An Open Letter to Christopher Paolini

A little over a week ago I was in search of a book to read. While perusing the books in my daughter's collection (she has a habit of buying books above her reading level) I chanced upon a rather thick one titled Eragon.

Now, I had heard a little bit about the book (and the movie) and not all of it was good. I had heard that the book was a mediocre knock-off of Star Wars. With somewhat low expectations I borrowed the book and began to read it.

In the beginning I noticed many similarities between the two stories. Brom played the part of Obi Wan while Eragon was the moisture farmer from a backwoods area of the Empire. Agents of the rebellion sent a very important item into Eragon's possession and soon after Eragon's uncle was killed by members of the Empire who went searching for it.

Though Brom never mentioned fighting alongside Eragon's father in the Clone Dragon Wars he did provide Eragon with a light saber magical sword that could cut through anything. Even though there were many other parallels to Star Wars I found that the book soon found its own path and began to get better. In fact once you get about half way through the book you can clearly see that the author has matured somewhat in his writing. In fact the second two books almost feel as if they were written by a different author due to the vast improvement in writing skill.

I ended up finishing Eragon in about three days and went out and purchased Eldest in hard cover. If I had known it was out in softcover I would have purchased that version but such is life.

I completed reading Eldest in about four days. I considered myself lucky because the third book in the trilogy had just been published. Nothing annoys me more than getting into a good book and having to wait years for the next installment (I'm talking to you J.K. Rawlings!) You can imagine my surprise after reaching the end of Brisingr.

What was published as a trilogy has now become a cycle. That's right, I now have to wait (who knows how many) years before the story will (hopefully) draw to its conclusion in the fourth book of the trilogy.

I did not complain when the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy grew beyond a trilogy but that was different situation. In the case of Hitchhiker's the story had already come to a satisfying conclusion and Douglas Adams added some desert. Such is not the case with the Inheritance trilogy cycle.

I began reading the Inheritance trilogy safe in the knowledge that, if I liked it, I would be able to read all three books and not have to wait for years for the story to conclude. Instead I must now wait an unspecified amount of time for this story to conclude.

much as I have enjoyed reading the last two books in the series (you have no idea how happy I was to see the writing improve) I would have preferred if the series was never referred to as a trilogy. All stories need a clear beginning, middle and end as well as an outline. As a writer of middling skill myself I understand that sometimes the story can get away from the author as characters begin to take on a life of their own. Carefully laid out plots can quickly go awry when the author realizes that characters have acquired more dimensions. I have found very little real fluff in the series that should be cut in the interests of making the story fit into three books.

I just had to vent. I was hoping to reach a satisfying conclusion when I finished reading the third book today. When I opened Brisingr I did not jump to the back of the book to see how it ends so I was very much surprised to reach the end only to be told that the story would conclude in the fourth book. I can't say I was completely waylaid by the author because as I reached the halfway point of the story and certain plot elements had not been addressed I acquired a sinking feeling that either the ending would leave me empty or there would be another book.

I also have to place a little bit of blame on the young woman at the bookstore. I asked her if she had read it and she told me that she had. I asked her if everything was wrapped up and if the story had left room for a fourth book. She was rather coy in her answer but she never mentioned that there would definitely be a fourth book.

There. That is all I have to say.