Paolini finally balances the most interesting aspects of the series, notably the dragon-rider relations and the mystique of the magic of the ancient language, as well as the cultures of the world and the plot. Many of these things were built up in the first book, but terribly balanced to the point of forgetting certain aspects in the second. Brisingr is overstuffed, but does justice to the series. ( )

Wow, this is not getting better. I really thought by now Paolini would have turned into a half-decent writer but he's still no better than when he was 15 or 17 or whatever the fuck he was when he wrote that first one. I don't care.

There are so many things that bother me about this book/this series but at the moment it's still THAT NOTHING EVER HAPPENS. This book was 700 fucking pages long AND NOTHING HAPPENED. Or, like, four things happened, which is way too little for that many pages!!! At one point, not even half-way through, they explain what Eragon is gonna do FOR THE REST OF THE BOOK and as I realized that I had just had everything that was gonna happened laid out in front of me I think I finally saw the face of the god and it changed my life. It was a terrible god and it is a terrible life.

Then everything happened as the plot had been laid out by the characters with an end fight tacked onto in the last fifty pages because OF COURSE we need to end the book with that.

Next, what really bothers me, is that Eragon (and sometimes Saphira) is a genuinly BAD person. I guess Roran is too. They kill people, constantly, and never really regrets it (or occassionally Eragon cries a bit about it but that never comes through when it matters). The book starts out with Eragon letting a bunch of slaves die just so he and Roran can save Roran's girlfriend. Fuck those poor innocent slaves, Roran needs to have sex. THEN Eragon decides not to mention that the girlfriend's mean father was alive and captured as well, but LIES to Roran and Katrina and tells them he's dead because otherwise .... I don't know why he lies? Somethig about the father otherwise being hanged for his actions which would break up Roran and Katrina so lying is better? WHAT THE!? What gives you the right to decide that, Eragon!? Then he goes on and literally removes the man's free will, by in a contrived way figuring out his true name, and sends him off on his way to live out his life like Eragon has decided.

AND IT KEEPS HAPPENING. Every time Eragon doesn't get his way he threatens violence or his magical powers or Saphira to get his way, and the other characters are ALWAYS on his side, always saying he did the right thing because sometimes you gotta make hard decisions. Yeah, but you don't have to be a fucking dick about it? Honestly, if he is a prime example of dragon rider the I do not want them to be in charge or restored because they seem to be awful, elitistic people who will bully anyone to get their way.

If this was building up to Eragon turning out to be the bad guy and Galbatorix being a better ruler of the country it might be saved in the last book, but it won't happen. Everything in the series so far has been entirely predictable (including the TWO reveals about Eragon's parentage), so I doubt there'll be that many shocks in the last book. Which, honestly, should not have been written, because the plot of all the books could've been squezed into one fast-paced novel in the hands of a more competent writer, but nooo, we gotta sit through entire chapter where people just talk or run or fly or whatever.

And the worst part is I've only got one book left, so now I have to finish this godawful series. FML. ( )

I've very much enjoyed listening to the audio books for this series with my 10 year old son. We'll be sad to finish the final book. ( )

The book continued to keep you drawn in to the plot and the characters. This book had some twist and turns. Some of the plot you could see some coming but others came totaly out of the blue. Kind of glad i picked up the books after the series was out so i can go right into book 4 with out waiting. ( )

It's fun to watch Paolini grow as a writer through this series. ( )