Welcome Back To Alagaesia And The Tale Of MURTAGH
Murtagh (The Inheritance Cycle #5)
Written by Christopher Paolini
Published by Alfred A. Knopf
November 7, 2023
Hardcover, 665 pgs.
I’ve finally read Christopher Paolini‘s fifth book in the Inheritance Cycle, Murtagh. If you’ll recall, I attended his book signing last November here in Kansas City. We listen to him speak and then I got to have him sign the copy of my book. When it was my turn, I told him I felt his previous book, Fractal Noise, was his best book yet. I gushed over it in my review, the very adult themes and the style of the writing. I felt it was a very good show of how he has grown as an author. A lot of people know him for his high fantasy writing of The Inheritance Cycle, yet in my opinion his dive into science fiction is better. I know it can be argued that he’s had time to grow since writing Eragon at the age of 19. When I told him this, he looked surprised and asked me if I had read Murtagh yet. I’m guessing he figured I’d change my mind after. So, Mindy, have you changed your mind over which is his better book, Murtagh or Fractal Noise? Well, let’s take a look.
For a small recap: Murtagh was in the first four The Inheritance Cycle books. He started as a friend and ally to Eragon. But then we learn who he really is, the son of one of the evil king’s foresworn riders, Morzan. That’s enough for others to hate him. He’s learned to accept it while trying to also prove he’s not his father. He’s kidnapped and sent back to the evil king, Galbatorix, where he’s forced to swear loyalty to him in the ancient language, which if broken would bring about his death. During this time a dragon egg hatches for him and he is bound to Thorn. They’re forced to fight Eragon and do unimaginable things.
Fast forward to the final book, Inheritance. Murtagh and Thorn redeemed themselves once the oath to Galbatorix is broken with his death, but only a few know this. He’s given the option to help Eragon in protecting and training future riders and dragons or staying within the newly established kingdom under Nasuada, though that would require swearing an oath of fealty because he can use magic. Murtagh and Thorn refuse to swear to anyone ever again and leave, to be just a rider and dragon, free of ties to anybody.
I’m not sure how many people thought about Murtagh after the fourth book. I figured if we got another book, it’d be about Eragon, Saphira, Arya, and her dragon, Firnen. Paolini released The Fork, The Witch, and The Worm seven years after Inheritance. That’s a side book with stories from Alagaesia. To our surprise, Murtagh appeared under an assumed name in one of the stories. And to our great joy, Paolini released Murtagh five years later (with more added to Murtagh’s story in The Fork).
In the afterword and acknowledgment, Paolini says that although Murtagh acts as a standalone entry into the Inheritance universe it’s obvious some storylines are not finished. He reassures us that it’s on purpose, but he can’t reveal his plans yet and has more to write in Alagaesia.
With that said now I’ll get into the book.
It’s been nearly a year since the end of Inheritance, the war, and Galbatorix’s death. Murtagh and Thorn have been traveling Alagaesia hiding their true identities since they’ve been labeled as outcasts by society. When Eragon and the Eldunari left Alagaesia, Murtagh was warned of certain places to avoid, places that had dark secrets even dragons were afraid of. However, during his travels he realized something evil was lurking in the land and began to search for a mysterious witch.
He receives the help of a werecat that leads him to Bachel, a witch who leads a cult. She uses dreams to make her followers believe they’re living in an ideal society. But when Murtagh tries getting information on “how” she manipulates their dreams, he never receives a straight answer. Things eventually take a turn for the worse for him and Thorn, but I’m not going to give any spoilers on that. Just know that it leads to an unlikely brotherhood for Murtagh and he proves he’s a man of his word despite what the people of Alagaesia may think of him. The story leaves Murtagh with hope for his future. However, it leaves the reader hanging.
Overall, the story is good enough. In the end we have a better understanding of who Murtagh and Thorn are by learning about their history. The first four books were focused on Eragon and Saphira. We got some glimpses of Murtagh’s past but since this book is told from his point of view, it allows us to truly understand the horror that they suffered under Galbatorix. You get to see how much good is in him regardless of what Galbatorix made him and Thorn do. We get a better understanding of his relationship with Tornac, the swordsman trainer who became a father figure. His love and compassion toward Murtagh and the respect Murtagh had in return shaped him. It helped him keep a strong will against the king.
Paolini does well stirring up sympathetic feelings for Murtagh. However, I think that’s where some of my praise for the book stops. I feel like the book was written very similarly to a World of Warcraft quest: this is your quest, look for the NPC with the exclamation point for instructions, do the quest, and return to NPC. I think that’s a good way to describe how the book is broken out. For instance, while Murtagh is in his old home city of Gil’ead, he is sought out by the werecat named Carabel. She was just as puzzling as Solembum was in the four Eragon books. Her trade for information on the witch is to send Murtagh on several mini-quests. Yes, the payoff was okay and he learned other information along the way that was somewhat useful later, but after spending the first section of the book traveling from location to location for too long, this was almost as equally painful.
Murtagh finally finds the witch Bachel. She claims she’s the speaker for an entity we never visually see, just the smoke around it. She never answers any questions from Murtagh, about herself, who she serves, just riddles that create more questions. It’s frustrating to him and the reader both. I understand it’s meant to keep us curious for the future stories from Alagaesia. One of the Eldunari, Umaroth, did warn Murtagh and Thorn to stay away from the area where Bachel and her cult live. The creature for whom the witch claims to be the speaker appears to be what the dragons fear but it’s never made clear what it is. We only find out that through Bachel, this creature manipulates the dreams of the people to control them and believe in the life they’re made to live is right.
Paolini’s description of Bachel’s actions towards Murtagh were enough to move the story along and build a hatred toward her. I also feel it’s a generic scratch of the surface and more could have been done to better drive it home how demonic she was. Especially in her actions against Murtagh’s mind and his dreams. His mental battle with her was interesting, creating more hatred towards her but again, just scratching the surface. The extent of her powers are never fully explained. She may be able to enter Murtagh’s mind to do battle, but she also needs to use potions to control people, not magic. Murtagh realizes she can use it but doesn’t have the skill or discipline of the ancient language to control it. We only know that she can overpower to a point, but not enough to overtake Murtagh in the very end.
There is one character introduced that I wish we had had more time with. While Murtagh was a prisoner, he met Uvek, an Urgal shaman who has been Bachel’s prisoner for years. He had been found living alone, having left his tribe to live only with nature. In the Eragon books, we learned that the relationship between humans and Urgals weren’t good, but they joined together to defeat Galbatorix. Uvek isn’t like the other Urgals, who are a warrior race. He’s more at peace and happiest alone with nature. His simpler contentment with life leads to a bond with Murtagh. They both need each other’s help, respect, and trust if they want any hope of escaping the witch. I enjoyed Uvek’s storytelling. He used it as a way to help keep Murtagh awake from the witch’s dreams and keep his mind sane against her torture. I would’ve liked to have more. I know that we always joke about everyone one getting a spinoff these days, but I can honestly say this one would be welcome.
Overall, I feel the book was choppy and I’ll refer back to my previous World of Warcraft reference. There were too many long and unnecessary periods of time flying or running between locations, making it hard to get into the book because I felt all we were doing was traveling. Obviously it eventually picked up but it was not an easy start. When I originally read the first books, I couldn’t put them down and in the back of my mind was “I have to go read.” I did not feel that draw with this book. That time spent traveling could have maybe been used to massage other areas of the story that needed more expansion.
For those who are a fan of The Inheritance Cycle I do recommend the book because we are back in the Eragon sandbox. Plus we get a chance to see how the years have treated Paolini as a writer. He has grown since but I think his landing was rougher that expected. And it’s fine, it has been a while since he was in Alagaesia.
Do I think that it’s better than Fractal Noise?
No.
When I told Christopher Paolini that I thought Fractal Noise was his best book, he asked me if I had read Murtagh yet. I said I would get to it and now I can answer him: I have read Murtagh and I still stand by my statement that Fractal Noise is his best book to date. Maybe it’s the more adult themes in that book that are not in Murtagh. While Murtagh is a fine fantasy story that gives better insight to who Murtagh and Thorn are, the high fantasy story is not at the same intellectual level. It’s good for passing the time and I’m glad I got to go back to Alagaesia, but it doesn’t leave me trying to critically break down the underlying themes like Fractal Noise.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’ll continue on my journey with The Inheritance Cycle as long as Paolini keeps writing the books for it. But now that I’ve seen what a great writer he can be outside that sandbox, my expectations for future Inheritance universe books will be only for his storytelling and imagination, not for critical thinking and analyzing. He could bring that to Alagaesia, but I think it would possibly ruin the beauty of it.
I still have a lot of respect for him, what he has done, and where he’s going. But I believe that he has two paths in front of him. It will be interesting to see if he goes with a more leisure imagery that he gets with his high fantasy or a more critical thought imagery that I’ve found in his science fiction.
So to you Mr. Paolini, thank you for bringing us back into the world of Eragon and I do look forward to having more from you. However, “thump thump“ Fractal Noise is still your best book.
