Brisingr

Christopher Paolini

Brisingr continues the tale of Eragon and Roran, cousins that pit their strength to overcome the evil king. Eragon must atone for past wrongs, and Roran must fight past his misgivings. It’s a thrilling book that is going to keep you wanting to read, even if you aren’t convinced that the Varden should be winning. Hit the jump for more…

This is another one of those ‘it was a trilogy but it became a four book set’, but it’s ok, because I didn’t go into it thinking it would be the conclusion! All the same, it’s a breathtaking ending that has you worrying for Arya and Eragon alike. It seems like Paolini crammed in as much as he could.

It’s interesting to finally have some insight into Saphira’s consciousness, and it is obvious why Paolini has done this. I can’t really tell you more about spoilers, but for Riders and their dragons, death is not really the end.

Paolini covers a lot of ground in the book, which is very satisfying. The dwarves crown a new King, Roran gets around to marrying Katerina, the Razac are finally killed. Eragon struggles to find a new sword, and to find himself. Others get a chance to change their own true names.

I can’t say that Paolini really changes the style of his writing, nor could I want him to. What he writes in compelling, but also easily accessible. I occasionally found myself frustrated by the repetition of seemingly meaningless details – what’s Eragon eating this time? Oh, fruit again… The characterisation is great, and there is more focus on that rather than the endless landscapes that Eragon and Roran find themselves traversing. I don’t find the shifts between consciousness jarring, which is something that not all authors can do.

In my own heart of hearts, I hope Roran gets to bond with the last dragon for himself, but I think it is more likely that his son or daughter will get the chance. Roran already has Katrina, and there isn’t room for more love in that heart. I can still hope!

I’m waiting to get the fourth book, it’s currently at my partner’s house, and I want it now! But no, I’ll have to wait, and it’s probably a good thing for getting my study done. It’s likely that from this point, the number of books I am reviewing will drop, but I will still try to post a review every two weeks. Sorry there is no better way of telling you this!