This is not your average teenage fantasy novel. Brisingr is part three in an amazing new series by Christopher Paolini. In the complex, rich world of this masterpiece lies a story that is as surprising as it is exciting. Rider Eragon and his dragon Saphira are battling the forces of the Empire, a nation which covers almost the whole of the continent Alagaesia. The head of the empire is King Gallbatorix, who is also a Dragon Rider, albeit a mad, twisted, evil one who killed all the good riders a century before. Eragon has been at odds with Gallbatorix ever since Saphira hatched for him.
In this book, Eragon and Saphira are close to confronting Gallbatorix. However, many hardships befall them along the way. **Spoiler alert** (The Ra’zac got what was coming to them). Eragon and Saphira also meet up with friends from some other races, including Orik, their dwarf friend, and Arya, an elvish princess.
This book has many great features. One of the good things about Brisingr is that it is wonderfully detailed but still moves at a readable pace. Some detailed books drag, but this book remains brisk. Another great feature is this book is packed with action. On every page, there is a new, more complicated problem for Eragon and Saphira to deal with. My favorite feature is that the story is told from three different points of view. A little over half of the book is told from Eragon’s point of view, some is told from Roran’s point of view, (Eragon’s brother), and a couple chapters are told from Saphira’s point of view. I love this, because you get several different opinions on main events.
I absolutely adored this book. It has tons of action with page-turning cliffhangers that kept me going until the last chapter. This book is also rich in detail, which is definitely something I look for. It feels as if you are standing right there with the character, looking out over the expanse of Du’Weldenvarden or a writhing battle Urgals. The main character in this book is Eragon, but it is Saphira that I love the most. She has a dry, sarcastic sense of humor and is definitely the most intelligent and wise of the pair. She is also incredibly powerful, yet gentle around humans. She is the best character of the whole book.
I could keep going forever, but then you wouldn’t have time to go read the book, as I highly recommend you do. It is a powerful fantasy read and it is very hard to put down. The next book in the series, Inheritance, comes out in Nov. 2011. I can’t wait to read more!