Spoilers for The Inheritance Cycle!
more Eragon trivia! now with style! again, this stuff most likely is in the inheriwiki
Eragon and Saphira
Understandably for a dragon, Saphira thinks it a terrible fate to be unable to fly (Eldest, pg 206)
Saphira has a triangular head (Eldest, pg 210)
Eragon promised to help Saphira search for dragons outside of Alagaesia (Eldest, pg 217).
Eragon’s sense of identity was closely linked to the condition of his body (Eldest, pg 256)
Saphira was naturally suited to the sky (Eldest, pg 277)
Eragon thought that things that change and are lost were worth preserving (Eldest, pg 382)
Eragon possessed the talent to judge with near-perfect precision how much strength a task required and whether it would exceed that of his body (Eldest, pg 390)
Eragon felt most comfortable alone or in small groups (Inheritance, pg 427)
Saphira admired hawks more for their hunting prowess than for their appearance. Hawks reminded Eragon of Saphira (Inheritance, pg 427)
Eragon thought it a blinkered existence to have one’s whole world bound by the limits of their sight (Inheritance, pg 428)
Flying made it difficult for Saphira to concentrate on anything else (Inheritance, pg 431)
Eating a large meal while riding Saphira often made Eragon queasy (Inheritance, pg 466)
Eragon felt that “his sort of life” was not meant to venture to the bottom of the sea (Inheritance, pg 466)
Eragon thought it was possible to be level with the moon and the stars. Likewise, he also thought that shooting stars were made when birds or dragons or some other earthly creature were snatched up by the wind and thrown skyward with such speed that they flamed (Inheritance, pg 477)
Saphira would trust the word of a werecat before that of any other creature (Inheritance, pg 532)
Du Weldenvarden / The Elves
Among the elves, it is rude to pry into one’s affairs (Eldest, pg 203)
there is a species of moss that feels like rabbit fur in Du Weldenvarden (Eldest, pg 206)
Du Weldenvarden has many mysteries and dangers, especially for a Dragon Rider (Eldest pg 208)
If not for the elves, Eragon knew that he could wander in Du Weldenvarden for the rest of his life without ever finding a way out (Eldest, pg 219)
Eragon felt as if Queen Islanzadí knew everything that he might say or do (Eldest, pg 228)
what elves didnt say was often more important than what they did say (Eldest, pg 234)
As stated by Oromis, it was Queen Islanzadí’s duty to scry the land (Eldest, pg 268). It is likely that it was the duty of the sitting elven monarch to scry the land for news regarding Alagaesia’s current state
Very little exists that an elf must strive for (Eldest, pg 300)
Rhunon has blunt fingernails (Eldest, pg 302)
Rhunon seemed to dislike brown-colored dragons, as their muddy and dark colors likely translated poorly into their Rider’s sword (Eldest, pg 302)
An elf named Ladin likely theorized that a vacuum existed (Eldest, pg 317)
Oromis had a customary expression of impassive reserve (Eldest, pg 358)
The elves have texts on geography, biology, anatomy, philosophy, and mathematics, as well as memoirs, biographies, and histories. They challenged Eragon’s beliefs and forced him to reexamine his assumptions about everything from the rights of an individual within a society to what caused the sun to move across the sky (Eldest, pg 391)
There are crumbling ruins in Du Weldenvarden (Eldest, pg 393)
The machinations of the elves were subtle and allowed little room for errors (Eldest, pg 397)
Elves have concerts held under thatched pines (Eldest, pg 453)
Arya had always wanted to visit the home of the Riders (Inheritance, pg 397)
Oromis believed that the whole of the world could be deduced from the smallest grain of sand if one studied it closely enough (Inheritance, pg 429)
The elves made it impossible for anything or anyone to enter Du Weldenvarden by means of magic; thus, a dragon trying to enter the forest by flight would fall from the sky (Brisingr, pg 583)
The Menoa Tree
The Menoa Tree’s mind was so large and alien and so intertwined with the forest that she did not need to defend herself against mental attacks (Brisingr, pg 654)
It is implied that the Tree controls, at least, a large swath of Du Weldenvarden (Brisingr, pg 654)
The Tree knows every creature that lives in Du Weldenvarden (Brisingr, pg 658)
Carvahall / The Humans
There is a mountain in the Spine known as Narnmor (Eldest, pg 182)
the oldest man in Carvahall is Svart, the uncle of Ivor; he is nearly 60 years (Eldest, pg 182)
Carvahall has never had a beggar before (Eldest, pg 190)
silver, linens, lace, and many other things needed for a well-run home are passed down from mother to daughter. this tradition began from the day Palancar and his people first settled Alagaesia and it determines a woman’s worth (Eldest, ph 191)
Roran had never seen a map of Alagaesia (Eldest, pg 246)
Roran considered Galbatorix an unnatural blight upon the world (Eldest, pg 250)
In Carvahall, custom tools formed a legacy that was bequeathed from father to son, or from master to jouneyman, and that these tools were a measure of a smith’s wealth and skills (Eldest, pg 252-253)
Humans often made casually cruel remarks (Eldest, pg 282)
Nasuada felt uncomfortable whenever she had to interact with magic users (Eldest, pg 325)
Nasuada believed in and prayed to a goddess named Gokukara, who is implied to be owl-themed as Nasuada referred to herself as Gokukara’s “owlet” (Inheritance, pg 405)
Pride and vanity were weak points Nasuada could exploit, as she was skilled at bending others to her will (Inheritance, pg 416)
Dwarves
The dwarves lost an entire clan to Galbatorix’s uprising (Eldest, pg 200)
Orik was dense, like a miniature boulder (Eldest, pg 366)
Ra’zac
The Ra’zac bow to the Lethrblaka (Eldest, pg 198), who are their parents and adult form (Eldest, pg 380)
The Ra’zac have a morbid fear of deep water, as they cannot swim (Eldest, pg 380)
Their breath fogs the minds of humans, incapacitating many, though the dwarves were not as heavily effected, and the elves were immune altogether (Eldest, pg 380)
The Dragon Riders
the Dragon Riders were supposed to guard against the failings of the different governments and races, but no one existed to point out the flaws within the Dragon Riders’ own system, which caused their downfall (Eldest, pg 202)
It was an essential lesson of the Dragon Riders for one to be aware of all things equally and not blinker themselves in order to concentrate on a particular subject (Eldest, pg 292)
Dragons learned how to identify and avoid dangerous weather patterns (Eldest, pg 298). There are three rules to spotting downdrafts and five rules for escaping them (Eldest, pg 296), which the reader never learns
The most basic lesson for the Dragon Riders was to share everything with one’s partner (Eldest, pg 297)
There are secrets reserved for the wisest of the Dragon Riders, such as killing with no more energy than moving one’s finger, the method by which one can instantaneously transport an item from one point to another, a spell that will allow for one to identify poisons in their food and drink, a variation on scrying that allows one to hear as well as to see, how to draw energy from one’s surroundings and thus preserve one’s own strength, and how to maximize one’s strength in every possible way (Eldest, pg 353-354)
There was a proper way to control various forms of energy, such as light, heat, electricity, and even gravity (Eldest, pg 375) These, and even magnetism, were considered great energies (Eldest, pg 390)
Bonded dragons had a strenuous exercise regimen, such as hovering in the air while holding a boulder, sprints, dives, and other acrobatics, and breathing fire for as long as possible onto a natural stone pillar in an attempt to melt the stone and to increase endurance (Eldest, pg 392)
It is the duty of an elder dragon to ensure that the newest generation of Riders understands the true importance of the station they have assumed (Eldest, pg 437)
Galbatorix was not the first Dragon Rider to go mad, but he was the first to gain a follower (Inheritance, pg 432)
Some of the Forsworn believed that, by virtue of power, the dragons and the Riders deserved to rule over Alagaesia (Inheritance, pg 432)
In times of famine, the Dragon Riders brought food to the starving (Inheritance, pg 443)
The Dragons
Dragon scales were translucent (Eldest, pg 302), meaning that the scales allowed light to pass completely through
It is likely that wild dragons “named” themselves after body parts such as teeth, significant events of their life such as fights won and lost as well as eggs conceived and hatchlings grown to maturity, and favored prey (Eldest, pg 437)
Dragons use their tongues to direct their streams of fire (Eldest, pg 438)
Glaedr states that dragons remain in their eggs indefinitely (Eldest, pg 438) but Umaroth warns that dragons cannot stay in their eggs for too long or else their minds will become twisted and strange (Inheritance, pg 562). Umaroth most likely warns so because there is a spell over the hatchlings which “slows their bodies”
Glaedr--and through him, the dragons, the Riders, and the elves--believed that, when the flesh is destroyed, so is the soul (Eldest, pg 440)
On the Stone of Broken Eggs are a number of “dull, colorless scales” (Eldest, pg 448). It is possible that, when a dragon loses a scale, the scale becomes dull and colorless.
Dragons have imbricated scales (Eldest, pg 461), meaning that their scales overlap one another
Dragons can lick molten rock (Eldest, pg 465)
Although the only two examples came from Glaedr and Saphira during the Blood-Oath Celebration, is it clear that dragons possess a great potential for art (Eldest, pg 464-465)
The Spectral Dragon “anointed [Eragon] with what skill we dragons possess,” so it can be assumed that dragons (and the elves) live in a state of “heightened awareness,” such as seeing perfectly well in the dark; being highly sensitive to touch (Eragon could count the number of hairs on a leaf by feel); being able to identify a multitude of odors; hearing even the smallest of animals in the underbrush, hearing the noise a flake of bark makes when it falls to the earth, hearing the beat of their own heart; following an object of interest though the disturbance of their wake in the air; and having extremely sensitive eyes (Eldest, pgs 470-472)
It is implied that dragons have an impeccable sense of direction, as Saphira never seemed to lose her bearing, not even on a starless night or when deep underground (Inheritance, pg 430)
There was at least one instance where a dragon’s connection to their Eldunari was severed, thus creating two independent versions of that dragon (the dragon itself, and the mind within the heart-of-hearts) (Inheritance, pg 435)
Saphira hummed when she was pleased or amused (Inheritance, pg 440-441) so it can be assumed that this was a trait all dragons shared
It is implied that a female dragon carrying fully-developed eggs could wait to lay them (Inheritance, 559)
Dragon eggs need warmth to be comfortable (Inheritance, 560)
If a dragon disgorges their Eldunari too young and later dies, their minds will be “limited” by the size of their Eldunari (Inheritance, pg 564)
Bonded or wild, dragons communicated with one another using images, feelings, and impressions of people and objects (Brisingr, pg 205). Eragon does not consider it a recognizable language
Dragons have incredible eyesight, as from thousands of feet high Saphira could count the number of feathers on the back of a chicken hawk that as skimming a field; she could see a rabbit dash to its warren and she could see a small herd of deer cowering under the branches of a currant bush (Brisingr, pg 459)
Dragons also have sensitive ears, as from thousands of feet high Saphira could hear the warning calls of the animals reacting to her presence (Brisingr, pg 459)
Dragons rely not only upon their bodies but upon their magic to fly (Brisingr, pg 583).
Magic
Stated by Oromis, magic is the art of thinking, and that magic relies on a disciplined intellect (Eldest, pg 353)
An absolute was a spell worded in such a way that only two outcomes were possible: success or death (Eldest, pg 357)
Other
Alagaesia has lodestones (Inheritance, pg 417) which are naturally magnetized pieces of magnetite
It is subtly implied that gods exist in the Alagaesian canon, as a man in the Varden who was blinded and had a vision was not only able to accurately state that Eragon had twelve “stars” around his waist (the Belt of Beloth had twelve gems full of energy) and had a “star” in his right hand (Aren), but also that Murtagh had multiple, hateful, non-human “others” with him (enslaved Eldunarya) (Brisingr, pg 351)
Galbatorix
Galbatorix believed Nasuada was dangerous in a way the others were not (Inheritance, pg 422)
Galbatorix chose his servants only from those who were barren and unwed, as he believed that families made it easier for people to change their true names (Inheritance, pg 443)
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Thoughts on Murtagh by Christopher Paolini
Thoughts on Murtagh by Christopher Paolini
First read of the year! I will mostly keep this spoiler free, but do read on with caution if you are wanting to approach this story tabula rasa.
As you read my criticisms below please keep this in your mind: I never once put the book down for very long. I came in to this story already deeply invested in the characters, and I enjoyed seeing them again after all of these years. I had to force myself to wait until the new year rang in so I could have it as my first read of 2024.
Honestly, I never thought I'd visit Alagaësia again. With Inheritance wrapping up Eragon's main story back in 2011, I had more or less left the land and its peoples behind. Even after finding out about The Fork, The Witch, and The Worm (a few years after the fact), I just never quite got around to it. I had loved the series growing up. Without Eragon casually sitting on an endcap in the Covington, Louisiana Walmart, there is no telling how much longer it would have taken me to enjoy reading. Without JJP's gorgeous portrait of Sapphira, I don't know if I would have fallen in love with stories and imaginative worlds in quite the same way. Looking back on my life, a life that has almost exclusively revolved around stories and the various arts to make them, my mom agreeing to buy the book during our grocery trip (with the promise that I would read my AR book for school first) was one of the most critical moments in my life, echoing 20~ years into the future.
All of that to say, I approached this book with a little bit of history and baggage. In the summer of 2016, in a group job interview at Books-a-Million in Mobile, Alabama my pleasant memories were a little spoiled by the assistant manager pointing out the deep similarities in characters and story beats between The Inheritance Cycle and Star Wars. This feeling was then sharpened some with mixed (but ultimately favorable reaction to Paolini's foray in sci-fi, To Sleep in a Sea of Stars (2020, Tor/Macmillan Publishers).
I didn't know how I wanted to jump back in this world. Did I want to go back to the beginning? Maybe just gloss over a few key chapters or perhaps just revisiting Brisingr and Inheritance as a refresher? Following the advice of several Redditors (I know, I know, but what's a guy to do?) I decided to read the short story collection first. It reacquainted me with both the world and Paolini's writing style. A literary aperitif, if you will, as opposed to trying to digest the first four books again which would have worn me out, and, I think, ruined the experience of Murtagh for me.
Because: it wasn't all that great. It was good, make no mistake, but held up to the shining splendor of second grade nostalgia (something I could not avoid no matter how hard I tried), there were a few lackluster facets. It wasn't at all terrible, or bad in any way, but parts felt a little like an unpolished gem. Repetitive and long. I don't mind slow burns or even slower variations of a single theme, but this book could have been shorter by a few thousand words. The "will we or won't we stay" debate and the succeeding chapters of our heroes' torture and brain washing went on for quite a few hours of reading. And none of it could be skimmed through because there were occasional details of import to the plot or emotional arc. It's probably the more egregious violation of "show, don't tell" that Paolini has committed so far (at least in my distanced memory).
An that's part of the tragedy of returning to a favorite childhood world. In Murtagh, we have this great set up to explore a tale of personal trauma and the butterfly effects of the first four books' main character. We get to walk in the shoes (fly in the claws? wings?) of someone who had the worst ending. Hated or misunderstood or both by virtually everyone in the Empire and its enemies, Murtagh's poverty is a chance to see the original story in an outsider-looking-in context. We get see the shadows cast by the light of a heroic victor, the dark places under rocks and fallen logs that are uncomfortable to look at, while slowly building into what will be a fantasy tale with an eldritch horror bent. The climax of the tale gives us a beautiful inversion of the hero's tale with an almost literal descent into hell. It's enough fun that the reader can ignore the the derivative strain that runs through much of Paolini's work.
But. We are not quite pricked as sharply as we could be. What could be the full effect of the story is just out of reach beyond a glass wall of just a few too many descriptions and details.
As I said at the start, I still had a lot of fun. I wasn't looking for a life changing literary experience and was able to enjoy it as such. Will happily be buying the sequels other one off tales whenever they come out.
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