Brisingr

by Christopher Paolini

Setting and characters

Brisingr begins about three days after the events in Eldest conclude. It continues the story of the Inheritance Cycle and takes place on the fictional continent of Alagaësia during a struggle for power as the small country Surda and a rebel group called the Varden attempts to overthrow the larger Empire. They are supported mainly by elves, dwarves, and Urgals, but the Empire is populated with large numbers of humans, who far outnumber Surda and its allies. The Inheritance Cycle focuses on the story of a teenage boy named Eragon and his dragon Saphira. Eragon is one of the few remaining Dragon Riders, a group that governed Alagaësia in past times but were almost destroyed by a Rider named Galbatorix, who took control of the land. Galbatorix's greatest fear is that a new Rider will rise up and usurp his position as king of the Empire, Galbatorix's shade, Durza, knows a dragon egg went to the spine, so he sends the Ra-Zac to investigate, causing Eragon to lose his home, and have to flee with a storyteller named Brom.

Brisingr is told in third-person from the perspectives of multiple primary protagonists. These characters include the humans Eragon, Roran, and Nasuada, and the dragons Saphira and Glaedr. The humans Galbatorix and Murtagh return as antagonists, along with Murtagh's dragon, Thorn. The Ra'zac return for a minor antagonist role, and Varaug, a Shade, also appears for a main antagonist role. Many minor characters reprise their roles in Brisingr from previous installments of the Inheritance Cycle, including the elves Arya, Islanzadí, and Oromis; the dwarf Orik; the humans Angela, Katrina and Elva; and the dragon Glaedr.

Plot summary

Brisingr begins as Eragon, Saphira, and Roran travel to Helgrind, the home of the Ra'zac, the creatures that had killed Eragon's uncle, Garrow. There, they rescue Roran's betrothed, Katrina, who was being held prisoner, and kill one of the Ra'zac. Saphira, Roran, and Katrina return to the Varden, while Eragon stays behind to kill the remaining Ra'zac and dole out a suitable punishment to Sloan; Katrina's father who was imprisoned in Helgrind. Eragon successfully slays the Ra'zac, who warn him that Galbatorix has discovered "the name". Eragon condemns Sloan to never meet his daughter again, and arranges for him to travel to Ellesmera, the elven homeland.

Eragon then travels back to the Varden, encountering many oddities along the way, such as a hermit named Tenga. After reuniting with Arya who had come in search of him, he learns more about her past. Once they return to the Varden, Eragon discovers that Katrina is pregnant with Roran's child and a wedding is arranged, which Eragon is to conduct. Just before it begins, a small force of enchanted troops attack alongside Murtagh and his dragon, Thorn. The enchanted soldiers had spells cast on them that removed their ability to feel pain, making them far more effective fighters, albeit vulnerable to beheading. Elven spell-casters aid Eragon and Saphira and cause Murtagh and Thorn to flee back to the Empire, winning the battle. After the fight, Roran marries Katrina. The leader of the Varden, Nasuada, orders Eragon to attend the election of the new dwarf king in the Beor Mountains, while Saphira stays behind to protect the Varden from Murtagh and Thorn. Eragon travels with Nar Garzhvog, Leader of the Urgals to Bergan Hold, ancestral home of the Durmigst Ingentium. After staying for a brief period in Bergan Hold, Eragon heads to Farthen Dur where the new dwarf king is to be elected. Once among the dwarves in Farthen Dur, Eragon is the target of a failed assassination, found to be the work of a dwarf clan, whom the dwarf Orik then forces into exile. Having earned the sympathies of the dwarves, Orik is elected the new king. Saphira journeys to Farthen Dur for Orik's coronation and reconstructs Isidar Mithrim, the star rose which had been destroyed in the battle of Farthen Dur.

After Orik's coronation, Eragon and Saphira journey to the elven capital Ellesméra to learn the secret of Galbatorix's power. There, it is revealed that Eragon's deceased mentor, Brom, was Eragon's father. Glaedr also reveals the source of Galbatorix's power: Eldunari, or heart of hearts. An Eldunarí allows the holder to communicate with or draw energy from the dragon it belongs to, even if the dragon is deceased, or a great distance away. Galbatorix spent years collecting Eldunari, and forcing the deceased dragons to channel their energy to him. After some training, Eragon visits Rhunön, the elven blacksmith who forges swords for Riders. Rhunön refuses to forge Eragon a new sword, due to her oath to never create a weapon again, and due to having depleted her stocks of the required metal. By deciphering the werecat Solembum's instructions, Eragon is able to acquire the metal from under the roots of the Menoa Tree. Rhunön forges him a sword by controlling Eragon's body, and he names it "Brisingr." As Eragon's body itself forged the sword, a special bond between the sword and Eragon makes the sword burst into flames whenever Eragon utters its name.

Before Eragon and Saphira depart for the Varden, Oromis says that the time has come for him and Glaedr to openly oppose the Empire in combat alongside Islanzadí. Thus, Glaedr gives his own Eldunari to Eragon. If anything should happen to Glaedr, Eragon would still be able to get advice from him. Glaedr and Oromis fly to Gil'ead, while Eragon and Saphira fly to Feinster, the city that the Varden are laying siege to.

Meanwhile, Roran is sent on various missions as part of the military force of the Varden. One of the targets is a convoy of supply wagons guarded by enchanted soldiers that can't feel pain. The unit suffers extreme casualties, and the commander Martland Redbeard is replaced after losing his hand. During a mission to attack a large enemy force raiding a village, plans made by the new commander, Captain Edric almost cause the operation to fail, but Roran gives new orders and kills one hundred and ninety-three enemy soldiers by himself, leading the Varden to victory. Despite saving the mission, Roran is charged with insubordination and is flogged as a punishment. After the public whipping, Nasuada promotes Roran to commander and sends his unit on a mission. He leaves in command of a group of both men and Urgals to enforce the idea of men and Urgals working together. When an Urgal, Yarbog, challenges Roran for leadership of the unit, he wrestles the Urgal and forces him to submit. After returning to the Varden, his squad joins the siege of Feinster. As the siege begins, Eragon rescues Arya and departs to find the leader of the city, but discovers three magicians are attempting to create a Shade. While racing to kill the magicians, Eragon has a vision through Glaedr's Eldunarí showing Oromis and Murtagh fighting. Murtagh is using power of several Eldunari, and Glaedr and Thorn fight in the sky. Soon Glaedr is badly wounded. In the midst of the fighting, Galbatorix possesses Murtagh and tries to lure Oromis to his side: when he fails, and after Oromis suffers a seizure, Galbatorix uses Murtagh to kill him. Glaedr, in grief, is then also killed. After the vision, the magicians have managed to create the Shade Varaug. Eragon and Arya fight desperately to slay Varaug. Eragon then distracts Varaug by battling him through the mind, which Arya takes advantage of by stabbing Varaug in the heart. After the successful siege, Nasuada tells Eragon the Varden's plans for invading the Empire.