A review by withloveandlights
Murtagh by Christopher Paolini

adventurous dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Returning to Alagaësia felt like another wonderful homecoming. Picking up this continuation, without going back and rereading the original quartet, didn’t leave me feeling like I was missing previously discussed topics. The concepts that were relevant were brought up subtly where necessary. The new characters introduced didn’t take away from the previously explored friendships and added more intricacies to the world building. 

While I loved returning to these characters, the overall conflicts throughout the novel felt very repetitive and the character development felt insignificant. For several instances through the discovery of the evil and planning to thwart the witch’s  efforts, Murtagh made little to no change with his tactics. It was disappointing to not see him grow and develop his skills as a rider as we had seen with Eragon’s development. 

This novel contains the darkest concepts and plot points within the Inheritance Cycle by far; many scenes playing out more like a horror novel than a general YA fantasy. It brings a new perspective to Alagaësia, but may not be suitable for younger or more sensitive readers looking to jump into the series. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings