Murtagh by Christopher Paolini

Murtagh by Christopher Paolini

It has been 13 years since Christopher Paolini finalized the last book in The Inheritance Cycle. In those thirteen years Alagaësia has long been in drought with only slight rains brought forth by the release of the The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm, that said when it storms it rains nostalgia and thunders sentimentality. Christopher Paolini through Murtagh brings us back into the storm that is Alagaësia. With the release of Murtagh we explore old haunts from the original tetralogy as well as new forbidden zones originally left outside of the purview of the Dragon Riders.

Old evils that slumber stir while the Empire stills recoils from the war that brought the Mad King to heel. Murtagh, the half brother of Eragon, is a Dragon Rider in his own right and must combat and investigate these old evils in order to protect the newly found freedom he and his dragon partner Thorn so cherish. Faced with dark magic and inhumane torture Murtagh overcomes various challenges that foreshadow what I hope to be the happy ending Murtagh and Thorn deserve.

Christopher Paolini gave Murtagh, in Murtagh, the stage he deserves. While considered an important character in the original books Murtagh still played second fiddle to Eragon. He lacked a focus and really was set up to help develop Eragon as the main heroine of the story. Christopher Paolini takes a 180 as to who the focus is in his new book by putting a focus on Murtagh and Thorn. Especially their mental health and overcoming the traumas they sustained in the original books. Its an fantastic way to develop a story and such a focus really lets you get inside the characters minds and inner workings. By doing this Paolini creates a stronger bond with the reader. A lot of people deal with traumatic experiences and carry such trauma with them every waking moment, that goes more me as well. It was refreshing and hearting that a fantasy world, I enjoyed as child, focused on this aspect; for it allowed the characters to grow along with reader, thus giving the book a more mature outlook on relationships and social interactions.

Murtagh is the story we have been waiting for to usher in a new era in Alagaësia and while some references to the previous book might make it harder for new readers to understand all of the world inner workings the focus of the book is so centered on Murtagh and Thorn that the book still reads great as a stand alone book.

Give Murtagh a read and brace yourself to enter into a revamped fantasy world that is mature and ready to supply readers with all the magic and creatures that one could ever desire.