Not so very long ago, Eragon—Shadeslayer, Dragon Rider—was nothing more than a poor farm boy, and his dragon, Saphira, only a blue stone in the forest. Now the fate of an entire civilization rests on their shoulders.

Long months of training and battle have brought victories and hope, but they have also brought heartbreaking loss. And still, the real battle lies ahead: they must confront Galbatorix. When they do, they will have to be strong enough to defeat him. And if they cannot, no one can. There will be no second chances.

The Rider and his dragon have come further than anyone dared to hope. But can they topple the evil king and restore justice to Alagaësia? And if so, at what cost?

This is the much-anticipated, astonishing conclusion to the worldwide bestselling Inheritance cycle.

At first glance, giving a book such as this a single star may seem a bit harsh. After all, there were plenty of well-written scenes, and it was obvious through the book that Paolini's style has developed. However, the description for the stars are: I hate it, I don't like it, It's OK, I like it, and I love it. Yes, I loved this series, even until the last 100 pages of this last book. But make no mistake... I hated the latter part of this book, and that is what will shape my opinion of the entire book, and even series as a whole. Much like a delicious meal at a 5-star restaurant, you will walk away saying you hated the entire meal if your last course, a chocolate cake, tastes like rotten eggs.

Throughout the series, Paolini creates numerous storylines and stays true to them. By the time the third book ended, there was a vast array of ideas to keep track of, and they played beautifully off each other, like the inner lines of a symphony. Some of the storylines, we all knew how they would end, even midway through the first book. And that was fine; the joy was in reading how these things should come to pass. Other storylines, we expected some kind of twist, and Paolini sometimes delivered. But then, with 100 pages to go, he destroys the vast majority of these storylines. Mysteries which have teased us since the first book are left cloaked in ambiguity. The culminations of various romances (whether fulfilled or unfulfilled) are skimmed over as an afterthought.

I can only come up with one theory: Paolini took longer than expected to write this book, and he ran into publishing deadlines. Pressed for time, he was forced to rush what should have been a grand finale.

A scene comes to mind where the series' protagonist, Eragon, is training. After each failure, his teacher gives him advice, then orders Eragon to try again. "Again." "Again." I feel that the same teacher, upon reading this book, would look Paolini in the eye and flatly say...

"Again."

Inheritance (The Inheritance Cycle) [Hardcover]
Christopher Paolini (Author)

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Christopher Paolini is the author of three other bestselling novels about Alagaësia: Inheritance is the fourth and final volume in the cycle. Christopher lives in Montana, where the natural landscape has been a major inspiration in the creation of his stories. You can find out more about Christopher and the Inheritance cycle at alagaesia.com.