Inheritance series (Eragon, Eldest and Brisingr)

I recently finished the three available books in the Inheritance series by Christopher Paolini. I was impressed!

I have to say that I put off reading this series for quite a while. Part of it was my doubts about how a teenager (sorry Paolini) would be able to do at writing such an epic fantasy series. Part of it was all the hype. But, eventually, I decided I needed to see what all the fuss was about.

Well... I was wrong, way wrong. I thoroughly and completely loved the series, and my biggest complaint is that the fourth one is not written yet. All of the characters were alive and real and complex, and not without faults. There were prophecies interwoven neatly that foreshadow future events without spelling out the rest of the story.

There is a love story, but it is (like so many "super hero" romances) not safe to pursue, and thus must not exist. It is not the main storyline, but a side story that is strong enough that you long for more details on how the romance fairs, and a desperate desire to see the characters throw reason aside and end up together anyways.

I was also really pleased with the side story of Roran, Eragon's cousin, and his own journey through Alagaesia with all of its trials and tribulations.

I couldn't decide which story I most wanted to follow, and suffice it to say, I couldn't stop reading the series once I started it.

I must add my slight critique that I thought some elements of the story reminded me of Star Wars and Harry Potter and a few other stories I have read before, but it was not overwhelmingly similar, it was just moments here or there that I thought the story line followed those paths. And if you are going to take elements of another story, it is good to model off of those other very popular franchises.

Out of 5* possible-
***** Overall
***** Hooking me into the story
***** Desire for a sequel
***** How far removed from this world

I give this series the best rating I can give on all of my categories, and I truly hope you will pick it up and read it yourself.

Check out Christopher Paolini's website http://www.alagaesia.com/index.php

The Other Boleyn Girl

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory was the first book I ever read by her. Within a few pages I was completely drawn into the world of England when Henry VIII was on the throne.

You follow the story of the two sisters, Mary and Anne, and each of their involvements with Henry as the story progresses. You feel how they are manipulated by family members to get into a position of power. You follow the extraordinary tale of how a king is willing to completely change the religious system of England so that he can get the girl he wants. And yet, within a few years of finally having this girl he has desired for so long, he is done with her, and has moved onto another love interest. (Since this is historical fiction, I don't think I am spoiling anything here.)

I loved the writing style. I felt that I was learning about history and about each of the characters, but in such a non-obtrusive way that I could have been watching a movie. The story is so unbelievable I kept going to Wikipedia to see if all of these events really took place in the way described by Gregory. I didn't know much about this time period before starting this book, but I was desperate to read more about it by the time the book was over. Lucky for me, she wrote more books.

Out of 5* possible-
***** Overall
***** Hooking me into the story
***** Desire for a sequel
**** How far removed from this world
I only rated it a 4 on the last category because it takes place in England, a few hundred year ago, so compared to other books that are completely removed from present times, it is only a 4.