Book Review : Brisingr

Brisingr is the 3rd instalment in what the author tells us is to be a four-part saga that tells the story of Eragon, a farm-boy who finds a dragon egg on a forest trail and finds not just his life, but the world around him changes dramatically.

As such, Brisingr shows signs of Paolini's growth as a writer. It is much better written than the first instalment of the series, Eragon though the narrative structure is still not as tight as it should be. Even compared to Eldest, the second instalment of the saga, Brisingr has a smoother, more believable narrative.

As in Eldest, the story is told from alternating points of view, primarily those of Eragon and his cousin Roran. An interesting addition here are passages from the point of view of the dragon Saphira which are very cleverly written.

Brisingr begins where Eldest leaves off, in the aftermath of the Battle of the Burning Plains, where the resitance forces (the 'Varden') have defeated the forces of the evil Emperor. It follows Eragon's story as he grapples with revelations about his father and mother, dwarf politics and confronting the increasingly diabolical machinations of the evil emperor Galbatorix. As with all books that come in the middle of a multi-part story, Brisingr does tend to leave one feeling like one has just bitten into a hollow eclair. 

The vague parallels with the Star Wars series continue, though they are less obvious than in earlier instalments. The world he creates lacks conviction when compared to JK Rowling's Potterverse or Feist's Riftwar Universe.

All in all, I would say Brisingr is only essential reading if you've already read the earlier two instalments of the story. If not, there are much better fantasy novels out there, much more worthy of a glance.