Wow, um, okay, I think this review should start with a drumroll, so here goes: *drumroll*.
Now we've got that out of the way, we can start with the review!
Inheritance is the final book in the Inheritance cycle, culminating Eragon's story. I'll warn you before I start: I have mixed feelings about the book. It was a great read, but I have a few bones to pick with Mr. Paolini on this one. Sorry man, I still love you, so if you read this, don't hate me.
Here goes the synopsis! (Not written by me, of course, as I am a lazy layabout)
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 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 best-selling Inheritance cycle.
Shows promise, huh?
This was a good book, make no mistake. But it was just good, not freaking unbelievable like the others that made me love and cherish this series. But I can set that aside and still be completely satisfied with this book if it just weren't for the ending. I don't know how any fan of these books can be happy with the ending! If you are, I totally respect your opinion (who am I to judge?), but you killed me with the ending, Chris, you really did. I want to reiterate that it's still a good book overall, and you guys should read it, but prepare to have your hearts ripped out at the end. Maybe it's just hardcore fans like me who were so emotionally invested in the series, but it physically hurt me to have an ending like this after such a long time reading this series.
The storyline was compelling, although, unlike the other books, it dragged on a bit at certain points (there were overly descriptive parts and some parts that just weren't relevant to the overall plot). I liked it, but I didn't love it as much as I did the other books. I became disenchanted with a few of the characters, like Roran and Eragon, but I discovered a love for others, like Angela and Murtagh, who are now my favourite characters in the series. Murtagh is, in my opinion, one of the most complex and mysterious characters in the series, maybe because we haven't seen anything from his point of view and we still don't know exactly what happened while he was with Galbatorix. Angela is just a complete mystery, as we know almost nothing about her, and I believe that a novel or even a series on her would not go amiss.
The writing style is still good overall, but not so much as in the first two books in the series. The quality of the writing seems to have deteriorated since Brisingr, which is slightly disappointing for the reader, who expects only the best from the author, because he has proved to us that he can hold his own with the best writers around. It's far from bad writing, it just leaves something to be desired, unlike the first two, that leave us completely satisfied.
As a hardcore fan of the series, I just expected something more from the book. I wanted an epic ending and fast-paced constant action, and I got neither, which was quite upsetting. I like the fact that all the loose ends were tied up at the end, but that part is waaay to long (around 100 pages), and should have been cut down quite a bit by the editor. In general, the book was fluffed up quite a lot with irrelevant descriptions and side-plots that should have been removed, making the book look a little less encyclopaedic.
Right, then. Even though it's definitely not his best work, I still recommend you read it, even if only to finish the series and get your closure. I can't do may trademark "Get it. Read it. etc", because I'm still in pain because of the ending. But then, how do I end my review? Hm... How about... Yup, I've got it!
THE END.
Happy reading,
JRD
I haven't read these books yet (although I plan on reading them soon), but I know what you mean about the end of a series letting you down. You're right, though, at least you'll get the closure you need.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I have some feedback about your blog:
-Your reviews are great! You seem to have a very distinctive voice, and I enjoy reading them.
-You should probably add some pages up top: an "about me" section, a contact page with a link to your Twitter/email/whatever else you want to link to, an archive with links to all your reviews.
-Add some color!. Whether you add it to the design or just do it by adding book covers to your reviews, it will make the whole blog more exciting to look at. :D
-Add links to Goodreads/Amazon/etc. in your reviews. Most bloggers do, and it makes it easy for the reader to find out more about the book.
-And while I do think the black background is really cool, it's a bit harder to read than a white background. I know most people prefer to look at a screen with dark text/light background. If you really like it, then keep it. But maybe just mess around with some other colors and see if you find anything you like. :D
-Oh and add a gadget that allows people to follow you! Because I like your blog and want to follow it. :)
Of course, this isn't exactly professional advice or anything, just my opinions. Feel free to tweet me if you need help or ideas or anything.
-Rachel