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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Rarely have I ever been so irritated.
This should have been an incredible book. Let's be real, Murtagh is a COMPELLING character. His impact on the original series is outsized compared to the time he actually spent on the page. Now, finally freed of his slavery, he and his dragon are roaming Alagaesia in search of the path forward.
There are so many awesome places you could take a story like this. Murtagh has A TON of delicious character growth to go through. Honestly, the plots just write themselves.
This book flirted briefly with some of those awesome places:
1) The first part, with the little tavern girl, was deeply enjoyable. Murtagh needs to be able to build connections! To care for others, and see that he can do so much more than just bring pain!
2) The werecat/city guard side quest was interesting.
3) It was interesting to be in Murtagh's head instead of Eragon's, and realize just how OP Eragon actually is. It gave Murtagh's adventures a much more scrappy, underdog feeling since he doesn't have access to all the magic power in the universe, just some.
4) Thorn finally overcoming his fear!!!! This got me!
5) The ending finally gave up the scene everyone reading this book was waiting for the entire time.
However, everything in the middle of the book was boring slush.
Murtagh runs across a magical artefact that is whispered to come from a mysterious, shadowy witch. For some reason that's not entirely clear, he decides that he MUST confront this witch and uncover her dastardly plot. Sure, the amulets are shady, but I really don't think he had seen enough to convince him that there's actually a serious threat before he had flown off into the uncharted wilderness.
Then, after finding the witch, Murtagh seems to sit around alternately arguing with her or brooding for a third of the book.
This should have been an incredible book. Let's be real, Murtagh is a COMPELLING character. His impact on the original series is outsized compared to the time he actually spent on the page. Now, finally freed of his slavery, he and his dragon are roaming Alagaesia in search of the path forward.
There are so many awesome places you could take a story like this. Murtagh has A TON of delicious character growth to go through. Honestly, the plots just write themselves.
This book flirted briefly with some of those awesome places:
1) The first part, with the little tavern girl, was deeply enjoyable. Murtagh needs to be able to build connections! To care for others, and see that he can do so much more than just bring pain!
2) The werecat/city guard side quest was interesting.
3) It was interesting to be in Murtagh's head instead of Eragon's, and realize just how OP Eragon actually is. It gave Murtagh's adventures a much more scrappy, underdog feeling since he doesn't have access to all the magic power in the universe, just some.
4) Thorn finally overcoming his fear!!!! This got me!
5) The ending finally gave up the scene everyone reading this book was waiting for the entire time.
However, everything in the middle of the book was boring slush.
Murtagh runs across a magical artefact that is whispered to come from a mysterious, shadowy witch. For some reason that's not entirely clear, he decides that he MUST confront this witch and uncover her dastardly plot. Sure, the amulets are shady, but I really don't think he had seen enough to convince him that there's actually a serious threat before he had flown off into the uncharted wilderness.
Then, after finding the witch, Murtagh seems to sit around alternately arguing with her or brooding for a third of the book.
Murtagh: Tell me where your power comes from, and what you want!
Witch: No. You must wait longer, for reasons I will not disclose, and then I'll tell you.
Murtagh: *angrily* Okay.
The above exchange happens like three times. Murtagh and Thorn mention to each other more than once that the witch is crazy powerful, that it seems she might have been a match even for Galbatorix. Then, when she finally DOES completely outmatch them, Murtagh seems surprised!
The witch's trap completely infuriates me. Like, yeah! Why don't we rehash old ground just one more time? It's not like we already went through this scenario for three whole books. I'm sure there's more this scenario has to offer us! Literally every conceivable plot under the sun was open to Paolini, and he had to choose to do the same thing again? Annoying. I'm annoyed.
This was a lengthy book; all for not much to happen!!!
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
slow-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
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
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
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
When I started, I didn't know this was the start of a new series.
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
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:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
So glad Murtagh got his own book. He was by far one of the most interesting characters in the original series. His and Thorn’s relationship is one of my favorite parts of this book. Their connection runs so deep and they are quite literally trauma bonded. Thorn’s trauma and growth especially made me emotional. Them reliving their worst nightmares again made me so stressed and sick and it went on for so much longer than expected. The naming of the sword in the end was very fitting for all they have been through.
Besides the fact, this book was very good, I enjoyed the plot and the detail of how basically a corrupt government was replaced by a little less corrupt government, I find Paolini’s endings to be deeply unsatisfying. I understand setting up for another book but I think you can still make an ending satisfying while leaving it subtly open ended. I think the issue is for me is that they feel so abrupt and only take up the last 15 pages or so.
I also find that the questions I want answers to are never addressed. Specifically, I want more history of the name of names. What is the history behind it and how does Murtagh know it? With how dragged on these books can be and heavy narrative, we could at least be given more answers and history to topics like this.
Besides the fact, this book was very good, I enjoyed the plot and the detail of how basically a corrupt government was replaced by a little less corrupt government, I find Paolini’s endings to be deeply unsatisfying. I understand setting up for another book but I think you can still make an ending satisfying while leaving it subtly open ended. I think the issue is for me is that they feel so abrupt and only take up the last 15 pages or so.
I also find that the questions I want answers to are never addressed. Specifically, I want more history of the name of names. What is the history behind it and how does Murtagh know it? With how dragged on these books can be and heavy narrative, we could at least be given more answers and history to topics like this.