Inheritance, by Christopher Paolini

- The Inheritance Cycle  #4
Release date: November 8th 2011
Published by: Alfred A. Knopf
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 5/5 stars
Find it on: Goodreads, Amazon

It began with Eragon....It ends with Inheritance. Not so very long ago, Eragon--Shadeslayer, Dragon Rider--was nothing more than a poor farm boy, and his dragon, Saphira, only a blue stone in the forest. 

Now the fate of an entire civilization rests on their shoulders.
Long months of training and battle have brought victories and hope, but they have also brought heartbreaking loss. And still, the real battle lies ahead: they must confront Galbatorix. When they do, they will have to be strong enough to defeat him. And if they cannot, no one can. There will be no second chance. The Rider and his dragon have come farther than anyone dared to imagine. But can they topple the evil king and restore justice to Alagaesia? And if so, at what cost?
This is the spellbinding conclusion to Christopher Paolini's worldwide bestselling Inheritance cycle.  

It took me 7 months to buy this book. I started new series, I read new novels, but I couldn't buy Inheritance, for a simple thing: The Inheritance Cycle is my favorite fantasy series, and I love it so much I just couldn't finish it. Perhaps it's a coward thing to do, but I spent all these months preparing myself for it to end. And now, I realize that it was nonsense. Had I read this book the day it was released, or two years from now, my reaction would've been the same.

People either love or hate The Inheritance Cycle. All fantasy series are like this, for the story is extremely detailed, and if you don't like this kind of thing, it'll be painful to read. I don't usually like this narration *one of the reasons I can't read The Lord of the Rings*, but Christopher Paolini's writing is unique. It's detailed without being slow; it's rich in vocabulary without looking forced; and most of all, it creates an atmosphere that traps the reader and doesn't let go. Once you start reading Paolini's book, you can't stop. A single chapter can pull you in Eragon's world, simply because of the narration, and the veracity of the characters' personality.

Eragon, Saphira, Arya, Glaedr, Nasuada, Roran, Murtagh... their personalities are so carefully constructed you have a clear image of each one, of each face, body, and expression, and it's not overwhelming. Paolini is that good of a writer. He can make you relate to all of the characters, understand every single person in this book, even the Urgals, who aren't supposed to be that deep. This incredible aspect extends to all of the races as well. Throughout the series, Paolini shows the reader the aspects of each race in Alagäesia, so in the ending, you also have a clear image of that. This, and Paolini's fantastic narration, only leads to a formidable world-building, one as strong as it can possibly be. The fight scenes, especially, are impossible to stop reading. It's like you can feel everything that's happening, and that's just astounding. I've never experienced this before.

Inheritance would've been perfect had not been for the ending. It was realistic and something I should've seen as a possibility before, but it disappointed me. It was understandable, and if fit the series perfectly, but... It just didn't work for me. I wanted to see more of Eragon and Arya's relationship, as friends, allies, and I didn't get that. Of course, they went as far as friends go, but since Paolini left clues of something else going on between them, I wanted this explored. I guess he didn't go down that road because this isn't a romance series, and I get that, but... it's the last book. I, as a fan, wanted just a little bit more.

This review is huge, but I can't put enough words with just two paragraphs. The Inheritance Cycle changed the way I look at a war, it changed the way I look at fantasy books, and I couldn't be more grateful. This is, perhaps, the most wonderful series I've read in my life, simply because it's good from the start till the ending, and it messes you up in infuriating ways. It makes you cry, laugh, root for the heroes, and feel desperate when something goes wrong. Even after all of this, I feel like I haven't done this series justice. It hurts to write this review, knowing that The Inheritance Cycle is over. Christopher Paolini is one of the most brilliant young authors out there, and to him, I can only say thank you.