the vermilion dress and the necklace of flashing emeralds set in squares of gold carved with lines of arcane runes" . . . I really thought I was going to shoot myself.
Bad Dialogue: Two big problems. One: everyone--no matter their education--talks as though they are royalty, and it is uncomfortably unnatural. Roran, the illiterate farm boy, says "You dote upon her words as if each one were a diamond, and your gaze lingers upon her as if you were starving and she a grand feast arrayed an inch beyond your reach." You'd never guess his job is beating people to death with a hammer. Two: Other people's reaction is to praise their verbal abilities. This happens like six different times in the book, and I am convinced it is an attempted Jedi mind trick on Paolini's part. A character says something awkwardly phrased, long-winded, and overly ornate, and another character tells him how poetic he is or expresses amazement and surprise at his eloquence. Is he just trying to convince us that's so? (The "cursing," which happens a couple times when characters who are very angry spew out a stream of obscenities, is especially inappropriate. They all sound like they've been taking insult lessons from the French Taunter.)
And I probably don't have to say why a fantasy novel that actually contains the phrase "Die, puny human!" should be punished and reminded to go on the paper.
Predictable Plot Elements: This book is riddled with "revelations" that are written as if they will be a surprise to the reader, but I feel almost insulted when the narration suggests I didn't know. Take for instance monsters that are left for dead and actually aren't--wow, never saw that coming! Or a girl being revealed as being pregnant after her "secret" was already referred to multiple times, including her acting weird whenever having children is mentioned. How about when a character mysteriously referring to his "hearts" instead of his "heart" turns out to--oh my gosh--actually be foreshadowing? Yeah. It's really insulting.
Nonsensical, Contrived, or Contradictory Plot Elements: The most obvious and most drastically awful problem with this book is that the magic system continues to be incoherent and continues to get worse. People cast spells that go against the rules of spellcasting, or in a couple cases contradict everything Paolini has said. (Especially one scene where Eragon saves himself from an attack without using conscious thought or magic words; he has no time to compose a spell either mentally or verbally, and so he just "rewove the fabric of the world into a pattern more pleasing to him." This is established as NOT how magic works.) He also gets a ridiculous magic sword that bursts into flames for no reason every time he says the magic word for "fire," and seems shocked that fire was produced even though he didn't try to cast a spell. Guess what? Saying "fire" in the Ancient Language WHILE THINKING IT WAS A CURSE WORD and NOT KNOWING HE EVEN HAD MAGIC was how Eragon accidentally cast his first spell in the first book. Why is it so unbelievable now? Eragon also randomly guesses--on the first try--another character's true name, by which he can control him with magic. This wasn't a person he knew really well (Arya suggests Eragon doesn't even know her well enough to guess her true name, but he figured out the true name of his cousin's fiancée's dad), and there's no precedent for this random true name discovering in the book, before or since. In fact, when Eragon's worried that Galbatorix might guess HIS true name, Arya completely dismisses it as impossible. Huh?
Eragon denies Roran's request to be made more powerful through magic because he would "lose whatever strength or speed" that Roran would gain from it. This isn't how magic works in his story either. When he cursed Elva to grow up too fast, he didn't literally lose years. When he heals people he doesn't lose his own health. Admit it, Eragon. You just want an excuse to be the most badass in the story. It seems like Paolini's magic system only makes sense in weird little pockets of logic that wouldn't actually add up to a comprehensive set of physical laws. And you know why he does this? Because he constructs his physical laws around what he wants to happen instead of having things happen that reflect the physical laws.
There is also a consistent, disturbing trend for Eragon and Saphira to threaten people, barely suppress their own violent intent, and behave like tyrants. Saphira snorts fire at someone who said she couldn't have mead (after which he changes his mind right quick, and it's written as funny), and she attacks a tree spirit when it doesn't answer her fast enough. Even worse, Eragon tortures a blind man and banishes him (then gets emo about what HE went through having to do that), ignores a man's mortally ill wife to go drinking with his buddies until he's reminded again to heal her, and seriously considers taking the dwarf council hostage if they don't vote how he wants them to. It's horrible, and yet the narration treats Eragon as though he is a gleaming hero.
A hole: Paolini writes in English. The language of the humans is never named, but we just understand that it's the common language. Its not having its own name doesn't fit in with anything established in the story, and he keeps calling it "Eragon's own tongue." C'mon Paolini. Name it. You name everything else, including swords, and you name your main characters three or four times depending on who's talking to them. I bet you named your buttcheeks. You can name the language.
Arya tracks Eragon down at one point, and when he asks how she found him, she explains that "A Rider does not walk unnoticed in this world, Eragon. Those who have the ears to hear and the eyes to see can interpret the signs easily enough." She goes on for a while and it's clear he basically leaves a track in the air. I hereby dub this the Scent of Rider Farts. Which is going to bite Paolini in the ass really hard, if pretty much anyone can track him due to his being unable to walk unnoticed in the world. Perhaps his Protagonist Powers will counter this tremendous disadvantage?
I also have a problem with the magically enhanced soldiers the evil king sends at Eragon and his allies. They've been modified to not feel pain. This somehow makes them harder to kill, which makes no sense. They only die when they're hacked apart or beheaded, like zombies, but if the only reason they keep advancing when they're mortally wounded is that they don't feel or fear pain, it seems ridiculous that mortal injuries don't still make them go into shock or bleed to death. Painless soldiers actually shouldn't be harder to kill.
The aforementioned retcons mostly involved changing Eragon's known father from Morzan to Brom. In order to make Brom fit as his father, an entire chapter devoted to unpacking misconceptions and exposing lies he'd been told had to be inserted, wrapped up by a conveniently "recorded" memory Saphira had kept for Eragon in which Brom confessed to being his father. There were so many holes that had to be plugged and so many queries that ended in "Well Brom never told anyone why he did this or that" that I felt very strongly that this was an attempted twist that fell as flat as M. Night Shyamalan's movies starting with Signs. I imagine Paolini just got tired of being told he was writing Star Wars in Middle-Earth and decided to undo Luke Skywalker being Darth Vader's son.
And as a good thing about the book, I chuckled when Eragon asked if there was anything he could do to appease the dwarf clan that hates him and Orik replied, "You could die." Yes, you could, Eragon. Why don't you get on that?
I must say this was a terribly difficult book for me to read and I honestly do not think Christopher Paolini is improving as a writer. There were perhaps three places in the book that I was interested in what was going to happen, and there were MANY places where I honestly would have just put the book down and not thought of it again if I weren't trying to review it critically. It's frustrating, because Paolini has determination and imagination, but his incredibly debilitating flaws are his inability to write character and his absolutely tone-deaf prose (especially since he decorates it after the fact with gaudy adjectives resembling fake versions of the gemstones he's always shoving into his similes). If he would learn to write people as if they were something other than plot devices and learn to stop writing narration as if he is an overenthusiastic performer, he might improve. Until he does so--until he realizes he ought to--he will continue to be a lucky kid who grew up to be a below average writer . . . an artist whose art is only admired by those who don't know better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 30, 2008
I love this book. I wish it was longer. Amazing!
May 28, 2020
“If you wish to be happy,Eragon, Think not of what is to come nor of that which you have no control over but rather of the now and that which you are able to change”
Re-read
SPOILERS FOR ERAGON (book 1) and ELDEST (book 2) BELOW ⤵
The war against Galbatorix and his empire has begun. The Varden, the elves, the dwarves, the people of Surda and all those fighting for their freedom are counting on Eragon and Saphira to defeat the evil king. They have brought hope to all those who dare defy Galbatorix.
Galbatorix is fully prepared to kill everyone who stand against him and proves that there is no limit of crimes he'd commit to destroy them all.
Eragon and Saphira's training is almost complete, but they are needed by the Varden too much to be able to return to the beautiful forest of Ellesmera.
The two of them are bound to so many by promises and oaths and at times it feels like they are trapped by their promises, but there is no other way for them to placate those who depend on them.
Eragon promised Roran that he'd help him rescue Katrina from the Raz'ac — and that's exactly where Brisingr opens up.
I cannot possibly love Roran even more than I already do. He just continues to prove that though he be but a mere mortal, he is fierce. That part where
“To while away the day contemplating evils that might have been is to poison the happiness we already have.”
Nasuada is still proving what a fantastic leader she is despite the doubts of many. She makes the right decisions even if it's a hard one. A true icon.
We learn way more about the dwarves, their culture and politics and I loved it! I think Paolini is so good at writing magical races. They are not bland and one dimensional as some authors write them. Even the Urgles are interesting!!
I enjoyed rereading this so much and I can't wait to give into Inheritance!
______
My reviews of:
1: Eragon
2: Eldest
September 24, 2008
So, I was a little disappointed with this third installment of Paolini's Inheritance "Cycle" now - since he changed the game and made this a 4 book series instead of 3, as it was originally intended.
The story was good and what I have come to expect from this series. But honestly, it did not have to be 748 pages long. I understand the author's desire to flesh out his characters, but the way that he kept going back and forth between the different characters I found annoying. The descriptions of the fights did not have to be as gory or detailed as he made them, nor as long as he made them. I had several guesses going throughout the book about how the plot would unfold and I ended up getting it right - though the character I thought was being set up to die did not. There are also points of the book where I can clearly see familiar plot points that I have seen in other books or series, like Star Wars or LOTR.
I also found Paolini's waxing on religion and philosophy through his main character annoying - it's as if he is trying to make this series more poignant than it is should be - because after all, it is just a good fantasy tale at its core and I feel like he should just stick to those roots.
I will be interested to see how Paolini wraps this complex story up. He has woven a lot of moving parts together and they are all pretty complex and I wonder how the climatic battle between good and evil will finally play out. I just hope I won't have to wade through another 800 some pages to get to the end.
The story was good and what I have come to expect from this series. But honestly, it did not have to be 748 pages long. I understand the author's desire to flesh out his characters, but the way that he kept going back and forth between the different characters I found annoying. The descriptions of the fights did not have to be as gory or detailed as he made them, nor as long as he made them. I had several guesses going throughout the book about how the plot would unfold and I ended up getting it right - though the character I thought was being set up to die did not. There are also points of the book where I can clearly see familiar plot points that I have seen in other books or series, like Star Wars or LOTR.
I also found Paolini's waxing on religion and philosophy through his main character annoying - it's as if he is trying to make this series more poignant than it is should be - because after all, it is just a good fantasy tale at its core and I feel like he should just stick to those roots.
I will be interested to see how Paolini wraps this complex story up. He has woven a lot of moving parts together and they are all pretty complex and I wonder how the climatic battle between good and evil will finally play out. I just hope I won't have to wade through another 800 some pages to get to the end.
July 26, 2019
Is it just me, or is this series on a serious downward spiral? Eragon was uninventive but entertaining; Eldest was a bit of slog, but pulled through in the end; Brisingr, however, just left me exhausted and annoyed. At least half of this novel could have be edited out, and as with the previous two books, Paolini seems more interested in showing off his vocabulary (both English and invented) and in delivering lengthy, detailed battle scenes than in telling a compelling story.
August 1, 2016
If you want a story with awesome dragons and magic, this is a series to check out! I listened to this on audio and it was SO engaging. This book had a lot of action sequences, as well as many moments that were packed with emotion. What a great blend! Uhnnn, I just love it.
September 21, 2008
I just completed reading Brisingr, and I must say that I was very impressed with the plot!
To compress all of my thoughts and the plot in to only one word, this has to be it - Unpredictable.
Certain events that happened in the book really took me by surprise and I have to applaud Christopher Paolini to even think about such a complex plot. I could hardly guess what might happen in the next few pages, and the only way for me to find out was to keep my head buried deep within its depth.
Seriously, any reader who has followed the cycle closely will be in for a big surprise! That, I can promise you!
One word of advice: Do not let the horrible movie of the first book tarnish your impression of the cycle. That is probably the last thing you'd like to do. (:
I am also very eager for the next and final book to arrive. It was a bit saddening to know that Brisingr is not going to be the last one and us fans will have to go through another few years of torment to find out the ending of Eragon and Saphira.
But until then, may your swords stay sharp and let us meet at the gates of Uru'baen for the final blow!
(whoo, I managed to write a review that didn't have any spoilers!)
To compress all of my thoughts and the plot in to only one word, this has to be it - Unpredictable.
Certain events that happened in the book really took me by surprise and I have to applaud Christopher Paolini to even think about such a complex plot. I could hardly guess what might happen in the next few pages, and the only way for me to find out was to keep my head buried deep within its depth.
Seriously, any reader who has followed the cycle closely will be in for a big surprise! That, I can promise you!
One word of advice: Do not let the horrible movie of the first book tarnish your impression of the cycle. That is probably the last thing you'd like to do. (:
I am also very eager for the next and final book to arrive. It was a bit saddening to know that Brisingr is not going to be the last one and us fans will have to go through another few years of torment to find out the ending of Eragon and Saphira.
But until then, may your swords stay sharp and let us meet at the gates of Uru'baen for the final blow!
(whoo, I managed to write a review that didn't have any spoilers!)
August 28, 2016
I'm sure I'll get hate comments for this rating. But I just was bogged down by Paolini's formal and dry descriptive text. Maybe I'm just too far removed from the other books these years later. I really liked the first two, I just couldn't get into this one. I feel like the story just sort of meanders around.
(SPOILER ALERT) The wedding scene was particularly terrible. It was so long and drawn out. I don't like to go to long drawn out weddings in real life. Reading one was that much worse. (END SPOILER)
There were a two things that propelled me through the book. 1. what happens with Murtagh. 2. Do Arya & Eragon get together. Yet again, I feel as if things just sort of meandered about, story lines just got smooshed and pushed together.
Also, Eragon was so whiny. It reminded me of one of the Harry Potter books (maybe OOTP) Where Harry's character just got on my nerves. Eragon was on my nerves throughout the book. I felt like he was sort of having himself a little pity party.
Maybe this is all because Paolini is so young and started these books so young. The first book was sort of carefree for me. It was fun and exciting. The second began the bogged down descriptive nature of what has apparently become Paolini's adult style. It's very disappointing.
Perhaps if the book lost about a third of it's over descriptive text it would have been a much better, and tidier read. I rarely give up a series, but I think for the next one I'll just ask someone how it ends, instead of trying to force myself through what is likely to be another 500 pages at minimum.
(SPOILER ALERT) The wedding scene was particularly terrible. It was so long and drawn out. I don't like to go to long drawn out weddings in real life. Reading one was that much worse. (END SPOILER)
There were a two things that propelled me through the book. 1. what happens with Murtagh. 2. Do Arya & Eragon get together. Yet again, I feel as if things just sort of meandered about, story lines just got smooshed and pushed together.
Also, Eragon was so whiny. It reminded me of one of the Harry Potter books (maybe OOTP) Where Harry's character just got on my nerves. Eragon was on my nerves throughout the book. I felt like he was sort of having himself a little pity party.
Maybe this is all because Paolini is so young and started these books so young. The first book was sort of carefree for me. It was fun and exciting. The second began the bogged down descriptive nature of what has apparently become Paolini's adult style. It's very disappointing.
Perhaps if the book lost about a third of it's over descriptive text it would have been a much better, and tidier read. I rarely give up a series, but I think for the next one I'll just ask someone how it ends, instead of trying to force myself through what is likely to be another 500 pages at minimum.
March 13, 2017
Whilst I've been going through the Inheritance Series I must admit I've struggled and have thought about putting them down on more than one occasion.
However as I've pushed myself through i'm so glad that I did - the world that Paolini has created is absolutely incredible, I feel transported to a world of dragons, magic and ancient lore, its astounding to think that Paolini wrote Eragon when he was only 15!
I have been blown away by the depth of the storylines, descriptions of the scenery and the intricate characters - I cant wait to read the final installment, though I feel i'll need to read them all again as there is probably so much information I didn't completely take in!
However as I've pushed myself through i'm so glad that I did - the world that Paolini has created is absolutely incredible, I feel transported to a world of dragons, magic and ancient lore, its astounding to think that Paolini wrote Eragon when he was only 15!
I have been blown away by the depth of the storylines, descriptions of the scenery and the intricate characters - I cant wait to read the final installment, though I feel i'll need to read them all again as there is probably so much information I didn't completely take in!
November 24, 2023
The ending of this book made me cry, only for the second time in my entire life while reading a book. It was a reread but I appreciate it now way more than I ever did before. Wow. Just wow.
February 11, 2017
By far my favorite of the tetralogy. Paolini allows his characters to grow within the story in a very crafted yet natural way.
There is still plenty of irrelevant verbiage, but at this point I already got used to it.
There is still plenty of irrelevant verbiage, but at this point I already got used to it.
August 9, 2022
Brisingr continues with the rich fantasy world created in The Inheritance Cycle. Even though it utilizes some fairly well used (maybe even overused) themes and ideas in fantasy literature. Had I grown up around the time this had been published, this might have been one of the fantasy series that formed my interest in the genre as a youth. But I wasn't, and the Dragonlance books and the Belgariad took that role in the 80s and nothing will replace them. I still enjoy it, however, and I am looking forward to continuing the series.
It has a number of big, epic battles like the prior books, including one where
There were parts to this book I thought were very long and drawn out and arguably not all that necessary in their extended recitation. So overall, I felt like this one was the weakest of the books so far and I am rating it a sort of "soft" four stars. If I could do half stars, this one might have been 3.5.
It has a number of big, epic battles like the prior books, including one where
There were parts to this book I thought were very long and drawn out and arguably not all that necessary in their extended recitation. So overall, I felt like this one was the weakest of the books so far and I am rating it a sort of "soft" four stars. If I could do half stars, this one might have been 3.5.
December 10, 2008
No offense to those of you who liked this book. I had a really, really hard time getting through this one. I thought the first book of the series was neat cause it was written by a kid, but sadly, Paolini's story telling ability hasn't grown an iota.
Why did Paolini have to make this a four book series. He easily could have taken the 35 pages of actual plot from this book and prepended it to the beginning of the next book. The pace of this book was excruciating.
Does there really have to be three chapters devoted to a wedding? I can barely tolerate sitting through a wedding for a person I care about. Does Eragon really need to depart on a 150 page adventure to influence who would become the next dwarf king? Couldn't the dwarfs just have sent a memo. It's not like anyone over the age of three didn't already know who it was going to be.
It was painful to watch Eragon spend three quarters of the book whining that he doesn't have a good weapon when we all know where he has to go to get a new one. It was also painful to see Paolini twice find a lame excuse to split up Eragon and Saphira. Do we really need those tearful reunion scenes every time they don't see each other for more than a few days time?
Anyways, I'm rambling and I apologize. There were a couple redeeming parts of the book. I generally liked most of Roran's adventures. And I liked the part when I finished and could pick up another book. Too bad I'm way to big of a sucker not to buy the fourth book. Worst of all, when the next book comes out, I'll probably have forgotten how bad this one was and I'll read it again. Maybe it will be better the second time.
Why did Paolini have to make this a four book series. He easily could have taken the 35 pages of actual plot from this book and prepended it to the beginning of the next book. The pace of this book was excruciating.
Does there really have to be three chapters devoted to a wedding? I can barely tolerate sitting through a wedding for a person I care about. Does Eragon really need to depart on a 150 page adventure to influence who would become the next dwarf king? Couldn't the dwarfs just have sent a memo. It's not like anyone over the age of three didn't already know who it was going to be.
It was painful to watch Eragon spend three quarters of the book whining that he doesn't have a good weapon when we all know where he has to go to get a new one. It was also painful to see Paolini twice find a lame excuse to split up Eragon and Saphira. Do we really need those tearful reunion scenes every time they don't see each other for more than a few days time?
Anyways, I'm rambling and I apologize. There were a couple redeeming parts of the book. I generally liked most of Roran's adventures. And I liked the part when I finished and could pick up another book. Too bad I'm way to big of a sucker not to buy the fourth book. Worst of all, when the next book comes out, I'll probably have forgotten how bad this one was and I'll read it again. Maybe it will be better the second time.
Read
August 2, 2019Σουβλίσαμε και τα αρνιά, τα φάγαμε, τα χωνέψαμε, τα χεσ... και σχεδόν πάει κι ο μισός Απρίλης και πλησιάζει στο τέλος του όπου θα πάρω για τέταρτη και τελευταία φορά βιβλίο του Παολίνι και θα μάθω επιτέλους πώς τελειώνει η ιστορία που άφησα ατέλειωτη από το 2010 και δεν συνέχισα όταν πήρα το τέταρτο βιβλίο δώρο το 2014.
Όπως και με το προηγούμενο εδώ υπάρχει ξανά βελτίωση στη γραφή και στην ιστορία, εμβαθύνεται περισσότερο το ιστορικό υπόβαθρο της Αλαγαισίας, οι ήρωες είναι πιο καλά σμιλευμένοι πλέον και η ιστορία έχει πάρει μια τελική και άγρια τροπή.
Ήταν αργό βιβλίο να πω την αλήθεια αλλά δεν με κούρασε. Μόνο τρία σημεία βρήκα βαρετά.
1) 10-14 σελίδες ανάλυσης και περιγραφής σπαθιών, πελέκων, ξιφών, σπαθῶν κι εγώ παθών σε όλη αυτή την περιγραφή
2) 10-14 σελίδες ανάλυσης και περιγραφής της πολιτικής και οργανωτικής ιστορίας των νάνων, λες και παρακολουθούσα ντιπέιτ υποψηφίων βουλευτών. δε χόρρορ!
3) 10-14 σελίδες ανάλυσης και περιγραφής της τέχνης της ξιφοποιίας με αποτέλεσμα να μπορώ πλέον μόνος μου να φτιάξω μια σπάθα διακοσμημένη με δράκους στη λαβή.
Σε δέκα μέρες θα ξαναμπώ στον κόσμο του Έραγκον για μια τελευταία φορά, μέχρι τότε: Είθε τα ξίφη σας και τα μυαλά σας να παραμείνουν κοφτερά.
Βαθμολογία: 8/10
Υστερόγραφο: Το 1ο βιβλίο πήρε ένα 6/10, το δεύτερο ένα 7/10, το τρίτο ένα 8/10, για να δούμε το τέταρτο πόσα θα πάρει.
Όπως και με το προηγούμενο εδώ υπάρχει ξανά βελτίωση στη γραφή και στην ιστορία, εμβαθύνεται περισσότερο το ιστορικό υπόβαθρο της Αλαγαισίας, οι ήρωες είναι πιο καλά σμιλευμένοι πλέον και η ιστορία έχει πάρει μια τελική και άγρια τροπή.
Ήταν αργό βιβλίο να πω την αλήθεια αλλά δεν με κούρασε. Μόνο τρία σημεία βρήκα βαρετά.
1) 10-14 σελίδες ανάλυσης και περιγραφής σπαθιών, πελέκων, ξιφών, σπαθῶν κι εγώ παθών σε όλη αυτή την περιγραφή
2) 10-14 σελίδες ανάλυσης και περιγραφής της πολιτικής και οργανωτικής ιστορίας των νάνων, λες και παρακολουθούσα ντιπέιτ υποψηφίων βουλευτών. δε χόρρορ!
3) 10-14 σελίδες ανάλυσης και περιγραφής της τέχνης της ξιφοποιίας με αποτέλεσμα να μπορώ πλέον μόνος μου να φτιάξω μια σπάθα διακοσμημένη με δράκους στη λαβή.
Σε δέκα μέρες θα ξαναμπώ στον κόσμο του Έραγκον για μια τελευταία φορά, μέχρι τότε: Είθε τα ξίφη σας και τα μυαλά σας να παραμείνουν κοφτερά.
Βαθμολογία: 8/10
Υστερόγραφο: Το 1ο βιβλίο πήρε ένα 6/10, το δεύτερο ένα 7/10, το τρίτο ένα 8/10, για να δούμε το τέταρτο πόσα θα πάρει.
December 12, 2024
3,5 звезди
Въпреки дидактическата грешка (Гароу не е чичо, а вуйчо на Ерагон), някои необмислени действия на героите, безсмисленото им мотаене и тичане нагоре надолу, което е невъзможно при военни действия. Автора ни е поднесъл една страхотна история, в която се потапяш все повече и повече.
Наистина добрите истории се четат бавно и с наслада.
Отново се оказах права в предположенията си за Аря, и част от съдбата ѝ.
Коя ли дама, не би искала един Роран в живота си, които да разкъса света, за да бъде с нея.
Ерагон ми грабна сърцето още от първата книга, но горкия няма късмет в любовта, надявам се в последната книга да открие малко щастие за себе си.
Въпреки дидактическата грешка (Гароу не е чичо, а вуйчо на Ерагон), някои необмислени действия на героите, безсмисленото им мотаене и тичане нагоре надолу, което е невъзможно при военни действия. Автора ни е поднесъл една страхотна история, в която се потапяш все повече и повече.
Наистина добрите истории се четат бавно и с наслада.
Отново се оказах права в предположенията си за Аря, и част от съдбата ѝ.
Коя ли дама, не би искала един Роран в живота си, които да разкъса света, за да бъде с нея.
Ерагон ми грабна сърцето още от първата книга, но горкия няма късмет в любовта, надявам се в последната книга да открие малко щастие за себе си.
May 4, 2018
Viaggio al centro della terra (e sempre più giù)
Ammirevole valanga di fulminanti supercazzole con lo scopo di far vedere quanto è bello 'sto fuocherello e la radura attorno; e poi osserva la lama, scegli la tua spada, guarda che bel catalogo; ma non dimenticare i Ra'zac e la figura di merda prevista dal copione per evidenziare il power-up che c'abbiamo qui (utilizzo del bastone di legno per fare più figo).
Ah, sono tuo padre: commuozione a comando, anche se il tutto è stato capito diciassette anni prima della rivelazione.
E comunque risulta palese che Paolini nel finale abbia avuto un attacco di squacquero, vista la patologica fretta con cui risolve uno dei pochi momenti importanti della saga.
Ammirevole valanga di fulminanti supercazzole con lo scopo di far vedere quanto è bello 'sto fuocherello e la radura attorno; e poi osserva la lama, scegli la tua spada, guarda che bel catalogo; ma non dimenticare i Ra'zac e la figura di merda prevista dal copione per evidenziare il power-up che c'abbiamo qui (utilizzo del bastone di legno per fare più figo).
Ah, sono tuo padre: commuozione a comando, anche se il tutto è stato capito diciassette anni prima della rivelazione.
E comunque risulta palese che Paolini nel finale abbia avuto un attacco di squacquero, vista la patologica fretta con cui risolve uno dei pochi momenti importanti della saga.
January 19, 2021
In Book 3 of The Inheritance Cycle, our hero Eragon and his numerous allies continue to inch their way towards the final confrontation with Galbatorix and his dragon, Shruikan.
Unlike the first two books in the series, I felt Paolini's pacing was off. Everything is moving much too slowly.
Yes, I realize there's more to this fantasy story than endless battles and sieges. But they're the fun part!
I also realize that I'm not the intended audience for this series, crafted for young adults. But that's never stopped me from reading a book that looks entertaining. And these targeted young adult readers deserve better plot development than the sudden appearance of ancient artifacts or obscure dragon anatomy that changes the entire course of the story in the final chapters of a 600+ page book.
I think that is my main quibble with this series. It was written over such a long period of time that Paolini wasn't able to build levels into his tale with foreshadowing. Important elements like Eragon's mysterious parentage feel almost tacked on or added as after thoughts.
On the other hand, I do like the way Paolini has continued to develop the Rider/dragon relationship between Eragon and Saphira and her growing maturity as a character. And, despite my complaints with some story elements and pacing, I will continue on to the final book in the series.
I hope he does the ending justice.
Unlike the first two books in the series, I felt Paolini's pacing was off. Everything is moving much too slowly.
Yes, I realize there's more to this fantasy story than endless battles and sieges. But they're the fun part!
I also realize that I'm not the intended audience for this series, crafted for young adults. But that's never stopped me from reading a book that looks entertaining. And these targeted young adult readers deserve better plot development than the sudden appearance of ancient artifacts or obscure dragon anatomy that changes the entire course of the story in the final chapters of a 600+ page book.
I think that is my main quibble with this series. It was written over such a long period of time that Paolini wasn't able to build levels into his tale with foreshadowing. Important elements like Eragon's mysterious parentage feel almost tacked on or added as after thoughts.
On the other hand, I do like the way Paolini has continued to develop the Rider/dragon relationship between Eragon and Saphira and her growing maturity as a character. And, despite my complaints with some story elements and pacing, I will continue on to the final book in the series.
I hope he does the ending justice.
October 7, 2008
I give up. I've spent two weeks trying to get through this 700-page snoozefest and I'm still completely uninterested in what happens next. I can muster more enthusiasm for the third season of 'Rock of Love.'
To be fair, I've never been ecstatic about the Inheritance trilogy (although I think there's going to be one more book because 700 pages just wasn't long enough). Eragon was a pleasant enough, if unoriginal, story, made more impressive because of Paolini's young age. (Heck, when I was 15, I was busy puffing my bangs and writing love poems to NKOTB. Writing best-selling novels was out of the question!) Eldest was a little better, which I attributed to the author maturing.
I had high hopes for Brisingr. Unfortunately, I was completely wrong. It's so tedious to read - overly detailed, an overwhelming sense of self importance, no real plot. Plus, it's so heavy, it can be used as a door stop. The author is in desperate need of an editor. This book could've easily been pared down to a breezy 500 pages.
To be fair, I've never been ecstatic about the Inheritance trilogy (although I think there's going to be one more book because 700 pages just wasn't long enough). Eragon was a pleasant enough, if unoriginal, story, made more impressive because of Paolini's young age. (Heck, when I was 15, I was busy puffing my bangs and writing love poems to NKOTB. Writing best-selling novels was out of the question!) Eldest was a little better, which I attributed to the author maturing.
I had high hopes for Brisingr. Unfortunately, I was completely wrong. It's so tedious to read - overly detailed, an overwhelming sense of self importance, no real plot. Plus, it's so heavy, it can be used as a door stop. The author is in desperate need of an editor. This book could've easily been pared down to a breezy 500 pages.
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June 18, 2016I was glad that Chris Paolini ended up spliting this book in two because I didn't want Eragon's adventure to finish. I felt like all the characters moved forward in their development and that Eragon finally came into his own as a dragon rider. Fantastic. I highly recommend this book.
January 3, 2021
“Podes morrer, ou matar alguém, se começares a fazer experiências com magia sem compreenderes as regras. No mínimo, lembra-te sempre disto: se fizeres um feitiço que exija demasiada energia, morres. Não aceites projectos que estejam acima das tuas aptidões, nem tentes despertar os mortos ou desfazer nada.”
*
“You could kill yourself and others if you start experimenting with magic without understanding the rules. If nothing else, remember this: if you cast a spell that requires too much energy, you will die. Don’t take on projects that are beyond your abilities, don’t try to bring back the dead, and don’t try to unmake anything.”
- Eragon
-—-
“É sempre assim. Os monstros da mente são bem piores do que os que existem na realidade. O medo, a dúvida é o ódio têm incapacitado mais gente que os animais da terra.
E o amor. E também a ganância, o ciúme e todos os outros impulsos obsessivos, susceptíveis de assaltar as raças inteligentes.”
*
“It is always thus. The monsters of the mind are far worse than those that actually exist. Fear, doubt, and hate have hamstrung more people than beasts ever have.
And love. Also greed and jealousy and every other obsessive urge the sentient races are susceptible to.”
- Arya
-—-
“Without fail, every time I leave you, you get yourself in trouble. Every time! I hate to so much as turn tail on you for fear you will be locked in mortal combat the moment I take my eyes off you.
You are a lodestone for unexpected events. Nothing out of the ordinary ever occurs to me when I’m by myself. But you attract duels, ambushes, immortal enemies, obscure creatures such as the Ra’zac, long-lost family members, and mysterious acts of magic as if they were starving weasels and you were a rabbit that wandered into their den.
The difference between you and me is that things happen to you, whereas I cause things to happen.”
- Saphira
-—-
“When someone refuses to tell me a certain piece of information, it only makes me that much more determined to find out the truth. I hate being ignorant. For me, a question unanswered is like a thorn in my side that pains me every time I move until I can pluck it out.”
- Eragon
-—-
“O rei dragão será um mentiroso, um traidor e um patife, mas não é fraco de cabeça. Ele é manhoso como uma doninha esfomeada.”
*
“The Dragon King is a false-tongued traitor, a rogue ram, but his mind is not feeble. He is cunning like a blood-hungry weasel.”
- Nar Garzhvog
-—-
“I kill for my love. I kill for my love of Katrina, and for my love of Eragon and everyone from Carvahall, and also for my love of the Varden, and my love of this land of ours. For my love, I will wade through an ocean of blood, even if it destroys me.”
- Roran
-—-
“The words of fortunetellers are rarely easy to decipher. It has been my experience that their predictions are never conducive to peace of mind. If you wish to be happy, Eragon, think not of what is to come nor of that which you have no control over but rather of the now and of that which you are able to change.”
- Oromis
*
“You could kill yourself and others if you start experimenting with magic without understanding the rules. If nothing else, remember this: if you cast a spell that requires too much energy, you will die. Don’t take on projects that are beyond your abilities, don’t try to bring back the dead, and don’t try to unmake anything.”
- Eragon
-—-
“É sempre assim. Os monstros da mente são bem piores do que os que existem na realidade. O medo, a dúvida é o ódio têm incapacitado mais gente que os animais da terra.
E o amor. E também a ganância, o ciúme e todos os outros impulsos obsessivos, susceptíveis de assaltar as raças inteligentes.”
*
“It is always thus. The monsters of the mind are far worse than those that actually exist. Fear, doubt, and hate have hamstrung more people than beasts ever have.
And love. Also greed and jealousy and every other obsessive urge the sentient races are susceptible to.”
- Arya
-—-
“Without fail, every time I leave you, you get yourself in trouble. Every time! I hate to so much as turn tail on you for fear you will be locked in mortal combat the moment I take my eyes off you.
You are a lodestone for unexpected events. Nothing out of the ordinary ever occurs to me when I’m by myself. But you attract duels, ambushes, immortal enemies, obscure creatures such as the Ra’zac, long-lost family members, and mysterious acts of magic as if they were starving weasels and you were a rabbit that wandered into their den.
The difference between you and me is that things happen to you, whereas I cause things to happen.”
- Saphira
-—-
“When someone refuses to tell me a certain piece of information, it only makes me that much more determined to find out the truth. I hate being ignorant. For me, a question unanswered is like a thorn in my side that pains me every time I move until I can pluck it out.”
- Eragon
-—-
“O rei dragão será um mentiroso, um traidor e um patife, mas não é fraco de cabeça. Ele é manhoso como uma doninha esfomeada.”
*
“The Dragon King is a false-tongued traitor, a rogue ram, but his mind is not feeble. He is cunning like a blood-hungry weasel.”
- Nar Garzhvog
-—-
“I kill for my love. I kill for my love of Katrina, and for my love of Eragon and everyone from Carvahall, and also for my love of the Varden, and my love of this land of ours. For my love, I will wade through an ocean of blood, even if it destroys me.”
- Roran
-—-
“The words of fortunetellers are rarely easy to decipher. It has been my experience that their predictions are never conducive to peace of mind. If you wish to be happy, Eragon, think not of what is to come nor of that which you have no control over but rather of the now and of that which you are able to change.”
- Oromis
October 3, 2008
I thoroughly enjoyed this, the penultimate installment of the Inheritance Cycle, though it does sadden me to remember the end is near. Eragon's slow transformation from simple yet inquisitive farmboy to the last free Dragon Rider is a joy to read, and I relished every insignificant detail. Roran, who shocked me with his strength and fortitude in Eldest, continues on his path to becoming a brilliant military strategist and leader, all the while leaving his heart with his beloved Katrina. Murtagh... ah, Murtagh, my favorite tragic character doesn't get much time in the story (though a much larger part than in Eldest), but each line, each syllable is deliberate; my heart aches when he realizes there may be hope after all to release him from the binding magic placed upon him by Galbatorix. I am anxious to continue the relationship between Eragon and Arya; it started out as an akward sort of crush, leading to a dismissal by Arya, but I believe she has a newfound comraderie when it pertains to Eragon, especially toward the end of Brisingr, when Arya realizes what a great team she and Eragon make together. Will Eragon ever see his feelings for Arya reciprocated? Can Roran keep up this madman's pace with the Varden's troops before something tragic befalls him? Will Murtagh turn against the king, and how? Who will be the last Dragon Rider? And who is that strange hermit with the long beard living amongst elven ruins? It will be a long 2 years before I wil get my answers or hear Angela's biting comments, but well worth the wait. Thank you, Mr. Paolini, for leaving the book on such a beautiful note; one of subdued reverence, of the battles that lay before us, of hope, and of the inevitability of the end - maybe not the end of Eragon and his companions, but of our involvement in their lives.
December 2, 2008
This book should be called Blahsingr because all it is is 800 pages of Blah Eragon, blah Roran, blah Arya, blah Orik, blah Galbatorix (which I'm certain is a new prescription drug for indigestion), blah, blah, blah.
We all know Paolini killed his trilogy by turning it into a "cycle" but making us read through another 784 pages after his horrific second book, Eldest, was grounds for banishment to the Empire's dungeons.
The book basically had no plot, just a bunch of diversions to keep you reading thinking something big was going to happen. Did I really have to read an entire chapter on how Eragon made his sword while an elf was controlling his body? Or all that super-cheesy heart-of-hearts rambling? And what of Katrina's father? Who cares??? It's a recap wherein no new characters or real plotlines emerge. Rather, the author spends his time further developing his characters and setting us up for the big finale - the showdown between Eragon and Galbatorix, and possibly something with Roran - like he'll become a Rider or hero of some sort due to his supernatural strength, and something with old Murtagh and Thorn - who just won't die. All of this will no doubt occur after we've read 600 more pages of recap in the final book of the cycle.
Still, I have to keep reading because I know by the time two years passes and the final book comes out I'll have forgotten how lame two out of three of these books were and will pick it up and read the ending and hopefully be shocked to learn that Galbatorix wins and all that is good in the world is gone because that is the only way Paolini can surprise us at this point.
We all know Paolini killed his trilogy by turning it into a "cycle" but making us read through another 784 pages after his horrific second book, Eldest, was grounds for banishment to the Empire's dungeons.
The book basically had no plot, just a bunch of diversions to keep you reading thinking something big was going to happen. Did I really have to read an entire chapter on how Eragon made his sword while an elf was controlling his body? Or all that super-cheesy heart-of-hearts rambling? And what of Katrina's father? Who cares??? It's a recap wherein no new characters or real plotlines emerge. Rather, the author spends his time further developing his characters and setting us up for the big finale - the showdown between Eragon and Galbatorix, and possibly something with Roran - like he'll become a Rider or hero of some sort due to his supernatural strength, and something with old Murtagh and Thorn - who just won't die. All of this will no doubt occur after we've read 600 more pages of recap in the final book of the cycle.
Still, I have to keep reading because I know by the time two years passes and the final book comes out I'll have forgotten how lame two out of three of these books were and will pick it up and read the ending and hopefully be shocked to learn that Galbatorix wins and all that is good in the world is gone because that is the only way Paolini can surprise us at this point.
June 12, 2018
This series keeps getting better and better! i think what makes this series so enjoyable for me is the fact that I love the narrator in the audiobooks. I feel like if I didn't have that like for him I might not enjoy the books as much but I love them dearly.
The world this author has created is so intricate and detailed and every character is so well written and developed that I applaud his writing.
I think Eldest is still my favourite so far of the 3 I've read, but I really enjoyed Brisingr.
It seems really out of place to me. I don't really like the inclusion of it and to be honest I don't see the purpose to it. I just find myself not caring about it as much.
Love this book though and I am starting Inheritance right away!
The world this author has created is so intricate and detailed and every character is so well written and developed that I applaud his writing.
I think Eldest is still my favourite so far of the 3 I've read, but I really enjoyed Brisingr.
It seems really out of place to me. I don't really like the inclusion of it and to be honest I don't see the purpose to it. I just find myself not caring about it as much.
Love this book though and I am starting Inheritance right away!
May 17, 2024
4 stars
October 21, 2023
I’m asking everyone to respect my privacy during this difficult time of grief
May 26, 2025
Brisingr is the third book in the Eragon series, and this book brought much character development, growth, and maturity to all of the characters in a natural and believable way.
Eragon has grown, matured, and changed the most within the series understandably, and I love his honour and integrity.
Eragon sets out at the start of the book to rescue Rorans love Katrina from the home of the Ra'zacs. When he encounters Katrinas father Sloan in a cell there, he does something very unexpected and keeps this from all but a handful of people excluding Roran and Katrina.
We see Nesuadas' strength and tenacity in this book when she partakes in the Trial of Long Knives with someone who challenges her. The strength, determination, and ruthlessness she displays convinces you of her place as leader of the Varden if it hadn't already cemented this for you before.
Many clashes occur between different leaders, clans, and beings as well as political intrigue and deception amongst the dwarves during the election of a new king/ queen.
Sapphira shows us through her mind what being a dragon is like and what they see and feel, which was fascinating, but the ending of this book had me sobbing and broke my heart (IYKYK).
I've now started book four and am captivated as I have been all the way through this series. I only wish I'd read this series many years ago.
Eragon has grown, matured, and changed the most within the series understandably, and I love his honour and integrity.
Eragon sets out at the start of the book to rescue Rorans love Katrina from the home of the Ra'zacs. When he encounters Katrinas father Sloan in a cell there, he does something very unexpected and keeps this from all but a handful of people excluding Roran and Katrina.
We see Nesuadas' strength and tenacity in this book when she partakes in the Trial of Long Knives with someone who challenges her. The strength, determination, and ruthlessness she displays convinces you of her place as leader of the Varden if it hadn't already cemented this for you before.
Many clashes occur between different leaders, clans, and beings as well as political intrigue and deception amongst the dwarves during the election of a new king/ queen.
Sapphira shows us through her mind what being a dragon is like and what they see and feel, which was fascinating, but the ending of this book had me sobbing and broke my heart (IYKYK).
I've now started book four and am captivated as I have been all the way through this series. I only wish I'd read this series many years ago.
August 10, 2023
this was better than eldest, but still had some parts that had me bored + wanting it to get on with the interesting parts. i also found out a lot of important information in this book as well as we had a lot more fights and battles! i might be on the unpopular opinion side but i’m not a fan of roran, is that how you spell it (listening to the audiobooks). i’ve just had this feel about him since we were first introduced to his character and he has a “i’m better than you” vibe about him and i get that he fights for his name and all of that but i just personally don’t like him, nor katrina. i still stand by my thought that somethings up with her. she seems suspicious. but honestly at this point, who isn’t a suspicious character lol
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