Brisingr (Inheritance, Book 3) (The Inheritance Cycle)
by Christopher Paolini
|
List Price: Our Price: $11.28 You Save: $16.22 (59%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $1.33 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Brisingr (Inheritance, Book 3) (The Inheritance Cycle)
Book Review: Enjoyable, yet leaving something wanting
Summary: 3 Stars
I read Eragon and Eldest a long time ago and enjoyed them immensely so, when Brisingr finally came out, I was very excited to read the third installment of this epic fantasy series. Because the tension and scope of this story have evolved so much, this book was much more violent than the previous books in this series. I do not mind reading about violence, but what bothered me was the way in which the characters in the story responded to all of the killing that they had done. They brought up their moral problems a couple of times but, in all real respects, they acted as if life just went on. Maybe the violent times that they had grown up in made them look upon the issue differently than people today, but I suspect that if any one person had actually killed almost 200 men at once, or was the cause of the mass killing of army after army, there would be more emotional repercussions.
There was only one other thing that stood in the way of me completely enjoying this book. This was the way that all of the characters spoke. Though I think that overall Paolini's writing has improved, his writing is much too aware of itself and he makes all of his characters speak in much the same way. For each species, he does have them say a couple words in their own language so that it seams that they are speaking english as a second language, but the basic patterns in their speech seem too similar to properly represent the myriad of characters that he portrays.
However, moving on from these two annoyances, I found this book tho be very enjoyable and fascinating to read. There are plot twists in Brisingr that I was not expecting at all and the ending was moving without becoming sappy. It added to the series and continued developing its characters. I really appreciated the fact that some of the choices that the "good characters" were making were not entirely likable even though as the reader I could not come up with a better solution given the circumstances that they were in. Too often, I read a book in which everything that the good characters do is commendable and everything that the bad characters do is horrible.
Overall, I would not say that this book will ever be considered a gem of early 21st century literature, but it is an interesting book that is enjoyable to read. Paolini's storytelling is very good, but sometimes he gets to wrapped up in adjectives and forgets to keep the story moving. This is a book that is easy to get completely immersed in as long as the critiquing is suspend until it has been finished.
Book Review: Superb. But all down to Opinion...
Summary: 5 Stars
Yes the third installment in the Inheritance Cycle is absolutely sensational. Of course it's all down to opinion. I won't go into any detail about what actually happens in the book, but I'll give you 8 points as to why this is the best in the series, and possibly the best book I've read.
1. There's no messing around. After a couple of chapters building up the situation, Paolini gets right into it.
2. Paolini has definately matured as a writer. He seems to have learnt how to describe things in shorter bits, but to the same effect if not more so, than what he was doing in Eragon and Eldest. Even when there are certain paragraphs or chapters even, that seem to drag on a bit in character description, it's by no means tedious.
3. The plot is fantastic.
4. The ending is just perfect - leaves you hanging and eager for the next installment, all after an excellently written plot.
5. It's long, but good. As another reviewer pointed out, it doesn't matter how long a book is, as long as (pun not intended) you get enjoyment out of it, and believe me, you get (or I got) a LOT of enjoyment out of reading Brisingr.
6. ACTION!!!. Brisingr is full of action. This time round, Paolini wasn't afraid to kill off a few characters, this all making for a riverting and stimulating read.
7. Many long-awaited questions have been answered, with many more arising from it. Christopher definately excelled in revealing all those long-awaited questions we've been asking ourselves, and in the proccess, created new ones. This definately added to the anticipation of Book 4, and made the book on the whole, a very satisfying read.
And lastly...
8. It lived up to the hype. In fact it exceeded expectations in my view.
There's nothing worse than waiting and waiting and waiting (3 and a bit years in this case) for 'the next book in the series' to come out, and it turns out to be a really disappointing read. I prayed to god Brisingr wouldn't be one of those books, and thankfully, it wasn't.
Brisingr is a real page turner right to the ever-so gripping end. For once in my 'Inheritance journey' I am pleased there will be a fourth book and look forward to the legacy continuing.
Keep in mind that Paolini's still young. He's done extremely well so far, and I expect great things of him in the future.
Brisingr was 'flippen awesome' as we'd say in New Zealand!
BRING ON BOOK 4!!!
Book Review: The Inheritance Saga continues, yet does not end...
Summary: 4 Stars
Paolini continues his Inhertiance saga with Brisingr. Originally, I understand he intended it to just be a trilogy, but I think he's been having so much fun developing his world and characters, as well as the story, that the story is just getting longer and longer. For some authors, that would be a bad thing, but for Paolini it is just giving him more room to develop and flex his fantastical and creative muscles.
This is definitely not the book to start the Inheritance books with, so if you haven't read Eragon and Eldest, do yourself a favor and get your hands on them as well.
The book starts with a summary of the last two books, which you can definitely skip if you've recently finished reading the first two books of the series, but, if you're like me and it had been a bit, the quick rehash was a nice reminder of what had gone on before. There are little to no gaps between the events in the books of the series, each one picking up very shortly (as in days after) the last events of the previous book. This book is no exception, and you are thrown headlong into Eragon and Roran's fight to rescue Katrina, Roran's betrothed.
To me the book kept a very lively pace. Paolini has become very adept at balancing the action with the more narrative sections of his stories. That said, when I came to the end, I really felt I had just read the next step in Eragon's journey. Just as in Eldest, this book moves along through the story of Eragon, but it would have a hard time standing on its own - in fact, when removed from the series, it is rather anti-climatic. There is really only one conflict that is resolved in this book (revealed in its name), and that conflict seems almost secondary when compared against the other conflicts of the story.
In the end, I highly recommend the Inheritance saga to any and all fans of the fantasy genre. It is in the vein of Tolkien and maybe even Robert Jordan (the latter being one who has indulged in the epitomy of the unending saga). But don't read this book without having first read Eragon and then Eldest, you would only be doing yourself a disservice.
Book Review: Eh...
Summary: 2 Stars
*SPOILERS AHEAD, BEWARE* To me, the Inheritance Trilogy really lost its punch midway through book 2, when Eragon is essentially given all of the power and strength he needs to complete the tasks at hand without really working for it. He suffered through his grievous injuries and was beginning to learn things through hard work and resilience, when POOF, it was decided that he had suffered enough, so everything he needs is bestowed upon him. This shows through no more clearly than in the first few chapters of Brisinger, when Eragon and Roran dispatch the Razzac with ease. Keep in mind that these two evil things were two of the most powerful creatures in the land in the first book, so much so that the dragon had to flee from them. The story is tedious, I usually read quickly; however, this book took some time to get through. Too much time is spent discussing political and social points of view, such as the social morality of being a vegetarian, addressing the question of capital punishment, or the essential qualities of a being a competent leader. As a result the story drags. The characters of Eragon and Saphira have become extremely shallow, as he is strong enough now both mentally and physically to essentially do what whatever he wants, but he is forced to struggle with the fact that he is 'bound' by the fact that he made too many promises to too many people and has to figure out which ones he must keep, and the fact that he can't find a sword that doesn't break. Saphira is shown to be callous, shallow, and arrogant, so why would you root for her. The elves are so powerful that we find they can overrun any human population around them as their army moves forth from hiding in their forest, which begs the question as to why the entire race of super-powerful beings remained in hiding because of a single man (Gallbatorix) who surely could not have defeated them had they attacked in force. The only character that shows any real depth is Roran, who, being a mere human, is forced to face the fact that he has no choice but to be a warrior if he ever wants to return to his home and resume a quiet life with his wife (who oddly enough doesn't really seemed too messed up from MONTHS of imprisonment and torture). The story had a promising start, but continues to disappoint as it progresses.Book Review: Fantastic character development makes this work
Summary: 5 Stars
I approached book 3 with high expectations, and while Paolini appears to be taking a fair amount of heat for pacing, writing style, and the excessive length of the book, I actually came away feeling different. Brisingr is admittedly not for those looking for concise story lines with a clear start and finish, but much like Eldest, Brisingr continues to flush out the details of politics, relationships, and character progression in Paolini's world. Many likely critiqued Eldest for its painstakingly detailed analysis of dwarven and elven politics, the rules of magic, and the history of the dragon riders, but I for one found the approach welcome and fascinating. Unlike many fantasy novels that simply drive through a plot sprinkled with a few twists to hold interest, Paolini provides a window into the world of Alagaesia in a manner that left me with an appetite for more. While I find myself skimming pages in most fantasy novels to keep up with fast paced plots, I hung on every description in Brisingr and savored a slower paced immersion into the story.
What truly captures me about the cycle is the character development. Paolini's dedication to his theme of inheritance resounds throughout his stories in Eragon, Orik, Arya, Saphira, Roran, Nasuada, and Murtagh. Brisingr continues what Eldest began, and I was pleased to see Paolini stayed true to all character's development in a fair manner. The shear volume of supporting characters lead me to believe that Paolini may have bit off more than he could chew, and I fully expected some stories to pitter off or be overwhelmed by Eragon, but Brisingr pleasantly surprised me on this account. This dedication to each individual storyline is possibly the reason so many have critiqued the size of the book and the pacing, but I found it added a depth to the storyline that you rarely find in fantasy novels.
I'd highly recommend this book and series as one of the richer fantasy series I have read. Certainly be prepared for a deep dive into the lives of the characters and the world they live in, and a somewhat slower paced plot than you'd traditionally find in the genre. Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed Brisingr from start to finish, and am anxiously awaiting the conclusion of the cycle.