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Not so very long ago, Eragon—Shadeslayer, Dragon Rider—was nothing more than a poor farm boy, and his dragon, Saphira, only a blue stone in the forest. Now the fate of an entire civilization rests on their shoulders.
Long months of training and battle have brought victories and hope, but they have also brought heartbreaking loss. And still, the real battle lies ahead: they must confront Galbatorix. When they do, they will have to be strong enough to defeat him. And if they cannot, no one can. There will be no second chances.
The Rider and his dragon have come further than anyone dared to hope. But can they topple the evil king and restore justice to Alagaësia? And if so, at what cost?
This is the much-anticipated, astonishing conclusion to the worldwide bestselling Inheritance cycle.
Sneak Peek at Chapter Titles from Inheritance
Mooneater To Feed a God Black-Shrike-Thorn-Cave A Crown of Ice and Snow A Cradle Song Dancing with Swords A Sea of Nettles No Honor, No Glory, Only Blisters in Unfortunate Places The Hall of the Soothsayer Burrow Grubs
With this episode, the mega-popular Inheritance cycle roars to a conclusion. Eragon, now a Shadeslayer and Dragon Rider, and his loyal dragon Saphira have won memorable victories and suffered painful losses, but all that pales before the struggles that now confront them. To save the land of Alagaësia, they must finally overcome and depose the malevolent, unstable Galbatorix. One show-stopper you don't want to miss.
Christopher Paolini is the author of three other bestselling novels about Alagaësia: Inheritance is the fourth and final volume in the cycle. Christopher lives in Montana, where the natural landscape has been a major inspiration in the creation of his stories. You can find out more about Christopher and the Inheritance cycle at alagaesia.com.
The sound was stabbing, slicing, shivering, like metal scraping against stone. Eragon's teeth vibrated in sympathy, and he covered his ears with his hands, grimacing as he twisted around, trying to locate the source of the noise. Saphira tossed her head, and even through the din, he heard her whine in distress.
Eragon swept his gaze over the courtyard twice before he noticed a faint puff of dust rising up the wall of the keep from a foot-wide crack that had appeared beneath the blackened, partially destroyed window where Blödhgarm had killed the magician. As the squeal increased in intensity, Eragon risked lifting a hand off one ear to point at the crack.
"Look!" he shouted to Arya, who nodded in acknowledgment. He replaced his hand over his ear.
Without warning or preamble, the sound stopped.
Eragon waited for a moment, then slowly lowered his hands, for once wishing that his hearing was not quite so sensitive.
Just as he did, the crack jerked open wider—spreading until it was several feet across—and raced down the wall of the keep. Like a bolt of lightning, the crack struck and shattered the keystone above the door to the building, showering the floor below with pebble-sized rocks. The whole castle groaned, and from the damaged window to the broken keystone, the front of the keep began to lean outward.
"Run!" Eragon shouted at the Varden, though the men were already scattering to either side of the courtyard, desperate to get out from under the precarious wall. Eragon took a single step forward, every muscle in his body tense as he searched for a glimpse of Roran somewhere in the throng of warriors.
At last Eragon spotted him, trapped behind the last group of men by the doorway, bellowing madly at them, his words lost in the commotion. Then the wall shifted and dropped several inches, leaning even farther away from the rest of the building, pelting Roran with rocks, knocking him off balance and forcing him to stumble backward under the overhang of the doorway.
As Roran straightened from a crouch, his eyes met Eragon's, and in his gaze, Eragon saw a flash of fear and helplessness, quickly followed by resignation, as if Roran knew that, no matter how fast he ran, he could not possibly reach safety in time.
A wry smile touched Roran's lips.
And the wall fell.
Text © 2011 by Christopher Paolini.
I for one will be happy to re-read the series to freshen up my memory.Isn't that what books are for anyways? I'd rather he took his time finishing it then didn't finish it at all. After Harry Potter ended I only had this series to fall back on. While I'm sad that it's the last I'm uber excited too. I'm counting down the days until I get that freshly printed book in my hands and get to smell the fragrance of literature....AHHH!
174 out of 221 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.drjerm
Posted Wed Mar 23 00:00:00 EDT 2011
Christopher Paolini is an accomplished writer, and this is an engaging series. The protagonist Eragon is a well rounded character that has matured through the books as has the author. Unlike infallible characters like Harry Potter, Eragon has weaknesses, and strengths. The writing is reminiscent of Tolkein without the unnecessarily verbose asides about trees, flowers, and sunsets. This series sits on my bookshelf in a prominent place as one of my favorite fantasy series. It sits proudly, and rightfully along side the Chronicles of Narnia, The Lord of the Rings, The Wheel of Time, and Harry Potter. It is at par in my opinion with any of the aforementioned series. Buy it. You will love it, and never regret it.
85 out of 115 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.theReader278
Posted Thu Jun 30 00:00:00 EDT 2011
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I loved reading the last few books! They sure have a story that will keep you entertained for hours. I am so excited to read the next one!!
45 out of 74 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.this book series is amazing from begining to end!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
32 out of 67 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Didi94
Posted Mon Mar 28 00:00:00 EDT 2011
I am most certainly excited. Despite the painfully long wait, I am sure it will make up in the amazing detail and adventure Christopher wishes us to see and experience. No matter how many times I have read this series, it always manages to take my breath away. Inheritance is bound to be worlds away from anything I have read before.
29 out of 45 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Bjartskular
Posted Thu Oct 27 00:00:00 EDT 2011
The Inheritance Cycle Series... I'm more than excited to dig into this last book of the series; however I'm almost just as sad that they're ending. These books are the most amazing, enticing books I've ever read. They, at the very least, are equal to the Harry Potter series if not superior. I've already re-read these books a couple times upon hearing the upcoming release of the fourth book and I could not be looking forward to it anymore. If you haven't read the series, now's your chance! I will admit the timing of the releases for these books was disheartening, however, start the series now and you won't have to wait for the fourth for years like some of us... :) I highly recommend these books to everyone, they're worth the read.
27 out of 39 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Thu Nov 17 00:00:00 EST 2011
I must say I was more than a little bit disappointed by the last book in this otherwise good series. Paolini has not seemed to grow as an author at all. He seems to cling to the same patterns and words; he seems very much to be a person who has not experienced much of the world and of life itself, and that shows in his writing. When Eragon was young and just beginning his life as a Rider, Paolini's own naivety lent itself to Eragon's personality; however, one would expect the character to grow and experience more of a personal life over the years. Alas, I'm not certain Paolini has the ability to allow that to happen, and he certainly didn't prove otherwise in this final chapter of Eragon's saga. There are many good battle scenes, a few intrigues, and lots of good description here, but the story just falls a little flat.
21 out of 41 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Sun Jun 05 00:00:00 EDT 2011
When will the suspense end?!?!?!!!!!!!???????? I need to read this book for my personal survival!!!!! SOMEONE MAKE THIS GOSH DARN BOOK COME OUT FASTER!!!!!!!! IM DYING!!! jk but really, how long does it take to write a stupid book?
18 out of 55 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Wed Mar 23 00:00:00 EDT 2011
i have been waiting for this forever!!!!! thank you christopher paolini!!!!!!
18 out of 47 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Tue Jan 24 00:00:00 EST 2012
This is the moment I've been dreading from the start. The instant Eragon first came to discover that mysterious blue stone we've all come to love and admire, I knew I had never (nor do I believe I ever shall) read such a fantastic novel. I am...disheartened, to say the least, as this adventure comes to a close. I am left in wonder and in tears because of the turning of the final page. And to you specificially, Christopher Paolini, I tip my hat and bid your masterpiece a sad farewell. I hope for many great things from your future literature, and I silently await the day that the epic of Eragon Brommson and Saphira Firetongue returns once again to fill our minds with wonder and our hearts with mearth. May your days be long, and you be filled with happiness.
13 out of 16 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Mon Mar 28 00:00:00 EDT 2011
I have been waiting as calmly as I possibly could for this book to come out. I screamed when I saw it! I can't wait to see what the great Mr. Paolini has in store for us!! It is going to be epic, and if its not, I will be epically disappointed. So, no pressure or anything =)
12 out of 36 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Wed Nov 23 00:00:00 EST 2011
I finished this book a couple of days ago. I have to say, I did not particularly enjoy Inheritance. Having said this though, I feel that it lived up to the expectations I had based on the rest of the series. An avid fantasy fan, I was disappointed from the beginning at the obvious parallels that this series has to Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. This installment in particular was very predictable, and the lack of any suspense caused the novel to drag on. Paolini gets bogged down in descriptions of the landscape and the inner musings of characters that have little to do with advancing the plot. In my opinion, the 800+ page length was too long and could easily have been cut down. I mainly finished this book because I was curious to see what happened in the end, but given that that was my motivation, the ending was quite disappointing. The events after the climax drag and the ending seems contrived to leave everyone unhappy.
11 out of 28 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Tue Jan 24 00:00:00 EST 2012
I loved this book. As the final chapter to the Eragon series, it did the whole series justice. There were a few things I wish he would have explained in further detail, such as the history of the dauthdaert and more details of Angela's past, but overall, it was fantastic. A real page turner.
I was sad to say goodbye to the story and the characters. I hope Paolini continues to write fantastic stories like this one. Read it!
10 out of 11 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Sun Mar 27 00:00:00 EDT 2011
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i screamed when i saw this... i've reread the other books AGILLION times.. started to get mad becuz i didnt think he wud ever come out with the last one.. CANT WAIT.. so many good books coming out this year.
10 out of 24 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This book was a huge disappointment to me, I¿ve maintained my tolerance for the delay of this book and the finale only to be let down. Through out this whole series we learn of Eragon¿s bond with his dragon Saphira and how it strengthen as time went on, but their was another bond that he had made and that one, to me was just as powerful. Unfortunately this books dispels it as if it was just as important as anything else. Now I wish I never started this series in the first place.
9 out of 26 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.RationalReader
Posted Sun Jan 29 00:00:00 EST 2012
Not a bad finale, if I do say so myself. The timing was excellent, the diction was peerless, and the numerous intricate details given over to describing Alagaesia help build a world that demands attention. The book is entrancing enough to make a reader constantly glancing at a bedside clock at midnight, thinking "five more minutes...five more minutes...."
Despite a few quirks, slight disappointments,and some loose ends (no doubt to be addressed in future books written by Paoini), Inheritance ends the cycle with enough impetus to ingrain this series into our minds forever. So, sit back in a comfortable chair, because you probably won't be moving from it for the next few hours, and enjoy the long-anticipated end to a great series.
Kudos, Paolini!
8 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Wed Dec 28 00:00:00 EST 2011
This book brought the series to a wonderful conclusion. It had the epicness of all the other books combined, the end left a few things unresolved (i personally think he will write another book) but that IN NO WAY makes it less of an awesome read. I recomend this to all who can get there hands on a copy.
7 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.It¿s been a while since I¿ve read any books in this series, so it was a little jarring to be so immersed in the culture of Alagaësia once more. Paolini led the exposition with a few action sequences (which he has gotten much better at writing, I might add), which is the perfect way to get the reader hooked. Paolini¿s narration style has always been a bit wordy, and in some cases it took me out of the story a bit. However, I found myself duly impressed with this book, something that has never happened to me before when it comes to this series: it surpasses by far the books before it in both quality of writing and plot. I was particularly pleased with the development of some of my favorite characters, as well as a partial glimpse, if not explanation, of some of the more mysterious aspects of the world that Paolini has created. I felt like Paolini was finally comfortable enough with the elements and rules of his world that he could finally focus his attention on bettering his story¿ it shouldn¿t have taken three books to get to that point, of course, but it¿s worth the wait, trust me. While the ending of the series rang hollow and left me feeling somewhat cheated out of the ending I felt I was promised at the beginning of the series, it leaves the books open for a sequel (or prequel), which leaves me hopeful. Overall, this book ranks first out of all the others; Paolini has finally found that balance between a good narrative and an engaging cast of characters. The rest of his books pale in comparison, which makes me excited for Paolini's future as a fantasy author.
7 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Sun Mar 27 00:00:00 EDT 2011
i hav waited so long for this book to come out love the inheritance cycle started reading the series when i was in third grade :)
7 out of 23 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Wed Mar 23 00:00:00 EDT 2011
I'm kind of iffy on this one, the third one wasn't as good as the first two but we'll see.
7 out of 47 people found this review helpful.
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Overview
Not so very long ago, Eragon—Shadeslayer, Dragon Rider—was nothing more than a poor farm boy, and his dragon, Saphira, only a blue stone in the forest. Now the fate of an entire civilization rests on their shoulders.
Long months of training and battle have brought victories and hope, but they have also brought heartbreaking loss. And still, the real battle lies ahead: they must confront Galbatorix. When they do, they will have to be strong ...