Tag: Alfred A. Knopf

What a fitting 50th book for 2011. Not only have I completed my ‘set’ goal for 2011, but I completed a series that has spent eight years on my various bookshelves across the East Coast and Britain. As with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows a part of my childhood/adolescence has come to a close with the completion of the Inheritance cycle.

I first read Eragon as a first year at UNC Chapel Hill. I didn’t know what to expect, but I ended up enjoying it and was surprised someone my age had written the novel. Eight years later and I’m not sure how to feel about the end of the series. I have no doubts that Paolini will return to Alagaësia, he’s said as much himself, but I wonder if it will be worth it. Having reread all of the novels these past few weeks has highlighted that they’re still a great story, but that there is much that could’ve been done to make them better. But, on to my thoughts about this book in particular wish some musings on the series thrown in for good measure.

Click here to continue reading, I’ve tried to limit spoilers.

In what was originally touted as the final book in the trilogy, Brisingr neither disappoints nor impresses and serves primarily as a place-holder in the series. There are some significant plot moments and a plethora of new characters, but all-in-all the novel serves only to highlight the atrocities the Empire has committed and is willing to commit to remain in power.

It is in Brisingr more so than any of the other novels that readers see what Paolini is trying to do (whether he is successful or not I will leave to each reader). He has created a world and he now has to fill it. Not only is he writing the story of what is happening in the world, but he is attempting to enumerate the myths, legends, and histories of the various inhabitants of Alagaësia. Whereas in Eldest we learn of the elves, in Brisingr we learn of the Dwarves and Urgals (bipedal creatures with huge horns growing out of their heads, think minotaur, but less bull like).

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With Paolini’s second novel, Eldest, I begin to understand and even agree with some of the critiques people have of the individual novels. However, I remain disappointed in the generic critiques of the writing and the author, with disregard to the merits of the story.

This does not excuse the editing issues, or the monotonous detail driven paragraphs. In this day and age a book is no longer created by an individual. The myriad editors and staff (and Paolini’s parents) involved should have caught most, if not all of these mistakes/passages. To be fair on the publishing industry from what I learned in my copyediting class, they may have made the suggestions and Paolini rejected them, but who knows. Regardless, the story is a moving and fast paced epic which if you allow it draws you in to events bigger than any individual.

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