In the second-to-last book of the Inheritance cycle, the Varden army is drawing nearer to the heart of Alagaesia, subjugating cities and marching toward Urubaen for the final battle. Eragon knows he can’t match Galbatorix with his powers and cannot find a way to slay him. Moreover, Eragon’s lost friend Murtagh is alive and a dragon egg has hatched for him. Due to dark magic and Galbatorix’s enslavement, Murtagh has no choice but to fight Eragon. Fortunately, Eragon is not entirely alone. One last dragon and a rider survived the king’s mad raging a century ago and found sanctuary with the Elves. They both have been crippled in the war and cannot fight to their full capacity but have decided to stop hiding. There’s a little sparkle of hope because their ancient knowledge has revealed a secret that might help defeat the king.
By the end of third book the plot is getting darker and it starts getting complicated. There’s a lot of information to absorb and the story line jumps from one character to another. This narrative technique can be a bit overwhelming and I had to take longer breaks from reading. There’s a lot of backstory to keep the story going for ages but it doesn’t lose suspense and keeps escalating. As we reach the final book a pretty dark and grim end full of sacrifices is to be expected.
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