Murtagh: The World of Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle) Hardcover – November 7, 2023

4.5 out of 5Oh man, this is going to be difficult to talk about.Warning: Major Spoilers Ahead!I'll go over the problems first: the pacing was rough. The plot never fully kicks in until the 250 page mark. To be fair, I don't think the lack of plot is a huge deal as this is a character-focused story more than anything, but it doesn't change the fact the pacing dragged all too many times. It makes me think the book didn't need to be over 600 pages long.Secondly, a few plot points happened at random moments. One example being Murtagh disowning his father's legacy by renaming his sword (its going to take time to get used to Zar'roc's new name). It's a great and emotional scene, but the fact it happened during Murtagh's hunt for Bachel underground, which was essentially a race against time to save Ailn's life all the while dealing with the various monstrosities lurking in the darkness, yeah the timing was off on that one.Also, the fact that apparently Galbatorix was influenced by Bachel and her Lovecraft cult during his path to madness? It feels contradictory, but then again its been a while since I've read the original Cycle, and there is a lot about Alagaesia that remains unknown, so this might not be a problem at all.I'm also sorry to say that neither Eragon or Saphira make an appearance. They're only mentioned a lot (with much disdain on Murtagh's part. I understand where his resentment comes from, but geez dude, quit hating on my boy! Eragon and Murtagh seriously need to sit down and talk things out, hopefully without killing each other), but as disappointing as that is, it also makes sense. This is Murtagh and Thorn's story alone, it would've been out-of-place for Eragon and Saphira to suddenly swoop in to save the day (not to mention Eragon's fortune stated that he'll never return to Alagaesia. I still don't know how that works, or if that part of the fortune is false, but we'll see).Those are the only problems I can think of. There might be a few more that I'm missing, but it doesn't overall matter because I think Murtagh was an amazing entry into the World of Eragon!-The writing: excellent (aside from a single grammar issue I noticed)! It's really amazing how Paolini can change writing styles between The Inheritance Cycle and The Fractalverse while still staying consistent with one another. The moment I started reading Murtagh, I was sucked right back in to Alagaesia as though I were a kid getting into the original series again. To say nostalgia hit hard is an understatement.The world building: top notch! Paolini did a great job showcasing that even though Galbatorix is gone, the world isn't as peaceful and resolved as it could be. Change is slow coming, and there are some who either don't want change at all, or for it to arrive in the worst way possible. On top of that, as previously stated, much of Alagaesia remains shrouded in mystery, and seeing some of those mysteries unfold was fascinating to see (not to mention terrifying on a few accounts).The villains: Surprisingly effective and unsettling! After Galbatorix, a Lovecraftian cult that worships something resting deep beneath the earth (I know its name is Azlagur, and it sounds more dragonish in appearance than your typical eldritch fair, but I'm still calling it the Cthulhu Dragon), and has more influence and power across the land than previously realized is honestly the best direction to go in.The characters: Holy crud, where do I even begin? When reading the Inheritance Cycle, my thoughts on Murtagh and Thorn were much the same as Eragon's. Pity for their plights and the endless torture they endure, but also hate for their murderous deeds, with some clearly being done on purpose and not under Galbatorix's orders. The ending of Inheritance made me warm up to them a little bit, but I was still confused as to why so many loved Murtagh and thought he was a better character than Eragon himself.Having read this book now, yeah I completely see why now. Murtagh is one, if not the, most complicated, sympathetic, and morally gray character in the entire series. We see glimpses of his upbringing and forced servitude under Galbatorix's control, and just how much pain and trauma these events continue to cause him. We see him dealing with the sheer guilt of all the terrible deeds he committed even though some were beyond his control, and the fact the world will never forgive him because of them.On top of all of that, we also see that, despite his pain, bitterness, pride and scornful stubbornness, he really is a good person deep down, and this soft side of him comes out every once in a while, especially around kids.There's also Murtagh's dragon: Thorn. This poor baby, oh my god, I wanted to give him a hug so bad!Equally as tortured and tormented as his Rider, Thorn also suffers from severe claustrophobia, and how he gained this fear is heartbreaking to read about. In fact everything this dragon went though tied my heart into a painful knot. Despite this, Thorn truly cares for Murtagh and wants him to be happy. He also has a bit of a sadistic sense of humor, which was surprising to see, and has every bit of ego a dragon could have.Murtagh and Thorn might not see eye-to-eye as much as Eragon and Saphira, but there's no doubt the bond between them is powerful, and it grows even stronger as their story went on. So many times I nearly cried because of that bond, and throughout all their suffering and pain, they still have each other. By the end, their characters are clearly changed from how they started, and although they will never be fully redeemed or forgiven for their sins, I think its safe to say they truly earned the title and rank of Dragon Rider. I don't think they'll become my favorite characters anytime soon, but I definitely appreciate them a lot more now.-Overall, I think Christopher Paolini struck a home-run with Murtagh. Is it the best Inheritance Cycle book yet? In many ways, yes. It's also the darkest book in the series by far, and its safe to say no one will call it a Star Wars rip-off any time soon. At the same time, however, the original 4 books hold such a near and dear place in my heart that I really don't know how Murtagh ranks with them.I look forward to seeing more adventures in Alagaesia, especially now that everything is set-up for things to come.(Calling it right now, King Orrin is the Draumar infiltrator that Murtagh can't remember. Also, please tell me those were a few Fractalverse easter eggs I saw).

This book.is great. Intimate characters, soul searching details, breathtaking worldview, what more could you want. He didn't waste his college time better than ever before!

This story fleshes out Murtagh in ways that frustrated me. It set the course of a new adventure that I hope will lead to the deep lore of the world of Eragon. Murtagh is an interesting character full of depth. At times. I feel he is presented as I thought him to be from previous novels, and at other times, I am irritated by his actions that I think him smart enough and capable enough to do better. There are elements of the genre that have become too typical and could use a fresh take on the hero epic that I find cliché in the story. Such as the hero always being unprepared and never having a moment to prepare or the knowledge to prepare a good plan. The entire novel feels of constant desperation from Murtagh. It works, but I wanted more moments of him being as capable and smart as he seemed before being caught in Trajahiem. Instead, he makes one brash choice after another, and it becomes predictable. Yet, there are enough moments to make the telling worth the time it takes to read or listen to it. I found the ending satisfying. If you like stories about complex characters finding themselves with heroic efforts and dark moments, this for you.

Christopher Paolini's writing is aS superb as ever and even more mature and deep than when he first started the Eragon series. Murtaugh's story is entrancing and enlightening. I love the fact that the world of Allegasia is opening up even further along a separate storyline from Eragon, though I do hope Murtaugh and Eragon meet again someday and join together as brothers and allies. I especially enjoyed reading of Thorn's experiences and how he grew and matured. I sincerely hope this is not the end of the story! Highly recommend!!

Love the book. I have read all of the series from cover to cover now. He is a great writer.

Obviously I can’t share too much, I will not spoil anything for you people out there that are reading this series. But I will say that this author is AMAZING! The story just flows and leaves you wanting more. Keep in mind that if you haven’t read any of the other books, then just reading this one alone will not make sense- you have to go read ERAGON and the others first.

I bought the first book for my oldest son for Christmas when it came out. He never picked it up to read so I did. Now I have read the whole series. Love everything about it.

It felt slow then rushed and not much after the finale but that is for another book I’d imagine. I like that he flushed out murtaghs character. You learn a lot about him and thron and what they went through in the capital

Es profundo el libro entiendes más al personaje explorar más el mundo de eragon y entiendes más el sistema de magia es muy bueno

Potential spoilers below......................The key things I really enjoyed about this book was learning more about what happened to Thorn and Murtagh in the Inheritance series, namely their traumas.As well as their true names changing and Murtaghs sword. The actual storyline was very good, albeit maybe a tad long and slow at parts but hey, it’s considered a high(er) fantasy so from my POV I expect some of that.I ended up reading the acknowledgments ( I never do) and I was VERY excited to see that Paolini intends to continue writing more stories within the Inheritance series too.Over all very good book, it cleared up a lot, but also opened up a ton of potential storyline for future novels

Murtagh é meu personagem preferido e poder conhecer mais sobre ele através dessa história foi incrível. Que venham outros livros!

This book could work well for first-time readers of the Inheritance Cycle, but I would recommend reading the other books first both due to chronology and because they're incredible books, especially considering how young Christopher Paolini was when first writing them. The rich world-building and developed characters continue in this book.It was very interesting seeing the bond between Thorn and Murtagh, and I felt the way fears and trauma were portrayed was accurate. The events of this book clearly lead on to further books, which I eagerly await.

Met all expectations