Author: Christopher Paolini
Published: 2008
Genre: YA Fantasy

Book 3 – The Inheritance Cycle

Book One Review | Book Two Review  | Book Four Review | Book Five Review

Synopsis From Goodreads:

Oaths sworn… loyalties tested… forces collide.

It’s been only months since Eragon first uttered “brisingr”, an ancient language term for fire. Since then, he’s not only learned to create magic with words — he’s been challenged to his very core. Following the colossal battle against the Empires warriors on the Burning Plains, Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have narrowly escaped with their lives. Still, there is more adventure 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 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 will 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?

My Take:

Brisingr is the third book in the Inheritance Cycle that began with Eragon and continued with Eldest. It picks up right after the end of Eldest and has many of the same themes and struggles. Eragon is still learning and growing so that he is ready to confront the king. Various races and disparate groups are trying to find their place and work together to forward the cause of the Varden rebels and find their place in the world. New promises and oaths are being made while old ones need to be kept. This places Eragon, Saphira, Roran, and Nasuada in many situations where tension and conflict with almost no good solutions exists.

In this book, I believe Paolini was trying to go deeper with his writing and characters. The brutality and horrors of war, the decisions made in the moment, and the struggles that follow (PTSD) are encountered several times by various characters. Oaths that have been made and the difficulties that ensue when pulled between two different promises and the contemplations of why people do the things they do are explored. These topics, as well as what some may consider to be extra wordy descriptions, can make this almost 750 page book get bogged down if you’re reading this as a fun adventure fantasy. This series started as a fun adventure story. Paolini may be missing his target audience with this book by delving too much into serious topics. For me, it helped the series “grow up” and gain more of a feeling of reality. Life is not easy or clean. War is not simple and is not easily left behind, even when it it finished. Interpersonal relationships and connections can end up being a quagmire. I didn’t get bothered by the wordiness; you should know that when you pick up a book that is this big, you’re going to read a few words! Detailed descriptions help immerse you in the scene. If it is too much, just skip it.

This book does have some switching of POV, but not as much as Eldest, and does struggle more with pacing. But as someone who has long had a fascination with swords, it includes one of my favorite scenes of the whole series. Thankfully, Paolini did not leave all of the questions unanswered until the final book. He tied up a few ends and gave a couple of plot reveals which gives you a few things to hang on to as you continue the journey. Even with this book’s struggles, it is a necessary step in the story of Alagaesia. Keep going and take heart: the end is coming!