Inheritance

I just finished the final book in Christopher Paolini's Inheritance Cycle. I enjoyed all 4 books and I liked the way the story flowed through them. I also liked how things worked out for each of the characters. I think Paolini is a very good author and I would recommend his books to anyone who enjoys fantasy.

I had some issues, though, with the final book that I did not have with the others. Because of the 3-year gap between the final 2 books, I re-read the first three a couple months ago to refresh my mind about what had gone on before. This turned out to be a very good thing, because there was a lot I had forgotten! It also heightened a few issues with the final book.

SPOILER ALERT!

If you intend to read the book, stop reading here. I'm going to tell you about the end.

Okay, you've been warned!
First, I think the book was too long. It isn't that it was longer than the others; I don't mind a long book if the length is necessary. In this case, Paolini could have told the story just as well in a shorter book. I think he knew that this would be the last book and wanted to tell and describe everything. A lot of the discussion (especially every time Galbatorix spoke) was to drawn out and slowed the action too much. On the other hand, a lot of the action was also too drawn out, especially the fight scenes. There did not need to be as much detail. The final battle especially could have been told in less detail and been just as (or possibly more) effective.

Much of the discussion in the book, again especially with Galbatorix, seemed to be an opportunity for Paolini to voice his world view. In general, books reflect the world view of the author; that's perfectly natural, and is usually somewhat subtle. Paolini, however, seems sometimes to be determined to spell it out for his readers and make sure they get what he believes, and perhaps see how reasonable it is.

I also determined, part way through the book, that none of the characters closely connected to Eragon would die. This took away some from the scene with Nasuada in Galbatorix's torture chamber because I knew that she wouldn't die and she wouldn't give in, so there was no concern. I also knew that Roran, Katrina, Ayra, Angela, and Orik would be safe. There were a couple important characters who did die in the series (various important leaders), but they were not so closely connected to Eragon (there was always a barrier between them), and their deaths were important to allow other people to take their places. My guess is that Paolini liked his characters too much to be able to kill them off.

Finally, the ending was also too long. They won on page 719, but the book went on for another 130 pages of wrapping things up. There were chapters that could have been summed up in a paragraph or two without losing anything important. Again, though, I think Paolini wanted to tell everything that happened in detail because the series was ending and he had all sorts of ideas about what was happening and should happen.

END SPOILERS

And yet....I enjoyed the book. I like how the characters interacted and the futures that they received. There were no plot issues and I did not feel disappointed at the end.

So...if you like fantasy and dragons and good stories, by all means read the Inheritance Cycle.