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sanctuary_in_the_pages's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Animal death, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: War and Child abuse
Minor: Slavery
lizziaha's review against another edition
3.25
This book has a different tone than the original series and lower stakes. Because Murtagh and Thorn have essentially exiled themselves, they don’t have many close relationships, and other characters from the original series only make brief appearances. That being said I do love some of the new characters and I did especially love Alin’s arc. But this read more as a prequel than a fantasy standalone. There is necessary growth for murtagh and thorn, but I’m more interested in where it’s going to go than the growth itself.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Religious bigotry, Trafficking, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Violence, War, Gore, Slavery, and Torture
Moderate: Classism, Animal death, and Abandonment
loveat1stwrite's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Gore, and Death
Moderate: Torture, Confinement, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Trafficking, Violence, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Drug use, Blood, Animal death, Forced institutionalization, and Panic attacks/disorders
Murtagh and his dragon, Thorn, reflect upon the abuse they experienced as side characters in the original 4 books. This is reflected in Thorn's fear of confinement and panic attacks when in enclosed spaces in the current plot.bethboo's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Murtagh, Murtagh, Murtagh! I was so happy to return to the world of Eragon, especially in the POV of one of my favorite characters. In this book, you get juicy glimpses into his very dark past, how his connection with Thorn happened, the horrors that baby dragon went through, as well as what he's doing now. Murtagh encounters a skull amulet with some strange magic woven into it. He's not sure what it means but he's going to find out. Thorn and him venture beyond the Alagaesia we all know and love, to protect what he loves.
First off, who knew lil mormon boy Christopher Paolini had it in him, to write a back story so dark?? Like I though he'd you know make it a little easier to swallow....but no. The shit that happened to Thorn and Murtagh was sick and I was wading through tears every single time. Especially now that we get to see the inside of their heads and learn how eager and good they are.
Next, Murtagh is such a little rich boy and I LOVED getting to see how that affected his POV. Like he's constantly wishing for a bath, wanting others/servants to treat him as his courtly position is due, he's comfortable being in charge, and misses the food that comes with money. Its so crazy that he is so much more educated than Eragon, he knows much more of the world, but he was never trained in magic and knows much less than Eragon. Ughhhhhh What I would do to see Eragon all giddy to teach Murtagh a magic lesson!!
If Christopher Paolini doesn't return to this story I will kms
Nal Gorgorath was absolute horror, omg I almost threw up when they were imprisoned again. And the parallels with Nasuada in the Hall of the Soothsayer, OMGGG Like I can't deal with more bad things happening to these babies. Bachel was a good and spooky enemy. I'm excited to see what becomes of the big creature underneath the mountain...the country??
It's also cute that he has a brother that's an urgal now and he's all not-racist now and he understands family!!
AND NASUADA!!! HIMM STAYING???? HIM CRYING ON HER!!! HE SPILLED HIS TRAUMA AND THEY LOVE EACH OTHER!!!
First off, who knew lil mormon boy Christopher Paolini had it in him, to write a back story so dark?? Like I though he'd you know make it a little easier to swallow....but no. The shit that happened to Thorn and Murtagh was sick and I was wading through tears every single time. Especially now that we get to see the inside of their heads and learn how eager and good they are.
Next, Murtagh is such a little rich boy and I LOVED getting to see how that affected his POV. Like he's constantly wishing for a bath, wanting others/servants to treat him as his courtly position is due, he's comfortable being in charge, and misses the food that comes with money. Its so crazy that he is so much more educated than Eragon, he knows much more of the world, but he was never trained in magic and knows much less than Eragon. Ughhhhhh What I would do to see Eragon all giddy to teach Murtagh a magic lesson!!
If Christopher Paolini doesn't return to this story I will kms
It's also cute that he has a brother that's an urgal now and he's all not-racist now and he understands family!!
AND NASUADA!!! HIMM STAYING???? HIM CRYING ON HER!!! HE SPILLED HIS TRAUMA AND THEY LOVE EACH OTHER!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Torture, Blood, Confinement, Death, Gore, and Suicidal thoughts
abby_can_read's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
📖
I had such a wonderful time reading this book. It was hard to put down. I loved this.
I had such a wonderful time reading this book. It was hard to put down. I loved this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Torture
Moderate: Gore, Blood, Slavery, Animal cruelty, and Confinement
Minor: War
offtheraels's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
This book has all the usual issues of a Paolini story and had NO RIGHT being that long—but I had SO MUCH fun re-entering this universe and hanging out with my fave broody, poetry-writing, dragon-riding bad boy with parental issues. It was also good to read a YA fantasy sequel/spinoff that admits to the extensive PTSD of its characters, and I would have liked to see more ~healing~ instead of the more ~trauma~ (especially with Thorn, has he not been through enough???)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Blood, Mental illness, Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Violence, Confinement, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Grief, Abandonment, and Slavery
Minor: Death of parent and War
kattila's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Blood, Physical abuse, Bullying, Slavery, Torture, Drug abuse, Animal death, Violence, Drug use, Murder, Death, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Child death, Trafficking, Alcohol, Animal death, and Child abuse
shinybookvibes's review
adventurous
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Grief, Slavery, Confinement, War, Violence, Torture, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse
sh3s_a_rebel's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Torture, and Violence
yellowbinge's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The book as a meal: Tasteful jerky, but I am worried it might be poisoned as I chew ...
The book left me: Wanting more!!! Paolini, please continue writing!!!
Why did this call out me?
Stunning cover. I have read all the other books in the series and just HAD to continue. I couldn't resist diving back into the world of Alagaësia. Preordered the moment it was available.
Pick-Up-able? Put-down-able?
Thefirst 20-30% was slow and a little hard to properly get into and vibe with. At part 2 it picked up. From that point on I was looking froward to reading it at all times I wans't reading it (work, driving, socializing). I devoured the final 300 pages in a single day, and even conquered my car-sickness with my disgustingly high interest in the plot.
How is it paced?
Ups and downsfor each part. The first few go smooth and then it all goes to shit. Repeat. Part three is more intense and the shit lasts for a while. By shit I mean dismay for the characters, but absolute bliss for me. I would say medium pacing, but it slows a little becasue of how Paolini writes scenery in detail. Skim if you find this kind of writing boring
What about progression?
Starts slow, and picks up later. Most parts in the book follows the same format. It improves vastly as it goes on and you get sucked into the chaos and intruige.
Issues:
Too vivid and detailed desciption of scenery and places, drags the plot and happenings down
Wish it was just a little more dragon and less assholes
Is our main character stupid or just stubborn?
Good things:
The dragon feels, speaks, and reacts like an individual, almost person like. But still dragon enough to actualy feel like a dragon.
Stakes go sky-high and the tension has me in a chokehold
The vibes and atmosphere feels just like the first books. I feel right at home here
What makes this different?
The way Paolini writes dragons is just that different from other authors. The talk and think like individuals. They feel like relevant characters and not just a trope or another thing to ride. The world feels vast and every area has its own vibe. Our main character is very much a rogue, but not at all. It is simply circumstance that has brought us here. And of course, consequences do feel heavy. There is a lot of regret, remorse, and longing for a different outcome for our main characters.
How did it feel to read?
It felt like I was on a quest and my companion is telling me to slow down or else I get killed
What mood would i read this in?
The book is fitting right now where I live as it is still quite cold, and the landscape here feels like what it was in the book. Read in early spring / later winter
Better or worse than expected?
Much much better than expected. Paolini's wiriting has gotten so much better compared to the first four books in the series. I enjoyed this very much.
Where does this fall in my tier list ranking?
S tier all the way!!!!!!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Slavery, and Gore
Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death