Inheritance: Book Four (The Inheritance Cycle)

by Christopher Paolini

Paperback, 2012

Status

Available

Call number

813.6

Publication

Corgi Childrens (2012)

Description

The young Dragon Rider Eragon must finally confront the evil king Galbatorix to free Alagaesia from his rule once and for all.

User reviews

LibraryThing member revslick
After finally finishing this series, I felt it was a flat, mash up of Dragon Riders of Pern and Lord of the Rings. On the whole I would say he started with a bang but ended with a wimper. The final book rushes to deliver an anti-climactic overthrowing of the evil king then spends some time with
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some loose ends. If I had to pinpoint my disappoint it would be the sudden gimmicks (Dauthdaert), mysterious characters that are more intriguing than the main characters (Angela, Menoa Tree, Orrin) and turns that make no sense (Arya, Nasuada, etc.). If you need closure (meaning you've read the other books) then proceed with lowered expectations. If you haven't started this series then skip it.
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LibraryThing member cleoppa
A mediocre ending to a mediocre series... To be honest, I thoroughly enjoyed the first book. It wasn't great by any means, but entirely enjoyable. I slogged through the next two books, hanging on to hope because I enjoyed the first book. I was totally bored, though. It's been so long since I've
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read them, I have difficulty comparing them to Inheritance, but it would seem that Inheritance was definitely better than the second and third. Though by no means better than the first.

After much thought, I think my main problem with this series is its lack of relatable characters. I came to love the characters in the first half of Eragon: Eragon, Saphira, Brom, Roran, Murtagh, etc. But when he got to the Varden, I never related to any of the characters. From the beginning, I distrusted the characters Paolini had created and honestly, I never got over that. I don't find these characters to be interesting, brave or likable. Arya, Nasuada, Ajihad, Glaedr, etc. And I think that this is the main (though certainly not the only) fault I find with this series. If I don't care about the characters, what do I care what they do. What do I care if Eragon succeeds in love with Arya if she's just an icky character?

Moreover, these books are way too long. There is so much fluff in there that could just be tossed. Maybe "fluff" isn't the best word, but seriously the books go on forever. Cut them in half already.

On to Inheritance, and I make no promise that spoilers will not follow. So there's this whole issue with the leadership. They keep saying what a wonderful leader Nasuada is, but I don't see it. She's OK, but not great. Show, don't tell. I'm not convinced she's this wonderful leader just because the author says she is. Then, in the end, she insists that she's the best leader of all and should be made the emperor of all. And everyone agrees. Hoorah. Seems a bit like a second dictatorship, right after the evil Galbatorix. And she's off giving away lands and reassigning things. But what about the people who lived there before? Like she gives one guy a whole valley. But what about all the farmers who actually have homes there? Sorry guys. Now you have to pay rent! And she's praised for how nice she is divvying up the land to her favorite peeps.

So they defeat Galbatorix and there's still more than a 100 pages left of the book! Talk about wordiness. And I get it. Paolini obviously wants to be Tolkien, who had massive tomes and was actually good at it. But he's not Tolkien and his massive wordiness is just annoying.

Then, at the end, Saphira and Eragon are running around being Nasuada's errand boys. Go do this, do that. Which does not seem like the way the dragon riders function. They are not at the beck and call of one leader to further strengthen their rule. Thankfully this is resolved later.

Then there's the problem of magic, which the author does recognize at least. Magic is so powerful, anyone who doesn't have it is pretty much at the mercy of those who do. It's not a very balanced world. Then, to end it off, two folks at the end pretty much have absolute power over magic. And the author doesn't really see this as a problem. Nobody in the book does. They're just like "yeah! now we can have 100% power over everything. Hoorah!" They have all the power in the world. Didn't the author learn "absolute power corrupts absolutely"? After great power has been abused (such as the case of Galbatorix) people tend to be more afraid of those who have too much power, but no one seems to mind that these two have this power.

Then there's all the poorly developed characters and unanswered mysteries. Take Angela, for instance. She's this big mysterious character. Actually, one of my favorite characters and I liked her in this book. But she hinted at all these secrets that were never revealed. Gag. I hate it when authors create a book series with a definite ending and then... don't end it. I suspect that she is the Soothsayer alluded to, but this was never brought up. Or this "epic romance" that Angela predicted way back in the first book. It just sort of fizzled out. Or King Orrin? He's just weird. He goes from attacking and threatening his allies, then accepting everything... and his behavior doesn't really make sense. It's almost like they're trying to fluff up the other characters by making them good in comparison to him.

Hmmm... what else? Oh yeah. There's the funny thing about dragons. They can live to be like thousands of years old. But apparently they reach sexual maturity at a few months old. Bizarro yes?
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LibraryThing member shabacus
Inheritance is the last book in the four volume Inheritance Cycle, and easily the best of the lot. That is less a compliment to the quality of Inheritance, but rather a commentary on the poor quality of the early volumes, paired with the way that Paolini has grown as an author.

The series has always
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walked the thin line between homage and plagiarism. Paolini has stated in interviews that he set out to write the kind of book that he would like to read, and he seems to have achieved this. However, he did so with a patchwork quilt of imitation, with scenes and characters sampled and remixed from the likes of Robert Jordan, Anne McCaffrey, David Eddings, and of course, J.R.R. Tolkien. The result is a mishmash of conflicting, but nevertheless very powerful, ideas. The seams are visible, especially through the uneven language and inconsistent (and omnipresent) fantasy names.

Paolini has always been a little boy wearing his father’s clothes, an image both touching and pitiful. In Inheritance, he has begun to grow into those clothes, but they still fit poorly. The book is best where Paolini uses his own voice and creates new problems for his characters to solve, and weakest where he ties up loose ends from prior books and maintains consistency with them. He is simply operating under the constraints that the early books in the series have imposed upon him—perhaps his next series, if he chooses to write one, will be unfettered by such considerations.

I read through the book with little fear that anything amiss would happen to the main characters, and little fear that the protagonists would fail in their mission. The driving factor for me was to discover how it would be achieved. As a result, I found myself occasionally surprised to discover the protagonists enduring very real struggle and torment, facing difficulties that left lasting marks over and above their survival through the story.

Nevertheless, the final climax was far too “Return of the Jedi” to have much real impact, and the hundred-plus pages that followed were unnecessary, attempting to tie up every loose end without offering much in the way of character development. Much of the “action” in that section was summarized instead of told in narrative form, and the scenes we did get were more of a grand tour of everyone Eragon ever met. The author would have served the reader better by including some of it in an appendix, and concentrating on more important matters.

In all, this final book was a good and worthy end to a series that many young readers have enjoyed, but it did not elevate the series to the level of a classic. I hope that Paolini’s future stories escape from the spectre of Eragon and break new ground.
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LibraryThing member jenreidreads
Too. Long. This book was too long, this series was too long. I remember really enjoying Eragon when I first read it. Even though the writing wasn't amazing, there was something fresh about that first book. By the time we get to Inheritance, that freshness is gone. As shabacus, another reviewer here
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on LibraryThing, put it: "He is simply operating under the constraints that the early books in the series have imposed upon him—perhaps his next series, if he chooses to write one, will be unfettered by such considerations." I think that is excellently put. Paolini's writing in this fourth book is far superior to his previous books. But there's still too much of it. It's as if he's saying, "Look! I can write so much better now! Watch me use complex sentences and adjectives! Wow!" And no editor kept him in check. Ugh. When we finally defeat Galbatorix, THE NOVEL CONTINUES FOR 100+ PAGES! Why??? None of the characters were likable or relatable enough for me to care that much what happens to them. Not enough action happens in this installment, either. Galbatorix will be defeated. Obviously. I wish it could have happened more awesomely than it did. And even with all the extraneous fluff, we still don't get some questions answered. Hopefully, Paolini has more (better) novels brewing in him, so we can really see how he's grown as an author someday.
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LibraryThing member gsmattingly
I finished Inheritance just after midnight. I enjoyed it to a certain extent but I felt it was too long. I skimmed over many of the battle scenes. I thought there were too many words shoved in covering the battle scenes. He tried to wrap up too many loose ends created in all for novels in the
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series.
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LibraryThing member BkShelfReviews
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
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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.
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LibraryThing member Berly
The series takes place in the distant land of Alagaesia controlled by the evil King Galbatorix. Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, must use all their training, magic and spirit to best him. It was not my favorite of the series--too much time spent on warfare and strategies and not as much on
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relationships and magic, but it was still a solid read. The second half of the book was definitely better than the first, pacing, etc, and Paolini did an admirable job wrapping up this saga. Most, but not all, of the loose ends were tied up and the resolutions were satisfying. He has created a truly magnificent world with a memorable cast of characters and if you have enjoyed the series so far, you should read the ending! ***1/2
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LibraryThing member benuathanasia
Ugh, hallelujah, I'm done with this crap. The final battle was completely lackluster and the ending made the end of The Return of the King look abrupt - it just dragged on long past the audience losing interest.
LibraryThing member Karlstar
This is supposed to be the last book in the Inheritance Cycle, but it clearly isn't. Whether or not Paolini goes back to these characters, the story is very unfinished. While I enjoyed this book, I think it may have been the weakest of the 4. At times it was very hard to visualize what the author
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had in mind. There are also some very convenient events in this book, far too convenient for 4 books worth of buildup. Not bad, but not as good as I expected, and the unfinished feeling really is a problem.
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LibraryThing member AnnaKay21
So when we left him in Brisingr, Eragon was on the move with the Varden toward defeating Galbatorix, Roran had become a total bad-ass, Elva was a slight enemy and Arya was not reciprocating Eragon's feelings. Oh yeah, and the whole Eldunari (heart of hearts) thing had just been revealed. I have to
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say that the first half of this book is all build-up toward the final battle. Fairly BORING buildup. I was reading this because I wanted to see how the series ended and it felt like most of this book was filled with dry descriptions of unimportant things. I have never been a hardcore fan of Paolini's work, plus I admittedley slogged my way through the end of Eldest and again through the middle half of Brisingr. But from the promising amount of detail and the relatability of the characters, I thought Paolini could carry it off in a fairly decent way at least. I will say that I liked the revelations about the Rock of Kuthian, the Vault of Souls, Nasuada's scenes with Murtagh and the interactions of Roran with just about everybody. The part where Eragon and Saphira figure out their true names was emotional as well. However, the battle between Eragon and Galbatorix is sorely lacking in any climactic finale - it just whispers into the night unsatisfyingly. I also abhorred the endings that were given to the main characters by Paolini. To me duty is extremely important in fiction and real life, but seriously! NONE of them are truly happy at the end excluding Roran and Katrina. Considering that it was to be expected, whoop-de-freaking-doo. I HATE the fact that I spent so much of my time getting through this monstrosity only to be so disappointed. That said, the fact that he managed to keep me reading and make me laugh a couple of times gets him a couple of stars. Plus, although bad, it was not the worst I've read by far. That would be the epilogue of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for which I still shake my fist at J.K. Rowling on a regular basis. Read with caution and only if you're a serious fanatic who's dying to see how it ends.

VERDICT: 2.5/5 Stars

*No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores and online.*
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LibraryThing member jolson12
This book took Paolini some time to create. The fact that he started the series back in 2000 at the age of fourteen is remarkable. I found the beginning of them very favorable and original yet I was not entirely satisfied at the series’ conclusion.
The plot comes together neatly but the climactic
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scene that has been building since the second book failed to reach my expectations and was, in my mind, a little pathetic. The book failed to keep my interest throughout as I thought that there were many unnecessary parts that could simply be eliminated or be better written. The book also arose too many questions than it answered and did not seem an appropriate ending to a series which Paolini masterfully created.
Also the characters throughout the books seemed flat and impersonal and do not at all come together in the last book. I enjoy characters that I can relate to yet I had a hard time relating to anybody in the series, let alone this book. Personally, I thought Paolini could have done a lot better with creating his characters and developing them throughout the books. They just seem to stay the same. The ending I thought was terrible and did not satisfy me in any way. It is a decant book though and I was glad that I read it though not exactly worthwhile
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LibraryThing member myheartheartsbooks
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
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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.
I just finished reading Inheritance (Inheritance Cycle) apart of the Eragon series. The first words out my words were "That sucks" and I couldn't stop muttering them as I pace my room and shaking my head. I'm happy because of the conclusion of the series, and I know what happens, but I'm am so sad and unsatisfied.

The final volume of the of Eragon's journey to defeat Galbatorix and Murtag. Basically this what happens, Eragon prepares for the threat of the war, it barely even happens. The romance that Paolini has been building finally reaches its climax and you know what happen...they don't end up together. I'm not really a fan of dragons, and make believe, I was reading the thousands of pages (that's what it felt like) to see what happens. That's not even the worst part. Eragon ends up alone. Alone. Like after all that he has lost, he doesn't get a happy ending. If anyone deserves good it's Eragon. So if you want you can read all those pages to feel disappointed, but there is way better ways to spend you time. I think watching paint dry is even a legitimate option.
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LibraryThing member herdingcats
At 849 pages, this is a very looooooong book. It is, however, a very satisfying ending to this 4 book series. It has a lot of fighting and descriptions of the fighting and pain and wounds that I kind of skimmed over, but the plot and the way the characters resolved everything was really quite good.
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In this last book of the series, Eragaon and his dragon Saphira set out to defeat, and kill, Galbatorix, the insane and evil king who terrorizes their world. We see Eragon's cousin, Roran Stronghammer prove his might and cleverness, and how strong and what a good leader Nasuada is. We find out why and how Murtagh became enslaved to Galbatorix and how he overcomes that. Elva and Arya are prominent and we learn more about them and Glaedr is also a major character in this book.
I want to look back at the first book and re-read it or at least parts of it to see how the author's writing has changed since he wrote the first book twelve years ago when he was only 15 years old. I am very impressed with this author's writing and I really enjoyed this book even though it is soooo looooonnnggg. :)
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LibraryThing member brigitte64
Even it`s a huge book, it was a quick read, I liked it a lot, only sometimes it got a little weird, for example when Saphira gets a ring and she put it on her paw, or "Saphira looks at him and smiles" ;-) very cheesy. Not needed in a adventure story.
LibraryThing member DebbieMcCauley
Inheritance is the fourth and final book in the Inheritance series about Eragon, a farm boy who stumbles across a dragon egg and becomes a Dragon Rider. After Eragon and his dragon Saphira join the Varden, they meet many unusual races like the Elves and Dwarves. These forces are rebelling against
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Galbatorix, the evil king. In Inheritance, the Varden undertake their final rebellion against the mighty empire and Eragaon will finally confront Galbatorix and attempt to free Alagaesia. This is a fantastic conclusion to a wonderful fantasy series.
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LibraryThing member helenpeynado
The final volume in an epic saga. Paolini succesfully brings his story to a close, tying up almost all of the loose ends before he sends his heroes off into the sunset. Such a short review for a very long book...it was good though. I teared at the end.
LibraryThing member edspicer
For the final book in a series he wraps it up nicely while leaving a cliff hanger. Q4P4 AHS/Julie I.
LibraryThing member cottongirl7
It seems as if I have been waiting forever for this book. I must say that I really got sucked up into the story. For such a large book I was amazed at the lack of slow or boring story features. The pages just flew by. Of course I have read the other books in the series, and this helped to have a a
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well established story from page one. My only beef with this story is that soooooo much is left unknown. I won't go into what, and if you have followed the series you are bound to want to read this book too. Do it, just remember, at the end your are going to want more. More answers, more story, more what the heck happens now! Christopher writes that he will revisit the story someday.... I hope that day is soon. I have questions....so will you.
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LibraryThing member TiffanyHickox
While at times being a little too predicatable, the plot moves forward at a good pace and the ending was good, though perhaps a little too happily-ever-after. Paolini did a good job bringing closure to story of Eragon and Saphira, and I truly hope he decides to write a novel offering a bit of
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history on his character Angela.
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LibraryThing member rbrtpmry
eragon is in the heat of battle as the varden capture all the citys aon the way to urubaen to kill the king. but a mN WITH A DEADLY lance attacks saphira sending it into her body. the lance was a daethdart a weapon made by elves long ago to kill dragons. they manage to save saphira and gain the
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power of the daethdart. mean while the battle is won and roran goes to a city that is under seige and he must win it for varden. but at some prices then when the varden reach urubaen and eragon and saphira and aria fight galotorix and his dragon. aria uses the daethdart to kill galbotorixs dragon. then eragon kills galbotorix. and AT the end when aria alows to admit her feelings for eragon and tells him the last egg hatched to her making he a rider. but eragon tells her he is leaving to train new riders away from alagasia where evil cannot take them ending the series in tradgedy in my opinion
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LibraryThing member HannahRose42
I expected to be let down by this book, simply for the reason that it was the last in the series and I didn’t trust Paolini to finish it in a way that I liked and that also served the characters well and did justice to the story. Boy was I in for a surprise…

The first 300 pages of Inheritance
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did nothing to quell my fears that Paolini wasn’t going to deliver. They consisted of battles and nearly nothing else. Although I enjoy the way he writes battles, I didn’t want to read about them for 300+ pages. Once he got past that, though, I was definitely drawn back into the story.

In Inheritance, we learn more about Roran, Eragon’s cousin, who finally got interesting (I could not stand his parts in Eldest). Galbatorix, the evil tyrannical ruler, also became more than just an evil bad guy, and he played a decent role. Although I never really gave a hoot about Nasuada, the leader of the Varden, even she became a much more fulfilling character. If I was in any doubt of Paolini’s storytelling abilities, this book delighted me into believing he is a gifted writer.

Although I predicted much of what happens in the end, I wouldn’t say it is a bad thing. Enough happens that I could not possibly predict, that was amazingly well done, that I was satisfied by this end of the series. I was also saddened that I knew I was leaving Eragon and Saphira’s lives for good, though Paolini heavily suggested he wasn’t going to abandon future stories in the land of Alagaësia, which pleases me greatly.

My recommendation of this book should be evident by now. If you read the rest of the series, you have to read this. It is a very satisfying end to the series. If you haven’t read Eragon and you enjoy fantasy, I highly suggest trying it out. The world Paolini creates is magically wonderful, and I know I’ll probably be rereading the whole series over summer if I have the time.
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LibraryThing member asomers
A masterful ending to an epic series.
LibraryThing member Steph_adcock
The long-awaited epic conclusion to the Inheritance Cycle is finally here. Eragon, Dragon Rider and Shadeslayer, must find a way with his dragon, Saphira, and the Varden to defeat the cruel tyrannical king Galbatorix. How can Eragon, a relatively new and un-experienced rider, defeat the most
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powerful rider that ever lived? With a werecat, an elf, and a powerful blue dragon anything is possible.

Inheritance begins with a re-cap of the last three books, which makes the writer, Christopher Paolini, unique. Paolini’s books are so spread apart that it’s easy to forget what happened in the previous ones. Inheritance starts out with a battle scene, and continues to be fast paced throughout the entire book. Anyone who likes action, fantasy, and more action, will love the Inheritance Cycle. Plot twists, mystery, and suspense are Paolini’s specialty, and anyone who can put Inheritance down after picking it up, deserves a medal! Don’t plan on eating or sleeping, just get comfortable and dive into the final battle of the land of Alagaesia.
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LibraryThing member Silversi
This book started off with lots of excitement, I enjoyed it as I have all of the Eragon books, however the further it went the more it felt rushed in some places and in other places I really didn't get why they were dragged out so long. Overall it's a good read and the characters feel like old
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friends, so if you have enjoyed the other books in this series, I recommend reading it.
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LibraryThing member horomnizon
This final book in the series (which started as a trilogy and became a 'cycle' of 4 books) was a long time coming. I have to say that I enjoyed every minute of the 849 pages. Yes, I forgot a few of the events that were briefly referenced, but I don't think I lost anything in the reading because of
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that. The intro/recap at the beginning was helpful in reminding me of quite a lot that I'd forgotten since first reading Eragon.

I can't imagine that anyone would pick up this book without reading the first 3. It is a series and should be read that way. You do learn about the characters in this book, but if you don't already know them somewhat, I can't imagine it would be that interesting. Perhaps I wasn't entirely excited about the descriptions of war - and there are many - but that's where the story takes us and we have to go along.

OK, I'm not going to spoil the plot, but I'll say that I felt the ending was fine...I'm good with it. Of course, it leaves the possibility for Paolini to write more books about this world...I'm not sure if I'd pick them up or not, though. I feel satisfied that this story of Eragon Shadeslayer and his dragon Saphira played out well. The other main characters are well developed also, but I'm not sure I'd want to read more about any of them in a different story arc - or even this 'land' he's created.

I'll agree with some of the other reviews here on LibraryThing that after the battles end, the momentum is lost a bit in wrapping things up, but it echoes how the characters are feeling at that time as well. So I wasn't really that bothered by it. Although, 800+ pages is a bit much. I'm sure there was stuff in there that we could have done without and not missed much. Overall, though, I was quite happy with it and I'm glad to have read the entire series.
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Awards

Audie Award (Finalist — Teens — 2013)
Kids' Book Choice Awards (Finalist — Author of the Year — 2012)
Golden Archer Award (Nominee — 2013)
Children's Favorites Awards (Finalist — Author of the Year — 2012)

Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2011-11-04

Physical description

5.08 inches

ISBN

0552560243 / 9780552560245

Barcode

1407
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