The third part of Eragon's training to become one of the best dragon rider's of all time. Eragon, who was once a farmer, is now on his way to master the art of magic and dragon training.
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Picking up from the events of the previous book, Eragon, his dragon Saphira, and his cousin Roran make their way to Helgrind to rescue Roran's beloved Katrina. While observing the towering structure from afar, they notice a group of men pay their respects to the Ra'zac, dark creatures used by the King Galbatorix as his minions, by sacrificing slaves from the nearby city of Dras Leona.
The next day, Saphira flew to the top of Helgrind, with Eragon and Roran on his back. They initially had difficulties since the structure is protected by an illusion spell cast by Galbatorix. When they finally found a way to the Ra'zac lair, they also encountered a pair of Lethrblaka, the winged and leathery parents of the Ra'zac. With Saphira battling the Lethrblaka, Eragon and Roran took on the other two Ra'zac. After a very fierce battle, Saphira was able to overcome the two large creatures, dumping one of the bodies on Leona Lake.
Eragon and Roran pursued the two Ra'zac who escaped. Inside the lair, they were able to kill one of the Ra'zac and rescue Katrina. However, Eragon found another prisoner in one of the rooms. Fearing that the presence of this prisoner will upset Roran, Eragon locked the room and helped Katrina escape. Once outside, Eragon decided to stay so that he could kill the other remaining Ra'zac. Saphira was very reluctant at the idea but she eventually understood and left with Roran and Katrina on her back. Eragon returned to kill the other Ra'zac, but not before informing him that Galbatorix is near his goal of discovering "The Name." Eragon then returned to the cell which held, Sloan, the other prisoner and Katrina's father.
Upon their escape from Helgrind, Eragon consulted with Queen Islanzadi, the ruler of the elves, regarding what to do with Sloan. When the Queen agreed, he cast a spell on Sloan so that he will be forced travel to Ellesmera, the capital city of the Elves.
On his way to return to the Varden, an alliance that aims to bring King Galbatorix down, Eragon met Arya, Queen Islanzadi's daughter, who went behind enemy lines to search for him when she learned that Eragon chose to stay behind. On their way, they encountered several of the king's soldiers, which they were able to take down easily. Meanwhile, the elven spellcasters who Queen Islanzadi chose to aid Eragon and Saphira arrived at the Varden's camp.
When they reached the Varden, they learned that Roran and Katrina wanted to get married right away, due to Katrina being pregnant. On the day of the wedding, Eragon's brother Murtagh and his dragon Thorn attacked the camp, along with a few hundred of Galbatorix's soldiers. Nasuada, the leader of the Varden, and King Orrin, the king of Surda and the Varden's allies deployed their own ranks of soldiers. The Varden thought they were winning until they realized that the soldiers are immune to pain, and therefore harder to kill. Meanwhile, the fight between Eragon and Murtagh seemed to lean in favor towards Eragon, thanks to the elven spellcasters and Arya. At some point, Eragon was able to overcome Murtagh, but then regretfully released him since Arya told him that they don't have any means to detain a dragon and his rider. Down below, the Varden were winning after they learned that the only way to kill Galbatorix's soldiers is to destroy their brains.
After the battle, Eragon presided over Roran and Katrina's wedding. The celebration lasted all night but Nasuada urged Eragon to visit the wounded soldiers. There, Eragon met a soldier who saw bright lights surrounding him, as well as Murtagh. After a few days, Nasuada ordered Eragon to visit the dwarven city of Tronjheim to take part in the coronation of the dwarves' new king. Nasuada also sent Roran to various skirmishes so that the latter can gain the trust of the Varden.
Upon arrival in Tronjheim, Eragon was reunited by his dwarf friend Orik, the adopted heir of the former dwarf king. While Eragon was in the city, he was almost assassinated by the Az Sweldn rak Anhûin, one of the dwarves' clans. Orik was upset because Eragon was a guest of honor and an adopted son of the Dûrgrimst Ingeitum, thus the same dwarven courtesies must also be extended to Eragon. Orik then urged the dwarf council to banish the Az Sweldn rak Anhûin. In light of the recent events that could eventually affect all the dwarves in Alagaesia, Orik was then elected as the new dwarf king. Saphira arrived just in time for the coronation to repair the Isidar Mithrim, which Saphira and Arya destroyed in the Battle under Farthen Dur.
After the coronation, Eragon and Saphira traveled to Ellesmera in order to continue his education under their mentors Oromis and his dragon Glaedr. There, Eragon learned that his real father was Brom, the bard who helped him escape Carvahall. Glaedr also revealed the existence of the Eldunari, the dragon's heart of hearts, which is what Galbatorix used as his source of power. Oromis told Eragon that Galbatorix killed the old riders and their dragons to obtain their Eldunari and increase his magical abilities. Oromis also gave Eragon a fairth, or picture in stone, of his mother Selena.
Eragon also visited Rhunon, an elf blacksmith, in order to obtain a new rider's sword. However, Rhunon revealed that she once cast an oath not to create weapons anymore, and even if she can, there are no more brightsteel available. Brightsteel was a metal that Rhunon used to forge rider's swords. However, Eragon figured out that there is probably a brightsteel ore under the Menoa tree, since he was once told of a prophecy about it. Eragon and Saphira urged the large, legendary tree to give up the brightsteel under its roots. With the ore that Eragon and Saphira just retrieved, Rhunon used it to create Eragon's sword. Due to her oath, she used Eragon's body to forge the sword, which Eragon named Brisngr, or fire in the ancient language.
Before departing Ellesmera, Glaedr entrusted Eragon and Saphira his Eldunari. With this, they can draw upon Glaedr's power in battle, and they can also use it to communicate with each other even though they are far apart. Eragon arrived just in time for the Varden to attack the city of Feinster. Up on the city's main tower, Eragon, Saphira and Arya battled against three magicians who were trying to summon a shade. They were able to kill them but not before one of the magicians succeeded in conjuring Varaug, a shade using a human's body possessed by spirits. During the battle, Eragon learned that Oromis joined Queen Islanzadi forces and they were battling against Murtagh. Oromis was fatally wounded during the battle and Glaedr tried to save him, but failed. The dragon was then killed by Murtagh.
With Eragon and Saphira's assistance, Arya was able to kill the Varaug by puncturing the heart, earning her the title Shadeslayer as well. After the battle, Eragon informed Arya and Nasuada about what transpired during Oromis and Murtagh's battle. He also showed them Glaedr's heart of hearts.
Watching the sunrise, Eragon and Saphira finally realized that they are now alone against the battle against Galbatorix.
Best part of story, including ending:
This is a coming-of-age story about a teenager who was trying to figure out how to use the gift of magic he received in a way that he could save the world.
Best scene in story:
The scenes where Oromis and Glaedr battled Murtagh and Thorn was truly memorable. It was juxtaposed well with the scenes where Eragon and Saphira battled Varaug. The emotions that Eragon felt when Oromis died was really sincere.
Opinion about the main character:
Eragon is a boy who has faced a lot of challenges in his life. But with the help of others, he was able to figure out his real purpose in life.
In Brisingr, the third book in the Inheritance Cycle, Eragon and his dragon Saphira must find a way to fight and defeat Galbatorix in order to make the land Alagaësia a better place for the people living there. Up until a few months ago, Eragon was nothing but a farmer, living with his uncle and his cousin, Roran. But then he found a dragon egg that hatched for him, introducing him to the baby dragon Saphira. Eragon and Saphira, with the help of a former dragon rider named Brom, turn towards the Varden, a small rebel group trying to overthrow the current ruler of the land, Galbatorix, thus enabling the return of the dragon riders. Eventually Eragon and Saphira reach them and cause the beginning of the preperations to the final battle between the Varden and Galbatorix. Galbatorix also kidnaps Eragon's half brother, Murtagh, and turns him into a dragon rider, forcing him to fight Eragon. In the end of the previous book, they fought and Eragon and Saphira almost lost their lives.
Now, in the third part of the series, the Varden, the elves, the dwarves and Surda, another kingdom in the land, plan their attack plan on Galbatorix's castle. As the book begins, Eragon and Saphira find themselves flying between different parts of Alagaësia - between the Elves' kingdom's capital city, Ellesméra, and the dwarves' mountains. After another battle between Murtagh and Sting, his dragon, and Eragon and Saphira, in which Eragon and Saphira win, Eragon and Saphira turn towards the mountains for the election of the new dwarf king. Once there, dwarf assassins attempt to kill Eragon, and after the new king is elected (Eragon's friend, Orik), he banishes their tribe as a punishment.
From there, Eragon and Saphira turn to Ellesméra. They join the celebration in the woods, in which Eragon recieves elf-like abilities, making him somewhat of a mixture between a human and an elf. He also continues his lessons with Oromis and Glaedr, the last dragon rider and dragon remaining alive other than Galbatorix, and learns that the source of the King's power is the Eldunari, the heart of hearts of a dragon. The Eldunari is a round, glowing stone enabling the holder of it to harness the dragon's power to his will, as well as to see and feel what the dragon does. Glaedr gives them his own Eldunari.
When in Ellesméra, Eragon convinces the legendary blacksmith in the forest to create a sword for him. Once it is prepared he names it Brisingr, the word for 'fire' in the magic language, and it sets it on fire. The blacksmith believes he found out the sword's real name, the name that enables full control over a living being or a thing.
From Ellesméra, Eragon and Saphira return to the Varden. They join the siege over one of the cities in Galbatorix's control, and together with Aria, the Elf princess Eragon rescued in the first book and is in love with, they fight the sorcerers in it. During the fight, Eragon and Saphira witness the deaths of Oromis and Glaedr through his Eldunari. They win the battle against the sorcerer, but realize they lost the only teachers they've had.
Best part of story, including ending:
I loved this story because it was brilliant. It was interesting, moving, exciting, well written... It is a classic fantasy kind of story, and it was simply a great read.
Best scene in story:
My favorite scene was the scene of the creation of Brisingr. The creation is described in details, building tension until reaching the final moment, in which it is revealed to Eragon and he names her... It was a stunning look, in my imagination.
Opinion about the main character:
I like that Eragon is honorable and caring. I like that he cares about his cousin and tries to help him, and that he tries to help his friends. He's also very devoted to the side he chose.
