I am a huge fan of Christopher Paolini's writing and I had been waiting for his third installment for quite some time. Other people have been reviewing the book, but I don't think that's what Amazon.com is for. Amazon.com was extremely quick with the shipment and the books were in perfect condition. I was able to surprise my boyfriend with it the day after I ordered it! Amazon is extremely efficient and I always go to their site to find anything and everything. Thanks again, Amazon!

Yes, it's a brilliant dust jacket - well done! However, the book leaves me sorely wanting - it's like it got past an editor somehow; a proper editor would have slashed this book in half at least. First, let me say, I thought Eragon was great (not the movie), Eldest less so, but still a fine achievement, and kept me satisfyingly on edge for the next one. Brisingr is verbose, long-winded and kind of sappy. You simply start to not care about these characters, which is a deathblow. Pages and pages and pages and pages go by that could have been compressed into far fewer - the Varden's still encamped and STILL getting ready. Sure, that's war, but I don't want such the granular feel of it. I want a story that draws one in - things need to happen for a purpose or get rid of them. This has a lot of Eragon and Saphira pining for each other and Eragon regretting the life he's taken from bugs and shrubs: yes, the concept's nice, but it seems like a self-indulgent melancholy rather than a moral struggle. This book feels rushed perhaps with contract deadlines, or that the writer, such a young brilliant writer, was perhaps pushing his art - Paolini's presence is felt in this one, and decidedly wooden. I respect the effort, but, simply put, this feels like an unfinished manuscript - a river without banks!

I had trouble with the first book (Eragon) getting into it. However, after much time I finally got the good parts of the book. And the movie was disappointing. Eldest was much better I thought, I didn't have too much trouble getting enthralled in it.

With Brisingr I choose the Audiobook version. So far, I've been listening at work for 3 days now and I'm bored to tears. The reader makes Saphira sound, to me, like Yoda on a bad day. This isn't a bad thing since the story is sooo slow, it gives the listener a touch of interest.

I too feel that this book has alot more gore in it. I don't think it's a bad thing as those are really the only parts I can remember from the audiobook. It doesn't feel like anything really happened. And where's the evil emperor. He's mentioned over and over but no sign of him. The other thing I took note of, it seems Eragon spends 90% of his time healing himself or someone else.

This book feels like there is way too much filler, like there was a page quota to be met. I don't recommend the audiobook unless you are having trouble sleeping. And this is really a shame as I was really looking forward to this book. I'm not sure I can finish the Inheritance cycle if this is any indication of the final book.

If you like fantasy, this series is great. Paolini does a wonderful job continuing the story in Brisingr. Obviously, if you like the first two, you have to read this one.

I have to say that the this series is getting worse with every new book. Every weakness of Eragon gets amplified in Eldest, and amplifed more in Brisingr. The writing style is boring. It's too verbose. The characters just talk too much and unnaturally. If Paolini could write this same book in half the number of pages, it would be excellent. It's a book that I just could not read for more than an hour or so. I just had to put it down because the reading was just too boring--too many words (or pages) used for a simple idea. But the story line is the saving grace and is what kept me coming back every couple of days to see how the story progresses. And the cycle repeats: too boring, must put down, then curiosity made me pick it up again some later time. Sometimes I had to resort to skimming through the pages just to get through the boring part.

In short, 4 stars for plot, 1 star for writing.

And it makes me want to go back and re-read The Lord of the Rings one more time (now that's good writing).