Reviewed by The Compulsive Reader for TeensReadToo.com

Eragon and Saphira have just barely survived the latest battle between the Empire and Varden, and learned the truth about Eragon's parentage. Their encounter with Murtagh and Thorn has made them realize that they desperately need to revisit their teachers in Ellesmera, but their multitudes of promises keep them from returning. They must help Roran recover Katrina from the Ra'zac, rally forces for the Varden, and find a way to thwart Murtagh. But along the way, they'll discover some dark secrets and learn the sickening methods behind their adversaries' strengths.

BRISINGR is a well executed follow-up to ERAGON and ELDEST. It moves at a brisk and almost businesslike pace, only dragging slightly near the center of the book, as Eragon and Saphira struggle to fulfill their promises. Readers will be glad to see that the duo, Eragon especially, has not been placed upon a lofty pedestal, and still admit ignorance at times, an element that adds just the right touch of plausibility to the book.

Paolini's descriptive writing is becoming easily recognizable, and his ability to draw similes and metaphors between the most unlikely objects only adds to his appeal, and contrary to what one might expect, will draw in reluctant readers. Like with the prequels, the author cleverly manages to sneak in colorful myths and historical stories into the book that only add to the reality and vividness of Alagaesia, and make for a more engaging read.

The plot of BRISINGR is a little less developed than its predecessors, and seems to serve more as a segue between the first two books and the conclusion of the lively series, although the revelation of certain secrets and the suspense and tension Paolini weaves into the pages go a long ways in making BRISINGR a quick read.

Seasoned Paolini fans will enjoy the story, and be eager to move on to the final book. ( )

Aug09:

He might have pulled me back in briefly at the beginning, but then it was gone.

For the elves being such "logical athiests" so much of the book seems damn illogical. I can think of stupid scene after stupid scene:

1. Eragon and Arya come upon legion in desert. They don't just give them all brain aneurysms. There were no magicians. They used more magic afterwards to heal Eragon. I mean, WTF? And then on top of that, why didn't they just lay down and bend light around themselves like Eragon does later. Sooooo stupid.

2. Eragon can replenish his energy by sucking out life forces. Why the hell doesn't he just suck the life force out of the soldiers he fights? I mean really, c'mon. And if we want to stick on conservation of energy, how can he suck the "life force" out of an animal and then there be any energy left to be gained when you consume it? I suppose he's sucking on soul energy or something.

3. A crippled old man hides for centuries because he knows that if he tried to fight he'd die. Then for some weird ass reason decides he wants to fight, guess what the hell happened. Yea, that made lots of sense.

Characters: Yea, I'm totally over most all of them. He's making Arya more human which is relate-able but predictable I suppose. The Verdan leader is still the coolest. He killed off the most interesting bad guys in the first couple chapters (although they did put up a fight) Galbatorix made a proxy appearance.... and wasn't really that cool. Murtagh shows up a couple times but not enough to make an impression. The Urr... something Orc-Wanna be leader was pretty neat.

Plot: Did he really pull a double "Luke I am Your father?" that about did me in. The chapters of drawven politics was worthless. Especially when nothing unexpected happened in the end anyway.

Style: He made me read about putting saddlebags on and off to go through a tunnel. Why was that important? Bah. This is getting worse and worse. At least he promised to end the series in the next book. ( )

This is the third book in the series and my most favorite of all. And once again the brother really comes alive in it. Totally couldn’t put this one down and am definitely looking forward to the last book of the series to be released. ( )

The war in Aleghezia continues, with Eragon and Saphira, the dwarves the elves and the urgels all fighting against the evil king Galbatorix. ( )

Book 3 in the Inheritance series, this installment continues the saga of Eragon and Safira.

A lot happens in this installment, though to little fanfare. A couple decent battles early on in the story get the pace rolling, but then quickly dies down to more character/plot development with the separate sub-plots. A lot of minor developments (and the book's namesake) get explored, and then ends somewhat anti-climatically.

All in all, I was a little let down by this book. I'm hoping that book 4 (yet to be released) redeems this one and make it the "Empire Strikes Back" of the series. ( )

it was good but i dont remember much about it ( )

How do you sum up a 750 page book in just a paragraph with no spoilers? I'll try... Eragon and Saphira have to fulfill their promise to Roran to help him save Katrina, so all three go after the Ra'zac in Helgrind. Meanwhile, Nasuada finds herself trying to get humans and Urgals to follow her as leader of the Varden and not kill each other in the process. And that's just the beginning, of course, as Eragon, Saphira, Roran, Nasuada, and Arya all do their best to fight against the Empire and determine how to defeat Galbatorix.

I found the book to be very...long. In some ways, I found the writing to be better than the first two books. The author seems to have found his stride and style in writing, so there aren't jarring bits of archaic-sounding language smack up against a modern-sounding sentence. I cared about the characters somewhat, but didn't feel compelled to keep reading and found it didn't even bother me to put the book down in the middle of a fight scene. Partly based on the fact that it took me nearly two weeks to read, my biggest feeling at the end was relief that I could move on to something else. I liked it, but it doesn't stand out for me. ( )

"Brisingr" means 'fire' in the ancient language of the world Paolini has created; unfortunately, 'fire' is exactly what this story lacks. In fact, it plods. Conversations are followed by internal moralising (of a very limited nature) which is followed by some political debate (ie. more conversation) and every once in a while there is an extended action sequence (more on these later). I find it very revealing that this should have been the final title in the 'Inheritance' trilogy, but it became so lengthy that Paolini decided to publish (at least) one more book to create a (VERY profitable) series. Realistically, this was not necessary: so much of what is in this book is mundane and unnecessary and - somewhat bizarrely, given the length - undeveloped. By which I mean that that after pondering, pontificating and pouting, the characters act and that section of the story just closes, without really changing anything or anyone, or anyone's opinion of anyone.

I have not read the first two in the series, so I cannot comment on how far the style here is similar, but I would imagine that to create such a successful fantasy series, you would have to include more elements of fantasy. Instead, Paolini mainly switches between two styles: extreme violence and gore; political/ moral conversation. Rather than seeing the main characters learning spells or exploring elvish or dwarvish customs (other than an extremely dull section regarding electing a new chief), we see copious amounts of slaughter.

The novel opens when Eragon (our hero) and his cousin, Roran, are hiding from a cult and about to witness a rather unpleasant custom. As part of their sacrifice to their Gods, these people hack off their own limbs and smile beatifically as they spray blood over the altar. Although Eragon reflects that it seems wrong to deliberately mutilate yourself, it is revealing that there is a "spark of excitement" in his heart as he watches them. His cousin is horrified, exclaiming that they are cannibals. Our hero calmly points out that this is not strictly true because "they do not partake of the meat." His reasoned approach is perhaps sensible, but it seems that war has dulled his own senses. Later on this lack of empathic response is emphasised when he and Roran fight in seemingly endless battles, repeatedly slaying soldier, after soldier, after soldier. Obviously, war does inure soldiers to death to some extent, but some genuine discomfort in the hero would make him more realistic and likeable. Instead of giving him this sensitivity, Paolini emphasises his violent credentials by describing how he and Roran kill each individual soldier and are hailed as magnificent heroes. Yes, there is a lot of violence in war, but I found it disturbing the way the author and his characters seemed to revel in carnage.

At the beginning of the book, Eragon has three main aims: rescue Katerina, Roran's beloved, continue his training with Oromis and defeat Galbatorix. One of these aims is tackled early on, another is touched upon towards the end of the book, but where is Galbatorix? After 750 pages, the dread warlord himself has not been seen and Eragon is almost exactly where he was at the beginning of the story: preparing to do battle against the evil King. This is slightly disappointing. After a few initial skirmishes, much of the book follows Eragon as he tries to meet the demands of the many oaths he has sworn, some of which are almost conflicting and result in important people trying to assert their control over him.

There is a continuous sense of plot, and although the reading never becomes exactly dull - how could it when you are describing interactions between dragons and elves? - it never becomes gripping, either. I read this book slowly, because I was never compelled to find out what happened next. Perhaps, for me personally, it is almost too clearly a saga. There is never any real sense of stories opening or closing, only a gradual build-up of information. Some characters seem to appear briefly just to say: "look! I'll be important later on! Remember what I said/did/looked like." Because of this, I read along fairly contentedly, with no real impetus to complete the experience.

It is possible to read this book without having read the previous two, since the author has usefully provided a synopsis of each before the 'main feature', but I question why anyone would want to. I suspect that those who have read and enjoyed "Eragon" and "Eldest" might be more willing to tolerate the lack of drama in this instalment because they share some bonds with the characters. Those who haven't read either should probably start there, because I suspect this is the weakest link in the series so far.

So is it worth reading? Personally, I think not. It was not a bad read really; it's just that there must be much better books out there, and 750 pages is a long time to spend on something that doesn't really grip you. I will qualify my review by stating that I do not typically read fantasy stories and much prefer science fiction or crime fiction or - well, most other types of writing, really. I read this as part of shadowing the 'Berkshire Book Award' with a group of pupils and will be very interested to hear their views on it, as they are the target audience. ( )

I continue to be disappointed by Paolini's series, and would not have finished this book were it not for my own compulsion to finish every series I start, no matter what. I was able to excuse the poor writing of his first book, Eragon, since the story was compelling and he was so young when he wrote it. However, his writing has not improved over these past six years, and the story barely progressed in this installment of almost 800 pages. Save your time, this one isn't worth reading. ( )

A book rich in fantasy, "Brisinger" is the third edition to the Inheritance Cycle. Paolini does not disappoint his readers in the third sequel - these books double in quality as the story goes on. ( )

If anyone here hasn't read Diana Wynne Jone's "The Tough Guide to Fantasyland", may I suggest it as a rippingly funny antidote to Paolinism?

Paolini's stuff is just so much mulch. The only fun I've had from it is playing "spot the reference" - and that wore thin after the first hundred pages of the first book. Reading the second and third books felt like gawking at a nasty traffic accident.

If, instead of homeschooling by indulgent parents, Paolini had had someone like my best English teacher, who would have pointed out in short order that what he was writing was jejune, derivative and unworthy hackwork, and that unless he intended to become the Barbara Cartland of fantasy writing, he'd better find some dignity, discipline and originality - well, he might perhaps have made a writer of himself. ( )

I was excited to read this book, but it seemed to be overladen with adjectives and redundancy. The romantic parts are fleeting. The mindset of Eragon is still childish. But the story is still interesting. The author has introduced some new aspects in the dragon lore that were interesting. The next book should be promising. ( )

I think this series is nothing special, but still an entertaining read. I thought the series was supposed to finish in 3 books, but the author is taking one more book to finish the story. For young adults, this book has a lot of extremely graphic violence, so I'm not sure how "young" is appropriate. ( )

Certainly the best of the writing so far, Paolini still relies too heavily on the fantasy to carry the book and doesn’t create anything original in the depth of his characters, the aesthetics and language or the storyline as a whole. The revelations about Eragon’s past regarding his parentage and the deaths at the end are not surprising, and therefore not really all that compelling as elements of the story. The pacing is better than the second book, and the complexity is better than the two previous, but it still could easily have been several hundred pages shorter and employed more literary devices. It’s mostly action and will appeal to a young audience interested in fast-paced page-turners rife with magic, dragons, battles and death-defying heroics, but an older audience may not find it as ‘magical’.-Lindsey Miller, www.lindseyslibrary.com ( )

really all i can say about Brisingr is "stop already." this one is really bogged down in unnecessary descriptions and ridiculously long conversations about nothing. when Paolini does get around to something happening, it doesn't have much resonance. ( )

The quintessential epic, the Eragon series with the world’s favorite Dragon Rider has stormed its way into the hearts of all its readers. Cristopher Paolini is able to craft another masterful addition to the tales of farm boy to hero. The Star Wars Epic, in which a young moisture farmer stumbles upon a set of droids that pave the way for an adventure and inheritance only to have it stripped by his, coincidentally still-living, father leading to a final confrontation with the despot who enslaved his father’s mind and a defeat of evil, the Inheritance Cycle follows a similar if not identical plot line. Young Eragon, the adopted son of his uncle Garrow finds adventure following an encounter with a magic blue stone while hunting which hatches into a dragon. Eragon leaves his home with a mentor on a road for the vengeance of his uncle’s death, while encountering friends and allies as well as enemies whose roles grow larger in each installment. His crusade for revenge turns to the revenge of the coerced citizens of Alagaiesia when Eragon, with his dragon Sapphira, choose to overthrow the indomitable King Gallbatorix, the unchallenged sovereign of Algaesia for the past century.
Brisingr is the third book in this tale of adventure, magic, love, and war. Like Star Wars, this tale takes place in another world, though perhaps not in a galaxy far, far away. Although the people and places are foreign, the struggles are very close to the reader’s heart. Paolini does an excellent job of relating the characters to the reader, whether it be the strong-willed Princess Arya or Eragon’s fearless cousin Roran.
In conjunction with the picaresque journeys of Eragon, Christopher Paolini provides a fluid commentary on ethics. Eragon as a leader and hero has the potential to do great things, how he uses his powers is central to Brisingr as Eragon begins to ponder the consequences of his actions. The blending of right and wrong and Eragon’s loosening hold on absolutist morality add depth to the action-packed plot of the novel as well as profundity. Eragon’s prescience as a Dragon Rider is certainly fallible but it his weighing of justice and the potential thereof that provide the reader with consideration, not that the mainstream reader has to deal with vengeance and forgiveness on the same scale with which Eragon is forced to deal. Young Eragon is not the archetypical hero nor is he the impartial arbiter to which all men aspire, but he provides readers with a role model who stresses poise before power, restraint before excess, justice before gain and all the values to which readers should seek to model.
Paolini’s latest addition to the Inheritance Trilogy, now Cycle, was met with widespread approval although the novel tended to lose steam when Eragon was off the battlefield. The narrative definitely dragged as well as the dialogue when Paolini crafted the simple characters into philosophers. The struggle, for Paolini, will be finding a balance between the erudite and esoteric commentary with the gore and battlefield banter.
With the introduction of new characters and new situations with which to ponder the fate of Eragon, Paolini ascribes a worthy addition to his masterful epic. Brisingr is a must-read for all of Eragon’s compatriots and fellow Shurtagal, although a little heady in parts. Before diving into Alagaesia with Brisingr, it would be advisable to first take flight with Eragon and Sapphira in Eragon the inaugural book. ( )

To be completely honest, I doubt this book could be a stand alone novel. There is so much that occurred in the two previous books that has led to the events in this book, and most of those events are not referenced, it is assumed that the reader already knows. Even though I’d read the first two, and had read them less than a year ago, there were still a couple times where even I failed to remember what previous happening was alluded to.

What’s more, Brisingr seems to be a bloated and under-edited cry of “look at me! I’m so smart! I has talents!” from Paolini. Yes, Eragon (the first book of the series) was an impressive show of skill, partly because if the story and writing, but also because of the fact the author was 15 when he wrote it. And Eldest was a continuation of that book. Both were exciting and fascinating, with dragons and elves and the battle of good versus evil. Both contained sword fights and duels of magicians, and the fight to protect one of the most basic rights people have, to have and be safe in one’s own home. Disappointingly, though, Brisingr drags on and on, with pages spent on day trips of hunting or flying around, and with Eragon’s whining. I got so sick of his whining by the end of the book!

It is not entirely bad, though. There are several things that I loved about this book, but it did leave a LOT to be desired.

click for full review: http://thekoolaidmom.wordpress.com/20... ( )

Brisingr is the third installment in the YA fantasy series from Christopher Paolini. Even keeping in mind the author’s young age, this is a weak book when compared to the other two of the series and overall, I have to say it is above average for reading enjoyment, but not by much. Because of other flaws it does not even deserve a mediocre rating.

The beginning of the book reminded me of Tolkein’s Silmarillion . . . but for all the wrong reasons. It was long and ponderous. Yes, Paolini spent a lot of time filling in the history of the characters, but the pacing still could have been better. The most interesting portion of the book was the section devoted to telling the story from Saphira’s point of view. Too late now, but if Paolini had told this entire saga from the dragon’s point of view, this book would have been equal to original in terms of impact.

The book is not entirely wasted, as we get to see a lot of personal development in some of the lead characters. Eragon is maturing well and learning the burdens of being a leader. Paolini forces the issue in some spots, most notably when he concocts a reason for Saphira to be forcefully separated from her rider for an extended journey.

In this installment, Paolini seems to revel in pain and punishment. There are detailed descriptions of public mutilation, a test of pain involving willingly slicing your own arm with a knife, public flogging and lot of other gore. I’m not even talking about the battle scenes where such things might be considered appropriate within the context of warfare being brutal, but many of the scenes seemed to have no other reason to be included than the author’s flight of perverse fancy. I’m not adverse to situational violence, but a gore fest of sadism and masochistic practices is not my idea of heroism or what makes a story good. More points lost in my overall rating of this story.

I was also disappointed that the story was not finished. In an interview, Paolini said he changed the plot from his original outline. In one scene, Eragon spares the life of a character that may have deserved to die. This was done to further Eragon’s development as a person and a leader, to more fully understand the long-range consequence of actions. This is a good thing and I support it. As a result, the plot was changed and the writing became longer than originally intended. The final battle is now being delayed for another volume. Given my complaint about overly graphic violence in the preceding paragraph, I believe the book could have been shortened through deletion, or at least reduction, of the slice ‘n’ dice scenes. That would have left enough room for the final confrontation to happen in this volume.

Brisingr is capable of standing alone, but it will be more meaningful if you read the two preceding books. If you are a big fan of Saphira Brightscales and Eragon Shadeslayer, you will welcome this latest addition to their saga. I am so put off by some of the things in this book, however, I do not know if I will read the fourth book when it comes out. I already know the ending, so I don’t know if the story will be worthwhile. I may read it though, if for no other reason than to see if the author’s style improves.

While we are mentioning style, I had to resist rating the book even lower because of the narrator. My rating above is based strictly on the story. I can forgive a narrator for not having a rich range of voices at their command, but Gerard Doyle gave me the worst interpretation of a dragon voice I’ve ever heard. Saphira sounded more like a fuzzy Muppet you wanted to cuddle than the regal dragon she is supposed to be. The other dragons Doyle voiced weren’t much different. While there was some variation in two legged character voices, there was not enough variation for it to really tell you who was speaking. You could tell an Urgal from a Human, but not which Urgal was speaking. Because of the character voicings, I was sorely tempted to bring the rating down to a single star. ( )

I enjoyed reading this third of Paolini's series although I recognize he does use some well worn conventions of fantasy literature. The castles are strikingly similar to medieval castles in Europe without anything unique to fit them into an invented world. The alliances between different "races" of creatures are really too much the same as the alliances between various medieval tribes. So with that criticism in mind I do not call this book brilliant or even all that unique; however, it is a good tale and with a bit of romp and some delightful descriptions of scenes. I enjoy the relationships between dragon rider and dragons, between Elves and humans, etc. My sympathies were engaged and I found the book to be a good read; even an excellent escape. ( )

The third book. A little predictable and honestly no major battles are fought. There are a couple brawls, but nothing huge. Eragon learns two very important secrets that change his life. ( )

I like this book as it keeps me reading and has a good ending ( )

Captivating! ( )

This book is overly wordy. The action is much to slow. Though I did finish it, I am the only one of my friends who has.

I like this book because it has so much going on in it and it is a little bit like the Lord of the Rings ( )

I love this book more than five star i give it infinity and beyond!! ( )