(To those that haven’t read it: this is spoiler free, save a few minor points, as long as you’ve read the previous books.)
Recently I finished reading the final installment in Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Cycle. I’ve been a fan of this series since I was a kid (I believe I was in the fourth grade when I first discovered ERAGON), and I’d been dying to read this book since I finished BRISINGR. The wait was well worth it, because INHERITANCE was everything I’d hoped.
We got chapters from the point of view of Eragon, Roran, Nasuada, and Saphira, which I enjoyed. I do love getting different parts of the story from different characters, as it rounds it out and gives the story a bit more meat. I would have liked more from Saphira, because I love the way she describes things, but what we did get, I think, was sufficient. I enjoyed the chapters from Roran much more than the ones in previous books, and the chapters from Nasuada not only got us into Nasuada’s head, but Murtagh’s and Galbatorix’s as well.
The loose threads from the previous books, most notably Angela’s predictions from ERAGON and Solembum’s cryptic message about the Vault of Souls, were tied up perfectly. I was not left wanting. This book wrapped up the series quite nicely, though I long for more and hope Paolini does more with the world he’s created, as he hinted in the acknowledgments.
A lot happens in this book, though it all ties together well. There’s plenty of action and magic, not to mention an epic final battle, and I can’t imagine a better way to have wrapped up the series. I’ll admit that I expected more deaths of important secondary characters, and from the one we did get, I expected a bit more…well, buildup, I suppose. It seemed rather quick, though not rushed. The battle that caused the death was fast-paced and a whirl of confusion for the characters, so I suppose the quickness of the death was to be expected.
One little Easter egg Paolini snuck in was from none other than Angela (my personal favorite), and it’ll definitely please the Doctor Who nerds (like me). Paolini’s snuck a few in before, though this one is much more obvious. Non Doctor Who fans might actually be confused, though coming from Angela…well, haven’t we all come to expect strangeness from Angela?
All in all, an excellent read and a well-written conclusion to one of my favorite epic fantasies. If you haven’t read it yet, it’s worth buying, and is also available as an eBook. If you haven’t read the series at all, I recommend it, though the first book, being Paolini’s first, is a bit sloppy in some places.
Final review: Four of five stars, taking off only because some of my least-favorite fantasy screw-ups showed up from time to time, namely the folly of stew as a quick, easy meal.