Kind of a book review of the whole series.
I know I reviewed Brisingr not too long ago, and I gave it a pretty decent rating. However, I was in a fairly good mood then. Right now my joints are aching (freaking storm cell) and I’m ticked at my now-ex-boyfriend (freaking…everything), so the snark censor is coming off.
Many of the links here can be found on the tv tropes page for the series. I’m just adding my own commentary. Also, highlight for spoilers.
When I first got Eragon (Christmas of… uh, ‘03, maybe?), I was only in seventh grade. I was too young (and inexperienced) to see the flaws in the book, and anything I did notice I most likely wrote off as “to-be-solved later in the series”. What thrilled me the most was that this book, which was selling well adn getting acclaim, was written by someone close to my age.
Then Eldest came out.
My respect for the series took an abrupt nosedive. The characters changed in ways I disliked, the elves were even more hoity-toity/pretentious/near-perfect than before (incidentally, this is one of my biggest beefs with the LOTR film adaptations), and the whole thing positively reeked of Tolkein. (For example: *secret forest elven city? Elven queen? Cities in the trees? Traveling out by boat with a dwarf? * Need I go on?) Also, the double Luke I Am Your Father at the end (including a *sibling version*) was not nearly as dramatic as I expected. (Note: the Reset Button got smacked in Brisingr, but neither one of these reveals was what I was expecting it to be.)
Now that I have some lit crit under my belt (and few years of reading good books), I’ve read Brisingr and reread the first two. And now I can see the series for the blatant plaigarism it is. Essentially, take George Lucas’ plotlines, borrow Tolkein’s settings, and throw in a dash of Anne McCaffrey (plus some other miscellaneous books), and you have the Inheritance cycle. A rather cutting summary of Eldest can be found at the review link above.
In Paolini’s defense, his dragons are not complete copycats of Pern. Aside from the physical characteristics such as scales (which make a lot more sense for a top-predator animal), they are also emotionally and mentally more mature than their Pernese cousins. Also, though bonded dragons are bound for life (as on Pern), wild dragons can survive perfectly well without humans, though they are considerably more savage. (This was perhaps the biggest hook for me… I didn’t quite like the idea of an insanely powerful creature being dependent on us puny humans. Although Paolini doesn’t say what defines a wild dragon egg and a rider-bound dragon egg…)
Brisingr contained the first major deviation from Lucas’ plotline. Oh, sure, you have the rescue of the distressed damsel and the *death of the wise mentor*, but right at the beginning you have that scene with Sloan. Eragon is furious with the blind Sloan for kidnapping Katrina and threatens him. Sloan defends himself with his love for his daughter, cusses Eragon out and (rightly) calls Eragon out on presuming to play God just because he’s got magic and a dragon. Eragon’s response? He *Mind Rapes Sloan and leaves him to fend for himself until he can make his way to Lothlorien Du Weldenvarden*. What the Hell, Hero.
To be perfectly honest, Eragon scares me a little. Here we have this child prodigy, bonded to a dragon, who apparently learns magic through osmosis and has been made into some half-elven thing (not kidding), has a *flaming sword that only responds to his voice* (still not kidding), and is out to right all the wrongs in the world. Yuh huh. And even if he doesn’t have the Eldunari at his disposal (by the way, that concept is freaking brilliant, even if it smacks slightly of DragonHeart), he’s still pretty darn powerful for only having been bonded a few years. Here’s my question: once he does away with Galbatorix (that’s still his quest, right?…right?), what or who can stop him from changing int othe same kind of person?
And I don’t buy Oromis’ explanation at all. The idea that not having a deity leaves us free to be morally pure is complete and unadultered bullcrap. You don’t have to teach kids to be evil. You have to teach them to be good. If you remove the moral authority, all you have is a bunch of savages on your hands. (Lord of the Flies, anyone?) Also, you can’t just say “it works for the elves cuz the elves are perfect”. (Vanir, anyone?)
My thoughts?
The series had the potential to be good. It still has the occasional flash of brilliance in it (like the Eldunari), but those are largely overshadowed by the plot copycatting and general Narminess of the more dramatic sequences. (Blood-Oath Celebration? Trial of Shining Knives? Need I go on?) Also, I personally wish the author would get off his soapbox and move the story along. (So far we’ve found out that eating meat is cruel, people who follow religion are morons, and elves are better than anyone else. But screwing with people’s heads is a-okay! Also, you can be all-powerful as long as you have the general population’s best interests in mind.) Seriously, he did not have to make four books. A good third of Brisingr could have been knocked out without any adverse effects.
Eragon is rapidly approaching a Moral Event Horizon; it’ll be interesting to see the specifics and the choice he makes. Personally, the whole thing with Sloan really put me off rooting for him, but I like Roran’s bloodthirsty nature even less.
Also, I really, really hope the third egg hatches and we get another Rider. Since Saphira’s female and the third egg is male, as is Eragon, it’s fairly safe to assume the next Rider will be female. (Unless Paolini comes up with a really creative way to deal with a mating flight… of course, the way things are going with Eragon, that might not be a problem either. You know what I mean.) I realize that the biggest candidate is Arya, but my personal preference would be Angela. She’d be a sweet Rider.
Predictions for the fourth book:
- Thorn (and possibly Murtagh) die[s], perhaps with a redemptive scene.
- Galbatorix/Shuriken die, again with a possible redemptive scene.
- Arya and Eragon somehow deal with all their UST feelings/awkwardness.
- Third dragon hatches and gets a rider. My money’s on Angela.
- Eragon is somehow banished from Alagaesia. (Remember Angela’s prediction? And the Ra’zac’s convenient repetition thereof? I’m guessing a Grey Havens-esque scene.)
- Nasuada, not Eragon, conquers the free world takes over Galbatorix’s rule. Or dies a heroic death. Can’t decide which.
- Angela finally gets her Crowning Moment of Awesome. Seriously, why has she not had one yet?
- Eragon reluctantly destroys the Eldunari, making Galbatorix explode and his minions die in a volcanic eruption as his fortress collapses OOPS, WRONG SERIES~
Movie? What movie? Don’t know what you’re talking about.
