Review - Inheritance by Christopher Paolini (audio CD)

Not so very long ago, Eragon—Shadeslayer, Dragon Rider—was nothing more than a poor farm boy, and his dragon, Saphira, only a blue stone in the forest. Now the fate of an entire civilization rests on their shoulders.

Long months of training and battle have brought victories and hope, but they have also brought heartbreaking loss. And still, the real battle lies ahead: they must confront Galbatorix. When they do, they will have to be strong enough to defeat him. And if they cannot, no one can. There will be no second chances.

The Rider and his dragon have come further than anyone dared to hope. But can they topple the evil king and restore justice to Alagaësia? And if so, at what cost?

This is the much-anticipated, astonishing conclusion to the worldwide bestselling Inheritance cycle.

I have to say... most of Inheritance by Christopher Paolini did not disappoint. I was looking for an epic conclusion to the series and epic is what I got.
I have never heard a more descriptive story in all my life. It may not have been as grotesque in some spots if I'd read it instead of listened to it, but the lovely Gerard Doyle read the whole thing to me. I mean it went in to great GREAT detail about the horrific deaths of certain people and it turned my stomach.
So in this final installment of the Inheritance Cycle, Eragon has to find a way to defeat Galbatorix and keep the Varden and his family alive. He faces the sick and twisted priests of Helgrind who are looking to sacrifice him to their "gods" as a form of punishment. And he fights against soldiers who feel no pain and are protected from magical use and therefore are incredibly hard to kill unless you can get close enough to kill them by hand. He goes on a journey to find his true name in a last ditch effort to find a way to end the reign of the cruelest king Alagaesia has ever seen.

There are definitely tests of will in this story. Tests of courage and heart, love and loyalty. It had a lot of surprises, some good some not. And it focused, not only on Eragon, but on Roran (his cousin) and Nasuada (leader of the Varden). Roran seems to have grown leaps and bounds from the young man he was at the start of Eragon into a man who has earned the respect of the entire village he came from along with the rest of the Varden and it's leaders. And we find out Nasuada has an iron will that not even the strongest evil can break.

I enjoyed the book a lot. Minus the grotesque parts that I had a hard time listening to (and I have a strong stomach). The only thing I DISLIKED was the end. And I'm not going to tell you why. You'll have to read it or listen to it to find out.

I'd recommend this book, obviously first and foremost to fans of the first 3 novels in the series. To epic fantasy lovers. Fans of dragons and elves. Maybe not for younger people... as in 13 or under. But it should be ok for an older crowd.

Review: Eragon (Audio CD) by Christopher Paolini (narrated by Gerard Doyle)

So in anticipation of the final installment in the Inheritance Cycle, I re-listened to the audio CD version of Eragon by Christopher Paolini. I think I said in a recent post that this audio version is narrated by Gerard Doyle and I have to say I think he is just fantastic. He is tied with Jim Dale who narrates Harry Potter (and has played parts in movies like Pete's Dragon). 

Eragon has been one of my favorite series and I think the narrator plays a big part. I love Saphira's voice and honestly, I can't figure out how he does it without destroying his throat.

Now, there are times when Christopher Paolini goes in to TOO MUCH detail, and it kind of drags on when you're reading, but when you listen to someone else read it, it's not so bad. It's entertaining and best of all, it keeps my GIRLS entertained too. Which is generally a hard thing to do.

I love the series and really wish it had ended with Brisingr, but I understand there was just too much to fit in to one book. But he sure has taken his sweet time letting go of this fourth one. A lot of people say the series mimicks Lord of the Rings with the Urgls being like the Orcs and what not. But really, I don't care. Everyone gets their ideas from someone right?

I definitely suggest everyone who's read the book pick up the audio CDs. Even if you haven't read it and hadn't planned on it, you should pick up the audio CDs. Let someone else do the reading for you.