Inheritance: Book IV

By Christopher Paolini

Don’t miss the eagerly anticipated epic new fantasy from Christopher Paolini—Murtagh!

The astonishing, masterful conclusion to the Inheritance Cycle, perfect for fans of Lord of the Rings! The New York Times bestselling series has sold over 40 million copies and is an international fantasy sensation. 

"Christopher Paolini is a true rarity." —The Washington Post

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 defeat Galbatorix. There will be no second chances. The Rider and his dragon have come further than anyone dared to hope. But can they topple the evil king and restore justice to Alagaësia? And if so, at what cost?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Nov 8, 2011
• ISBN: 9780307974181

Christopher Paolini

Christopher is the firstborn of Kenneth and Talita. Creator of the World of Eragon and the Fractalverse. Holder of the Guinness World Record for youngest author of a bestselling series. Qualified for marksman in the Australian army. Scottish laird. Dodged gunfire . . . more than once. As a child, was chased by a moose in Alaska. Has his name inscribed on Mars. Husband. Father. Asker of questions and teller of stories.

Reviews for Inheritance

[alcarinqa_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Read the full review here.Inheritance certainly delivers as the long awaited ending to the Inheritance Cycle. The final battle with Galbatorix and the fate of Alagaësia following it is examined well in the book, and I never felt the ending was forced. There were a few surprises when I was reading the book, but that's because I was expecting Paolini to tie things off in a different manner. Since this is the last book in the series, I can really see how Paolini's writing has matured, much in the same way as Eragon matured in the books. The plot is strong throughout the book, and the characters remain true to themselves. The plot centred a lot more on Saphira, and my favourite parts are always when the story is told from her point of view. I also really enjoyed the parts of the books that featured Murtagh. I have always found him to be one of the most interesting characters and it was great to finally learn more about him. I am really glad that Inheritance finally came out - I have been waiting for years and it was great to finally know what happens to Eragon, Saphira, Arya, and everyone else. this is a must read if you have started the series and aren't sure if you want to go on - it's worth it! And if you haven't read the Inheritance Cycle, then I highly recommend it to you.

[rosemarie.herbert · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I originally reviewed this book on my blog - The Cosy Dragon. For more recent reviews by me, please hop over there.'Inheritance' is the thrilling, gripping conclusion to the Inheritance Cycle. Paolini has crafted a beautiful narrative that keeps you reading until the very end. Entirely readable, very enjoyable and an almost satisfying ending! Hit the jump for more...Once again, Paolini has started to play around with the narration. At points in the novel, I found myself wanting to skip ahead to the next part where Roran spoke. In the first half of the book, he's definitely doing a lot more exciting things than dear old Eragon. Eragon's role does get more significant though, as indeed it must.Initially I felt some frustration with Eragon. Him and his damn lighting up sword! Also, he still doesn't seem to have caught on about thinking ahead. With the great golden dragon teaching him, he's getting there, but why didn't he just do all his learning earlier!? There are so few things he knows, and some he forgets too!Angela and Elvi continue to be enigmas, and it's very interesting to see Paolini gradually exposing their characters. He's managed to fit in a lot of plot twists, and as soon as your heart has died from one trick or another, he restarts it with another shock.The book is very readable, and I got through the first half in around 2 days of evening only reading. Annoyingly enough, I don't let myself take it to uni with me as otherwise I find that I'll read instead of doing work! It frustrated me all day that I couldn't read it.The ending is great. Even after the final battle, I felt compelled to keep reading past my bedtime. It was a relatively satisfying ending, although there are still mysteries left over. In the Afterword, Paolini says he will return to the world of Eragon for sure. I won't be holding my breath, but I'd personally love to see first hand the showdown of Brom and Morzan, or perhaps the original time of the elves.While I've tagged this for teenagers, I think this is a series that would appeal to all age groups, provided that you can get past the slightly immature writing style of the first book. This novel is a great conclusion to the series. It may lack in depth for adult readers, and skirt on the edges of too much blood-shed for children in other books, but it's a great series overall.

[bookworm148 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

While I believe this is a good ending to the series, I feel like it was drug out. There was an excessive amount of sub plots that added little to the story. The final battle between Eragon and Galbatorix was disappointing, though not because of how the events ended, but mainly because the writing was dull. I was really happy with where the characters ended up, but I did not feel like there was enough time spent on the Eragon/Galbatorix confrontation. And the time that was spent on it felt rushed and lack luster. Paolini could have cut out a lot of the book and focused more on the characters that actually matter. Also, it was a bit annoying to have Eragon go off into the great unknown (and unpractical). It would have made more sense for them to rebuild the old Dragon Rider's island. It was still removed from the rest of the mainland so Eragon and the new Riders wouldn't be partial to any one race.

[edensteffey · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I really liked this series. I was a little disappointed that Earagon decided to leave to train the dragons somewhere else, expecially after it was decided that any race (urgals, dwarves, etc) could be a dragon rider. I also thought the Murtaugh love story was left hanging at the end.

[heycaye · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

SPOILER ALERT
I'm gonna dissect this fourth installment in the Inheritance Cycle and there's gonna be a lot of spoilers in here

Pros
1. The Rock of Kuthian is the most amazing discovery in this book. There are Eldunari! There are dragon eggs! Kind of a bummer thinking that they tolerated a century in that hole, but it was a pretty wise move anyway.
2. Don't you think the unexpected-in-a-good-way Murtagh-Nasuada pairing was adorable? :> Unlike Eragon and Arya, I felt the chemistry of these two.
3. I always get touchy when it comes to Brom. Revisiting his grave was a sentimental moment.
4. There's gonna be a new generation of Riders. And anyone can be a Rider, whether they're human, elf, dwarf or Urgal/Kull. It was a nice twist.

Cons
1. WHY DOES THE ENDING FEEL SO EMPTY. IT'S LIKE THERE'S NO REAL CLOSURE. So Eragon goes away? That's that? I was hoping for an epilogue-kind-of-ending. What the hell?
2. And though I like the couple, the Murtagh-Nasuada pairing seemed really so sudden and I never knew how Murtagh liked her in the first place. And I will never know.. ever.
3. Poor Galbatorix, he's been the real evil these four books, and he got like, a hundred or so pages of exposure. Ha ha ha.
4. Huh, Angela. "An epic romance with someone of noble birth", huh? WHAT'S SO EPIC WITH ARYA AND ERAGON. TELL ME NOW TELL ME. I actually respect the witch but she totally failed in this part of the prophecy. Or Paolini's standards of "epic romance" is just not even close to mine.
5. How could Saphira be so smitten immediately with someone as young as Firnen? I guess dragons will forever be a mystery.
6. Kinda unfair that the only one who got the real happy ending here is Roran, who by the way, I really don't like much. warahelllllll guyz
7. MURTAGH :( :( :( WHY MUST YOU FLY TO A LONELY FATE, GO BACK TO NASUADA ASAP


So that's pretty much it. The Inheritance Cycle is good, but, nothing more. It's not as epic as the other series I've read. I guess I'm just not that attached to it as I was am with *cough* HP or HG or PJ or Heroes of Olympus *cough*
BUT still, this series is worth a shot. :)

[bkluvr4evr · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have just completed the Inheritance Cycle, my heart is broken and the tears wont stop. Eragon, safe travels and my the sun and wind always be at your back. xo Thank you for this journey Christopher Paolini your work has moved me deeply. Highly highly recommend this series,

[br14chvi · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I thought Inheritance was some what of a good book but truly it wasn't the best. Inheritance was good at the beginning but just felt it was pretty much the same as i was reading the book. I did like though the part with the big battle Roran and his men but after that it just was like the same. I would really suggest not reading this book unless you've read rest of the books in order. Really though i thought it was not a good book but had its moments.

[kaip.g1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the last book of the Inheritance Cycle. In this book, Eragon is at Doru Areaba, the island at the northwest of the mainland.They are at first lost and discover strange creatures along the way. Many years ago when the Dragon Riders were still the peacekeepers, a great battle occurred. Galbatorix had invaded the island and was about to win. In the last days of the battle, Galbatorix saw how obvious it was that he was going to win. He left and in the last attempt to keep the island free from the grasp of Galbatorix, a dragon rider accidentally sliced an atom, thus the explosion (we can do this, it's called an atomic bomb) that resulted. He successfully killed a lot of the Forsworn (Galbatorix's group of terrorists). No one lived on the island since then because of the radiation. The animals that did, however, mutated horrifically. Eragon then found the great city of ruins and discovered to go inside of the tower he wanted to, he had to discover his true name and say it to its walls. Saphira (Eragon's dragon who was very wise) achieved it very easily. Eragon took 2 days. When they got inside they discovered a robot with a dragon's head. He was the guardian of the dragon eggs. Eragon and Saphira gained access and found many eggs. They also found many of the dragon's heart of hearts, which contains the dragon's soul and magical energy, and even if the die, they still live on in the heart of hearts.Glaedr was reduced to that when he died. He is Eragon and Saphira's guide along the journey.They take back with them a bunch of heart of hearts and use them in the battle against Galbatorix. After a long and vicious battle, Eragon kills Galbatorix and the Varden takes over, and peace and prosperity reigns. Eragon then leaves Alagaesia all together, to set up another headquarters on an island off the coast. The book ends here. I would recommend this book to anyone because I think anyone would get emotionally attached to this series. This book was not a disappointment. I would be able to read it over and over again without ever getting tired of it.

[forsakenfates · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It was a good conclusion to the series. It was as I had come to expect from Paolini. But now I'm sad that I will never get to read this series again for the first time.

As a fan of the series, the ending was okay. While it fit with the series as a whole, there are some things I wish didn't happen or had happened differently. However, I understand why they did end the way they did.

[amcheri-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm sorry to see this series end. My son and I have listened to all four books together and enjoyed each one.

[cygnet81 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not my favorite book of the series but wrapped everything up nicely.

[dylanm.b1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Inheritance (The Vault of Souls)Summary: Eragon is a dragon rider. He is one of three in the world. The three are he, his half brother Murtag, and the evil king Galbatorix. Galbatorix has been ruling over all the land for hundreds of years and is able to do this because he is a dragon rider and is able to live forever (unless he is killed). Murtag was captured by Galbatorix and forced to swear himself to Galbatorix. Eragon and the entire Varden (the people fighting against Galbatorix) are slowly taking over the empire one battle at a time. When they get close to reaching the capital (where Galbatorix lives) Eragon and Saphira (his dragon) fly to an old island where the dragon riders lived before Galbatorix killed them all. They go there and look for the Rock of Kuthian and inside it the Vault of Souls. The Vault of Souls holds the key to defeating Galbatorix and they need to get what is inside it and fast. Once they discover what is inside the vault they go back to the Varden and lead them to Galbatorix. In the end it comes down to just Eragon and Galbatorix in a fight to the death.Review: Inheritance was an amazing book. The Inheritance series is probably the best series I have ever read and Inheritance was probably the best book in the series. If I could rate this book on a scale of one to ten, I would rate it at least a nine. The author did a great job with this book. The plot is amazing, the book uses a lot of good vocabulary, the characters and the setting are all developed very well, and overall the story is great. I would definitely recommend this book to anybody who likes to read and who enjoys a bit of a challenge reading. I would also recommend it to anybody who likes action and adventure books with a bit of romance. This book (and series) is a must read for almost anybody.

[punkfarie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

LOVED IT. perfect ending to this series, though a little sad. definitely steps away from other young adult endings.

[shirezu · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The final book in the Inheritance cycle was a fitting finale. The writing has much improved over the series to the point where it was good as a lot of older, more experienced writers. There were still some weak points but a lot of it was set up in the earlier books and would have been too difficult or contradictory to remove.

It sets itself up for not a sequel but further stories set in the same world and I look forward to reading them.

[bohemiancyborg · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I really wish I could have given this book 3.5 stars.

Anyway, I enjoyed this book just as I enjoyed the previous 3 in the series. Unfortunately when it comes to using way more words than necessary, this is the worst book of them all. I found myself skimming through many parts of the book and not really missing out on anything. I think the book could have been a third it's size and still have told the story effectively and had the same impact. So I found myself annoyed at how long it took to read this book, mostly because the other three had the same problem to a lesser degree, so by the time I got around to reading this 4th book, I really just wanted it to be OVER already, despite how much I love the story.

That said, regarding the story itself, there were a few minor things that were never answered, and that's annoying, but overall the major things were answered and the series has a good ending which I really appreciated.

In regards to the writing skill, it seemed improved over previous books, but considering that by the time he wrote this book he was well into his adulthood and had three other books under his belt, it really should have been a lot better than it was.

[spocking · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Once you get past the first 300 pages or so, the story really starts to pick up. After that, it's tough to put down. Overall, I'm pleased with the way it all wrapped up in the end.

[devilish2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Man, what a beast of a book. At around 850 pages, it took me about a month (with a lot of distractions) to finish. It rounds off the series nicely, is not too cloying and leaves enough unanswered questions to not feel like it's all been tied up neatly. It was lovely to be able to live in Paolini's world for a month, after living through the other books, it has a homely feel, a sense of familiarity. He has managed to develop a very complete world, quite a feat.

[karenball_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"Say what you will, Stronghammer.""It is this: too much blood and too many tears have been shed for us to turn back now... This may be a battle between gods... but I for one will keep fighting until the gods strike me down, or until I strike them down. A dragon might kill ten thousand wolves one at a time, but ten thousand wolves together can kill a dragon."Do you need to read the previous three? (Eragon, Eldest and Brisingr) Yes. Absolutely. Even though Paolini gives a summary of events in the prelude, you MUST read the other ones. This one makes every previous page worthwhile twice over. When I tell you it is riproaring action from chapter one on, believe it. This series has been aiming for a fantastic, bloody, magical ending from the first sentence of Eragon, and Inheritance doesn't disappoint. It is a can't-put-down fantasy, and though readers think they know where it's headed... you're all wrong. You may get there eventually, but like in the wonderful poem Ithaka, it's the journey that matters. Death and birth, violence, torture, good and evil and everything in between, this is amazing writing (tighter and better edited than the last two) and will leave you thinking about its events and characters for a long time afterward. Strong 7th grade readers and up.

[john4fougere · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Inhertance is the final book in a long series. In this final book, Eragon and the Varden attempt to take over Algaesia and kill the evil king. Murtag (Eragons half brother) is stronger than ever and still sides with the evil king. Roran's (Eragons Cousin) baby is finally born in his book. During the book a dragon egg hatches to Arya (elf) as seen on the front cover. Over their bloody campaign, the Varden is joined with the were cats. Now the king must withstand Elves, Dwarves, Urgals, Werecats, a Rider and his dragon. The final battle of good vs. evil finishes in this book.This book was so loooooong! It took the author 120 pages to finish a topic in this book. I litaraly skipped a couple of pages because the author reapeted the same thing over and over again. I had been waiting a long time for this book and was ssadly disapointed in waht I read. The ending was the worst part of the story. After all of the things Eragon does he ends up all alone, he is stuck with teaching the next generation of dragons. Eragon saves all the races in the world and ends up all alone! In the series you think that Eragon and Arya would end up together, but no it does not happen. The book was too long to have a sad ending. I suggest this book for people who like reading books that wil take up two months of your life reading 825 pages!

[maya5l · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The way writer has chosen his words to describe the tale - couldn't be more spellbinding. Loved it and miss it already.

[wagner5sarah35 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The conclusion to the Inheritance series. Eragon, the first Dragon Rider to emerge after nearly a century, continues his quest to defeat the evil Galbatorix, who rules Alagaesia with cruel tyranny. The final volume answers many questions that had emerged over the course of the series, and many central characters meet their fates. Like much of this series, Inheritance draws on fantasy traditions and stereotypical plot lines, which sometimes make the book predictable, sometimes a little corny, but also somewhat comforting in its tradition. While not groundbreaking or startlingly original, Inheritance nevertheless makes for a good, fun read.

[terribooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I generally like YA literature of this sort, and enjoyed beginning this series. The characters were introduced with enough mystery to keep you interested in reading the next book, yet complete enough to not feel cheated with this one. The ending is an obvious ploy to make you buy the next book -- but aren't they all? The poor kid seemed to travel a lot; the quick displacements from city to city were distracting. I felt like I wanted him to settle for while so I could get to know something about the place. There may have been better ways to keep the story moving. Looking forward to continuing the story of Eragon.

[lisajoanne · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have loved this series from the beginning. The epic and fantastical nature of it reminds me of David Eddings and Anne McCaffrey. It's incredibly well-developed and thought-out. The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars was because of the ending. I won't say anything to ruin it for those who haven't read/finished it yet, but Paolini left things a little too wide open for my taste. I have a feeling he'll turn into the next Eddings or McCaffrey - writing one series to continue/finish another. At least, I hope that's what he does. I don't think I'm ready to be done with these characters yet.

[jmaloney17 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The last in the Inheritance Cycle. Eragon and the Varden finally face Galbatorix. Pretty good. Not the best fantasy series ever. But an interesting world. Paolini says that he plans to write other stories in this world, but not necessarily about Eragon.

[annakay21 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

So when we left him in Brisingr, Eragon was on the move with the Varden toward defeating Galbatorix, Roran had become a total bad-ass, Elva was a slight enemy and Arya was not reciprocating Eragon's feelings. Oh yeah, and the whole Eldunari (heart of hearts) thing had just been revealed. I have to say that the first half of this book is all build-up toward the final battle. Fairly BORING buildup. I was reading this because I wanted to see how the series ended and it felt like most of this book was filled with dry descriptions of unimportant things. I have never been a hardcore fan of Paolini's work, plus I admittedley slogged my way through the end of Eldest and again through the middle half of Brisingr. But from the promising amount of detail and the relatability of the characters, I thought Paolini could carry it off in a fairly decent way at least. I will say that I liked the revelations about the Rock of Kuthian, the Vault of Souls, Nasuada's scenes with Murtagh and the interactions of Roran with just about everybody. The part where Eragon and Saphira figure out their true names was emotional as well. However, the battle between Eragon and Galbatorix is sorely lacking in any climactic finale - it just whispers into the night unsatisfyingly. I also abhorred the endings that were given to the main characters by Paolini. To me duty is extremely important in fiction and real life, but seriously! NONE of them are truly happy at the end excluding Roran and Katrina. Considering that it was to be expected, whoop-de-freaking-doo. I HATE the fact that I spent so much of my time getting through this monstrosity only to be so disappointed. That said, the fact that he managed to keep me reading and make me laugh a couple of times gets him a couple of stars. Plus, although bad, it was not the worst I've read by far. That would be the epilogue of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for which I still shake my fist at J.K. Rowling on a regular basis. Read with caution and only if you're a serious fanatic who's dying to see how it ends. VERDICT: 2.5/5 Stars*No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores and online.*

[fishheaven · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Being the last book in the inheritance series by Christopher Paolini, this book did not disappoint. It stood up to the other three prior to it, but left me wanting to know more. The ending was a little difficult for me, but at the same time the book had some surprises I didn't expect. I am sad to see the series end, but at least the author left room for the reader to imagine what may come next.

[horomnizon · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This final book in the series (which started as a trilogy and became a 'cycle' of 4 books) was a long time coming. I have to say that I enjoyed every minute of the 849 pages. Yes, I forgot a few of the events that were briefly referenced, but I don't think I lost anything in the reading because of that. The intro/recap at the beginning was helpful in reminding me of quite a lot that I'd forgotten since first reading Eragon. I can't imagine that anyone would pick up this book without reading the first 3. It is a series and should be read that way. You do learn about the characters in this book, but if you don't already know them somewhat, I can't imagine it would be that interesting. Perhaps I wasn't entirely excited about the descriptions of war - and there are many - but that's where the story takes us and we have to go along. OK, I'm not going to spoil the plot, but I'll say that I felt the ending was fine...I'm good with it. Of course, it leaves the possibility for Paolini to write more books about this world...I'm not sure if I'd pick them up or not, though. I feel satisfied that this story of Eragon Shadeslayer and his dragon Saphira played out well. The other main characters are well developed also, but I'm not sure I'd want to read more about any of them in a different story arc - or even this 'land' he's created. I'll agree with some of the other reviews here on LibraryThing that after the battles end, the momentum is lost a bit in wrapping things up, but it echoes how the characters are feeling at that time as well. So I wasn't really that bothered by it. Although, 800+ pages is a bit much. I'm sure there was stuff in there that we could have done without and not missed much. Overall, though, I was quite happy with it and I'm glad to have read the entire series.

[gsmattingly · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I finished Inheritance just after midnight. I enjoyed it to a certain extent but I felt it was too long. I skimmed over many of the battle scenes. I thought there were too many words shoved in covering the battle scenes. He tried to wrap up too many loose ends created in all for novels in the series.

[silversi_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book started off with lots of excitement, I enjoyed it as I have all of the Eragon books, however the further it went the more it felt rushed in some places and in other places I really didn't get why they were dragged out so long. Overall it's a good read and the characters feel like old friends, so if you have enjoyed the other books in this series, I recommend reading it.

[berly_4 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The series takes place in the distant land of Alagaesia controlled by the evil King Galbatorix. Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, must use all their training, magic and spirit to best him. It was not my favorite of the series--too much time spent on warfare and strategies and not as much on relationships and magic, but it was still a solid read. The second half of the book was definitely better than the first, pacing, etc, and Paolini did an admirable job wrapping up this saga. Most, but not all, of the loose ends were tied up and the resolutions were satisfying. He has created a truly magnificent world with a memorable cast of characters and if you have enjoyed the series so far, you should read the ending! ***1/2