Inheritance: The Inheritance Cycle, Book 4

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Audie Award Nominee, Best Teens Category, 2013Not 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.

Audible Audio Edition

Listening Length: 31 hours and 22 minutes

Program Type: Audiobook

Version: Unabridged

Publisher: Listening Library

Audible.com Release Date: November 8, 2011

Whispersync for Voice: Ready

Language: English

ASIN: B0064J2GGC

Best Sellers Rank: #1 in Books > Audible Audiobooks > Children's Books > Animals #44 in Books > Audible Audiobooks > Children's Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy #53 in Books > Teens > Literature & Fiction > Action & Adventure > Fantasy

Important: I recommend that all potential buyers only read reviews that clearly state there are no spoilers in the review title (or the title clearly intends the review for said audience). There are one too many reviews that give away critical information within the first couple of lines.It is difficult to review a book such as this; a person's liking of the book is obviously subjective (as you'll notice with any novel). I am surprised that the current highest-rated review contains many spoilers, and one can only assume that most of those reading the reviews have already read the book -- or perhaps they are too lethargic to actually read the book for themselves.As it is, I would do my best to give an honest review, without spoilers, for those who have not read the book.Firstly, I must admit that I did enjoy the book, though it did have many flaws. Perhaps I am alone in this, but Paolini's writing skills seem to have lessened since the second novel; in Inheritance, many smaller plots and potential side-stories remain unexplained or simply not pursued. A few extremely engaging characters seem to have underlying motives and/or secret histories that also remain woefully unexplained. Furthermore, the chapters seem somewhat rushed, and one cannot help but feel that the story does not flow as smooth as previously -- it feels somewhat distorted. And yet, perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the story was its ending (I would not elaborate, for fear of giving something away).And yet, even so, I still enjoyed the book immensely; as one who has read the previous books and has become slowly captivated by the story, it would prove quite difficult not to enjoy 849 pages more -- whatever flaws it may contain.

It is hard to say what I thought of this book. I liked it, yet I detested it. It was epic, yet depressing. If I had to abbreviate this entire review to one sentence, it would be: "It was meh."ERAGON was (and is) one of my favorite books. It is timeless and fantastic. It follows the classic `hero's journey', yet adds enough twists to remain fresh. It is long, but never boring. And, like Sabriel and Northern Lights, I feel children will still be reading and enjoying it decades from now.ELDEST was a bit of a disappointment. Over-long, talky, and boring for most of its length. The Battle of Burning Plains was a fitting end, though, and gave me hope that the remainder of the series would be worth the wait.BRISINGR was everything that Eldest was not. Things happened. Eragon grew stronger, and for the first time it appeared as if Galby might be defeated. There were boring parts, yes (ie, the dwarves choosing their new King). Yet the book as a whole brought everything together and setup the epic finale.So, you ask, what of INHERITANCE?Well... It was Meh.It is sad that an 850 page book can be abbreviated thus. But I don't know how else to put it without rambling. However, I shall try to consolidate my ideas.The first 740 pages of this book were excellent. I could debate some points, such as the birth of Elain's baby or Roran leading the siege of Aroughs. Neither of those storylines added much of anything. They could have been cut, or perhaps turned into the "exclusive content" at the end of the Deluxe Edition (which is certain to be released). I could also express disappointment at the climax of the book, which had a great setup, but was remarkably anticlimactic. Yet, none of these things bothered me.

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.

Eldest (Inheritance Cycle, Book 2) (The Inheritance Cycle) Inheritance: The Inheritance Cycle, Book 4 Inheritance (The Inheritance Cycle) Inheritance (Inheritance Cycle) Eragon: The Inheritance Cycle, Book 1 Brisingr: The Inheritance Cycle, Book 3 The Time Smugglers (The Camelot Inheritance ~ Book 2): A mystery fantasy book for teens and older children age 10 -14 Eragon (Inheritance, Book 1) A Question of Inheritance: A Very English Mystery, Book 2 The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms: Inheritance Trilogy, Book 1 Tax and Asset Protection You Can Trust: Pre-Immigration Tax Planning for Capital Transfers, Succession, Estate, Inheritance, immigrant investor, EB5, or ... compliant. (Brought to you by FATCA Book 2) The Hare with Amber Eyes: A Hidden Inheritance Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance The Inheritance of Rome: Illuminating the Dark Ages 400-1000 (The Penguin History of Europe) Orhan's Inheritance Iceman Inheritance : Prehistoric Sources of Western Man's Racism, Sexism and Aggression A Troublesome Inheritance: Genes, Race and Human History Inheritance: How Our Genes Change Our Lives--and Our Lives Change Our Genes Boleyn Inheritance The Hare with Amber Eyes (Illustrated Edition): A Hidden Inheritance