Finally got around to finishing off this series. I read the penultimate novel back in 2009, and I apparently really enjoyed it at the time. Since then I've read some great fantasy, so my perspective has changed, and although I can't really remember Brisngr I suspect this book is comparatively much weaker.Many, many things annoyed me (warning, you're entering complainy-spoil-town). It was too predictable: the seemingly all-powerful invulnerable bad guy is vanquished, no-one important dies, and look under your seats...everyone gets a dragon! You get a dragon and you get a dragon! And I'm going to solve all the world's problems by holding the Olympics and everything will be perfect. Even Saphira gets laid.
But how did he defeat Galbatorix, the cardboard character of all-powerful evil magic? With deus ex machina of course! Need some eggs? Got some. It would also be handy if Galbatorix held off from attacking us for no real reason until we've had time to collect the deus ex machina. Need to escape the elaborate bond-style Ra'zac death trap? How about Angela gets a power upgrade and just kills everyone? Need to undo a ton of evil magic? Well, you know what is more powerful than magic? Magic magic. Done.
But don't let me give you the impression that this all happens quickly. In fact it happens at a horrendously slow pace with lots of boring detail. Paolini said he spent a lot of time researching language, naming objects etc. which gets incredibly annoying by the end of the novel. I don't care what the sword/ring/snail/toothbrush is called in the ancient language. You're not Tolkien, find a new angle.
Oh how I yearned for a GRRM-style main character kill shot.
So that came out pretty nasty, and it's not a great book, but I have to say it was still reasonably entertaining. If Paolini can stop combining derivative Tolkien with an RPG game where you just need to collect the right magic items to win, I think he is definitely capable of writing a really great novel.
2.5 stars
