Inheritance Cycle Omnibus: Eragon, Eldest, and Brisingr

The Inheritance Cycle #1-3

by Christopher Paolini

an alternate cover edition can be found here

Books One, Two, and Three in Christopher Paolini's Inheritance cycle—the complete texts now in a single grand volume.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Dragons, Adventure, Magic, Childrens

2002 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 20, 2008

About the author

Christopher Paolini was born in Southern California and has lived most of his life in Paradise Valley, Montana. He published his first novel, Eragon, in 2003 at the age of nineteen, and quickly became a publishing phenomenon. His Inheritance Cycle—Eragon and its three sequels—have sold nearly 40 million copies worldwide. To Sleep in a Sea of Stars was his first adult novel.

Visit Paolini.net and Fractalverse.net for the latest news about this project and follow Christopher on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.

Reviews

[Andrewy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was probably the only series I ever read that could compete (and possibly beat) the Harry Potter series! I read the whole series in less than a week and there are a lot of pages all together. My favorite one is Brisingr but you have to read the whole series, start to finish, to understand what's going on. I definitely recommend it and I really hope that you will enjoy this book. This was the series that inspired me to consider reading as entertainment instead of work. I read many good series such as Harry Potter, The Lightning Thief, and Hunger Games but this series is on top of my list.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I read that Inheritance was coming out I decided to reread the series and found, on this second read through, that, while I still like them, I was not nearly so impressed as I had been the first time. Perhaps I took more time the first time around, or perhaps I have just been reading too much Robert Jordan in the mean time, but I feel like the books move way too fast in terms of character making. We spend so much time debating proper course of action etc., but not a whole lot happens in the first couple of books, and yet it is in these books that the reputations of Eragon and his cousin (in particular) are made. The switch from Eragon being viewed as a boy to be manipulated to a man of renown takes place during a single battle when he defeats a shade. While the author does attempt to impress upon readership the awesomeness of this feat, it just doesn't work for me for some reason. Roran's own rise in the estimation of his fellow villagers also feels forced. They look at him as something apart just a little too soon. Especially seeing as the whole village was involved in the fighting, one would think that they would all be seeing one another in a new light, but not particularly focusing that attention on Roran. Perhaps that would have shifted after Katrina is taken, but that only seems to heighten it. Again, I just needed it to take a little more time to allow the shift to be a more subtle and, in my opinion, a more natural shift. Having said that, and as I have been typing this review, I feel that the author does justify these characters' reputations by the end of the third book and they really are amazingly engaging characters. I am still astounded that an author so young executed these. They continue to get better as the series progresses. Like any good series, it adds depth as it proceeds and compels you with the force of its characters and draw of its world.

[Taya M · Rating 5 out of 5]

this serries was by far my favourite of all times and I want the popularity and love for these books to spread like wild fire.

Christopher Paolini is a genious....

Throut his books in this series he managed to make me feel everything from exuberance to dread to hate, despise, joy, love, wonder....etc. every emotion you can imagin this authour brought fully into play with this series.

If you choose to read this series I suggest that:
you start with Eragon the FIRST book
keep on reading even when you think that everyone will perish
never loose faith in these characters
take your time becasue when those last pages turn you will want to yell and screem because this is one of those sets of novels that come arround rarely and drive you to search desperatly for another set that will be half as great.

[Jasonla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eragon was a regular boy living in a town called Carvahall, in a mysterious land named Alagaësia. Eragon lived on a farm with his Uncle Garrow, and his brother, Roran. One day, when Eragon is hunting in the spine, he finds a mysterious blue colored stone which he hopes to appraise at market for a high value. Instead, the stone cracks, and out comes a baby dragon. Eragon touches the dragon, and instantly they become bonded together. Eragon names the dragon Saphira. Consequently, Eragon is dragged into a war of epic proportion between the empire of an evil dragon rider named Galbatorix, and the freedom fighters. In time, he will come to fight for freedom and train as a dragon rider, battling the forces of evil all over the land.

[Book2Dragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful series with dragons, villains, kingdoms at risk. Everything you love in fantasy. Well written and exciting.

[Aeyla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is most definitely the very best book series I have ever read (and I've read a lot of books). As soon as I started reading the first book, the series shot up to my top favorite book, and no book has ever come close to competing with this series. Paolini, although younger than most authors, paints a perfect picture of whatever is going on at that time in the story. In fact, these books are what inspired me to begin the first book I plan to get published one day. Although my book's plot has nothing to do with these books, I often go back and read a few pages or chapters of these books whenever I have writer's block. (I come up with my best ideas while reading other people's books, even though those ideas never have anything to do with what I am reading.) I am currently counting down the days till the fourth book comes out and cannot wait to set my eyes on the first page. To sum it all up, if I could give this book anything higher than five stars, I would without a second thought. I suggest this book to pretty much anyone!

[Pennystevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eldest is a great book, but if you want to read it you have to read Eragon first. Eldest is the sequel to the book Eragon and is a great book if you’re into dragons and science fiction. The third book to the sequel comes out in September. I loved this book and I think you will too.
The main character of the book is Eragon. He is a young farm boy that finds a dragon egg and realizes that his duty is to defeat the king of his kingdom and make sure that his kingdom and all the villages are back to normal. In the last book he defeated the king and in this book the king comes back and tries to control the kingdom again.
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I recommend that you read this book because it is great and you will love it. If you get a chance read some of the other books that Christopher Paolini wrote because he is a great author and you won’t want to put the book down. That is how good his books are. You will love them. You won't believe how good this book is so run to the store right now and get it while you can.

[Amandalynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think that it is amazing that this kid was so young when he started writing these...and his vocabulary is far beyond mine. In my never ending search for boy young adult books I would highly recommend this but beware of reading level.

I was so upset that Brisingr wasn't the end like it was supposed to. My mom was going to have this sent to me and then I was supposed to bring it to her when we went to England...well it came to their flat in England...I had so much anticipation in finishing the saga so I busted my hump to read it all before we came home and it really crushed me to not have it wrapped up but to know I will have to wait even longer to finish Eargon's story.

[Sara Holderfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was one of my favorite series. I enjoyed the magic system.

[Benedict Nunez · Rating 5 out of 5]

All three were very good books and I loved reading them finding out what would happen next. my favorite out of these three though is definitely Brisingr. I enjoyed finding out all the secrets that were unveiled and continually surprised me and gave me lots to think about the book. Eragon and Eldest were both just as good though, they both were action-packed and full of twists and turns that made it a fun read and hard to put down. if you are a reader who loves to read fiction books and stories that never cease to amaze you, I would highly recommend this book!

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect books to read about a fantasy world. You become enthralled in the characters and begin to know what their reactions will before you even read the next page. I would definitely recommend this book series.

[Shuvam Dam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it is better than LOTR, I guess because of the simplicity of expression

[Kryštof Bárta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moje oblíbená série v dětství.

[Nancy Unger · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books are very much a childhood favorite of mine, and reading through them again gives me so much nostalgia! I LOVE the whole genre of these books, the journey and the growth of the characters is so well-written - honestly, the whole series is just so very well-written.
Highly recommend!

[Annette · Rating 1 out of 5]

This series had so much potential and that was one of the reasons for why I started reading it this summer. The problem was that by the middle of book three all the excitement and potential was gone. I’m admitting that I never finished the books and probably never will.

Book 1, Eragon was the best of the three, with finding Saphira, fleeing for their lives and learning about dragon riders from Brom. The leader of the Varden was a good man, and his daughter had potential. Arya, the elves and the dwarves were exiting. There were some obvious flaws that ruined the book for me. The worst was how easy it was for Eragon to learn sword fighting and reading. These shortcuts felt like cheating and was the most annoying parts of book 1. But overall a good book with a plot that moved the story forward.

However, in book 2 when Eragon and Arya arrive in Du Weldenvarden where he starts training was the most outdrawn, boring part of the books so far. And the authors repetition of how quick he learned to read, why he shouldn't eat meat, and Eragons feelings for Arya gets old fast. Adding the teenage angst and this part takes up far too much space. If this is supposed to be Aragorn and Arwen from Tolkien’s world it is a poor imitation.

The most exicting part of book 2, and the only thing that kept me going, was Roran’s storyline. It was interesting and had a sense of purpose that Eragon’s story in this book lacked. Even the elves seem like egotistical and narrowminded beings whose only concern is themselves, with no interest for anyone or anything else.

And like book 1, we find a huge shortcut, where Eragon heals and become practically an elf overnight, something it takes decades for other riders to become. All this so he can be fighting fit again after becoming a cripple in book 1. Overall book 2 was boring and long, with no story that moved the plot forward other than Roran, and that was practically book 1 all over again but without a dragon.

This leads to book 3. I only read about halfway through and then I figured enough was enough. Nasuada has now become a leader who is willing to do anything for her cause, even condemn a child to a life of suffering and pain, without empathy or willingness to try differently. She reminds me of Alma Coin, President of the 13th district in Hunger Games, and we all know how that went. Even Arya’s reaction to when Eragon chose to save someone’s life rather than execute the person is off and frankly terrible, where she calls him weak and not fit to be a rider, simply because he could not kill an innocent man in cold blood. However after taking with Eragon several times she starts questioning herself, and this seems out of character for her. Is her conviction so weak that shortly after talking to Eragon she questions herself? Has she changed so much in two books? Or is this a way for the author to try and change their relationship? And the conversation that Eragon has with Nasuada and King Orrin after the incident is weird and stilted, and the topic itself is like the other topics that the author makes about Eragon’s crush on Arya, his distaste for meat, him learning to read and fight. They are unnecessary. We do not need to get spoon fed every little detail like this, we can remember things on our own (at this point I decided to give up).

Sometimes the author decides to use “old English” to perhaps make the dialogue more authentic. It doesn’t. By the end, the only person I still liked was Angela, she seems to be the only one with a brain of the entire bunch. Even Roran, hunting the beasts that kidnapped his darling Katharina, believes he can demand Nasuada to do what he wants, something he gets away with, and is another thing I have trouble understanding. I haven’t mentions Saphira simply because she is there but she doesn’t do much. She and Eragon think to each other, and she has her uses, which is mostly as a horse to get from A to B, but for a creature that is majestic and has ancient wisdom she rarely shows it. Mostly she flies around at night to stay under the radar and is frankly as disappointing as all the others.

There is much more I could say, but figured this was enough. To decide if I was going to continue I ended up goint to Wikipedia. Obviously, I decided not to because the author keeps taking these shortcuts all the way to the end, and frankly its disappointing. At this point I didn’t like the characters, the plot was not interesting anymore, much of the writing was bad or filled with shortcuts to probably fill the plot holes, and it wasn’t worth the time to finish the last one and a half books.

Some things like Arya and Eragon I could have figured out by continue to read, but when I add that to all the other problems the story contains I didn't think continuing reading it was worth it. The best thing to do is move on to something hopefully better and leave The Inheritance Cycle behind.

[Normandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This remains one of my favorite book series of all time. Christopher Paolini does a fantastic job of creating strong characters without bias. It doesn’t matter if they’re a man, woman, child or dragon. His characters are some of the most fleshed out I have encountered. The world is equally thought out. I love the magic system and the exploration of culture and ideas.
It’s at least PG13 for violence, R if you’re very visual. There are some disturbing sequences, violence, mild non sexual nudity, and maybe some mild language.
Kk. I’m just do a few paragraphs about the different things I love now:

It’s the best love story:
Yes. I LOVE Roran and Katrina’s story. But—I’m actually talking about Eragon and Aria’s story. Disclaimer* This is my own personal and unpopular opinion. I loved watching Eragon learn what love is and specifically, the difference between romance and love. Eragon wants Aria to be in love with him. He wants her to act a certain way, and he wants her to be a certain person. But a HUGE part of this story, is Eragon learning to love someone for who they are instead of who he wants them to be. This is the definition of love. So often books get caught up in the romance and leave love behind. People do that too. But that’s why Eragon and Aria’s story is so powerful. Because it’s true love.

PTSD:
Ok. These books are really violent.
They’d probably be rated R for violence. Maybe-maybe pg13 if you aren’t a visual reader. I don’t know. I’m a VISUAL reader, and I almost stopped reading these because of the violence. But I kept going, and part of the reason is that this series talks about the toll violence takes on a person’s soul. It talks about bloodlust and the guilt when a person begins to feel it. It talks about the difficulty of keeping your humanity intact when you have to go into battle day after day. It talks about the nightmares and the ghosts you see of the men who have past. While there are some moments they may be sensational, for the most part, I believe this series treats life and the taking of life with respect. There are characters within the book who do mindlessly kill, but the author doesn’t.

Exploration of leadership:
Many books fantasize about rescuing a society from tyrannical rule. However, these books are sometimes overly idealistic, and don’t explore the difficulties of leadership. In The inheritance cycle, you get to see small, mid, and large scale leadership through Roran, Nasuada, and Eragon. It gets you thinking about why leaders make the decisions they do, and what types of compromises happen when you can’t please everyone.

Not afraid of the god question:
Books often completely ignore the topic of religion. This is fair. It’s touchy. But it’s such a relatable question, it’s one that everyone must address at some point. Eragon explores it again and again, without pushing propaganda at all.

[Josh Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good Trilogy. Wish the movie was made better

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm just getting started on these, but it's been good so far. I've got all three on audio if anyone's interested in borrowing.

The detail about trading and medieval life was really fascinating and the main story line itself has been good so far.

It's been much better than the movie, but aren't the books always better than the movies?

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Update: Just finished the third book. Wow, this is an AMAZING story. It is truly an epic tale and to be honest I really didn't want it to end. It was that good. I know this will upset some people, but I would put this on the level of the Lord of the Rings as far as epic fantasy goes. The details he gives about every aspect of what is going on really makes you feel like you are there. I've studied some about japanese swordmaking and his description of making a sword is exacting, every little detail is included in the process. You really feel like you're there doing the work. I would recommend these books to anyone.

Now I can get started pining and wishing the next book in the series was released already. Just awesome writing. Great books.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books have a great storyline and plot. The pacing is slow and I felt like I had to drudge through a lot of unnecessary descriptions. The author is young and is notorious for taking a long time to write his books. Now I have to wait for the fourth one. When I began reading these, I was under the impression it was a trilogy. When I was close to the end of the third book I asked my daughter how the author was going to wrap everything up in just a few more chapters. That is when she informed me there would be a fourth book. NOOOO! I hate that. But, I'm hooked. I look forward to the last book. I love the wisdom of the different dragon characters in the books. If you like Lord of the Rings, you will like these, although a step down from them.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best fictional stories that I have read. The main character is a boy named Eragon, who when hunting in the woods stumbles upon a dragon egg, that happens to be one of the three left in all of Alygasia. Choosing him, Sphira (the dragon) picks him and they set off to join the free men in the south. The series spans four books from Eragon's journey to the south, then his training, and finally the defeat of the evil Galbatorix. For those who like Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter and would like them even more if they were combined. Look no further.

Books in series:

Eragon

Eldest

Brinsgr

Inheritance

[Jeri · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like dragons and elves and dwarves and magic -- good v evil then you should like the first three books of paolini's inheritance cycle. I'm not sure where I've been in the fantasy world but ordered all three as I knew I would be spending a lot of time reading. I became entranced with the story and the characters. Dragon a young country boy who finds an egg which changes his life. The egg contains a dragon, saphira, who has chosen him to join the ancient and they think extinct group called the dragon slayers...off they go on a series of adventures and misadventures as they discover their true destiny...when book three ends I couldn't wait for book four. I LOVE Saphira...

[Angelosdaughter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read Eragon and Eldest. They are very derivative, but as someone said in another context, "We stand on the shoulders of giants." I did enjoy Eldest more because Paolini delves deeper in his description of elven culture than I think Tolkien did, and the elves are my favorite of the inhabitants of the worlds in both series. I have alsways found it difficult to read anything in imitation of Tolkien, because so few come up to his level. I tried the Sword of Shannara series by Terry Brooks, but I just couldn't get into it. Paolini's world is believable and held my rapt attention.

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series but I thought it was a trilogy so imagine my disappointment when I got to the end of Brisingr only to know I have to wait several more years for the last book! I can't believe the kid was 19 when he started writing, he is an incredible writer and this is a true hero becoming story that is just great. Now back to waiting for the fourth...

[Jody · Rating 4 out of 5]

On my list to read every year or so

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes I really enjoy the journey of a a period book. The series ahs been a fun adventure read....no heavy lifting.

[Brent · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could hardly put these down! Fantastic writing and a captivating story. Awesome!

[Mikayla Shaffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome! I just reread them!!

[Matthew Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is a epic book.

[Classy911]

Great read

I thought this was a great book. It was really imaginative and unpredictable. I'll definitely be reading book number four!

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved these books as a kid. As an adult, they don't really hold up too well, but that doesn't take away from the enjoyment I got out of them.