You followed Harry, Ron and Hermione through their epic adventures. As the stack of remaining pages in The Deathly Hallows grew thinner, you read slower, savoring the words (you can only read it for the first time once). Then you turned that bittersweet final page; with mixed feelings you were forced to the finality that your adventures with Harry were at an end. For a few moments, you hope for a prequel; alas J.K. Rowling suggests there will be none. So where do you go? As for me, I jumped into another adventure with another hero. If you loved the Wizarding World as much as I did, you’ll love the land of Alagaesia, crafted by Christopher Paolini in The Inheritance Cycle.
The Inheritance Cycle consists of four books (originally three, before Paolini decided he needed more room). It is an epic tale implementing the Hero’s Journey
, discussed by Joseph Campbell. It bears a similarity to Star Wars, however the purpose of the story is a complex examination of morality, ethics, and the power of self-awareness.
Classic Fantasy uses magic as a plot device (i.e. a way to get from point A to point B without to much explanation). Paolini uses magic more the way Science Fiction writers use technology. After reading Paolini, you cannot escape the philosophy behind his magical system. It is said that great writers tend to straddle genres, true-to-form The Inheritance Cycle could claim a seat in Fantasy, Science Fiction and even Magical Realism.
The first book, Eragon, Paolini wrote it at the age of 15. While critics say his writing was not fully matured until Eldest, you’ll feel your holding the world of a genius in your hands. Eragon is the part of the journey where the hero is in, Campbell’s words, called to adventure
. Precisely following the Hero’s Journey, Eragon originally rejects the call. The first book is a masterful treatment of this human problem. It is appropriately written with a slightly juvenile style, as the hero Eragon is called to give up his youth and become a man.
While no movie can be measured by the standards of a book, the film version of Eragon is a particularly bad example, bordering on travesty.
I cannot adequately treat the second and third books without depriving you of some suspense. I will however tell you that you will be absolutely enchanted by Eldest and Brisingr. Departing slightly from the classic hero, Eragon does not get supernatural help in the normal sense. He becomes supernatural through discipline and hard work. During these times, Paolini weaves a cohesive philosophy into plot. He discusses the relationship between mind, body, and soul. He delves into complex ethical and moral principles. By using a storyteller’s version of Socratic Inquiry, he gives you the sense that you are solving the problems rather than his characters.
Language and Magic
The relationship between magic and language is one of the more creative aspects of The Inheritance Cycle. Throughout the series, Paolini’s use of language is beautiful. His writing style bespeaks his home-schooling and his obvious interest in linguistics. His system of magic is intimately tied to language. There are some specific rules that are important to the story, but the underlying philosophical concept is closer to Magical Realism than to Fantasy.
In The Inheritance Cycle, magic is a power that comes from mental discipline. It is defined variously throughout the story, but most simply it is the manipulation of energy using the power of one’s mind. Magic is however so powerful that untamed by discipline it will likely kill the magic user and others. So a language is developed by which people can learn to control their thoughts and thus control their power. The big idea here is that our ability to use language is directly proportional to our ability to think. This is a very spiritually and linguistically complicated notion. If we are our thoughts and our thoughts are our language, then the purpose of life might be defined as giving people time to develop their own style of language.
Check out this series! The final book isn’t written yet so you are sure to have months to enjoy the world of Alagaesia, crafted my Christopher Paolini. I fully and heartily recommend both the printed and audio versions of these books. The printed books are more of a private experience, but the audiobooks are second-to-none in their production quality. Consider buying the first book or two on audio, and you will be engrossed enough to read the other books; and be exposed to some truly wonderful language and ideas.