Brisingr - Christopher Paolini

Rating: 4

I doubt anyone who enjoys young adult fantasy missed the phenomenon that was Eragon, published back in 2003. For those of you that somehow managed to (!), Eragon is a fantasy adventure series about a young man who stumbles across a dragon egg, becomes a Dragon Rider and soon finds himself at the forefront of the battle against the Empire and its King, Galbatorix.

The novel was most famed for its young author, Christopher Paolini, who began writing it aged 15, and was a mere 19 when it was published, but also came up against substantial criticism. A young orphaned hero, who experiences further family tragedy and discovers his destiny, and is trained by an aging mentor with a past.. change the setting to the outer reaches of space and add a dark helmeted bad guy and what do you get...?! (On a side note, I would recommend avoiding the film for this exact same reason..as it enhances all the flaws of the story, without portraying the true heart of it).

But despite Eragon's faults, it was an entertaining novel, and improved further by the sequel, Eldest. Brisingr, published this autumn, is the third book in the series and takes Eragon one step closer to his inevitable showdown with Galbatorix. Somehow I had managed to convince myself this was the last in the series, and was a little disappointed that I had not reached the conclusion. However, this does mean that there will be one more book, even though it may be a 2-3 year wait.

On to my review of Brisingr itself..I will not include spoilers to this book, but be warned if you have not read the first two in the series.

After the shocking conclusion to Eldest, Eragon and Saphira have had a narrow escape during the battle on the Burning Plains. The pair find themselves bound to many allies, trying to fulfill many oaths, beginning with Eragon's pledge to help his cousin Roran rescue his beloved from imprisonment by Galbatorix and revenge against the Raz'ac. The rebel Varden continue to be in desperate need of Eragon and Saphira's strength in the coming battles, but the pair also need to complete their training with the Elves, and ensure the swift selection of a new Dwarf king, one loyal to the Varden's cause. Dissent is rife between the ranks of the Varden, with Human and Urgal struggling to fight alongside one another, and tribal upheaval aimed at the Varden's youthful leader, Nasuada. With such complex politics, Eragon and Saphira must tread carefully, while defending the Varden against attack, from outside, and within.

There is great character development in this installment, with Nasuada really coming into her strength as leader of the Varden, and with Roran continuing to show his character as a mighty warrior able to inspire the greatest loyalty. Of great intrigue is Elva, the young child upon whom Eragon bestowed a most unfortunate blessing, whose power becomes dangerous for all concerned. Sadly, as with the second book, my favourite character, Murtagh (ah yes, always the ones with a dark side!) gets little time on the page, though his story remains one of the most fascinating and tragic parts of the series. Eragon and Saphira continue to come up against both mortal peril and the frustrating intricacies of politics, and spend a good deal of the story apart from one another. Their bond is much better described in this book, one starts to see them as two halves of the same being, that Paolini has been attempting to describe since the first book.

On that note, Paolini's writing, though still not perfect, has vastly improved. His maturity has given him far better scope with his descriptions and emotions, and even conjured some darker scenarios as with the unfeeling enemy soldiers. Unfortunately my main gripe with the entire series still remains. The enemy, described as so powerful and terrifying is still no more than a figure described by those that have met him. Galbatorix is not enough of a presence in this series to really inspire any fear for the characters, other than the terrible battles they find themselves in, and of course the fear of separation or entrapment for Eragon and Saphira. Paolini also attempts to slip in a shock revelation in this book, but those who have been really following the series will probably guess it.

Far far better than its predecessors, but still not quite a timeless classic. One can only hope that Paolini pulls it out of the bag with his final instalment. Worth a read, if not only for the glorious cover art!

If you have reviewed this book, I'd love to know what you think. Email me or post the link in the comments and I will add it here. Thanks!