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: Underrated, under-appreciated, and under-read
Summary: 5 Stars
After reading this book and its predecessors so many times to the point of almost memorization, I still can't see why this book and the series gets all the crap it receives today. Anyway...
Positives:
-Descriptive
-Relates to reader (to me at least)
-Amazing battle scenes
-A lot between the lines, touching on religion, age, love...
-Fascinating plot and fictional universe
-Cool character interaction
-Eragon & Saphira
-All these things going on that haven't been addressed yet like Eragon's prochecy, his dreams that supposedly tell the future (two people in a boat and dragons going away in the distance while figure on the beach shouts and cries in despair), and his unrevealed promise with the Menoa tree
Things to Note
-Unnecessary Length? I never found myself bored during any part of this book
-Bad Writing Style? Personal taste. Totally escapes me; in fact, I find the writing style helps put me into the story
-Predictable Plot? Nowhere in the book, although perhaps I should have seen the "Brom as father" revelation coming.
Negatives
-Lack of originality? I personally think it's justified as nothing can really be original nowadays and nothing specific was stolen from say, Lord of the Rings or Star Wars
-Extremely long period of time I have to wait before the next book comes out. When will it be... the end of this year (2010) at the soonest. Maybe 2011? I hope the book comes out before the world supposedly comes to an end LOL
Great book that's completely underrated. If you begin and finish this book without reading to much into the surface issues that I read about after I finished the book such as petty accusations of plagiarism and unnecessary length, I'm sure you will enjoy this book and the colorful series.
In my opinion, this "cycle" only gets better and better. I'm glad that CP decided to turn the trilogy into a cycle.
Simply read, and you will like it.
Book Review: Paolini is getting better
Summary: 5 Stars
Like his book's hero, Paolini is getting better as time passes and his experience grows. The author cannot resist showing his improved skills by enhancing the role of characters, other than Erragon, through interesting episodes in the story. All Erragon's "family members" (Roran, the dwarf King Orinn, Murtagh)are given a vibrant roles in the story. As it turns out, I won't be surprised if Nasuada(or even Angela for that matter) is his sister by some strange coincidence.
This plethora of heroes, of course, has the result of a more "worldly" world, where Dragons and Dragon riders do not dominate the reader's imagination. Nevertheless, Paolini gives the author a great read and a more in depth look into Algaesia and its people.
The disturbing twist in the third part of the trilogy is the "disorientating" change of the "rules". I was under the impression that a dragon would peril as soon as its rider was killed. This notion is differentiated and consequently altered in this third book. This "change", alters the rules of the world as described by the author and causes the absorbed and meticulous reader to get disturbed. While (as a reader) you are trying to submerge yourself in the fantasy world of a book, changes like this, result in oozing you out of that world and become an observer instead of a participant. Another change, albeit not a bad one, is that the trilogy is now a series. So, instead of seeing the end of the story, the book ends just when the war begins. Although stories should have an end and not drag for too long, this particular change will result in reading an older, more mature and wiser Paolini, one that would (perhaps) be able to help Erragon find an appropriate solution and a fortunate closure for all Erragon's unavoidable pledges and rash or even reckless promises.
Overall, I liked this book a lot and (although I could never think of myself reading "children"/fantasy books) I believe I will be waiting for the forth book of the series.
Book Review: Courtesy of Teens Read Too
Summary: 5 Stars
Eragon and Saphira have just barely survived the latest battle between the Empire and Varden, and learned the truth about Eragon's parentage. Their encounter with Murtagh and Thorn has made them realize that they desperately need to revisit their teachers in Ellesmera, but their multitudes of promises keep them from returning. They must help Roran recover Katrina from the Ra'zac, rally forces for the Varden, and find a way to thwart Murtagh. But along the way, they'll discover some dark secrets and learn the sickening methods behind their adversaries' strengths.
BRISINGR is a well executed follow-up to ERAGON and ELDEST. It moves at a brisk and almost businesslike pace, only dragging slightly near the center of the book, as Eragon and Saphira struggle to fulfill their promises. Readers will be glad to see that the duo, Eragon especially, has not been placed upon a lofty pedestal, and still admit ignorance at times, an element that adds just the right touch of plausibility to the book.
Paolini's descriptive writing is becoming easily recognizable, and his ability to draw similes and metaphors between the most unlikely objects only adds to his appeal, and contrary to what one might expect, will draw in reluctant readers. Like with the prequels, the author cleverly manages to sneak in colorful myths and historical stories into the book that only add to the reality and vividness of Alagaesia, and make for a more engaging read.
The plot of BRISINGR is a little less developed than its predecessors, and seems to serve more as a segue between the first two books and the conclusion of the lively series, although the revelation of certain secrets and the suspense and tension Paolini weaves into the pages go a long ways in making BRISINGR a quick read.
Seasoned Paolini fans will enjoy the story, and be eager to move on to the final book.
Reviewed by: The Compulsive Reader
Book Review: Good read.
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been waiting for Brisingr since I've read Eldest and I must say I'm very satisifed. Most people complain that Paolini borrows from other works, but then who doesn't? One must recall he started writing at fifteen. It's hard not to be over-influenced at that age. Things he borrowed have evolved into something else, in other words Paolini has improved them in every book, and the latest one is just better.
Paolini is still switching from Eragon to Roran, and this time he switches more smoothly. Sometimes in Eldest, Paolini just cut through important scenes to show Roran or vice versa. This does not happen in Brisingr, the important scenes continue and nobody gets too much 'page-time.' We also get into the heads of Nasuada, and also Saphira. It's obvious that Paolini did his best to make dragons perceive everything differently and they do. I'm not perfectly happy with how they perceive certain things (like humans: round-ears-two-legs.) It makes them seem simple. However Paolini has captured the inhumanity of dragons, their indifference, their power and also in the case of Glaedr (couple of small scenes) their terrible ferocity.
Critics have said that they didn't want to read the novel to hear about political and moral issues. But don't we experience these in the real world? All that makes Paolini's world seem more genuine.
His characters aren't too bad. In previous books they were much worse. Some seemed like blank-faced puppets dancing to the author's tune, but this time they were much more realistic.
Regarding the plot, it's influenced by other novels, and thus a bit predictable. I thought it was very obvious that the particular character who died in the end was going to die. But still, I am still eager to know how Eragon will triumph against the Dark King, because as far as I'm concerned, anything can happen in Book 4.
Book Review: Hurrah for a young author!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a fantasy series in a fantasy world written by a young person primarily for young people. Alegaesia is a land I enjoy visiting with characters I love or loath and moral lessons that are seldom touted in our day and age. Why not simply read adventures like this for the sake of reading adventure? Enjoy the storyline and the conflicts for what they are, refrain from dissecting the writing, and applaud a young man for writing a morality tale and becoming a successful writer before the age of 30.
Is Eragon a conflicted soul? Yes; and who is not these days? To quote another great fantasy character--"the world is not split into good people and Death Eaters; we all have both good and bad inside us" (Sirius Black to Harry Potter in OOTP's movie version).
Would it be better to have the hero not have a sense of conscience? I certainly hope not! Violence for the sake of "I'm right so you must be wrong" is too prevalent in the real world--at least in fiction, let us remember that all choices have consequences and with great power comes even greater responsibility.
So what if the plot shares some basic characteristics with other fantasy series? I daresay those same plot elements are often what make us decide we love fantasy in the first place--a fictionalized account of good versus evil in a world similar to ours with bad guys who are power hungry and reluctant heroes who step up because it is the right thing to do even if they are uncomfortable doing it.
Mr. Paolini, you have given this older woman hope that our young people will indeed remember traditional ideas such as honor, integrity, loyalty, and respect (not only for people but for the earth and her creatures as well). Thank you for the Inheritance Cycle. We anxiously await book four!