Brisingr (Inheritance, Book 3) (The Inheritance Cycle) by Christopher Paolini
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Book Reviews of Brisingr (Inheritance, Book 3) (The Inheritance Cycle)
Book Review: Amazing Young Adult Fantasy
Summary: 5 Stars
I suppose that coming into this book expecting it to be 750 more pages of 'Eldest' was not the most optimistic view to take.
Brisingr is far, FAR better than Eldest. In fact, it is difficult for me to believe that both Eldest and Brisingr were written by the same person. However, that's what it says on the cover, so I will assume it is true for the remainder of this review.
Now, this is just a short list of the improvements that this book makes over its immediate predecessor:
-Roran is (properly) relegated to a minor character's role.
-Eragon has given up on his adolescent infatuation with Arya, and even tells Roran at one point that he will no longer pursue her.
-The character of Eragon has grown. Along with abandoning his infatuation with Arya, he questions the need for killing so many men, and shows some feelings of mercy and compassion for (what seems like) the first time.
-There is no more obtrusive faux poetry.
-The Purple Prose has been cut significantly. No, it's not gone; but it's far less intrusive now.
-Paolini has apparently disposed of his thesaurus. We are no longer subjected to long, winding passages including weird words like: eyrie, fecund, diaphanous, machicolated, fey, bivouacked, variegated, alacrity, mephitic, turgid and widdershins
-The story actually moves in a forward direction. It slows down once or twice but never stops or goes into reverse.
-Eragon never talks to any ants. (Quite possibly the single greatest improvement.)
But Brisingr is not a 5-star book simply because it improves on Eldest. Even if Brisingr were a stand-alone book, it would still be absolutely stunning.
Please allow me to indulge in another list:
-The comedic scenes are authentically funny, and had me laughing aloud a few times.
-In this book, we are introduced to a few new viewpoint characters. One of these is Saphira. Saphira's chapters are nothing less than some of the best writing I have ever read.
-The action scenes are (with minor exceptions) amazingly well written, and give the reader a ring-side view. Nothing is glanced over or cut too short.
-The climax is one of the best I can recall ever reading.
-As mentioned before, the characters actually start acting like people, not the emotionless cardboard-cutouts that have inhabited the prior books.
-Though the story's flow slows down slightly a few times, it always picks up a few pages later. Aka, Paolini keeps your attention from front to back cover.
-Upon finishing this book, we know much more about every race that inhabits alegaesia. This is not pointless meandering, it is world-building in earnest.
Alright, then. Summary time.
Brisingr is an utterly amazing novel, and the proof that Paolini understands the intricacies of story writing, flow, characters and world building better than some 'professional' authors. I had some worries after reading Eldest, but those worries have been eradicated.
10/10
Book Review: ...couldn't put it down!
Summary: 5 Stars
I was a little concerned after watching C. Paolini do his video reading of the book that it would be cheesy and a bit infantile, however, once i got into the story i was pleasantly surprised!
I liked the first books, despite all the negative reviews people gave them (especially for Eldest), and i've found the preliminary reviews of Brisingr much lower than i had guessed they would be! This book is 100% the best of the bunch! Its written much more professionally, its characters show greater depth and interest, and the interactions between them are much more clever and "human" (or realistic). Clearly, Paolini is growing as a writer and storyteller, and thats wonderful for the Inheritance cycle! I read this book during every spare second i've had the past three days and now that i've finished i feel legitimately sad! I can't wait for the 4th and final book to come out!!
Lastly, to respond to the general negative comments i quickly perused in the other reviews:
Its definitely a long book, but i never found myself wishing certain sections would be over.. this was the most shocking comment that i read. I've yet to read a 700+ page book where every single second was gripping and awe inspiring and i guess i dont understand why that type of perfection is expected.. here or otherwise. Some of the larger plotpoints, like Urgals, Humans, Dwarves, and Elves all working together, necessitated seeing the softer side of Urgals - and people are upset about ONE SCENE displaying this?? As readers we're supposed to begin feeling for these Urgals, and to become drawn into the turmoil of the difficulties in maintaining a multi-raced army. It's pretty clear that if the army was peachy and peaceful off-the-battlefield some people would complain that the book lacks realism, yet when Paolini takes the necessary steps to develop this realism-enhancing sub-plot people complain as well. Its unfortunate for Paolini that this book only has a 3 star rating so far, because its so much better than that. I'll gladly admit that the book isn't 5 star, its probably a 4 or 4.5, but i gave it 5 simply to counter the ridiculous 1 and 2 star ratings for this book.
I would completely ignore the 1 and 2 star ratings.. dont even bother to read their over-the-top reviews. You could fill a super wal-mart with all the books that are MUCH worse than Brisingr, so lets be realistic. The writing is good, the characters are developed, the story progresses, and it will literally keep you up all night long.
Lets not forget that each one of these reviewers apparently liked the book enough to not only finish it, but to finish it in 2 or 3 days... do you really continue reading 748 pages of a 1 or 2 star book? please. my shelf is littered with books with a rabbit ear on page 50, never to be opened again... if you get through a 750 page book in 3 days doesn't that pretty much require a baseline star rating of at least 3???? come on now!
Book Review: Superb. But all down to Opinion...
Summary: 5 Stars
Yes the third installment in the Inheritance Cycle is absolutely sensational. Of course it's all down to opinion. I won't go into any detail about what actually happens in the book, but I'll give you 8 points as to why this is the best in the series, and possibly the best book I've read.
1. There's no messing around. After a couple of chapters building up the situation, Paolini gets right into it.
2. Paolini has definately matured as a writer. He seems to have learnt how to describe things in shorter bits, but to the same effect if not more so, than what he was doing in Eragon and Eldest. Even when there are certain paragraphs or chapters even, that seem to drag on a bit in character description, it's by no means tedious.
3. The plot is fantastic.
4. The ending is just perfect - leaves you hanging and eager for the next installment, all after an excellently written plot.
5. It's long, but good. As another reviewer pointed out, it doesn't matter how long a book is, as long as (pun not intended) you get enjoyment out of it, and believe me, you get (or I got) a LOT of enjoyment out of reading Brisingr.
6. ACTION!!!. Brisingr is full of action. This time round, Paolini wasn't afraid to kill off a few characters, this all making for a riverting and stimulating read.
7. Many long-awaited questions have been answered, with many more arising from it. Christopher definately excelled in revealing all those long-awaited questions we've been asking ourselves, and in the proccess, created new ones. This definately added to the anticipation of Book 4, and made the book on the whole, a very satisfying read.
And lastly...
8. It lived up to the hype. In fact it exceeded expectations in my view.
There's nothing worse than waiting and waiting and waiting (3 and a bit years in this case) for 'the next book in the series' to come out, and it turns out to be a really disappointing read. I prayed to god Brisingr wouldn't be one of those books, and thankfully, it wasn't.
Brisingr is a real page turner right to the ever-so gripping end. For once in my 'Inheritance journey' I am pleased there will be a fourth book and look forward to the legacy continuing.
Keep in mind that Paolini's still young. He's done extremely well so far, and I expect great things of him in the future.
Brisingr was 'flippen awesome' as we'd say in New Zealand!
BRING ON BOOK 4!!!
Book Review: Fantastic character development makes this work
Summary: 5 Stars
I approached book 3 with high expectations, and while Paolini appears to be taking a fair amount of heat for pacing, writing style, and the excessive length of the book, I actually came away feeling different. Brisingr is admittedly not for those looking for concise story lines with a clear start and finish, but much like Eldest, Brisingr continues to flush out the details of politics, relationships, and character progression in Paolini's world. Many likely critiqued Eldest for its painstakingly detailed analysis of dwarven and elven politics, the rules of magic, and the history of the dragon riders, but I for one found the approach welcome and fascinating. Unlike many fantasy novels that simply drive through a plot sprinkled with a few twists to hold interest, Paolini provides a window into the world of Alagaesia in a manner that left me with an appetite for more. While I find myself skimming pages in most fantasy novels to keep up with fast paced plots, I hung on every description in Brisingr and savored a slower paced immersion into the story.
What truly captures me about the cycle is the character development. Paolini's dedication to his theme of inheritance resounds throughout his stories in Eragon, Orik, Arya, Saphira, Roran, Nasuada, and Murtagh. Brisingr continues what Eldest began, and I was pleased to see Paolini stayed true to all character's development in a fair manner. The shear volume of supporting characters lead me to believe that Paolini may have bit off more than he could chew, and I fully expected some stories to pitter off or be overwhelmed by Eragon, but Brisingr pleasantly surprised me on this account. This dedication to each individual storyline is possibly the reason so many have critiqued the size of the book and the pacing, but I found it added a depth to the storyline that you rarely find in fantasy novels.
I'd highly recommend this book and series as one of the richer fantasy series I have read. Certainly be prepared for a deep dive into the lives of the characters and the world they live in, and a somewhat slower paced plot than you'd traditionally find in the genre. Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed Brisingr from start to finish, and am anxiously awaiting the conclusion of the cycle.
Book Review: The Third and the Best...
Summary: 5 Stars
Brisingr, in my opinion, was the best book in the Inheritance cycle by Christopher Paolini so far.
It's about the Dragon Rider, Eragon, and his dragon Saphira, who are destined to defeat the dark king and free all of Alagaesia from his evil rule. But Eragon is bound by numerous promises: his fealty to Nasuada, his promise to help his cousin save his betrothed from the Ra'zac, and his loyalty to the elves and to the dwarves. Therefore, he has to listen to and carry out orders from each without disappointing the others. Saphira and Eragon have to go to their two mentors in the land of the elves to learn the how the dark king and his servant, Murtagh, a new Rider under his power, have managed to become so strong.
If you liked the Lord of the Rings series, then you'll probably like the Inheritance cycle as well. They seem to be set around the same time period, and are similar in the style of writing, which is slightly old fashioned. That creates a slightly more difficult book to read.
In this book, Paolini provides some clues that let the reader start guessing as to how the story will unfold. You learn a lot more about the characters' personalities and how they might react in a certain situation. There's lots and lots of suspense; I found myself holding my breath more than a few times while I was reading, and read for so long one day I couldn't really see when I took the book away from my face...I liked how all the sad parts were actually sad; I started crying when I read most of them which, in a weird kind of way, is sort of nice. All the characters are likeable and believable, even the villains. They're the kind of bad guys you love to hate.
Paolini weaves an intricate web of characters and plot lines, connecting everything so that you have to read the book two or three times before you can grasp everything within it. Brisingr is a rich, captivating and complicated book that holds your attention until the very last page. I absolutely suggest this series to anyone who likes to curl up with a blanket on a rainy day with a good book.
Happy Reading!!