Inheritance (Inheritance, #4)
By: Christopher Paolini
My Rating: Four stars out of five
Best for: 10 and up

I’ve read all the negatives about the Inheritance Cycle books, and every critique about the authors writing style and the plot similarities to other books or movies is legit. But come on people, lighten up! Just enjoy the story, because even the haters have to admit, the story is why we read–and this story is a lot of fun!

Inheritance was a fitting ending to the story of Eragon’s rise to greatness. But there is so much more story to tell!

There are more dragon eggs! Eragon is leaving to raise the dragons and train the dragon eggs elsewhere–leaving Arya and eveyone he loves behind, to never see them again? Ya right.

Eragon arranged for Dwarves and Urgals to become riders too. The re-rise of the dragon riders is a story that needs to be told!

Arya loves Eragon, but her sense of duty prevents her from giving into her feelings. PLUS she’s a rider now AND queen of the elves (duh, who didn’t see both of those things coming), so there shouldn’t be anything left to get in the way of their love! They HAVE GOT to get together, or this story can never truly be complete!

Even Saphira has a love interest now–what, are we never going to get to meet their baby dragon? You know it’s going to happen!

Nasuada gets kidnapped by Galbatorix, and the only reason plot wise for doing it seems to be so Nasuada and Murtagh can fall in love. But, despite the fact that by the end of the story Murtagh and Thorn are redeemed (but troubled) good guys, they leave to find themselves or something. So if Nasuada and Murtagh won’t be getting together, what was the point of Nasuada getting kidnapped and tortured? The only way it makes sense is if Murtagh and Thorn return and make babies with Nasuada. So, when are they coming back?

No explination of othe origins of Angela the Herbalist? Come on!

I could keep going, but you get the idea. There is enough material for volumes of story yet to come!

Paolini gives me some hope. In the ackowledgments at the end, he says:

“I don’t intend to abandon Alagaesia, however. I’ve put too much time and effort into building this world, and at some point in the future I will return to it. That may not occur for another few years, or it might happen next month. At the moment, I can’t say. When I do return to it, I hope to address a few of the mysteries that I left unresolved in this series.”

All right dude, I’m holding you to it.

In the mean time, I’ll say that Inheritance is another fun read, full of battle action from the beginning. The characters are strong, even if their stories are still mostly unresolved. I have to warn you of the dissapointment of so many loose ends–but still, I give Inheritance my full recommendation.