Inheritance Cycle - Review (Why I Did Not Finish)
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- Опубликовано: 29 окт 2018
- Why I did not finish reading the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini. The fantasy series that pulls, from many many previous fantasy epics.
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What did you think of the Inheritance Cycle as a whole?
Daniel Greene as a whole it really drags and is very verbose in parts. Eragon the first book is my favorite in the series and the one I love with my whole heart.
Come to think of it I have not finished the series yet. I still have inheritance
I liked it a bit when it first came out, but once the third book came out i began losing interest in it and began seeing the unoriginality and plot holes. I haven't finished it either, haven't read the 4th book. I tried to but just couldn't get into it You could say it was the same as you. I was young when it came out and overtime i began to see the flaws in it.
Daniel Greene I liked it before I started reading better fantasy books. I read an article talking about all of the writing mistakes Paolini made in Eragon just in the prologue. As an aspiring author, I think it’s pretty interesting. m.mythcreants.com/blog/lessons-from-the-terrible-writing-of-eragon/
That was one of the first fantasy series I've read in my childhood, so I didn't know that it was unoriginal until I started reading more and more fantasy.
I’m really surprised so many people didn’t like it. I loved all these books.
Same
D.A.G i did to, i really enjoyed reading the Inheritance Cycle
Becouse GALBATORIX IS NOOOOOOB!!! you cannot descrive me galbatorix like the best wizard in the history and than??? He die in ONE PAGE!!!! omg Paolini please change work. You cannon write book.
There are authors that copy themes, and then there is Paolini, who pretty much plagiarizes stuff. Like Twilight, his books came off as fantasy fanfic.
For me I didn’t see any plagiarism because this was my first fantasy series I ever read other than Harry Potter. So I do wonder what themes he stole? I get what you mean about galbatorix dying in one page but overall I felt like the books were still entertaining... And isn’t that the point?
I don’t care what anyone says, The Inheritance cycle will always have a close place in my heart. It was actually the first book series that I read from start to finish.
Back when i was a young new fantasy reader without knowledge of tropes, the end of Eldest blew my mind
Inheritance is my "guilty" pleasure series. I know its not original or trendsetting but i still love it.
Same!
what was the trope at the end of eldest? that eragon was related to murtah and his "Father" was morzan?
Originality is a rarity to happen.
Same here. Started it in Highschool and then Inheritance came out while in my freshman year of college. I enjoyed the story and characters. Yeah it isnt an original story and it wanders a bit, but its still a good story.
Well the setting might not have been original,
but using a very hard magic system in that setting certainly was,
and I still love it to this day for that reason.
the thing that the Inheritance cycle does that "brings something to the table" for me is how it makes the magic seem something very REAL, in a way magical without it being magical. What I mean by that is that magic is usually what we use to label something we don't know or can explain. YET the magic in the book is SO WELL EXPLAINED has rules that make sense and follows them and does not make someone UBER OP just because they have magic AND does not establish a thought with people on "why not just do X with magic to solve the problem?" magic is a tool and not a solution in this universe, this is also not including how well the land of Alagasia is SO well written and makes a very real land. where in other books you can skip through half the land and not even care or notice
You are correct. But as good as the magic is in The Inheritance Cycle, I get what Daniel is saying in the video. We needed more originality and meaning from the characters/the author.
@@p.e.gilbertauthor3036 you are asking more from someone who literally was 17 when he made the first book and his parents published it, skipping the editor. for the circumstances of how it was written and such, it is better than what people make it out to be. but the notion of "it didn't bring anything to the table" is wrong. the rules and how the magic is conveyed in the book is proof of that
@@steeldragon5730 You are correct and Daniel gives Paolini much credit for this. But a story is judged on the strength and originality of its narrative. And on that front, The Inheritance Cycle is lacking in originality. That's all. (And I say this as someone who has been writing a fantasy series for well over a decade and tried his hand as a teenager as well.)
@@steeldragon5730 All of that I completely agree, and I think Christopher Paolini did as a teenager is outstanding. I also enjoyed the book (and the film for what it is). Unfortunately, though, once an author publishes his work and it is released to the world, he comes up against everything that has come before him. That's all I am saying. This does not take away from Paolini's achievements in the slightest.
I find it difficult to praise Christopher Paolini for how he uses magic in Inheritance. While I get that he had magic based solely on an ancient language, he is far from the only person to utilize that trope as Ursula K Le Guin did the same thing with the Earthsea books. In my opinion she also did that better, also many other fantasy authors have utilized magic as a tool and not a solution, Sanderson, Katherine Kerr, and George RR Martin to name a few. So while he might have gotten things right with how he used magic, I can't really bring myself to give him points for that because in many ways it feels like a retread of things authors before and after him have done and done to better effect.
I enjoyed the book - the dragons, the magic, the characters - especially the last book... Until the ending. The ending left you wondering where the next chapters where.
Lillyleaf101Mew your in luck the fork the witch and the worm is here
This actually is my idea on how THG finished. I was so disappointed in the unhappy ending trope. I mean I understand it, because really in life who does have a real happy ending? But that is why it is fantasy. If we can't hope for a happy ending in a fantasy then why are we even fantasizing?
@@sorrshotgaming2033 But I have read many negative reviews. Does it actually continue the story and is as good as the previous ones? Or just a bunch of short stories glued together by an overall plot about Eragon?
I agree
Well the ending is somehow bittersweet and Paolini said there will be book 5, so we'll see more Eragon, Arya and the dragons and he also said that they will live for a long time. So the ending's not really the ending you see.. 🤭👍👍
honestly, originality doesn't make a book good or bad. It's how the author makes it interesting that matters
I think that the best character was Roran he is both the most relatable and also the most badass
Roran is the best character. That is not up for debate XD
I didn't like his chapters in the second book as a kid, but as I've grown up and went back to the series, I found his story in 2&3 to be the most compelling of the entire series.
Agreed
He is also pretty much just Perrin from WoT, minus wolves.
roran was imo the worst and most boring character. it was so bad that ive skipped at least some roran chapters in eldest every single time I've read the series. hes an insanely one dimensional character who has zero motivations except his wife, and is somehow also insanely powerful and charismatic without any development.
Inheritance Cycle will always have a special place in my heart. It's the series I truly began to understand what fantasy actually was. I tried reading it again and have many issues with it but I can't help but kind of still enjoy the world that was created. I will read the next books in the world, but I won't reread the series to remember plot points or anything.
*spoiler****
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Also, it may have been first series I read, where the main antagonist is defeated so early in the last book, where the rest is "closing action". Another thing that caught me by surprise was that the male protagonist doesn't really "get the girl' at the end, I remember being kinda upset about that in my teens lol. This is the one aspect that actually aged well with my now more mature (hopefully) mindset.
The fact that Eragon "didn't get the girl" would've upset me more had it not made sense to me. But it did, so I was quite fine with it.
It *really* upset my older brother though.
nice
Except for the not very original setting,
what issues do you have?
The magic system is very well executed,
the characters are believable and feel real,
and it breaks tropes where it makes sense
(Eragon leaving Alagäsia, Aria staying behind)
but also leans into those who do no harm.
(there are Elves and dwarfs and a type of "Ork", well Urgals, you get what i'm saying)
@@joda7697 It's like... The world building was on point but the actual substance of the story is pretty basic. The themes have been used forever. The story was carried by the world and the magic system but the story itself was... Meh
@@Setixir
Yeah ok i can see what you mean, but it was still incredibly enjoyable, no?
I really don't mind the story being not the most original out there,
because there are also way too many stories out there who try to break clichee way too hard and fall flat because of it.
And now he’s interviewing Paolini himself! Daniel’s channel has grown a ton over the year.
but won’t bother to finish the series
I’d be very interested in reading a new series by Paolini. I never finished the Inheritance Cycle myself as I found I grew a bit bored with the story, but similarly to you, I think that was because I sort of outgrew the series before it was complete.
That said, great review. Idk that I ever realized Paolini was so young when he wrote Eragon 🤔
he apparently is writing a science fiction novel atm and is close to finishing it
I knew it and I arrogantly thought “I could do this well or better!” the whole time I was reading. I noticed that it lacked originality, and I kind of enjoyed it but I didn’t finish it for the same reasons Daniel didn’t.
But now that I’m older and have never finished a book, I realize I was really hard on Mr. Paolini when I initially read those first two books lol
Cherie Barbee DONT forget that he was 17 while writing it.
@@nutterbotter8308 why is that relevant? He shouldnt get leeway for blatant plagiarism "because he was young". Thats not an excuse.
Ictus fucking alright mate take it easy I was only meaning that the guy was a fucking kid when he wrote it. Probably wasn’t thinking about the consequences of plagiarisms and wanted to use aspects from his more favorite authors to further build his own.
*Talks about the Inheritance Cycle* “didn’t read the last book, forget what it’s called.”
I actually read all 4 books and through books 1-3, I was curious to see if Paolini would be able to pull it off. Needless to say, I actually personally liked it. I always wondered how the main enemy would be defeated and definitely did NOT see the manner in which Eragon did it coming.
I feel like the p.o.v. should’ve changed from eragon to Murtagh. It would be something new to the series, where we get to read what he had to endure rather than him telling Eragon. Because Eragon became a one-sided character while Murtagh was clearly two-sided...
Love your videos by the way...it took me a while to finish the series and I plan on re-reading it. lol.
That would've been greatt
I would love a series about Murtag
@@berktukus4206 well read inheritance... You have a chapter with Murtag :) And Same for Fork, Witch and Worm ;)
The whole series should have been written from Mutagh's perspective. That would have been a vast improvement.
Murtagh was by far my favourite character.
I really like The Inheritance Cycle. At the end of the day its teen fantasy so you have to look at it as such and he was so young when he wrote them! I really enjoy them for what they are. I don’t think something has to be trend setting and groundbreaking for it to be enjoyable.
I don't know if you found out about this or not, but Christopher Paolini also finished the second draft of his huge Sci-Fi novel called TSiaSoS (title still top secret). Paolini's currently working on incorporating feedback from his editor on the book, so I imagine that Sci-Fi book should be out soon as well.
Sea of stars😱
It's not ideal, has flaws and not particularly orginal, but anyway, it's a wonderful piece of fantasy literature made for young adults and every lover of the genre. One of my all time faves forever.
Fair enough Daniel, I'm not going to claim that the Inheritance Cycle is great literature, and I understand some of the criticisms about how derivative the series is, but I do think that, on the whole, it's treated a little unfairly. Particularly, I think that Paolini's world-building skills and visual writing are quite underestimated.
For me, especially at the age I was when I read them, this more than made up for the dialogue, which was admittedly clunky at times; I've not since met, in fantasy literature (and I've read, and love, WoT, the Dark Tower, LotR) a world that felt so truly real, lived-in, and yet also had some of the otherworldly grandeur and mystery that, for example, Tolkien manages so well.
Tolkien, of course, did it first, and had a vastly better grasp of language. He infused Middle Earth with a spirituality and moral authority, and his writing with a gravitas, that Paolini's world and writing undoubtedly lacked; nevertheless, Paolini's series has left me with some of the most unforgettable images and ideas I've gained from a fantasy world (A dwarven city-mountain in the colossal extinct crater of a volcano(!); the wonderful descriptions of the elves' forest and cities; the dragons themselves, the Beor mountains etc. etc...)
The series does also touch on important themes, and prompts self-reflection in the way you described enjoying in more modern fantasy; while the themes are not explored in great depth necessarily, they are definitely there, and not hard to find. There are ideas of responsibility; the pressure of being a figurehead; the implications of power; the difficulties of supranational governance and law enforcement (issues dragon riders and the UN have in common!); and the overcoming of personal hatred and prejudice. Couple all this with a truly thrilling hero's journey, a magnificent magic system, well fleshed-out cultures, (particularly among the elves and the dwarves), and some terrific scenery, and while the characters, prose and dialogue may leave somewhat to be desired in the mature reader, there is still a lot that is unique, a lot to love, and a lot that is gripping in the series.
i think tha main flaw of the series is that it was made into 4 books instead of 3 and it really shows in brisingr. also the final fight with galbatorix is bad (just my opinion) and u could see something like that coming since book 2 when u learned how OP is galbatorix and that eragon can never match him.
bruncla2303 I agree that it could probably have been cut down into 3 books; Pasolini definitely needed a harsher editor. I suppose I was so invested in the world and story by that point that I didn’t really mind (though I did find a lot of Roran’s chapters boring).
I also understand your point about Galbatorix’s death, and he did back himself into a corner. But I thought the way he used awareness of the consequences of his actions as a way to try and communicate with him actually a really unique and brave way to defeat a villain. It was a humble and empathetic way to treat Eragon’s triumph, and once I got over the slight anticlimax, I appreciated it. Real life is sometimes anticlimactic after all; what’s wrong with bucking the cliche of a final showdown?
Matt Ambrose okay I like lord of the rings but I genuinely don’t understand putting Tolkien on a pedestal. The fantasy I’m reading now is much better.
Sure he kicked it off and made it popular, but that’s all it is; a kick off.
09 RetsamEdalb well at the end of the day it’s all personal preference, so fair enough, but I think that calling one of the best-selling and most influential series of all time, ‘just a kick off’ doesn’t do it justice.
I’m sure everyone has different reasons for why they like it so much; for me it’s a complicated mix of the story, language/writing style, and world.
Like I said above I think what really sets the LOTR apart is Tolkien’s writing style, spiritual and moral authority, and his terrific imagination. No other fantasy series I’ve read has prose like LOTR; Tolkien deliberately wrote in the style of an Anglo-Saxon epic, even up to his sentence structure, which also echoes biblical writing structure. This combined with his terrific descriptive and plotting abilities produce some amazIng passages.
There is also the many fascinating themes Tolkien wove into the substance of the world and story; corruption of power being the chief, but also the power of individual action, the value of friendship, loyalty and sacrifice, the value of nature and wildness, and far more.
Lastly, and perhaps this is the thing they really fascinates people (certainly does me), the whole world and story is infused with this melancholy, sense of loss and fading, exemplified by the elves, the ents, the Numenoreans etc. Something about this captivates people.
Anyway to each their own; that’s basically why I like it.
Out of interest, what fantasy are you reading atm that you prefer?
Matt Ambrose every fantasy book in modern days is better though LOTR is kinda boring.
You’re not supposed to try and do it justice, you’re supposed to read it and talk about it. And it’s not that good. The writing is boring; all he does is talk about the environment. I can’t say he had an imagination; because nothing really imaginative and memorable stuck out to me.
I mean I only read the fellowship of the Ring, got partway through two towers and then stopped because I couldn’t figure out what was happening because the dialogue is so hard to read.
None of the characters are memorable save for the fact that everyone today knows about them so they’re hard to forget.
I genuinely don’t know why it’s on a pedestal.
Even his new book title reminds me of something else. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe!
Love the Inheritance Cycle, especially the bittersweet and open end (and I usually hate open endings). It’s definitely nothing new but every time I take a break from reading because of life, I read the series through and it gets me excited to see what’s new and how the genre has changed during my hiatus. For me it’s like a focal point about everything that is great about fantasy and leaves me wanting more and to experiment more.
Daniel I’m obsessed with your content and am now very interested in fantasy literature. Thank you for your work.
They could make a great movie from the books and i hope they erase the first attempt from people's memory by creating as beautifully crafted a movie as we thought the first book was when we first laid our eyes upon it
TV series please. It would be much better. Especially if the author works closely on the production and allows to fill in gaps in the books. In the first book you only follow Eragon perspective. It would be good to have some Varden/Galbatorix/Durza scenes not fleshed in the book. The movie failed at it miserably. A TV series could manage that beautifully.
Raphael Mateus Martins OR Paolini could give the rights to BBC, which is probably excellent at fantasy adaptations. Right?
Hey now the movie wasn't terrible
MrLadiesman93 It was rushed and was ripping off Star Wars.
That movie was a disaster. Eragon deserved better.
The whole “timeline of release” is why I didn’t finish either. I still want to, because I genuinely enjoyed Eragon and Eldest as a kid. I felt that Paolini experienced the same thing: he was locked into a series he plotted as a kid, and probably felt limited by that. Might be why it took him a long time to complete the last two.
I was in the exact same boat. Started it in 2002 when I was 10 and was probably around 16 or 17 when the 3rd book came out and couldn't finish it. Finally came back at 29/30 and went through the whole series start to finish. Glad I finished it after all this time, but man it was hard to do.
I’ve not heard anyone speak on Redwall so my heart skipped a beat when you mentioned it!
I picked up Martin the Warrior in 3rd grade and it is what made me love reading in general. I think I have them all even though I haven’t touched them in ages.
Edit: it was Mattimeo* not Martin.
Red wall is one of those I heard about but never read I had the books but don’t anymore thinking about rebuying them again
Mossflower was always my favorite. I found Martin the Warrior to just be depressing, though I was pretty young at the time and didn't really care for tragic endings.
Those were totally the books that got me into reading
Best description of food ever was in that series.
I remember being in love with the series almost all the way up to the end. Underwhelming climax and the ending really annoyed younger me.
It was definitely I great introduction to fantasy, and really it was my own gateway series. I was fortunate enough to still be pretty young when the final book was published, so I was able to read through the whole thing almost back-to-back, and it was a great experience, especially since I was only about 9-11 years old as I read through the whole thing. It really inspired my own imagination to write into the genre and led me to other great stories. Despite its flaws, I can't help but to look at the Inheritance Cycle in a fond way.
I loved these books growing up and I still love them. Love the mechanics of magic and the ancient language and the relationship between Eragon and Saphira. Great inbuilt universe too. Not groundbreaking but doesn’t have to be.
It feels like a gateway series for fantasy (and I mean that in a good way) but aye, going back to it, it's not very original.
Also, Roran was the best character. Change my mind.
Earl Roran 'Stronghammer' of Palencar Valley
I think that was probably the weakest part of the book, the central characters Eragon and Arya (not sure if that's her name, been a while since I read them) aren't very interesting.
Protip. You can't.
Brom was.
@@RiddlesAssassin Brom was cool, but he was just kinda your standard wise old man type from where I stand. Mind you, I'm a sucker for that archetype so.
I did finish the series, but I didn’t enjoy the last book (I think he was called Eldest). I started reading the series when I was around 10 years old, but when the last book came out in my language I had outgrown it, as you did.
That being said, Christopher’s age inspired me, and made me start writing at a very young age! I’m a translator now, so, aside from writing my own stories, I do write for a living after all!
I think too few people appreciate the very hard magic system and clever worldbuilding around it!
He stole the magic system and worldbuilding from other authors
I will be starting Malazan soon. After I finally read the Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. I've heard so much praise for Malazan, and after also finally finishing The Wheel of Time this year, it's time to dive into another epic fantasy series. As far as Inheritance, I haven't read that series.
Recently started reading the first book to my sister after reading it ages ago, I now realize how much they had taken from other stories (the first books story is a near 1:1 retelling of star wars episode 4). Still a very special book in my heart.
My favorite character is Brom, because I read him like a funky gandalf elder wizard who gets really serious sometimes.
The one thing I really liked about the Inheritance books was the magic system, that I haven't really seen exactly this way anywhere else.
Really? Its taken almost verbatim from the belgariad.
@@joshbrucks Interesting, learned something new.
@@joshbrucks idk if its verbatim..
I to this day love the magic system!
I red this series at age 12 after reading Dragonlance and nothing else in epic fantasy realm. I thought it was a freaking masterpiece. Then I red a whole lot and realized it is more like meh, but it will always have a tiny space in my heart. I'm so glad you gave it credit for being what it is :)
OMG that clip at the beginning of the video!! That was perfect! I laughed out loud, almost tipped my glass over :D
I wish I had your bookshelf...
Just wanted to say, I enjoy your recent incorporation of tv clips into your videos, it's quite fun and I appreciate the extra editing effort you've put in to include them. :)
it was my introduction as a kid. I loved it so much.
Great breakdown and vid mate
I felt pretty much the exact same way. The first book was nice, i was a sophomore high school when Eragon came out. The second book started to rub me the wrong way with how it handled the main character having a debilitating injury by using magic to make him all better without earning it is such a huge letdown. Plus it really irks me that Paolini claimed to invent languages on par with Tolkien when he just lifted from Old Norse and Irish.
I was 14 when I finished the Inheritance Cycle and thought it was pretty cool. Then 2 years later I read The Way of Kings and knew that I had left my childhood behind
I remember finishing the whole series, and being really underwhelmed by the 4th book. Then reread them about a year ago and couldnt manage to finish the 4th book.
I only discovered your channel a few hours ago and was captivated but then BOOM you release a video saying you’ve DNF’d my favourite series. I’m not mad aha I just think it’s ironic. Honestly I do see and understand your criticisms, I think going in expecting an epitome of the genre makes for a more enjoyable experience as it has all the tropes so it’s an easier go-to if that makes sense? I just really enjoyed the laid back moments with peacefulness and world building though I understand some people may find that boring and lacking. I know the ending is also a bit controversial in the sense that some people expected a more typical fantasy angle but I appreciated it because of the empathetic originality. Can’t wait to see more videos from you this was really well done!
Ngl I agree, the inheritance cycle was a great series and I loved reading it, all the way to the end
I read these books at like 30 because somebody I was dating really loved them. They were cool. A little basic for my personal tastes but definitely had some great moments. I wouldn’t go out of my way to read them again but I am glad that I read them in the first place.
I have a question. Are those three cream books on the left next to all those orange books, "The Civil War, A Narrative" trilogy by Shelby Foote ?
Can't wait to hear your opinions on Deadhouse Gates
I loved that series.... when I was 9. It was the first epic fantasy series that i've ever read. But yeah, now that I can compare, it's pretty obvius that is not as "wow"as I used to think.
It was the first really *fantasy* fantasy book I read. Looking back on it, I can definitely see the flaws. Now I'm all about WoT
What was kind of weird was that the Inheritance Cycle borrowed a lot from not only fantasy tropes but also quite a bit from Star Wars. The Jedi are now Dragonriders. Obi-Wan Kenobi is now Brom waiting for the young Jedi (oh excuse me) the young Dragonrider to come into his own. This attracts the attention of the Empire, so the Stormtroopers kill Eragon's family (Uncle Ben and Aunt Veru) In charge of the Empire is a Dragonrider that embraced the dark side and killed all the other Dragonriders. Brom (Obi-Wan) couldn't finish Eragon's training so Eragon had to go to the little old Dragonrider that's in hiding (Yoda)
One thing he didn't copy was making Galbatorix ( always hated that name) seem actually evil. The Empire in Star Wars blew up a planet. All Galbatorix did was have some high taxes. Well after killing the other Dragonriders ( I guess that was pretty evil)
Galbatorix enslaves the minds of many intelligent beings and forces them to his will. Just saying.
The similarities you are talking about are what is known as the Heroes Journey. Google it and you will ruin most fiction about heroes. Not ruin, but you're able to see everything laid out really clear and easy.
@@jimmymiller1313 True, but the ingredients for that journey needs to be altered a little bit more to really make it your own
Too, true. Some people see the Heroes Journey as an architectural guide, and others see it as a blueprint to just copy. One makes a neat, individual house. The other builds a housing tract with no individuality except for maybe a pretty coat of paint, lol.
@@jimmymiller1313 Well put
I really enjoy the inheritance cycle. I get where you are coming from, I like to make the joke that the inheritance cycle is inherently Star Wars in a full blown fantasy setting.
The being said, I really like the world that Paolino built. The magic system, the history even though it was less original it still used these tropes in an engaging way. And while the series isn’t really discussing much else besides it’s own world, it really does focus on making its own world and characters engaging and believable. And in my opinion, in any story character and story come first before anything else.
That’s the main reason I enjoyed this series, is that is what Paolini did. Is his story is there to entertain with this fantastic world about dragon riders, magic and retells the modern epic in a fun way.
If you liked the magic you might like david eddings belgariad as thats where he got it from. Or dragon riders then the dragon riders of pern.
There isnt an original concept in the entire series and no "he was a teen" isnt an excuse.
@@joshbrucks he was a teen
I still love these books to death, just picked up eragon to reread a week ago and definitely realized what you’re saying.
As a kid, this was one of my most cherished series that really got me into reading. I haven't gone back to it since I've grown and expanded my literary experience and I know it's most definitely not as good as I remember it, but I'll always have a soft spot for it.
I read the 1st book when it came out as a child and loved it.
Then I started the 2nd book when it came out and couldn't finish it. I was in the middle of reading the Ender's Shadow series and the Ender quartet. Reading book 2 of the Inheritance series felt really hallow at the time.
I got a few chapters into the green covered book and couldn’t bring myself to continue
I just finished my first read of WOT last month and being a viewer of yours has truly been a roller coaster. I love your videos! We def have very different reasons we love certain books though. I would never suggest anyone read WOT, but The Inheritance Cycle absolutely would recommend to everyone 😂
I haven't read the books in a while but much like everyone else, they were a big part of my childhood, with Inheritance in particular being my favorite of the series. Thinking back on it though, my recollection of how some event happened, specifically the relationship between Eragon and Arya, really surprise me. Mainly how they don't end up together at the end with the two talking a lot through the fourth book and how their relationship develops from Eragon having a crush in the first, to being a whiny teen in the second to them realizing that their paths in life lie in separate places and leaving on good terms, which really surprises me as a solid relationship arc overall for such an otherwise standard series.
I didn't finish it either! I was maybe 14 when I read Eragon & enjoyed Eldest. I battled through half of Brisingr and... To me it just died. By the time I got to Brisingr I had read LOTR & so many other books...
I just couldn't bring myself to finish it.
Great review Daniel! I love your analysis on the fantasy and modern sci-fi genres, as well as your reasons for why you did not finish The Inheritance Cycle. Despite all that, though, will you be reading Paolini's next book (To Sleep in a Sea of Stars)?
I love this series because it’s been very formative for me growing up. But you’re right. Reading this made me eventually get into Kingkiller and that’s definitely a step up.
i only finished the first book, i thought it was ok, i tried the second but coudnt get into it,
Same experience. I actually really enjoyed the first book and thought it was a nice kick off, but I couldn't get into the second book at all.
The second book drags on in the beginning. But about a quarter of the way in, it starts picking up speed
I loved the inheritance cycle. It felt really special and well written when I first read it and imo it still holds up well as I've read more fantasy since then. The ending also really connected with me so it was a great finish to a great series which still emotionally affects me when I go back and reread it which probably makes me biased. It is probably a lot down to taste whether you'll like it though but I personally love the atmosphere of a good classical fantasy book.
I was the same when I stopped reading this series. It was at Brisingr that I just didn't care and got very bored. However, I didn't buy it; I had burrowed it from my library. But I forgot to return it, having forgotten about it, so it sat on my shelf for nearly 7 years (My card had also expired by then) until I finally returned it a couple years back. I felt like I was performing a discrete secret agent type operation when I returned it...
Personally, I don't read too deeply into a lot of the books I read. When I read the inheritance cycle, I didn't immediately recognize it as a remix of other tropes. I just thought it was a neat fantasy series. My only problem with it is that I *hated* the ending. I probably won't go back to read book 5.
Read it when I was a kid and it was my favorite series, have since read Ice and Fire and enjoyed it more and then my grandfather gave me the first 3 books of wheel of time which is my favorite series so far.
Hey danial, just a question...would you ever read and discuss books that aren’t necessarily fantasy, maybe like fiction? I mean books like 1984 and such? Just curious, keep up the good work!
One of the secrets to successful writing is not to edit as you write. It can be difficult, but accept that the first draft you write is not going to be perfect; no first draft is. That's what the second draft is for: to perfect the story.So just finish the first draft, no matter how "bad" it feels, then set it aside for a length of time, and then go back to it later and reread it. At that point you can then begin proofing and editing it, and that's when you should "second-guess" yourself as you challenge everything about it.Gradually the improved, "perfected" second draft will emerge.
Thank you for the advice! I can't believe that it's gone unacknowledged by anyone!
would you do a deep dive into the co-authors maryna and sergey dyachenko?
I love this series, I'm on the second book, and I can't stop reading!!!!!
Foundation and Robot series GOAT for sci-fi. I felt the same way about WoT as you are describing Eragon in the Eye of the World and was so glad that he escaped the LOTR replication that the first book seemed to be (even though you could see foreshadowing and other subtleties after having read further books). That is one of my problems when picking series. I don't know if the first book or two of a popular series will be much better later on. Couldn't get into Shannara, Black Company, and Malazan for that reason.
Eragon was one of the first fantasy books I read when I was a kid. I also enjoyed the first book, but dropped the series in the third book. I was actually the first time I didn't finish reading a book I started.
Since we are talking about unoriginality, I wondered what you think of The Sword of Shannara. The first Shannara book was published in 1977, 23 years after The Fellowship of the Ring was published. However, the Sword of Shannara has almost the exact same storylines and villains that LOTR does. Wizard(Allanon/Gandalf) finds farmboy Wil/Frodo in country village. Farmboy travels with wizard to find a "fellowship" of a a few men, a dwarf, and an elf to go and steal the Sword of shannara(The One Ring) from the almost unbeatable villain(Brona/Sauron by sneaking into his castle(Mount Doom). As I was reading this I noticed all of the similarities, but I've never heard of anyone say anything about how unoriginal this book is. All I have heard is praise. But for me because of that I dnf'd the series. What do you think?
Yeah man couldn't even finish the first book. Maybe I'll get back to that one. The caliber of writing/world building killed interest for me in probably 4-5 well respected authors.
The second book, the elfstones is better, and far more original. The second series is well worth reading: walker boh is an awesome character.
The main characters name is Shea though. Wil is in the sacond book which is much more original
Do you take book recommendations? I’d love to hear your thoughts on Dream of the Navigator by Stephen Zimmer. YA Sci/Fi dystopian novel. I really enjoyed it and the ending blew my mind. I’m very interested to read the next book in the series.
Have you read The Shadow of What Was Lost by James Islington? It's pretty good and the second book just came out.
I agree with all your points here. I read the 4th and last book of the Cycle by the end of last year and began the Cycle years and years ago (just like you, I was pretty much a kid back then). Now that I'm 25 I must say the books get more difficult to enjoy as you grow up :D Heck, I had to skip 3 or 4 chapters of Eragon's cousin's perspective at some point not to DNF the book...
I appreciate your praise of Redwall. I feel that Brian Jaques is often forgotten or pushed aside. His works were a defining presence in my youth.
Malazan book of the fallen has become my favorite fantasy saga, and it took me 100 pages of Gardens of the Moon to start liking it, and many more pages to actually begining to understand what was happening. It's funny that it was supposed to be a D & D scenario, or a movie script instead of a book. The only fault I find is Steven Erikson's ability of naming, for such a complex story, I can not take half of the names of his characters with seriousness. But as you said, that ominous feeling that something bigger is happening behind the scene, is what makes this saga so enjoyable.
I was actually going to post a comment asking for what exactly people see in Malazan Book of the Fallen. I've read up until 100 pages into Deadhouse Gates or so, and for the life of me I don't quite understand. My assumption was that my tastes in worldbuilding are similar to those of most others, but I just feel like details of the world are so abundant that most of it cannot possibly be too important - story and consistency are paramount to me and if the worldbuilding does not serve those purposes as well as being portioned out organically, my suspension of disbelief takes a serious hit. I'm not saying there's anything expressly inconsequential, just that it feels like worldbuilding for worldbuilding's sake, which isn't all that impressive creatively speaking. Also the names, but I'd be willing to see past those.
My question is pretty much, am I missing something? As in content-wise? Or is it just not for me?
@@sofielundsskolan Well, first of all, if you started with Deadhouse Gates instead of The Gardens of the Moon, it's like if you started with The Two Towers in The Lord of the Rings instead of The fellowship of the Ring. You are missing a whole book, the first one.
And even so, The Gardens of the Moon start the story in the middle of a war, and in the begining of an other war. Must of the characters in the first pages known each other, and the very first characters that apperas after the prologue, make and speak things that will just make sense almost at the final parto of the first book. But after that, when you arrive to certain city, character are introduced in a much common style. And from here, you start to enjoy the story a lot.
It's a complicated story, that is told like a puzzle. You have a bunch of characters, so you will have to check the index of characters many times to remember who is who. But as the story advance, all the plotlines entwine in one big plot, and all the pieces are put togheter in the climax. That's what make this story so brilliant. And that's just the first book, in case you had started with the second, you should chek this first.
Sorry, I thought it would be clear I did read Gardens of the moon first. I'm not a barbarian :P
Regarding the "told like a puzzle" thing, if that is a major draw for people, I understand why it isn't for me; I've never seen the appeal of it - Coen brothers movies come to mind.
I didn't know Erikson had that background, interesting. It would explain some aspects. I think I'm a bit damaged after WoT though, as Jordan had studied physics and it showed in how he constructed his world. I'm a physicist myself, so I can appreciate a world springing forth from a small group of fundamental natural laws, which really doesn't seem to be what underpins the Malazan world. Not that there's anything wrong per se with being more extravagant/loose (it's still a lot better than many other fantasy series in that regard), but it's a major turn off for me.
It sounds like the books might just not be for me then. I might come back sometime if I've got nothing else to read, though
@@sofielundsskolan i am not sure it will happen to u too but for me i almost put it down at the neginning of book 2 bcs u began understand book 1 almost at the end and when book 2 starts u are somehere else with different charcters but i pushed through and rest of the series was amazing (still hard to read) and i really enjoed it and during reread i enjoyed even book 2 bcs retroactively it made sense and i understood whats happening so my recomendatiotion is to push through and finish it.
@@BooksRebound agree that MBOTF is great but if an emotional scene in a book made you vomit and go into a depression then there is probably something wrong with you. You might need some help
I actually enjoyed it as an adult. It is a wonderful beginning book for younger readers. An easy, fun read. But then again I love Piers Anthony. My favorite is the Dune series. Deep and complex. I have read SO many sci-do and fantasy over the years. Each one has it's positives and negatives.
These books have a special place in my heart for being the first fantasy books I read (when I was 12 - I’m now 18) theyre simple but fun to read and whilst they can’t match up to the better series out there they’re still a great starting point for any young reader.
The thing I remember about Eragon (and I only read the first 3 books) is that it's so close to to the plot of Star Wars that it's funny.
I loved this series when I was a kid, and I consider it a "comfort" read whenever I have trouble getting back into reading every 3 or 4 years. After re-reading it I'm gonna tackle Wheel of Time
I never liked the way Nasuada was treated. Arya ended up getting a dragon and a kingdom in the end (despite the books constantly saying that was a horrible idea). While Nasuada was given a massive title she never wanted, given a romance in the last book just to have it taken away, and was tortured constantly (in the last book at the castle/palace but also when she had to cut her arms open and when her dad was murdered). She was done so dirty and she didn't even seem happy at the end of the series unlike all the other characters. (even Murtagh gets a hopeful/happy ending)
I definitely agree that this is a really good “gateway series.” I read this as one of my first series when I was starting to truly read and learn what I liked. In general, I don’t really see an issue with pulling from other series as reading other things inspires thoughts and ideas in writers. For the most part, minus a few true originals, literature draws off one another and intentionally or not things can often happen the same in many different book series. Furthermore (not saying that Paolini did do this), taking similar ideas and actions from other books is sometimes done intentionally to help the reader make a connection and gather a deeper understanding of what the author’s meaning is and this is known as intertextuality. Also one of the things I love about this series is the simplicity of it. Unlike lots of other things I read, containing around 6+ books, it’s relatively short and it’s not so good that I don’t want to read anything else. I think I’ve used this series three or four times to get me back into reading when it’s hard to start reading again.
Pretty good first three books. Interesting ideas explored in the fourth book. Mixed feelings in hindsight. I remember Eragon and Brsinger being pretty decent. Might have to look into book 5, to see what comes of a more developed author finishing what ultimately felt unfinished.
Great magic system.
Eragon's film adaptation was a horrific monstrosity of the same scale as The Last Airbender's.
the magic system was kind of intresting though. Reminds me a lot of full metal alchemist. In the inheritance cycle energy can't be created in FMA matter can't be created. I actually went something similar in my first magic system, where one thing magic could do was alter matter through using energy to create virtual particles (I got the idea from the Thaum of Discworld) which could either combine with existing matter or used to create entire atoms out of these virtual particles. Also with a nice dualism between adepts who take the energy from within the material universe and thus can use a lot less preferring to alter existing matter to save energy, and sorcerers who leech energy from outside of the material universe giving them far more power to work with but also at a much greater risk. Bending versus breaking the material universe.
I abandoned this project years ago, though I have been thinking of taking it up again.
My introduction to fantasy was A Rangers Aprentice and after that I never read the rest of the series. But, I then read historical fiction very avidly. Book series like The Grail Guest series by Bernard Cornwell. I then read historical novels like All Quit On The Western Front, Under Fire, The Road Back, The Things They Carried, and The Caine Mutiny which holds a special place on my book shelf. But fantasy never really had been prominent on my book shelf. Until I read The Riyria Revelations. And after that everything changed and now fantasy is one of my favorite genres.
There are some aspects of the story that don't even seem to make sense, until you remember that Paolini was basically just copying _Star Wars_ . For example, Galbatorix's realm just seems to be a traditional kingdom. A very large one, yes, but a single entity. So why is it invariably referred to as "the Empire"? Because that's what it's called in _Star Wars_ , and so that's what it's called here.
I remember reading a blog post which put it perfectly: no work is entirely original, but the Inheritance Cycle actively _defies_ originality.
Thanks for ma0king thw video though u didn't really need to but thanks anyway! Btw can you make a video on the world winter series? Cause i didn't really get a grip on that and i want to know ur opinion to decide if i wanna get into that....
I had a similar experience with this series. I enjoyed the first book as a ten year old. By the time Eldest came out, I could identify the borrowed storiylines within the series. I abandoned Brisingr at around the third chapter. And have never tried to go back since.
You should definitely try Skulduggery pleasant by Derek Landy, a brilliant but underestimated urban fantasy. It's been out for a while now, but only just available in America. It basically introduced me to reading. It starts off as a kids series but gets pretty deep, especially in the later books.
I honestly thought the series ended at Brisinger, probably because I wasn't looking forward to more. In conclusion, I agree
even tho paolini was riding all those tolkien tropes, his incredibly vibrant detailed description of scenes really drew me in and engaged my imagination.. really hoping the new Disne+ series is as faithful to the source material as possible cause he knew exactly what he wanted Eragon to be
Odd coincidence there, Brisingr was the point where the magic died for me as well. I did push myself to finish it, but the memory of that pushing kicked in once I bought Inheritance, and I couldn't even muster the enthusiasm to read past the first chapter. I was genuinely surprised by my own reaction to the book, because I remember being plenty happy to buy it. That surprise is part of why I'm binging Inheritance Cycle reviews right now.
Thinking back, I *was* reading a lot around the time Brisingr released, so it does make sense that my expectations may have gotten higher around that time.
Red wall was my introduction to fantasy, read it in 6th grade and have been hooked since.
I advise you should start back at Aragon (or since you just read it eldest) and read the series through. Its a short read and should go fast. Brisinger got realy deep into the magic of the elves at the point where you learn why the book is named for fire. If you dont want to read. Get an audio book from the public library or buy it. Great video! =-)
I'm a competitive alpine skier and you saying DNF (A common term in the sport) is pretty funny.
The Inheritance is my favorite series I’ve read. Gotta half sleeve of tattoos dedicated to the books. And it’s literally the best feeling when someone notices what the tattoos are. Those books are my childhood books. And my son will definitely read them😂 doesn’t have to like it but he’s gonna read them damn it lol
I've actually been thinking of getting a tattoo inspired by the series myself! Glad to see I'm not the only one 😂
Yesss! Same here!! I love the series.
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Loved Redwall as a kid, it doesn't get enough fame for its amazing introduction for younger readers into fantasy
Have you read Kings of The Wyld by Nicholas Eames yet? Such a fun new Fantasy series. A new favorite for me. Also Scythe by Neal Shusterman?
i stopped in the middle of the 2nd book like maybe 7-9 months ago, then picked it up recently and it's kinda picking up now. i got so bored but yeah i feel it's a pretty guilty pleasure for me, i know that it's pretty cliche with the whole fantasy theme of this kind of magical medieval kind of thing, but it's still super impressive to see another type of universe like this created by one person, that's something I've always admired
Have you read The Traitor's Son Cycle yet? I'm just curious what you'd think about it