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.