Review: Inheritance - Christopher Paolini

Wow. So, it's the end. I started Eragon when I was about 8 - well before even Eldest came out. And now, after waiting and waiting, the end has come. You can imagine the paradox I was trapped in; on one hand, I wanted to know what happened ASAP, on the other, I didn't want it to be over. As you can probably tell, my self control failed, and so, I'm done. It's done.
There isn't much I can tell you without revealing spoilers, but I'll do my best. For those of you who aren't familiar with the series (shame on you) it is an epic in the style of the Lord of the Rings. It is set in a mythical land, where dragons once roamed free. After much war between the race of Dragons and of Elves, a pact was made that bound them together, which men joined after. If a dragon egg hatched for a person, they became bonded in the most powerful of ways, connecting them mentally, and a Dragon Rider was created. For ages the Riders and their Dragons kept rule, until one among them rose against them, and slaughtered both the Riders, and the free dragons. This Rider claimed the throne, and has ruled since, as the lives of Riders can stretch on for centuries. He kept three eggs for himself though, and when one is stolen, and eventually ends up in the hands of a young farm boy by the name of Eragon, everything changes.
That is the pretense on which the first book starts, and I wont tell you anymore. I hope it has ignited something in you that yearns to read them, if not, do it anyway.
This last book, well I cant really think of how to describe it. Including the pronunciation guide and acknowledgments, it is 860 pages long. An unbelievable amount of events occur, and each one is satisfying. The battles, though numerous, each retain their individuality and are heart pounding. The emotional moments are just that - emotional. If I had been in a private place I would have been crying my eyes out.  Pretty much all the loose ends are tied up, even those from earlier books. It was a very satisfying read.
I have but a few faults with it. One, is the Paolini often reuses phrases in the series. I understand that it may be a character trait that must be described like that, or something similar, but it does get a bit annoying at times. Most notably, he uses the phase '...., even as..' often. Ok, thats not a phrase, but it's a word order. An example would be something like 'Eragon watched him, even as he had watched Arya." (That is made up, and has no real relevance to the story, I was just illustrating a point.)
The other fault was that the ending I had worked on trying to figure out was one entirely different to the actual one. (Yeah, I know I didn't write the series.... but still.. *disappointment*) I cannot say much, as even disproving my theory would tell you what would not happen, and that is almost, but not quite as bad as telling you what does happen. I had come up with an intricate theory, having deduced many things, and kept arriving at the same conclusion. I was so sure that one thing could not happen, but it did. My reason was that it would be too perfect. But, it seems to have righted itself, leaving a bittersweet ending, which I do enjoy. (I'm a horrible person yes, but who really wants a true 'happily ever after?)
Well, thats about all I can say, and so, it's over.

Review: The Two Towers - J. R. R. Tolkien

I'm not sure this merits it's own review, as the Lord of the Rings is just one continued journey, and each book continues on where the other left off, but it's what I read, so I'm reviewing it! :)
What I noticed about this book, in contrast to The Fellowship, is that there are far fewer songs. Perhaps it gets darker as Frodo travels closer to Mordor, or maybe Tolkien just ran out of rhymes, either way I miss the merry songs.
The company has also broken apart in this book, so there is a lot more to follow, and more regions of Middle-Earth are expired. Whether it is the lonely barren landscapes around Mordor, or the Ents of Fangorn Forest.
Overall, as I have said before, the Lord of the Rings is a must read. Truly fantastic detail. The only thing I would fault is that it focuses more on characters and scenes, rather than emotions, so deaths and sorrow don't have as true an impact as I would like.

Review: The Fellowship of the Ring - J. R. R. Tolkien

This book really needs no introduction. Odds are, you've seen the films, or at least know the basic storyline. The Fellowship of the Ring, is of course, the first in the Lord of The Rings Trilogy.
For those who don't know, this is an epic fantasy novel. It really is the start of the whole fantasy genre, and a must read.
This series is essentially a Good Vs. Evil tale. Frodo must destroy the Ring, or all of Middle-Earth will fall under the reign of Sauron, and everything he knows will be lost. But Frodo is a mere hobbit, insignificant in the lands of Middle-Earth, forgotten to many. How much difference can one person make? How much inner strength can one person have? This novel is but the first leg of his journey.
If you like detail, this is the book for you. Middle-Earth is beautifully brought to life by Tolkien. How he thought of so many different scenes puzzles me. Each character has an intricate backstory, and individual traits. Not to mention all the songs, poems and Elvish language he created.
To me, this story starts slowly, but it is engrossing, and the writing is superb. Truly, if you don't know The Lord of the Rings, you don't know fantasy.