Brisingr: Christopher Paolini’s Third Inheritance Cycle Novel of Eragon, Saphira and the War Against Galbatorix
Eragon learns the truth about his life: who his father really is, who his mother was, and whether his nature is dark. Love makes some things ambiguous, and Eragon’s family seems doomed to heartbreak, so his closest friends warn him to think carefully about whom he falls in love with, because the future of Alagaësia depends on it.
Author: Christopher Paolini (born 1983)
Title: Brisingr (2008), book three of the Inheritance Cycle
Format: English paperback (Corgi), 800 pages
Scope: Young adult fantasy
Amazon: www.amazon.es/dp/0552552127 (ASIN 0552552127)
Allies Against the Tyrant
The Dragon Rider is better prepared this time, and he is joined by allies of every race, elves, Urgals, dwarves and the humans of the Varden, all united against the tyrant Galbatorix, a despicable traitor who only makes things worse for his land. The fiercest, bloodiest war breaks out, and Roran, Eragon’s cousin and Katrina’s fiancé, is caught in a terrible position: he must fight to prove his loyalty to Nasuada. The hardships change his character, and Katrina sees his pain without being able to prevent it.
Brisingr and Murtagh
Eragon’s plan is clear: to fight his way forward until he defeats Galbatorix. First he obtains a new sword, which he names "fire" in the ancient language, Brisingr, and later he faces Morzan’s son, Murtagh. One of the oldest elves, who had lived hidden for many years, dies at Murtagh’s hands, leaving his dragon alone.
Galbatorix’s Weakness
After this tragedy, Eragon realises Galbatorix’s greatest secret: the hearts of dragons, the source of his strength and energy. If he can break that bond, he can weaken his enemy. Things look grim, the decisions grow harder and Eragon cannot face them alone.
A Teenage Author
Christopher Paolini began writing Eragon when he was fifteen, after finishing school early through home-schooling. His parents first published it through their small family company in 2002, and when it was picked up by the publisher Knopf the following year it became a worldwide bestseller. Brisingr, published in 2008, was meant to complete a trilogy, but the story grew so large that Paolini split the ending in two, and the Inheritance Cycle concluded with a fourth book, Inheritance, in 2011.
Saphira and Eragon
At the heart of the series is the bond between Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, who share thoughts and feelings and whose dialogue mixes humour, affection and the occasional quarrel. In Brisingr they are separated for part of the story, and Eragon’s journeys alone, on foot and through dangerous lands, show how much he has grown since the first book. The novel also gives more space to his cousin Roran, whose determination to rescue Katrina makes him one of the most compelling characters.
The World of Alagaësia
Paolini’s world owes a clear debt to Tolkien and to Star Wars, as he has acknowledged, but it is rich in its own details: the ancient language, whose words have power over reality, the different cultures of elves, dwarves and Urgals, and the secret history of the Riders. Fans who finish the cycle can return to Alagaësia in later books such as The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm and Murtagh (2023).
Reading Order
Brisingr is not a place to start: read Eragon and Eldest first, since the plot follows on directly from them and assumes you know the characters well.
Katrina’s Father
One of the hardest decisions Eragon faces is what to do with Katrina’s father, the former butcher of Carvahall, who had betrayed them. He cannot bring himself to kill him, nor to tell the others he is still alive. Faced with this dilemma, he decides to give him a chance.
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