Book Review: Inheritance by Christopher Paolini

Inheritance by Christopher Paolini
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication date: November 2011
Pages: 860
Source: Purchased (and signed!)
For: Fun
Series: Inheritance, Book 4

Summary (from goodreads): *Spoilers are inevitable for the first three books*

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 chance.

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?

Things I Liked:
You've got to give Paolini credit for coming up with a rich and detailed world and a problem that seemed unsolvable.  The bare bones of this story are really good, exciting and fast-paced.  The characters are interesting and flawed and at times simply annoying.  There is so much detail and so many different people and things to keep track of.  I was really happy there was a summary at the beginning to remind us what happened in the previous books (yeah, so I reread them right before I thought I was going to read this...and then more than a year passed before I finally got to it).  I'm pretty satisfied with how it ended as well, though there are some issues I had, of course.

Things I Didn't Like:
Ok, the main thing about these books that bothers me is their length and how they're packed with details that just need to be cut.  It's been said by many many people in much more convincing ways, but he could really have benefited from an editor chopping out much of the fluff.  Yes, there is a lot that he's created in his imagination.  I think it would have been better if he'd put some of those stories and details into some kind of appendices or additional book about the world if he really wanted people to know about it.  Those who are dying for more would have devoured it, but the books would have been tighter and flowed a lot faster.  Also, shorter.  Yeah, the ending left me unsatisfied in a few ways (hello, Aria) and the way the king was defeated (spoiler?  probably not) was a bit out of the blue, but still I could handle it.  And yes, he drew on a lot of source material and I don't really even have much of a problem with that, but it's just the ridiculous length and side stories and jumping from character to character and every single thing must be written out in detail.  Glad I read the end and glad that it's the end.

Read-alikes:
Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien 
The Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !@ 
some here and there

mrg-factor: none

v-factor: ->->->->
Ok, it's a really long book about a really long war and there are a LOT of battles

Overall rating: story: ****, experience **

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Mini Reviews 3: Books That Didn't Wow Me

Here's another group of mini reviews. Unfortunately, these ones just didn't wow me (at least not this time). 


Wildwood by Colin Meloy
Source: ARC provided by publisher

When Prue's little brother is stolen and taken to the Wildwood, she is determined to get him back. With the help of Curtis, a friend from school, she embarks on a journey that will take her to places she never imagined. But will she be able to find him in time to save him and all of Wildwood from utter distruction?

My Thoughts: This was a fun story filled with adventures and growing up and fantastic creatures and places with quirky characters and odd tidbits and talking animals.  It has all the elements of a fun MG fantasy, but for some reason, it just didn't wow me.  It really dragged for me; it took me weeks to finish this.  Since I wasn't invested in any of the characters and the story sort of meandered around for most of the book, it just didn't stick with me.  I liked the illustrations, though!  Hand this to your MG fantasy adventure fans who aren't afraid of a big book. 
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The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon
Source: Library (for book group, but apparently, not until February!)

When Lynnie and Homan escape one night from the School for the Incurable and Feebleminded, they set in motion a chain of events they couldn't have predicted. Lynnie only wanted to keep her baby from being in that place and suffering the atrocities she might endure. So, when she is caught and Homan escapes, she leaves the child with Martha, an older woman that they meet during their escape. Over the next 40 years, the lives of these four characters twine and separate in unimaginable ways.

My thoughts: This is the kind of book that I think of as Important, but I didn't particularly enjoy.  I thought it was interesting to see the progression made for institutions like the School and the story of the divergence and then convergence of the characters was also compelling.  The social commentary, the way people dealt with those with disabilities, and how those were perceived by others (and sometimes still are today) was the most interesting part.  I think I'd be more interested in reading non-fiction about it, though. Mostly I just didn't enjoy the way it was written.  I struggled through the entire thing and ended up skimming the last 30 or so pages.  Something about the style really turned me off and I'm not sure why exactly.  Though I think part of it was the names Homan called people were so aggravating to me, even if it was realistic.  Basically, this is a case of "not for me" but which others may very well enjoy.  Worth a try simply for the content.  (A side note: there is some drug use, swearing, and mature content).
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The Hidden Coronet by Catherine Fisher
Source: Library
(3rd book in the Relic Master series)

A coronet with the power to save Anara is the only thing that might save the planet.  But, no one knows where it might be hidden.  Can Galen and Raffi find it before the Watch gets to it?

My thoughts: While I really enjoyed the second half of the book, the first have was really slow and I almost didn't want to keep reading.  The action (when we finally got to it) was exciting and the world Fisher's created and all its intricacies became more interesting and more immediate to me than in the previous two books (The Dark City and The Lost Heiress).  I was fascinated by the world and the moons and how they interacted with the weather and especially with the Makers.  There were certainly parts of the story that seemed so ephemeral and vague to me that I had a hard time following what was going on. But, I think the overarching mystery of who the Makers are and what Anara is made me continue with the series.  Though I was able to figure out pretty quickly the immediate mystery of this book, I didn't know all the details.  And I like Raffi, the one who would rather be home and well fed than off having dangerous adventures.  Probably because I relate so well to that.  
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The Margrave by Catherine Fisher
Source: Library
(4th book in the Relic Master series)

Galen and Raffi are facing the most dangerous foe they know, what lies in the Pits of Maar.  Can they defeat this evil and will the Makers return to help them in time?

My thoughts: This was a rather exciting and action-packed, complicated ending to the series. In a few parts, I honestly didn't follow what was going on. There were so many things revealed and so many strange mysteries unfurled that I was almost overwhelmed by them! It strengthened my love for Raffi, but I still don't like anyone else much, except perhaps the Sekoi. While the style was not to my liking in places and I thought it dragged in a few sections, this series is so interesting partly because the world is something you are left to wonder about - how it came about, how it's linked to ours, and with so many interesting side stories about it. Rather like Incarceron, this series drew me in because of the setting. Oh, and the ending took me by surprise too. Definitely not your typical kind of series end, I think.
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Eldest by Christopher Paolini
Source: Audiobook from library
(2nd book in the Inheritance series)

While Eragon and Saphira helped defeat an army of Urgalls, the war has only begun.  They must travel to Ellesmera to complete Eragon's training as a dragon rider.  Far from Eragon, Rorin is fighting his own battle against the Ra'zac, who have taken from him what he most desires.  Their two stories intertwine in unexpected ways and lead to an inevitable battle.

My thoughts:
Once again, Paolini continues a spanking good fantasy story.  Though, in this book I found myself more interested during Rorin's part than Eragon's. Unfortunately, for the vast majority (of this vastly major work), it was terribly boring. I couldn't believe how I'd forgotten all the info-dumping and blabbing going on for 90% of the book.  All I remember from my first reading was how flabbergasted I was by the ending. It really was a twist I never saw coming and a smart one too. The books, at least on rereading/relistening (obviously I wasn't bothered much the first time) could do with some major cutting. I listened to this one on audio again and every time I am struck with the variety of voices Gerard Doyle can do. I even became more reconciled to Saphira's rumble. And yet, after all this whining, I'm still a fan of the series. Not one for your luke-warm fantasy fans, though.

Any of these that wowed you?

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Retro Friday Review: Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Retro Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Angie of Angieville and "focuses on reviewing books from the past. This can be an old favorite, an under-the-radar book you think deserves more attention, something woefully out of print, etc."

Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Publisher/Imprint: Alfred A. Knopf
Publication date: 2003 (originally self-published 2001)
ISBN: 9780375826689
Source: Audiobook from library

Eragon is hunting in the woods one day when a blue stone appears in his path.  With no idea of its purpose or value, he takes it home where a dragon hatches from it.  Setting off a chain of events he little expects, Eragon and Saphira find themselves far from their home, without family, and training to become a dragon rider - a fierce warrior that will inspire the people suppressed by Galbatorix to battle his control.  But which side should he be on?

Things I Liked:
I listened to this one on audio, so I could have everything fresh in my mind when reading the last book.  The story is still just as exciting and intriguing as it was the first time.  I love how Eragon is a flawed and still struggling teen who isn't quite sure what to do and how to do it.  The high fantasy world Paolini created is full of depth and history and I'm excited to finally get to the end of the story!

Things I Didn't Like:
I was reminded again how ridiculously many adjectives and adverbs are used (an ironic sentence if ever there was one :).  It was almost overwhelming at times.  It does evoke some of the older epic fantasies such as Lord of the Rings, but also makes it feel a bit pretentious.  Also, I wasn't enthralled with the voices used by the narrator, Gerard Doyle, particularly Saphira's, but I think he did well considering the sheer number of characters.  I didn't much care for the growly deepness Saphira's voice.  But, I listened all the way through and I'm planning to listen to the next two as well.

Read-alikes:
Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (plenty of similarities - see this article)
The Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: ! 
a few here and there

mrg-factor: none 

v-factor: ->->-> 
some rather gruesome descriptions of fighting/battle

Overall rating: **** 

Fan or not so much?

If you buy through my Amazon linkage, I will get a very small percentage

Book Review: Brisingr by Christopher Paolini

Brisingris the third installment in the Inheritance Trilogy (Eragon and Eldest being the first and second). During this book, Eragon and Saphira recover from defeat in their last battle and try to discover how they can possibly defeat Galbatorix. Roran (Eragon's cousin) becomes more important to the story and the Varden go on the offensive.

Honestly, there is no way for me to really sum up the story of a third installment in a series that was this long. I thought there was a lot of extra stuff that was unnecessary and just made the story drag on. Perhaps Paolini has uses for all of it, but I kept getting annoyed at its length. I found this to be true in all of his books thus far. When I finally get down to the most exciting (and important) parts of the story, I am hooked. I think his ideas and stories are amazing, but he just loves too many side plots and too many long, descriptive words. All that said, I am dying for the last book. (As with most series books, I still think the first was the best, story-wise.)

RATINGS:
s-rating: !
There is some language, but for the most part, they are made-up swear words.

mrg-rating: none.
Though there is a wedding, nothing is described.

v-rating: ->->->
Yeah, it's got the violence. I didn't find it gory or too descriptive, but there is a lot of fighting.

Overall rating: ****