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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a boring read… I’m a huge fan of the Inheritance Cycle and was excited for Murtagh’s story, but his character was unfortunately weighed down too heavily by his past, with only a few new insights into his character. His main characteristic is cautious, which made for slow development. I couldn’t find the man underneath all he’d suffered, beyond the few key characteristics of his from the Cycle such as his strong mental wall.
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Very glad I finally got around to reading this book and looking forward to more stories to come in the future! An engaging tale and a worthy follow up to the Inheritance Series. The story was interesting and had me stressed out at many different points throughout the story. I literally finished the last two chapters in my car after work because I couldn't bear the idea of waiting to finish the book for when I got home.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
4.5/5
Oh man, this is going to be difficult to talk about.
The Inheritance Cycle is a series that means so much to me. Even after reading various other dragon stories, including Dragonriders of Pern and His Majesty's Dragon, the Cycle still contains the definitive version of Dragon Riders for me. I'd go into the reasons why, but then we'd be here all day.
There have been rumors of Christopher Paolini returning to Alagaesia after working on the Fractalverse for a bit, but I tried not to get hyped too much (I think I failed). I wanted to see whither these rumors were true or not.
As it turns out, yes they were true. First we got The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm, a short insight on how Eragon was doing after the events of Inheritance as well as a further glimpse of what the world of Alagaesia has to offer, and now we have Murtagh, a story that follows everyone's favorite emo bad boy of the same name, set over a year after the events of the original Cycle.
This was a great idea. So much was yet unknown about Murtagh and the turmoils and trials he endured. Not to mention his dragon, Thorn, didn't even speak or appear to have a personality until the very end of Inheritance, so getting insight on their characters and what they've been up to since their self-exile was much needed.
I pre-ordered my copy without a second thought and waited impatiently for its release. Having now finished the book, can I safely say the wait was worth it? Long story short, yes.
-
I'll go over the problems first: the pacing was rough. The plot never fully kicks in until the 250 page mark. To be fair, I don't think the lack of plot is a huge deal as this is a character-focused story more than anything, but it doesn't change the fact the pacing dragged all too many times. It makes me think the book didn't need to be over 600 pages long.
Secondly, a few plot points happened at random moments. One example being Murtagh disowning his father's legacy by renaming his sword (its going to take time to get used to Zar'roc's new name). It's a great and emotional scene, but the fact it happened during Murtagh's hunt for Bachel underground, which was essentially a race against time to save Ailn's life all the while dealing with the various monstrosities lurking in the darkness, yeah the timing was off on that one.
Also, the fact that apparently Galbatorix was influenced by Bachel and her Lovecraft cult during his path to madness? It feels contradictory, but then again its been a while since I've read the original Cycle, and there is a lot about Alagaesia that remains unknown, so this might not be a problem at all.
I'm also sorry to say that neither Eragon or Saphira make an appearance. They're only mentioned a lot (with much disdain on Murtagh's part. I understand where his resentment comes from, but geez dude, quit hating on my boy! Eragon and Murtagh seriously need to sit down and talk things out, hopefully without killing each other), but as disappointing as that is, it also makes sense. This is Murtagh and Thorn's story alone, it would've been out-of-place for Eragon and Saphira to suddenly swoop in to save the day (not to mention Eragon's fortune stated that he'll never return to Alagaesia. I still don't know how that works, or if that part of the fortune is false, but we'll see).
Those are the only problems I can think of. There might be a few more that I'm missing, but it doesn't overall matter because I think Murtagh was an amazing entry into the World of Eragon!
-
The writing: excellent (aside from a single grammar issue I noticed)! It's really amazing how Paolini can change writing styles between The Inheritance Cycle and The Fractalverse while still staying consistent with one another. The moment I started reading Murtagh, I was sucked right back in to Alagaesia as though I were a kid getting into the original series again. To say nostalgia hit hard is an understatement.
The world building: top notch! Paolini did a great job showcasing that even though Galbatorix is gone, the world isn't as peaceful and resolved as it could be. Change is slow coming, and there are some who either don't want change at all, or for it to arrive in the worst way possible. On top of that, as previously stated, much of Alagaesia remains shrouded in mystery, and seeing some of those mysteries unfold was fascinating to see (not to mention terrifying on a few accounts).
The villains: Surprisingly effective and unsettling! After Galbatorix, a Lovecraftian cult that worships something resting deep beneath the earth (I know its name is Azlagur, and it sounds more dragonish in appearance than your typical eldritch fair, but I'm still calling it the Cthulhu Dragon), and has more influence and power across the land than previously realized is honestly the best direction to go in.
The characters: Holy crud, where do I even begin? When reading the Inheritance Cycle, my thoughts on Murtagh and Thorn were much the same as Eragon's. Pity for their plights and the endless torture they endure, but also hate for their murderous deeds, with some clearly being done on purpose and not under Galbatorix's orders. The ending of Inheritance made me warm up to them a little bit, but I was still confused as to why so many loved Murtagh and thought he was a better character than Eragon himself.
Having read this book, yeah I completely see why now. Murtagh is one of, if not the, most complicated, sympathetic, and morally gray character in the entire series. We see glimpses of his upbringing and forced servitude under Galbatorix, and just how much pain and trauma these events continue to cause him. We see him dealing with the sheer guilt of all the terrible deeds he committed even though some were beyond his control, and the fact the world will never forgive him because of them.
On top of all of that, we also see that despite his pain, bitterness, pride and scornful stubbornness, he really is a good person deep down, and this soft side of him comes out every once in a while, especially around kids.
There's also Murtagh's dragon: Thorn. This poor baby, oh my god, I wanted to give him a hug so bad!
Equally as tortured and tormented as his Rider, Thorn also suffers from severe claustrophobia, and how he gained this fear is heartbreaking to read about. In fact everything this dragon went though tied my heart into a painful knot. Despite this, Thorn truly cares for Murtagh and wants him to be happy. He also has a bit of a sadistic sense of humor, which was surprising to see, and has every bit of ego a dragon could have.
Murtagh and Thorn might not see eye-to-eye as much as Eragon and Saphira, but there's no doubt the bond between them is powerful, and it grew even stronger as their story went on. So many times I nearly cried because of that bond, and throughout all their suffering and pain, they still have each other. By the end, their characters are clearly changed from how they started, and although they will never be fully redeemed or forgiven for their sins, I think its safe to say they truly earned the title and rank of Dragon Rider. I don't think they'll become my favorite characters anytime soon, but I definitely appreciate them a lot more now.
-
Overall, I think Christopher Paolini struck a home-run with Murtagh. Is it the best Inheritance Cycle book yet? In many ways, yes. It's also the darkest book in the series by far, and its safe to say no one will call it a Star Wars rip-off any time soon. At the same time, however, the original 4 books hold such a near and dear place in my heart that I really don't know how Murtagh ranks with them.
I look forward to seeing more adventures in Alagaesia, especially now that everything is set-up for things to come.
(Calling it right now, King Orrin is the Draumar infiltrator that Murtagh can't remember. Also, please tell me those were a few Fractalverse easter eggs I saw).
Oh man, this is going to be difficult to talk about.
The Inheritance Cycle is a series that means so much to me. Even after reading various other dragon stories, including Dragonriders of Pern and His Majesty's Dragon, the Cycle still contains the definitive version of Dragon Riders for me. I'd go into the reasons why, but then we'd be here all day.
There have been rumors of Christopher Paolini returning to Alagaesia after working on the Fractalverse for a bit, but I tried not to get hyped too much (I think I failed). I wanted to see whither these rumors were true or not.
As it turns out, yes they were true. First we got The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm, a short insight on how Eragon was doing after the events of Inheritance as well as a further glimpse of what the world of Alagaesia has to offer, and now we have Murtagh, a story that follows everyone's favorite emo bad boy of the same name, set over a year after the events of the original Cycle.
This was a great idea. So much was yet unknown about Murtagh and the turmoils and trials he endured. Not to mention his dragon, Thorn, didn't even speak or appear to have a personality until the very end of Inheritance, so getting insight on their characters and what they've been up to since their self-exile was much needed.
I pre-ordered my copy without a second thought and waited impatiently for its release. Having now finished the book, can I safely say the wait was worth it? Long story short, yes.
-
I'll go over the problems first: the pacing was rough. The plot never fully kicks in until the 250 page mark. To be fair, I don't think the lack of plot is a huge deal as this is a character-focused story more than anything, but it doesn't change the fact the pacing dragged all too many times. It makes me think the book didn't need to be over 600 pages long.
Secondly, a few plot points happened at random moments. One example being Murtagh disowning his father's legacy by renaming his sword (its going to take time to get used to Zar'roc's new name). It's a great and emotional scene, but the fact it happened during Murtagh's hunt for Bachel underground, which was essentially a race against time to save Ailn's life all the while dealing with the various monstrosities lurking in the darkness, yeah the timing was off on that one.
Also, the fact that apparently Galbatorix was influenced by Bachel and her Lovecraft cult during his path to madness? It feels contradictory, but then again its been a while since I've read the original Cycle, and there is a lot about Alagaesia that remains unknown, so this might not be a problem at all.
I'm also sorry to say that neither Eragon or Saphira make an appearance. They're only mentioned a lot (with much disdain on Murtagh's part. I understand where his resentment comes from, but geez dude, quit hating on my boy! Eragon and Murtagh seriously need to sit down and talk things out, hopefully without killing each other), but as disappointing as that is, it also makes sense. This is Murtagh and Thorn's story alone, it would've been out-of-place for Eragon and Saphira to suddenly swoop in to save the day (not to mention Eragon's fortune stated that he'll never return to Alagaesia. I still don't know how that works, or if that part of the fortune is false, but we'll see).
Those are the only problems I can think of. There might be a few more that I'm missing, but it doesn't overall matter because I think Murtagh was an amazing entry into the World of Eragon!
-
The writing: excellent (aside from a single grammar issue I noticed)! It's really amazing how Paolini can change writing styles between The Inheritance Cycle and The Fractalverse while still staying consistent with one another. The moment I started reading Murtagh, I was sucked right back in to Alagaesia as though I were a kid getting into the original series again. To say nostalgia hit hard is an understatement.
The world building: top notch! Paolini did a great job showcasing that even though Galbatorix is gone, the world isn't as peaceful and resolved as it could be. Change is slow coming, and there are some who either don't want change at all, or for it to arrive in the worst way possible. On top of that, as previously stated, much of Alagaesia remains shrouded in mystery, and seeing some of those mysteries unfold was fascinating to see (not to mention terrifying on a few accounts).
The villains: Surprisingly effective and unsettling! After Galbatorix, a Lovecraftian cult that worships something resting deep beneath the earth (I know its name is Azlagur, and it sounds more dragonish in appearance than your typical eldritch fair, but I'm still calling it the Cthulhu Dragon), and has more influence and power across the land than previously realized is honestly the best direction to go in.
The characters: Holy crud, where do I even begin? When reading the Inheritance Cycle, my thoughts on Murtagh and Thorn were much the same as Eragon's. Pity for their plights and the endless torture they endure, but also hate for their murderous deeds, with some clearly being done on purpose and not under Galbatorix's orders. The ending of Inheritance made me warm up to them a little bit, but I was still confused as to why so many loved Murtagh and thought he was a better character than Eragon himself.
Having read this book, yeah I completely see why now. Murtagh is one of, if not the, most complicated, sympathetic, and morally gray character in the entire series. We see glimpses of his upbringing and forced servitude under Galbatorix, and just how much pain and trauma these events continue to cause him. We see him dealing with the sheer guilt of all the terrible deeds he committed even though some were beyond his control, and the fact the world will never forgive him because of them.
On top of all of that, we also see that despite his pain, bitterness, pride and scornful stubbornness, he really is a good person deep down, and this soft side of him comes out every once in a while, especially around kids.
There's also Murtagh's dragon: Thorn. This poor baby, oh my god, I wanted to give him a hug so bad!
Equally as tortured and tormented as his Rider, Thorn also suffers from severe claustrophobia, and how he gained this fear is heartbreaking to read about. In fact everything this dragon went though tied my heart into a painful knot. Despite this, Thorn truly cares for Murtagh and wants him to be happy. He also has a bit of a sadistic sense of humor, which was surprising to see, and has every bit of ego a dragon could have.
Murtagh and Thorn might not see eye-to-eye as much as Eragon and Saphira, but there's no doubt the bond between them is powerful, and it grew even stronger as their story went on. So many times I nearly cried because of that bond, and throughout all their suffering and pain, they still have each other. By the end, their characters are clearly changed from how they started, and although they will never be fully redeemed or forgiven for their sins, I think its safe to say they truly earned the title and rank of Dragon Rider. I don't think they'll become my favorite characters anytime soon, but I definitely appreciate them a lot more now.
-
Overall, I think Christopher Paolini struck a home-run with Murtagh. Is it the best Inheritance Cycle book yet? In many ways, yes. It's also the darkest book in the series by far, and its safe to say no one will call it a Star Wars rip-off any time soon. At the same time, however, the original 4 books hold such a near and dear place in my heart that I really don't know how Murtagh ranks with them.
I look forward to seeing more adventures in Alagaesia, especially now that everything is set-up for things to come.
(Calling it right now, King Orrin is the Draumar infiltrator that Murtagh can't remember. Also, please tell me those were a few Fractalverse easter eggs I saw).
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-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
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No