Inheritance Cycle
   The covers of the first three books. |
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| Author | Christopher Paolini |
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| Cover artist | John Jude Palencar |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Young-adult fiction, Fantasy |
| Publisher | Paolini LLC (early edition of Eragon) Alfred A. Knopf |
| Published | 2002 – present |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover, paperback) and Audio (Compact Disc) |
The Inheritance Cycle is a series of fantasy novels by Christopher Paolini. It was previously titled the Inheritance Trilogy until Paolini's announcement on October 30, 2007 that there would be a fourth book. Set in the fictional world of Alagaësia (pronounced /æləˈɡeɪziə/), the novels focus on a teenage boy named Eragon and his dragon Saphira as he becomes one of the few remaining Dragon Riders, a legendary group who governed the land in times past but were almost destroyed by a Rider named Galbatorix and the Forsworn, a group of thirteen Riders who betrayed their fellow Riders by swearing fealty to Galbatorix. After the Fall, when most of the Riders were slain, Galbatorix claimed the throne of Alagaësia. The tyrant king's greatest fear is that a new Rider will rise up and usurp his position as king of the Empire. Through the efforts of the rebel group, the Varden, and their leader/founder, Brom (in collusion with Jeod and Hefring) a dragon egg is stolen from Galbatorix, and by a whim of fate, is thrust upon a young farmboy in Palancar Valley named Eragon. As Galbatorix attempts to capture Eragon and his dragon, Eragon begins a journey into the past and the future of Alagaësia.
The first book in the series, Eragon, was self-published by Paolini's family in 2002 and re-published in 2003 by Knopf; it was followed by Eldest in 2005. Both were New York Times bestsellers[1][2] and together have sold more than 20 million copies worldwide.[3] The third book in the series, Brisingr, was published on September 20, 2008,[4] and publication details for the untitled fourth book, have not been set.[5] The series was intended to be a trilogy, but this changed as Paolini decided that the story was too complex to conclude in one book.
In 2006, Eragon was adapted into a feature film of the same name, starring Edward Speleers in the title role of Eragon, as well as Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, Rachel Weisz, Sienna Guillory and Robert Carlyle.
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Publication history
Homeschooled by his parents, Christopher Paolini graduated from high school at the age of fifteen, but felt he was not yet mature enough for college, so he wrote Eragon in his spare time. After writing the first draft for a year, he spent a second year rewriting it and fleshing out the story and characters, and then presented it to his parents. They had it self-published by the family publishing company, Paolini International, and Paolini then traveled around to various schools advertising his novel. By chance, the book was discovered by Alfred A. Knopf and was republished under Knopf in 2003.
Eldest was released as a hardcover edition in August 2005. A limited edition, featuring extras such as a brief history of Alagaësia, a double-sided poster featuring Brom's ring and Glaedr, and a sneak peek of Brisingr was released in September 2006. A paperback edition was released in March 2007. The deluxe edition of Eldest had an excerpt from the third chapter of the third book.
Brisingr (also known as The Seven Promises of Eragon Shadeslayer and Saphira Bjartskular)—a word meaning "fire" in the fictional Ancient Language—was published on September 20, 2008. Paolini's announcement of the book's publishing date included the revelation that the Inheritance Trilogy would now contain four books instead of three, thus resulting in the renaming of the series to the Inheritance Cycle. Paolini also announced that he would end the third book with the death of a major character.[6]
Synopsis
In the fictional land of Alagaësia, there was an order who oversaw the countries and brought peace to the world. This group was known as the Dragon Riders, for they rode Dragons, which they were bonded with at the birth of their dragon, in accordance with a pact made between elves and dragon millennia earlier. One Dragon Rider named Galbatorix had his dragon slain by a group of Urgals(somewhat similar to orcs from other fantasy) which drove him mad. Denied another Dragon by the Council of Elder Riders, Galbatorix blamed the Council for the death of his dragon and sought to destroy the order. He made an alliance with a young rider, named Morzan, and with his help slew an elder rider. Then, with the help of Morzan, the first of the thirteen Forsworn, he stole a black dragon, named Shruikan. He forced Shruikan to bind with him (a perverted version of the real binding between a rider and dragon), and later destroyed the Riders and their dragons, except the thirteen forsworn. Since then, he has ruled parts of Alagaësia as a tyrannical King. He hasn't ruled the elves nor dwarves.
While an accurate time-line of various events is as yet unavailable, Paolini has hinted on an interview that based on character Elain's pregnancy, we may infer the events of the first three books to have happened within a span of months.[7]
Eragon
While hunting, Eragon, a 15-year-old farm boy, finds a polished stone in a dangerous mountain range known only as "The Spine." He takes the "stone" to his native village Carvahall, but fails to trade it for food to the village butcher, Sloan. Eragon then elects to bring the stone back to his uncle Garrow's farm and leave it aside as a curiosity. Soon afterward, Eragon realizes that the "stone" is actually a dragon egg, as it hatches. Two mysterious strangers soon appear in Carvahall, inquiring about the egg. Fearful that they will harm his already-hatched dragon, Saphira, Eragon flees his hometown for a night, only to return to find his uncle Garrow killed and his farm destroyed. The town's storyteller, Brom, offers to flee with Eragon, promising to teach him all he knows of magic and dragons, in order to defeat Alagaesia's evil king, Galbatorix, and help him in pursuing his uncle's killers, the Ra'zac. But Brom is killed in an ambush by the Ra'zac. Then Eragon with the help of Murtagh rescues an elven woman, Arya who is being tortured by a shade, Durza. Later, in battle, Eragon kills Durza with help from Arya.
Eldest
Following the battle of Farthen Dûr, Ajihad, leader of the Varden, is killed in a sudden surprise attack by Urgals. Murtagh and the Twins (the Varden's chief magicians) are thought to disappear during the attack, but later in the book, Eragon realizes that the Twins were traitors who had planned the ambush to capture Murtagh and kill Ajihad. After swearing fealty to Nasuada, Ajihad's daughter and the new leader of the Varden, Eragon travels to Ellesméra, accompanied by the dwarf Orik, nephew and heir of the dwarf king Hrothgar and Eragon's friend. Before leaving, Hrothgar offers Eragon a place in his clan, Durmgrist Ingeitum, giving him full citizenship rights in dwarvish society.
Much of the book's remainder is devoted to Eragon's training with the ancient Dragon Rider Oromis, also known as Togira Ikonoka (The Cripple Who Is Whole) or Osthato Chetowa (The Mourning Sage), and his unsuccessful attempts at wooing Arya, newly discovered to be of elvish royalty, who is dedicated to her mission and considers his feelings misplaced. It is later revealed that, as a result of a badly-worded blessing Eragon placed on an orphaned baby before the Battle of Farthen Dur, the child Elva, is compelled to put herself in the place of others who are about to be hurt.
The spirits of the dragons heal Eragon's scar in a ceremony called the Agaetí Blödhren. Eragon wakes up the next day with elven qualities that make him much stronger and more agile. It is after the transformations that Eragon pursues Arya once more, but is again refused, and she returns to Surda the next day.
Meanwhile, Roran (Eragon's cousin and son of Garrow) returns to Carvahall after learning of his father's death, and discovers that he is wanted by Galbatorix. His presence is endangering the entire town, which has come under attack by the Ra'zac and caused many villagers' deaths. Sloan (father of Katrina, Roran's fiancee) betrays the town to the Ra'zac, resulting in the kidnapping of Katrina and the near death of Roran. The next day, Roran convinces most of the villagers to follow him in an attempt to reach sanctuary in Surda. Roran and company cross the treacherous Spine Mountains, sail barges down Alagaseia's western coast and join up with Jeod (an old friend of Brom's) at the city of Teirm. They set sail in a pirated ship for the southern coast, evading the Ra'zac and Empire.
Eragon returns to the Varden to help them in the approaching battle against Galbatorix's army. Arya forgives him, and their friendship is renewed. Soon after, the Battle of the Burning Plains commences. During the battle, a new Rider, revealed to be Murtagh, appears riding a red dragon named Thorn. After Murtagh killed Hrothgar, he reveals that he has now become Galbatorix's slave and is oath-bound to capture Eragon and bring him and Saphira back to Galbatorix. He also reveals that Saphira is the last female dragon in existence and that this is the reason Eragon and Saphira are still alive. Murtagh and Eragon begin to fight and Eragon is surprised by how much strength a relatively young dragon and inexperienced Rider possess; Eragon is defeated, but he convinces Murtagh to reinterpret his oath and allow their freedom. Murtagh does so, but first says that they are brothers and that Eragon's father is Morzan (one of the 13 forsworn) - a revelation that deeply shocks and sickens Eragon.
Also in the battle, the Twins' treachery is revealed when they appear on the Empire's side and kill many of their former comrades amongst the Varden. The timely arrival of Roran, Jeod, and the villagers allows Roran to kill the Twins, turning the battle in the Varden's favour.
After reporting to his superiors, Eragon explains in full the story of Saphira to Roran, attempting to apologize for the death of their father and uncle. The book ends with Eragon promising to accompany Roran and free Katrina in Helgrind, the place where the Ra'zac and their Lethrblaka parents stay.
Brisingr
Eragon, Roran, and Saphira travel towards Helgrind, the mountain dwelling of the Ra'zac where Katrina is being held. They infiltrate the mountain, rescuing Katrina and killing one Ra'zac; but Eragon secretly finds Sloan, who was tortured and blinded for information, but finds that he cannot kill him. Telling Roran and Katrina that Sloan is dead, he sends them back to the Varden on Saphira, and remains in Helgrind to kill the remaining Ra'zac and rescue Sloan. The last Ra'zac attempts to strike a deal with Eragon, informing him that Galbatorix has almost found "the name", in exchange for him keeping alive the memory of the Ra'zac as the monsters of humanity's nightmares. Eragon refuses the deal and kills it. Later, while deliberating his course of action regarding Sloan, he discovers Sloan's true name and, thus, gains great power over him. Instead of killing Sloan for his betrayal, Eragon, after consulting with the elvish Queen Islanzandi, decides to place enchantments on the butcher that will allow him to reach sanctuary with the elves, on the condition that he never see Katrina again and attempts to rectify his ways. If he does, the elves agree to restore his sight.
Arya, who went searching for Eragon after he fails to return with the others, meets Eragon in the town of Eastcroft , where Roran and the villagers of Carvahall who had not settled in Surda have joined the war.
Roran informs Eragon that he and Katrina wish to marry, and that Katrina is pregnant. The day of the wedding, a small unit of 300 soldiers from the Empire, including Murtagh and Thorn, attack the Varden. Again, Murtagh is difficult to beat with an apparent source of supernatural power aiding him, but Eragon, Arya and twelve elven spellcasters are able to combine their powers and best him: he retreats, but vows to return stronger than ever. Orrin, King of Surda, and his cavalry, meanwhile manage to destroy the enemy army, but discover that its soldiers are immune to pain, and can suffer the most grievous wounds without dying: only decapitation stops them. Roran and Katrina's marriage is then completed.
Nasuada orders Eragon to attend the election of the new dwarf king as a member of Durgrimst Ingeitum, Saphira remaining behind in case Murtagh attempts to attack. Eragon is reunited with Orik, the new clan-chief of Durgrimst Ingeitum. An attempt is made on Eragon's life by a clan who have shown hostility towards Eragon and Saphira. Orik has the clan's leader, who orchestrated the attack, banished and he is elected the new king. Saphira then comes to Tronjeim, where she and Eragon are reunited.
Meanwhile, Roran becomes involved in many Varden attacks on the Empire, all of which he acquits himself well in. However, in his second-last engagement, he is assigned to an incompetent general, Edric, who orders a full-scale charge into a force far bigger than the Varden and one that would have caused mass death and defeat. Roran refuses to let his regiment do this, starting a different plan that saves most of his men and entirely destroys the opposing force (Roran killing nearly 200 of these by himself) but he is later punished for his insubordination with fifty lashes on the whipping post. Later, Nasuada comes to him, apologizing for the necessity of the punishment, informs him that Edric has been decommissioned, and requests that he now take command of an entire force. Urgals, a race most of the races of Alagaseia despise, are amongst this group since Nasuada had earlier allowed their assistance before the Battle of the Burning Plains (Eldest) but the alliance is crumbling because of the mutual distrust of both races. Roran has to battle one of the Urgals to assert his authority during his first command; winning, the Urgals under his command do not question his leadership again and, later, fight alongside him at the siege of Feinster.
Eragon and Saphira return to Ellesmera to complete their training. There, Eragon learns that Brom, his former mentor, was his mother's paramour and Eragon's true father, who fell in love and worked together to undermine and bring down Morzan, Galbatorix's right-hand man and his mother's former lover. The next day, Eragon is told the source of Galbatorix's power: many "heart of hearts", or Eldunari, a gemlike organ which can contain a dragon's consciousness if separated from the body. Glaedr explains that Galbatorix controls hundreds of these, taken from dragons he slew during the Fall, and these are the source of his power and presumably that of Murtagh. Eragon makes himself a new sword, under direction from the fabled elven smith Rhunön. Eragon names the sword "Brisingr", with the result that it emanates fire, its namesake, every time Eragon says its name.
Glaedr gives his Eldunari to Eragon and Saphira, who leave to help the Varden's siege on the Empire city Feinster, while Oromis and Glaedr fly to aid the elves in Gil'ead.
Eragon and Saphira join the siege, where they are reunited with Arya. They find the leader of Feinster, Lady Lorana who is forced to follow Galbatorix but still requests assistance from Eragon and Arya to stop Feinster's magicians from creating a Shade. Arya kills the Shade with some assistance from Eragon, and with the surrender of Lorana, Feinster is taken. During the siege, Glaedr's heart of hearts sends his experiences to Eragon: During a battle against Thorn and Murtagh (who is later possessed by Galbatorix) Oromis and Glaedr are both killed, but Glaedr's concsiousness endures within his Eldunari, which Eragon keeps. After the battle, Eragon reveals to Nasuada the existence of the Eldunari as well as the death of Oromis. Eragon's liegelord is heartened by the revelation of Galbatorix's dependence on the Eldunari and the weakness it presents, and announces that the Varden plan to march to Belatona, then to Dras-Leona, and finally to Uru'baen to dethrone Galbatorix. The story ends with Eragon relating how he feels lost in the absence of a mentor, but is comforted by the fact that Galbatorix has at least one weakness which they intend to exploit in the upcoming confrontation.
Eragon's Guide To Alagaësia
Eragon's guide to Alagaësia is a Dragonology-like book with all the detailing information about the series.
Characters
- Ajihad - Leader of the Varden until his death in the first chapter of Eldest. Father of Nasuada and responsible for giving sanctuary to Eragon when he was on the run from the Empire.
- Arya - The Elven princess rescued by Eragon, with whom he falls in love. Until she was ambushed and captured by Durza, she acted as a courier for Saphira's egg, carrying it between the elves and the Varden. She refuses to be with Eragon because of their duties, but warms to him by the end of Brisingr.
- Brom - Former Dragon Rider and Eragon's first mentor. Has defeated three of the Forsworn personally, including Morzan, and was responsible for the death of five others. He was Oromis's pupil as a Dragon Rider and later pronounced 'Elf Friend'. He was killed by the Ra'zac. He was the founder of the Varden and later found to be Eragon's father.
- Durza - A "Shade"; a sorcerer subject to demonic possession as a result of having summoned spirits too powerful for him to control. He was killed by Eragon.
- Eragon - The protagonist. His quest begins when he finds a mysterious stone, which turned out to be a dragon egg, during a hunting trip. He gradually learns how to fight, use magic, and read. He was named by his mother after the first Dragon Rider. He has become known by various titles such as "Shadeslayer", "Argetlam" ("silver hand"), "Firesword", and "Bane of the Ra'zac."
- Galbatorix - Antagonist of the story. Initiator of the rebellion responsible for the Fall of the Riders. Now the king of the Empire, he has amassed unparalleled (and unnatural) power because of the enslavement of the dragons, resulting in no one being able to dethrone him for the last +100 years. He is described as cruel and merciless, with little regard for human life (or any other life, for that matter).
- Garrow - uncle of Eragon, father of Roran, and brother of Selena. He is killed by Ra'zac.
- Glaedr - Oromis's golden dragon. He lost one of his forelegs during the fall of the Riders, and had been hiding with Oromis in Du Weldenvarden. He gave Eragon his Eldunari, but is eventually killed, reducing him to existence only inside his detached Eldunari.
- Murtagh - The son of Morzan, and Eragon's older half-brother. Murtagh rescued Eragon from the Ra'zac and went with him to Farthen Dûr. Later, he was captured and brought to Galbatorix, who devised Murtagh's true name, making Murtagh his slave. Murtagh was then presented with the two remaining dragon eggs, one of which hatched. Murtagh thus became a Rider who is forced to fight for Galbatorix. His dragon is a red male named Thorn.
- Thorn - Murtagh's red dragon. Though only a few months old, Thorn is physically the same size as Saphira as a result of Galbatorix's magic. He, along with Murtagh, is a name-slave to Galbatorix, and thus fights for the mad king. He and Murtagh killed Oromis and Glaedr.
- Nasuada - Daughter of Ajihad and leader of the Varden after Ajihad dies. She dislikes magic in any form.
- Oromis - He is the last of the Dragon Riders of old. He is an elf, hiding in Du Weldenvarden, and is Eragon's second teacher. He has a handicap which separates him from all but the smallest forms of magic, caused when he was captured and tortured at the hands of Kialandi and Formora of the Forsworn. He is killed by Murtagh. Has a dragon named Glaedr.
- Roran - Eragon's cousin, and (now) revolutionary leader of Carvahall. Meets Eragon again in Surda. Also known as Stronghammer for his bravery in fighting the Ra'zac and Galbatorix's soldiers with his trusted war hammer (which is nothing more than an ordinary hammer used for smithing). He is married to Katrina in the third book.
- Saphira - Eragon's blue dragon, sharing the name of Brom's former dragon, she is the last female dragon and the only dragon free from Galbatorix's control, other than Glaedr. Also known as "Bjartskular", "Irontooth", "Brightscales", and "Flametongue".
- Morzan - Father of Murtagh and believed to be the father of Eragon until near the end of Brisingr. First and last of the Forsworn, and Galbatorix's most loyal Rider.
Criticism
The books have been criticized for their derivative nature. The two most commonly discussed sources are Star Wars (because of numerous similarities in the plots[8]) and The Lord of the Rings (because of the setting, elven[9][10] and dwarven races,[9] the language[9] and character and place names). Even many positive reviews note that the work pulls strongly from the conventions of fantasy, in character, dialogue and concepts.[11]
The reviews of Eldest were similar. Paolini was cited as having developed as a writer from Eragon, but also noted were strong use of The Empire Strikes Back as source material, as well as The Two Towers and Dune.[12] USAToday also cited strong echoes of Star Wars in Eragon's plot,[9] while Entertainment Weekly writes that the plot closely resembles that of the The Lord of the Rings.[13]
Film adaptations
On December 15, 2006, a film adaptation of Eragon was released. The movie, starring Ed Speleers, Jeremy Irons, and John Malkovich, was produced by 20th Century Fox. Stefen Fangmeier made his directorial debut with Eragon. The screenplay was written by Peter Buchman. Principal photography for the film took place in Hungary and Slovakia. A DVD of the movie was released March 20, 2007. The film performed modestly at the US Box Office, but received generally negative reviews. The possibility of future films was thrown into uncertainty.
Reviews
- Video clip from Amazon.com
- Recorded audio of interview with Christopher Paolini, from "Bill Thompson's Eye On Books"
- Recorded audio of interview with Christopher Paolini, from Homeschool.com
- "Philip Pullman, Tamora Pierce, and Christopher Paolini Talk Fantasy Fiction", from Powell's books
Footnotes
- ↑ "Best sellers: September 14, 2003". www.nytimes.com. The New York Times. 2003-09-13. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B01EED71038F937A2575AC0A9659C8B63. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
- ↑ "Children's best sellers: September 11, 2005". www.nytimes.com. The New York Times. 2005-09-11. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9905E0DA1731F932A2575AC0A9639C8B63. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
- ↑ "Interview with Christopher Paolini". The Author Hour. 2009-01-21. http://www.theauthorhour.com/christopher-paolini.
- ↑ "Brisingr by Christopher Paolini". www.randomhouse.com. Random House. http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780375826726#. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
- ↑ Rich, Motoko (2007-10-31). "Eragon Author Extends Series". www.nytimes.com (The New York Times). http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/31/books/31arts-ERAGONAUTHOR_BRF.html?ex=1351569600&en=9c4d826e0f62a987&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
- ↑ "Series will be expanded to include a fourth full-length novel" (PDF). http://alagaesia.com/kvetha/paolini_announcement.pdf. Retrieved 2007-10-31.
- ↑ http://www.shurtugal.com/?news=681
- ↑ Commonsense Media: Review of Eragon
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 "More of the 'Rings' magic", USA Today 1/20/2004
- ↑ Books 2005: The 5 Worst", Entertainment Weekly
- ↑ Barnes & Noble Editorial Reviews
- ↑ Commonsense Media: Review of Eldest
- ↑ 94586 0_0_,00.html Book Review: Eldest, Entertainment Weekly, 08/19/05
External links
Inheritance Cycle, an external wiki
- Official Inheritance Cycle website
- Official Australian Brisingr website
- Eragon page, from Random House
- Shurtugal.com, Leading Inheritance Cycle website
- Unofficial Fan Outlet
- Inheritance Cycle Wiki
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