Brisingr (Inheritance, Book 3)

I loved the first two books - couldn't put them down. This third book I have been forcing myself to read for about three months now, and still there is no end in sight. It sucks. What's it about? Bla bla bla bla bla. I am 500 pages in, and nearly nothing significant has happened, other then in the first two chapters. I hate it, but I'll have to finish it, and the upcoming fourth book, just so I can lay them to rest. I'll probably burn them so no one will find them and torture themselves by reading them.

Thsi was by far the best of the series so far. I am totally amazed that there are some readers who haven't given it 5 stars. I read it in about 3 days. When I had finished reading it, I actually picked it back up and read most of it again. It was that good!

The first book was a decent book. The second had some issues. There were points of interest, and some clever bits in this third book, but as a novel, it was crap. First, far too much superfolous prose. This book could have easily come in under 500 pages and been better. Second, what character or story *really* progressed in this book that made it worth 700 pages? Lastly, it ended without resolution, to be frank, and left me wondering if I can handle another 700+ pages in the follow-up.

I don't think this should or will keep you from reading this book, if you have already invested emotionally in the characters or story, like me, but its disappointing that the authors arc started so high and has come down with each release. I have to admit, as I was reading this, I thought this was a trilogy, so I was going to get a conclusion, but as it neared the end, I realized this was not going to be the case.

I hope the author is saving up the goods for the finale. This was very unsatisfying.

Paolini's first book in the series, Eragon, was a great story told to create a premise. In the subsequent books, Paolini has built several histories on this foundation; we have spent time with elves and dwarves, not just superficially as they appear to carry the plot forward, but as individuals of depth. I love that.

As the books have progressed, so has Paolini's writing. He slowly unfurls his tales now, not as a youth, but as a master story teller. I know he has come under some undeserved and inordinately severe criticism because of his age. No worries, Chris; turn the other cheek and keep writing. You have a tremendous fan base out here--including those of us who are in our fifth decade....

Let me just start with: a 22 page description of forging a sword!! 22 pages!!??? I love swords, I am interested in forging but this for a fantasy novel is ridiculous, self-indulgent and obviously padding lifted from others knowledge which thankfully the writer does acknowledge. This book is too plodding and drawn out and seems designed to ensure that the trilogy would have to be four books or more. Eragon struggles with the violence of his role as a rider but the book itself is strangely grisly and violent in a way I feel the others were not and is gratuitous and i don't generally have a problem with violence in its place in a story. Sometimes it felt like Roran was the main protagonist and not Eragon and he came across as more compelling and likable I think.

In sum, this book seems a bit meandering and directionless and could have done with a more cruel editing and refinement and sadly became a boring and glaze-over-let-me-get-to-the-good-parts read.

I hope the 'last' book is more controlled and to the point with less obvious plot set-ups that pepper this work- huge sign-posts have been set-up to make us be specifically aware without subtlety of certain characters' importance in the future- these signposts were written as obvious devices rather than as part of the flow of the tale and lack the finesse of the earlier works. I am hopeful that the author will reel all of this in for the final book!