Tag: christopher paolini

Inheritance (The Inheritance Cycle, #4) by Christopher Paolini

Inheritance (The Inheritance Cycle, #4) by Christopher Paolini

Christopher Paolini brings his fantasy series for young adults to an end with Inheritance, the fourth and final book in The Inheritance Cycle.

Eragon, Saphira, the Varden and their various allies including elves, dwarves and urgals, make their way to Uru-baen, the capital of the evil Galbatorix’s empire, in a thrilling set of battles that bring a conclusion to the struggle between the characters of this world.

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If you’ve been following my reviews as I made my way through this series, you’ll note that this is the highest rating (four stars) I’ve given any of the books. I could tell that Paolini brought all of the skills that he learned in writing the first three books to this one.

The characters are well-developed as he’s had thousands of pages to make them that way. The battles are nail-bitingly awesome.

The fallout after the main confrontation is long enough to tie up loose ends, but not so long that I was tired of reading about the world.

And it is a fun world to visit. Paolini took his cues from the classics of fantasy to craft his own world so that it feels familiar in a comforting way to fans of fantasy fiction.

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But that familiarity cuts both ways. Paolini doesn’t move far from the expected tropes in the creation of his story. There were a few large reveals in Inheritance that I wanted to be more imaginative than the twists that Paolini crafted.

That being said, I did enjoy this book more than all the others. Once I started the final hundred pages, I couldn’t put the book down.

I think this series could be a lot of fun for young readers. Despite its predictability, there is much to enjoy in The Inheritance Cycle. Older readers or the young at heart might want something that veers a little more off of the expected paths.

Brisingr (The Inheritance Cycle, #3) by Christopher Paolini

Brisingr (The Inheritance Cycle, #3) by Christopher Paolini

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.

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Unlike the first two books in the series, I felt Paolini’s pacing was off. Everything is moving much too slowly. And then, when one of the leaders of the Varden sends Eragon off on a secret mission after the armies finally begin engaging each other, I actually groaned. 

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.

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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.

Eldest (The Inheritance Cycle, #2) by Christopher Paolini

Eldest (The Inheritance Cycle, #2) by Christopher Paolini

Eldest is an enjoyable follow up to Eragon, a fantasy tale about a young man, his dragon, and a desperate fight to save the world from an evil immortal.

The best part about this entry of The Inheritance Cycle is that portions of it follow Roran, Eragon’s non-magical cousin, as he struggles to keep his village alive during the fall out of Eragon’s actions from the previous book.

“As he walked, he continued to order his thoughts. After Garrow’s death, Roran had abandoned his job at Dempton’s mill in Therinsford and returned to Carvahall.” pg 37, ebook

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I’ve often wondered about the relatives and neighbors of the magical heroes that are featured in most fantasy tales. What happens to them while earth-shattering events are going on, rings are being melted, and orcs, or ‘urgals’ in this tale, plunder and pillage?

Eldest begins to tell that forgotten story through Roran’s eyes.

“After the last mournful note faded into silence, family members praised the feats and traits of those they had lost. Then the bodies were buried.” pg 111, ebook

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Christopher Paolini writes at a pace that engages younger readers but doesn’t leave adult readers, like myself, wanting more depth. He carefully constructs scenes and backstories for characters with enough context to make you care about what happens next.

“A tingle of awe and joy shuddered along Eragon’s spine. This was where he belonged, as a Rider. Of all the things in Alagaesia, he had been lucky enough to be joined with this. pg 132, ebook

A funny quibble I have with this book, like in the last one, is I don’t particularly like how Paolini writes the character of Eragon’s dragon, Saphira. He makes her out to be occasionally insecure or jealous, and I’ve always pictured dragons as wise, free and powerful spirits of nature. But those are my preconceived visions of what dragons should be like and I understand how not every reader will have my sort of view on the matter.

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I also don’t like Paolini’s take on elves. In some ways, the elves in Eldest come off as pretentious and pompous jerks. I get that he was going for a type of removed, immortal elegance, but it didn’t quite work for me.

All that being said, I will be continuing on to the next book. Young adult fantasy readers will most likely enjoy this read too.

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Eragon follows the exploits of a boy, a dragon, and their fight against an evil king, and his henchmen, who would plunge the world into darkness.

Prophecies of revenge, spoken in a wretched language only he knew, rolled from his tongue. He clenched his thin hands and glared at the sky. The cold stars stared back, unwinking, otherworldly watchers.” pg 14, ebook

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Though it is written for children, Eragon is a charming tale that I thoroughly enjoyed as an adult reader. The pace was snappy, the characters were written quite well, and the story itself was a fun, adventure and fantasy.

“Eragon found the stone both beautiful and frightening. Where did it come from? Does it have a purpose? Then a more disturbing thought came to him: Was it sent here by accident, or am I meant to have it?” pg 16, ebook

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I did a little research about the author, Christopher Paolini, and was surprised to discover that this was one of the first books he published and he was in his teens when he wrote it. How impressive is that?

“Dragons will constantly amaze you. Thing… happen around them, mysterious things that are impossible anywhere else.”

There were a couple things I didn’t enjoy about Eragon, but they didn’t ruin my appreciation for the overall story. For example, I wanted Saphira the dragon to have a different personality. She has some character traits that I felt were incongruous with how an immensely powerful, magical being would act.

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When I think carefully about it, what a silly quibble to have with a story based in fantasy. But readers will have their preferences, and I like to picture dragons as either wise and benevolent, Buddha-like beings or demonic treasure hoarders along the lines of Smaug.

Paolini’s version of them is different from both of these extremes. He makes dragons fallible, like humans. Which, at the end of the day, makes this a better story for children. A lesson like, even the most powerful among us can make mistakes or experience unpleasant emotions like jealousy, is a good lesson to learn.

“These books are my friends, my companions. They make me laugh and cry and find meaning in life.” pg 153, ebook

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Highly recommended for young adult fantasy readers or the young-at-heart.