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daniber's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Torture, and Blood
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders
sanctuary_in_the_pages's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Gore, Torture, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse and War
Minor: Slavery
lizziaha's review against another edition
3.25
This book has a different tone than the original series and lower stakes. Because Murtagh and Thorn have essentially exiled themselves, they don’t have many close relationships, and other characters from the original series only make brief appearances. That being said I do love some of the new characters and I did especially love Alin’s arc. But this read more as a prequel than a fantasy standalone. There is necessary growth for murtagh and thorn, but I’m more interested in where it’s going to go than the growth itself.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Abandonment, and Classism
bisexualwentworth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Well, I finally did it. After a fun but frustrating reread of the Inheritance Cycle, I have at last read Murtagh.
Some spoilers for this book and the previous books to follow.
This book was published twelve years after Inheritance and more than twenty years after the initial publication of Eragon. In that time, Christopher Paolini has definitely grown as a writer. His descriptions are tighter and more vivid. Side characters are differentiated in ways that they weren't before. Murtagh's character arc is difficult and mostly well-executed. And unlike in the previous books, the ableism, in this case Murtagh and Thorn's internalized ableism around their PTSD, feels more like an intentional character choice and less like the author violently hating disabled people.
Elsewhere, Paolini has also learned how to write evil girlbosses. Yay?
And he seems to have developed a more nuanced understanding of cult members and survivors of trauma in the intervening years, though that understanding still feels incredible surface level.
While I know that there is an overarching thing that he's aiming for with further installments in this series, it felt to me like half of this book was just Paolini realizing that he'd broken his magic system in Inheritance and trying to find ways to deal with that. On the whole, I didn't mind this. Murtagh encounters challenges that can't be surmounted using the Name of Names. He realizes how limited his vocabulary in the Ancient Language really is. He finds creative solutions to his problems. I liked this.
What I did NOT like was the reveal that the new big bad had been the big bad the whole time and the reason why Galbatorix was the way he was. Maybe this is a personal taste thing, or maybe it's just down to the execution, but I was so excited when there was a new threat that was different from Galbatorix and so disappointed at the reveal that *gasp* it was Azlagur the whole time! It felt lazy to me.
The pacing was, as usual with Paolini's books, horrendous. I know that a lot of the side quest things (like the stuff with the werecat children) will be picked up again in a later book, but it was still very inelegantly done. Even if plots are ongoing, the main threads of a book should be resolved in that book. There was definitely a better way to weave things together.
And the one long chapter in Ilirea at the end to wrap everything up and attempt any sort of proper development of Murtagh and Nasuada's relationship? Silly. Ridiculous. Yes, better than the 200 pages of conclusion at the end of Inheritance, but come ON. Both characters deserved more than that.
Overall, this book is generally better than the previous installments on a craft level, and Murtagh is a more compelling character than Eragon, who also faces much harder personal challenges, but the pacing was so bad and the Nal Gorgoth section dragged SO MUCH and overall it needed some restructuring and reconsidering in places. Also, I didn't have any nostalgia making me like it more than I naturally would have (other than a general fondness for Murtagh and for Nasuada), and this made the rough parts even more difficult for me.
Some spoilers for this book and the previous books to follow.
This book was published twelve years after Inheritance and more than twenty years after the initial publication of Eragon. In that time, Christopher Paolini has definitely grown as a writer. His descriptions are tighter and more vivid. Side characters are differentiated in ways that they weren't before. Murtagh's character arc is difficult and mostly well-executed. And unlike in the previous books, the ableism, in this case Murtagh and Thorn's internalized ableism around their PTSD, feels more like an intentional character choice and less like the author violently hating disabled people.
Elsewhere, Paolini has also learned how to write evil girlbosses. Yay?
And he seems to have developed a more nuanced understanding of cult members and survivors of trauma in the intervening years, though that understanding still feels incredible surface level.
While I know that there is an overarching thing that he's aiming for with further installments in this series, it felt to me like half of this book was just Paolini realizing that he'd broken his magic system in Inheritance and trying to find ways to deal with that. On the whole, I didn't mind this. Murtagh encounters challenges that can't be surmounted using the Name of Names. He realizes how limited his vocabulary in the Ancient Language really is. He finds creative solutions to his problems. I liked this.
What I did NOT like was the reveal that the new big bad had been the big bad the whole time and the reason why Galbatorix was the way he was. Maybe this is a personal taste thing, or maybe it's just down to the execution, but I was so excited when there was a new threat that was different from Galbatorix and so disappointed at the reveal that *gasp* it was Azlagur the whole time! It felt lazy to me.
The pacing was, as usual with Paolini's books, horrendous. I know that a lot of the side quest things (like the stuff with the werecat children) will be picked up again in a later book, but it was still very inelegantly done. Even if plots are ongoing, the main threads of a book should be resolved in that book. There was definitely a better way to weave things together.
And the one long chapter in Ilirea at the end to wrap everything up and attempt any sort of proper development of Murtagh and Nasuada's relationship? Silly. Ridiculous. Yes, better than the 200 pages of conclusion at the end of Inheritance, but come ON. Both characters deserved more than that.
Overall, this book is generally better than the previous installments on a craft level, and Murtagh is a more compelling character than Eragon, who also faces much harder personal challenges, but the pacing was so bad and the Nal Gorgoth section dragged SO MUCH and overall it needed some restructuring and reconsidering in places. Also, I didn't have any nostalgia making me like it more than I naturally would have (other than a general fondness for Murtagh and for Nasuada), and this made the rough parts even more difficult for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Blood, Religious bigotry, and Injury/Injury detail
loveat1stwrite's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Murtagh and his dragon, Thorn, reflect upon the abuse they experienced as side characters in the original 4 books. This is reflected in Thorn's fear of confinement and panic attacks when in enclosed spaces in the current plot.bethboo's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Murtagh, Murtagh, Murtagh! I was so happy to return to the world of Eragon, especially in the POV of one of my favorite characters. In this book, you get juicy glimpses into his very dark past, how his connection with Thorn happened, the horrors that baby dragon went through, as well as what he's doing now. Murtagh encounters a skull amulet with some strange magic woven into it. He's not sure what it means but he's going to find out. Thorn and him venture beyond the Alagaesia we all know and love, to protect what he loves.
First off, who knew lil mormon boy Christopher Paolini had it in him, to write a back story so dark?? Like I though he'd you know make it a little easier to swallow....but no. The shit that happened to Thorn and Murtagh was sick and I was wading through tears every single time. Especially now that we get to see the inside of their heads and learn how eager and good they are.
Next, Murtagh is such a little rich boy and I LOVED getting to see how that affected his POV. Like he's constantly wishing for a bath, wanting others/servants to treat him as his courtly position is due, he's comfortable being in charge, and misses the food that comes with money. Its so crazy that he is so much more educated than Eragon, he knows much more of the world, but he was never trained in magic and knows much less than Eragon. Ughhhhhh What I would do to see Eragon all giddy to teach Murtagh a magic lesson!!
If Christopher Paolini doesn't return to this story I will kms
Nal Gorgorath was absolute horror, omg I almost threw up when they were imprisoned again. And the parallels with Nasuada in the Hall of the Soothsayer, OMGGG Like I can't deal with more bad things happening to these babies. Bachel was a good and spooky enemy. I'm excited to see what becomes of the big creature underneath the mountain...the country??
It's also cute that he has a brother that's an urgal now and he's all not-racist now and he understands family!!
AND NASUADA!!! HIMM STAYING???? HIM CRYING ON HER!!! HE SPILLED HIS TRAUMA AND THEY LOVE EACH OTHER!!!
First off, who knew lil mormon boy Christopher Paolini had it in him, to write a back story so dark?? Like I though he'd you know make it a little easier to swallow....but no. The shit that happened to Thorn and Murtagh was sick and I was wading through tears every single time. Especially now that we get to see the inside of their heads and learn how eager and good they are.
Next, Murtagh is such a little rich boy and I LOVED getting to see how that affected his POV. Like he's constantly wishing for a bath, wanting others/servants to treat him as his courtly position is due, he's comfortable being in charge, and misses the food that comes with money. Its so crazy that he is so much more educated than Eragon, he knows much more of the world, but he was never trained in magic and knows much less than Eragon. Ughhhhhh What I would do to see Eragon all giddy to teach Murtagh a magic lesson!!
If Christopher Paolini doesn't return to this story I will kms
It's also cute that he has a brother that's an urgal now and he's all not-racist now and he understands family!!
AND NASUADA!!! HIMM STAYING???? HIM CRYING ON HER!!! HE SPILLED HIS TRAUMA AND THEY LOVE EACH OTHER!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
offtheraels's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
This book has all the usual issues of a Paolini story and had NO RIGHT being that long—but I had SO MUCH fun re-entering this universe and hanging out with my fave broody, poetry-writing, dragon-riding bad boy with parental issues. It was also good to read a YA fantasy sequel/spinoff that admits to the extensive PTSD of its characters, and I would have liked to see more ~healing~ instead of the more ~trauma~ (especially with Thorn, has he not been through enough???)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Slavery, Grief, and Abandonment
Minor: Death of parent and War
shinybookvibes's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Gore, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse
vbzshenanigans's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, Violence, Blood, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, and Alcohol
sneha_sarcar's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail