Brisingr
Series: The Inheritance Cycle, #3
Author: Christopher Paolini
Genre: Fantasy
Book Description:
OATHS SWORN . . . loyalties tested . . . forces collide.
Following the colossal battle against the Empire’s warriors on the Burning Plains, Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have narrowly escaped with their lives. Still there is more at hand for the Rider and his dragon, as Eragon finds himself bound by a tangle of promises he may not be able to keep.
First is Eragon’s oath to his cousin Roran: to help rescue Roran’s beloved, Katrina, from King Galbatorix’s clutches. But Eragon owes his loyalty to others, too. The Varden are in desperate need of his talents and strength—as are the elves and dwarves. When unrest claims the rebels and danger strikes from every corner, Eragon must make choices— choices that take him across the Empire and beyond, choices that may lead to unimagined sacrifice.
Eragon is the greatest hope to rid the land of tyranny. Can this once-simple farm boy unite the rebel forces and defeat the king?
Review:
Of the three Inheritance book, Brisingr is probably the one I liked least. More time is spent with perspectives I did not enjoy, such as Nasuada. The leader of the Varden seems to be turning out more and more to be someone I can’t stand at all. Probably the worst thing she does is order Eragon’s cousin Roran fairly severely whipping for disobeying a “superior,” even though that “insubordination” saved a lot of people’s lives and a battle.
But I can stand a character I dislike. What I couldn’t stand is the way that Saphira and Eragon respond. Saphira has some point-of-view chapters in this one, and I would have enjoyed them as the way she sees the world is fresh and amusing and very dragon, but she and Eragon act out of character. More so, her I think. After all, Eragon is who she really cares about, and she also likes Roran. And they (she and Eragon) are a good part of the Varden’s power. They don’t have to be pushed around if they don’t want to be.
If I didn’t already know the characters’ personalities were going to be butchered for the plot, I would have expected her to insist that she isn’t letting Eragon run off to be present for the coronation of a new dwarf king half-way across the continent while she stays with the Varden. Especially since she’s very protective of him and insistent that bad things happen to him whenever she’s not around. Her values just don’t seem to be the sort to make that kind of choice.
But, even so. She might have some loyalty to the cause for various reasons. But when Nasuada abuses Roran so badly – this is a dragon. She does not believe in any authority of her own. She would not sympathize with why Roran is hurt. I do not understand why she doesn’t stop the beating, tell the Varden they may not do this to Eragon, her rider’s, nest-mate, and take Roran and Katrina to meet Eragon, and tell him what has happened. Then he might tell the Varden they better shape up or he won’t fight with them, or he might just run away. Because Eragon is definitely capable of leaving Alagaesia at this point, crossing the desert, and comfortably taking care of himself and his cousin.
Now, I suppose Roran might have a problem with this, because he really wants his vengeance, but would he want to fight for a tyrant for Nasuada? Is that worth taking out Galbatorix? It might be, since Nasuada is far more mortal. And it’s a shame we didn’t get to see those conversations and that discussion.
Apart from that – there are some light scenes. Like Roran’s marriage to Katrina, now rescued from the Ra’zac. There’s a manifestation of the dwarf god, Guntera, that I really don’t think is the work of the dwarf magicians, as what he does would take a lot of power. So that would suggest that, whatever Guntera or the manifestation is, the elves’ view of the world is a bit too narrow. Which I liked seeing.
But the fighting just drags out, and some of it is rather over the top. Probably the best thing about the book is that when he runs from the Varden’s encampment to the dwarf kingdom for the coronation of the new king, Eragon gets a Kull, the very Nar Garzhvog himself, for his companion, and this Kull tells us – and shows – us something about the Urgal way of life. The Urgal culture is interesting, and I really enjoyed getting to know more about them and hear some of their stories.
So I think that was the best part of this one.
But, umm, stay with me. I did say this was my least favorite of the four. Which means, guess what? I liked Inheritance better than Brisingr at the very least. So stay with me to discover how much better and why and things like that.
If you are interested.
Enthralled By Love 