Inheritance Or, The vault of souls

Adventurers, take up ye swords! Several of the battle scenes in this massive conclusion to Paolini's Inheritance Cycle and, wow, are there a lot of them are so invigorating that even with all the fountaining of blood and clashing of steel, readers young and old will be begging to enlist. Let's start with the good because, largely, this novel is a rousing success: Paolini fulfills nearly every promise set forward in Eragon (2003), with the young Rider fulfilling his destiny; Roran becoming a warrior of legend; Murtagh facing up to his lineage; and Galbatorix finally taking center stage for the final act, where his evil plans begin to make a disturbing amount of sense. Paolini is especially apt at depiciting the queasy nature of unnatural alliances, and each of the 78 chapters contains a meaty or enjoyable nugget, even if it's one of Paolini's trademark tangents (the step-by-step construction of a dwarf's thardsvergundnzmal, for instance). Still, the novel isn't perfect: many characters are so burdened by Tolkeinesque posturing that they are more fascinatingly mythic than truly fleshed out, and the long-winded proceedings follow a fairly predictable, The Return of the King-like arc. But this is every bit as challenging and ornate as its predecessors, and very few of the millions of fans will be disappointed. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: How does a 2.5-million-copy first printing sound? An 18-city tour, TV advertising, and dedicated apps ensure that this global publishing event will be just that: an event.--Kraus, Daniel Copyright 2010 Booklist

Almost 10 years after Paolini self-published Eragon in 2002, he concludes the epic saga of the Inheritance Cycle with this thick fourth volume, the longest yet in the series. With Eragon, his dragon Saphira, and their many allies poised to do final battle against the evil emperor Galbatorix, there is still plenty of unfinished business to wrap up. Cities need to be liberated, enemy leaders (including Eragon's half-brother Murtagh) must be dealt with, prophecies await fulfillment, and a few game-changing secrets will be revealed. In full Tolkienesque style, Paolini luxuriates in excess details, side quests, and a lengthy denouement in which every last thread is wrapped up. The solidly entertaining plot is fleshed out with defining moments for every major character and a sense of completion (temporary or permanent) for all involved. While this final chapter is bogged down by an almost obsessive complexity with regard to the world-building, Paolini leaves readers with the satisfaction of a journey's end, along with the promise of new beginnings. It's a can't-miss for fans and completionists, and a worthy end to the story. Ages 12-up. (Nov.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

The sound was stabbing, slicing, shivering, like metal scraping against stone. Eragon's teeth vibrated in sympathy, and he covered his ears with his hands, grimacing as he twisted around, trying to locate the source of the noise. Saphira tossed her head, and even through the din, he heard her whine in distress. Eragon swept his gaze over the courtyard twice before he noticed a faint puff of dust rising up the wall of the keep from a foot-wide crack that had appeared beneath the blackened, partially destroyed window where Blödhgarm had killed the magician. As the squeal increased in intensity, Eragon risked lifting a hand off one ear to point at the crack. "Look!" he shouted to Arya, who nodded in acknowledgment. He replaced his hand over his ear. Without warning or preamble, the sound stopped. Eragon waited for a moment, then slowly lowered his hands, for once wishing that his hearing was not quite so sensitive. Just as he did, the crack jerked open wider--spreading until it was several feet across--and raced down the wall of the keep. Like a bolt of lightning, the crack struck and shattered the keystone above the door to the building, showering the floor below with pebble-sized rocks. The whole castle groaned, and from the damaged window to the broken keystone, the front of the keep began to lean outward. "Run!" Eragon shouted at the Varden, though the men were already scattering to either side of the courtyard, desperate to get out from under the precarious wall. Eragon took a single step forward, every muscle in his body tense as he searched for a glimpse of Roran somewhere in the throng of warriors. At last Eragon spotted him, trapped behind the last group of men by the doorway, bellowing madly at them, his words lost in the commotion. Then the wall shifted and dropped several inches, leaning even farther away from the rest of the building, pelting Roran with rocks, knocking him off balance and forcing him to stumble backward under the overhang of the doorway. As Roran straightened from a crouch, his eyes met Eragon's, and in his gaze, Eragon saw a flash of fear and helplessness, quickly followed by resignation, as if Roran knew that, no matter how fast he ran, he could not possibly reach safety in time. A wry smile touched Roran's lips. And the wall fell. Text (c) 2011 by Christopher Paolini. Excerpted from Inheritance by Christopher Paolini All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.