Praise for The Inheritance Cycle:
A #1 New York Times Bestseller
A #1 Publishers Weekly Bestseller
A #1 USA Today Bestseller
A Wall Street Journal Bestseller
"An authentic work of great talent." –New York Times Book Review
“The new ‘It’ book of children’s lit.” –U.S. News & World Report
"Paolini is a spellbinding fantasy writer." –The Boston Globe
"A breathtaking and unheard of success." –USA Today
“Christopher Paolini make[s] literary magic.” –People
“Unusual, powerful, fresh, and fluid.”—Booklist, Starred
“Will appeal to legions of readers who have been captivated by the Lord of the Rings trilogy.”—School Library Journal
2023-07-31
The epic (length) fantasy begun in Eragon (2003) treads water for 58 chapters.
As the Varden alliance, held together with difficulty by its hard-nosed leader, Nasuada, maneuvers toward a head-to-head confrontation with the dauntingly puissant king Galbatorix, Eragon and Roran, his cousin, engage both together and separately in a series of set piece raids, quests, rescues, sieges, and missions, including pursuit of Katrina, Roran’s betrothed who was taken by the Ra’zac. Eragon emerges with a revelation about his origins and a new sword that has the sometimes-inconvenient habit of bursting into flames whenever its (titular) name is mentioned. As events move toward a large but not climactic battle, yet more matches—between Eragon and Murtagh, his dragon-riding sibling, and between Eragon and yet another magically created Shade—signal that the wells of authorial creativity may be running low. In any case, though too much of the prose runs to mannered lines like “from the Crags of Tel’naeír, Saphira flew low over the swaying forest until she arrived at the clearing wherein stood the Menoa tree,” the standard for invective remains high—as with, “you failed to mention that those errant flesh-mongers, those gore-bellied, boggle-minded idiot-worshipers were cannibals”—and several women in the cast rival the men for strength of character as well as martial and magical skills. Let Galbatorix and his enslaved minions beware!
A patchy, ponderous place holder—though a mighty fan base ensures no lack of readership. (map, pronunciation guide, glossary) (Heroic fantasy. 12-15)
As an adult, I read Brisingr with a mixture of admiration for Paolini's accomplishments and an awareness of the book's flaws, which prevented me from being fully won over. But that's hardly a slight. Had I read this novel when I was 13, it would have kept me up straight through the night. For that matter, I might have even stolen a few bits from it for D&D. And that's a compliment.
The Washington Post
The much-anticipated third book in Paolini's Inheritance Cycle continues to rely heavily on classic fantasy tropes. The novel launches with magician and Dragon Rider Eragon, his cousin Roran and the dragon Saphira on a quest to rescue Roran's betrothed. The cousins soon split up, and Roran undergoes his own series of heroic tests, culminating in a well-choreographed and intense fight against an Urgal (a ram-human hybrid). Eragon, at the same time, encounters treacherous dwarves, undergoes even more training with the elf Oromis and gains a magical sword suitable for a Dragon Rider. The silly revelations about Eragon's background in the previous book, Eldest, are given a new spin near the end, but the change is neither unexpected nor interesting. Predictably, the book concludes with even more character deaths and another battle, but those expecting a resolution will have to wait until the next novel. The cliched journey may appeal to younger readers of genre fiction. Older teens, even those who might have first cut their teeth on Paolini's writing years ago, are less likely to be impressed. Ages 12-up.
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Gr 7 Up
Christopher Paolini's saga of good vs. evil in the world of humans, elves, dragons, and other magical creatures continues in this installment (Knopf, 2008) which spends a great deal of time giving background information about earlier connections and obligations on the part of Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, as they battle Galvatorix and his minions. Eragon's efforts to martial allies and find himself a suitable weapon are paralleled with the story of his cousin, Roran, who is also dedicated to the cause, but whose life is equally complicated because of a love interest and his desire to go back to living a "normal" life. Both heroes grow in their understanding of themselves and others as they assume additional leadership roles. The story includes horrific battles, a wedding, a king's coronation, and many major losses. Saphira's point of view adds additional dimension to the tale. Gerard Doyle ably voices the emotions of the characters and expertly moves between young and old, male and female, human and animal. The pronunciation of strange place and character names just rolls off his tongue. There is a lot of talking in this book, which slows down the pace. An interview with the author and his editor concludes the audiobook.-Edith Ching, Washington Latin Public Charter School, DC
The long-awaited third novel in Paolini's Inheritance Cycle will not disappoint devoted fans. Swords, sorcery, and plenty of "Chosen One" teenage angst await the listener. But wait, there's more—Gerard Doyle's performance takes the excitement and high fantasy of the story to dragon-soaring heights. He voices all the characters well but never overacts. Considering the length and breadth of the novel, the listener will be grateful. While the text does drag at points, Doyle is able to keep the listener mostly satisfied and engaged—Eragon's wallowing in fear and self-doubt might wear thin in print, without Doyle's energy to keep the emotions flowing. Doyle handles Paolini's fantasy language with ease and style, reminding the listener that some books improve when matched with a sympathetic, talented narrator. A.H.A. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine