Inheritance comes out this week!

[Soragon]

On the 8th of Nov in most countries.
On the 9th of Nov in Australia.

Here are my predictions: /* Spoilers up until Brisingr */
-Arya will be the next rider.
-Eragon will leave Alagaesia forever with Arya.
-Galbatorix is searching for the true name of the Ancient Language and might use it in the end to change something big.
-The Vault of Souls/Rock of Kuthian contains a stash of Eldunari.
-Murtagh and Thorn or the Eldunari or Shruikan help to overthrow Galbatorix.
-The Elves might be severely damaged in a way, perhaps as a consequence of Galbatorix meddling with the Ancient Language.
-Tenga was also looking for the true name of the Ancient Language.
-Angela will play a big, big role. What that might be I have no idea.
-Roran will become king.
...

I used to be a huge fan of the series but re-reading it at the age of 18, I realise how much of a big rip-off it is of Star Wars. The middle two books don't seem to be, but it still carries most of the main themes and notions.

What do you guys think? Are you even looking forward to it?

[Nicolai]

Matches my feeling almost exactly - I used to like the series, but comparing it to more 'adult' fantasy like GRRM or Abercrombie it feels rather shallow. I probably still will pick up the final book to see how the story ends. As I am labouring on Readme, I'll probably wait another month or so. It certainly doesn't create the same sort of excitement as a Dance with Dragons did.

[terpkristin]

Yeah, the second and third books weren't as bad as the first, but the books are pretty full of cliches. I recently re-read Eragon and was contemplating re-reading Eldest and Brisingr but am instead thinking of reminding myself of what was going on using the Inheriwiki.

I'm definitely going to read the final tome in the series, though. I can't comment too much on your predictions, as I don't recall some of the finer plot points, though I do think it unlikely that Roran becomes king.

[Soragon]

Perhaps, but it was mentioned that the blood of Palencar still runs in some families in Palencar Valley. Also, Eragon and Saphira agreed that Orrin shouldn't replace Galbatorix as king.

Perhaps they might form a senate? :P

[Kevin]

I am not a big fan of the series, but read the second and third book for the first time right now, read the first book back in 2002 because i am going to see Christopher on Wednesday in Philadelphia.

[AndrewP]

Michel wrote: "I used to be a huge fan of the series but re-reading it at the age of 18, I realise how much of a big rip-off it is of Star Wars."

Which in turn was largely based on the works and hero philosophy of Joseph Campbell. Not surprising though as Campbell was a good fiend of George Lucas. The DVD version of Campbells The Power of Myth was even recorded at Skywalker Ranch.

[Soragon]

I'm not familiar with Campbell's work but I don't think it might be as bad as Paolini. For the first few chapters it's just Star Wars and instead of being on Tatooine working on a moisture farm, it's in Alagaesia working on a normal farm.

[terpkristin]

Well, Campbell did provide a literal outline for a "classic myth." I mean, chapter-by-chapter, what has to happen to the hero, etc. And I believe it's well-known that Lucas followed that to a T when he wrote Star Wars.

But I agree with Michael, some of Eragon was literally doing a search-and-replace for "Tatooine" with "Alagaesia" and "desert" with "woods."

[Kevin]

Andrew wrote: "Michel wrote: "I used to be a huge fan of the series but re-reading it at the age of 18, I realise how much of a big rip-off it is of Star Wars."

Which in turn was largely based on the works and h..."

I hate Campbell's work. I know what he meant to fantasy, but I have seen it done way too many times. Come on, characters is more important than plot in my view.

[Boots]

I've heard way too many people trash this series to ever bother wasting my time on it. Even the goodreads ratings are not that good considering how many people have rated them.

Also didn't the movie flop? I seem to remember something about the rest of the movies being canceled.

[Soragon]

terpkristin wrote: "But I agree with Michael, some of Eragon was literally doing a search-and-replace for "Tatooine" with "Alagaesia" and "desert" with "woods." "

*Michel. It's French for Michael. Or rather, Michael is English for Michel. In the movie they took it one step further and had a shot with Eragon looking at the setting sun very much like the scene with Luke.


Boots wrote: "Also didn't the movie flop? I seem to remember something about the rest of the movies being canceled. "

It totally did. The movie was horrible. I can see it being a good TV show or even a good movie if done right.


If anyone cares, the audiobook is now available on Audible. But it's US only. Who is going to set the publishing companies straight? I want to give them my bloody money and they won't take it.

[Michael]

Today's the day! Woo Hoo!

[Soragon]

Has anyone started/finished?

[Derek]

Probably be my next book after I finish A Study in Sherlock. Was going to listen to the audible, but won't have the 2 credits until the end of the month. Besides I'm currently work my way thru The Saga of Seven Suns by Kevin J. Anderson in audio. I've had them for a while but they kept falling to the bottom of the stack, too much keeps coming out. 8-D
I'm nearly done with book #3 - Horizon Storms (The Saga of Seven Suns, #3). Good thing i'm a trucker with 10hrs of driving a day to listen to my books.

[Kevin]

From what I read today, the book sold 489,000 the first day, but not enough to beat Brisinger, which sold 550,000 in the first day.

[Nick]

Kevin wrote: "I hate Campbell's work. I know what he meant to fantasy, but I have seen it done way too many times. Come on, characters is more important than plot in my view."

Campbell was not writing fiction. He was writing about themes that reappeared in all mythologies across continents. In several cases civilizations that had no communication between them and were separated by large physical boundaries wrote almost identical myths. The Gilgamesh flood myth is probably one of the better known examples of this.

The Hero With a Thousand Faces was the book that inspired George Lucas. He used the basic outline of what Campbell called "The Hero's Journey" as the framework for his story. "The Hero's Journey" was basically a outline of certain plot points in the story that were present in most heroic mythology. How each story implemented those plot points were all slightly different but the general gist of the framework was there.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monomyth

I don't hate Campbell's work since he was simply making a argument based on a observation. I understand the fatigue with authors who follow it without regard and don't do their diligence to build a interesting story. Just following that framework doesn't mean you'll have a good story. That can't be blamed on Campbell.

I'll wait and see what everyone says about the series as a whole before I start yet another series of books. I started Eragon a while ago and made it about half way through before real life interrupted me finishing the book. I have so many other recommended books it doesn't make sense to start reading a series that is simply a rehash of cliches. ( please ignore the fact I read World of Warcraft pulp fiction )

[Derek]

I started the series mainly because it was written by a teenager. While it's fairly cliched, it was just interesting enough to put on my list of things to read when nothing else I had sounded interesting.
Plus I hate to start a series and not end it, unless it's very, very bad.

[Kevin]

Nick wrote: "Kevin wrote: "I hate Campbell's work. I know what he meant to fantasy, but I have seen it done way too many times. Come on, characters is more important than plot in my view."

Campbell was not wri..."

I already knew a that. I just think that it is used way to much in fantasy. That is one of the reasons that I love R.A. Salvaote. Both me and him cannot take Campbell.

[Soragon]

Kevin wrote: "I already knew a that. I just think that it is used way to much in fantasy. That is one of the reasons that I love R.A. Salvaote. Both me and him cannot take Campbell.
."

Speaking of R.A. Salvatore, I stopped reading one of his works because the character spent about half a page talking about The Hobbit and why it's his favourite book.

[AndrewP]

Kevin wrote: "I already knew a that. I just think that it is used way to much in fantasy. That is one of the reasons that I love R.A. Salvaote. Both me and him cannot take Campbell. "

That's funny.. seems to me that more than a few of Salvatore books follow Campbell's Heroes Journey as the basic plot line.

[Kevin]

Michel wrote: "Kevin wrote: "I already knew a that. I just think that it is used way to much in fantasy. That is one of the reasons that I love R.A. Salvaote. Both me and him cannot take Campbell.
."

Speaking o..."

Well, it is his favorite book.

[Soragon]

It all seemed too corny. But you would recommend reading it?

[Nicolai]

Finished it last night, and have to say that Paolini definitely improved in his writing. Of the four books, it by far seems the most refined without losing the charm/fault of feeling like a very classic fantasy story. If you see it for what it is, the four books definitely make a nice reading. I actually thought that the final confrontation with the evil king was nicely done and not as corny as I expected.

[Soragon]

Nicolai, what did you think of the last 100 pages?

[Nicolai]

For me they felt like an epilogue that was a tad too long. I listened to the audiobook while doing stuff at home, but Paolini seemed to have wanted to answer little question that was still open. The book probably would have been better without the long epilogue, but as background entertainment it was fine ;)

[Kevin]

Soragon wrote: "Nicolai, what did you think of the last 100 pages?"

I felt the ending was too long and drawn out.

[Michael]

I suppose those last 100 pages was to provide as much closure as possible.

[Kevin]

Michael wrote: "I suppose those last 100 pages was to provide as much closure as possible."

I felt that way maybe because I was not really fan of the books.

[Glenn]

I think Soragon's first post sums up why I was really disappointed in this series. It's just to completely predictable. The only redeeming factor this series has is that the dragons are good dragons. Paolini could easily turn this series into the next Pern type series. He's right now no where near as good of an author as McAffery was but he's young and could get better.

This is a good series for a true young-adult, not an adult who wants to read good fantasy. For young-adults it probably wouldn't be as predictable and be pretty enjoyable.