Jump to content

Brisingr

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Theleftorium (talk | contribs) at 13:23, 22 July 2009 (added caption and fixed images). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Brisingr
The English cover of Brisingr, featuring the the golden dragon Glaedr
AuthorChristopher Paolini
IllustratorJohn Jude Palencar
Cover artistJohn Jude Palencar
LanguageEnglish
SeriesInheritance Cycle
GenreYoung adult literature, high Fantasy
PublisherAlfred A. Knopf
Publication date
September 20, 2008
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (Hardcover and Paperback) and audio-CD
Pages748
Preceded byEldest 
Followed byBook 4 (Unknown title) 

Brisingr or The Seven Promises of Eragon Shadeslayer and Saphira Bjartskular is the third book in the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini. It was released in the United States and other English-speaking countries on September 20, 2008. Originally, the novel was intended to be the last in the Inheritance Cycle, but this changed when Paolini decided that the series was too complex to conclude in one book. A deluxe edition of Brisingr, which will include removed scenes and previously unseen art, is scheduled to be released on October 13, 2009.

Brisingr focuses on the story of Eragon and his dragon Saphira as they continue their quest to overthrow the corrupt ruler of the Empire, Galbatorix. Eragon is one of the last remaining Dragon Riders, a group who governed the fictional continent of Alagaësia, where the series takes place. Brisingr begins almost immediately after the preceding novel Eldest concludes.

Published by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, the book sold 550,000 copies on its first day of sale, a record for a Random House children's book.[1] The novel debuted at number one on USA Today's top 150 bestsellers list. Reviewers criticized the book for its length, while commenting on Paolini's growing maturity in his treatment of characters.

Plot synopsis

Setting and characters

Main articles: List of the Inheritance Cycle characters and Alagaësia

Brisingr begins about four 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 attempts to overthrow the larger Empire. Surda is supported militarily by elves, dwarves, Urgals, and a rebel organization known as the Varden, 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 who 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, so when he finds out about Eragon and his dragon, he sends his servants after them in an effort to capture them. Eragon and Saphira are forced to flee from their home, and decide to join the Varden.

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

Plot summary

Main article: Synopsis of the Inheritance Cycle

Brisingr begins as Eragon, Saphira, and Roran travel to Helgrind, the sanctuary of the Ra'zac. 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 before heading back to the Varden by himself. Once he returns, 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. Elven spell-casters aid Eragon and Saphira and cause Murtagh and Thorn to flee, winning the battle. After the fight, Roran marries Katrina. The leader of the Varden, Nasuada, then orders Eragon to attend the election of the new dwarf king in the Beor Mountains. Once among the dwarves, Eragon is the target of a failed assassination, found to be the work of the dwarf clan Az Sweldn rak Anhûin, whom the dwarf Orik then forces into exile. Having earned the sympathies of the dwarves, Orik is elected the new king.

After Orik's coronation, Eragon and Saphira return to the elven capital Ellesméra to train. There, the elf Oromis and his dragon Glaedr reveal that Eragon's deceased mentor, Brom, is Eragon's father. Glaedr also reveals the source of Galbatorix's power: Eldunarya,[2] or heart of hearts. While not a dragon's actual heart, an Eldunarí allows the holder to communicate with or draw energy from the dragon it belongs to, even if the dragon is deceased. Galbatorix spent years collecting Eldunarya, and forcing the deceased dragons to channel their energy to him through their Eldunarí. After training, Eragon visits an Elven blacksmith, Rhunön, who helps Eragon forge a Rider sword. Before Eragon and Saphira depart to the Varden, Oromis says that the time has come for him and Glaedr to openly oppose the Empire in combat alongside the queen of the elves, Islanzadí. Thus, Glaedr gives his Eldunarí to Eragon before they part.

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. The unit suffers extreme casualties, and the commander is replaced after losing his hand. During a mission to take back a Surdan city, plans made by the new commander almost cause the operation to fail, but Roran gives new orders. 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 his squad returns to the Varden, they join the siege of Feinster, a city in the Empire. As the siege begins, Eragon and the elf Arya depart to find the leader of the city, but discover that 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. After Oromis suffers a seizure, Murtagh kills him and Glaedr is killed shortly after. After the vision, the magicians have managed to create the Shade Varaug, whom Arya kills. After the successful siege, Nasuada tells Eragon the Varden's plans for invading the Empire.

Background

Writing

The first two books in the Inheritance Cycle, Eragon and Eldest, sold over fifteen million copies worldwide together. Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children's Books and the publisher of the books, prepared Brisingr's release by printing 2.5 million copies in advance, Random House's biggest initial print run of a children's book. Paolini said he tried not to dwell on the expectations surrounding Brisingr, stating that "As an author, I found that I can't really allow myself to think about those things. I actually fell into that trap with the first part of Brisingr. I sat there and I started obsessing about every single word."[3] He turned away from his computer to get it off his back and began writing on parchment paper instead. His mother transcribed the pages to a computer document afterwards.[3]

Unlike Eragon, Brisingr features multiple points of views. Parts of the story are told through Saphira's point of view for the first time in the series. Paolini based the dragon's behavior and attitude on the pets and animals he grew up around, particularly his pet cats: "I thought a dragon would be like a cat in some ways, that same sort of self-satisfied attitude."[3] He added that it was challenging to depict scenes from the standpoint of a dragon, but he enjoyed doing it because Saphira "has so many interesting thoughts and opinions."[4]

The Ancient Language used by the elves in the Inheritance Cycle is partly based on Old Norse. The word "brisingr" is an ancient Old Norse word meaning "fire", which Paolini found while reading through a dictionary of word origins. Paolini said he "loved it so much, he decided to base the rest of [the Ancient Language] on Old Norse. To find more words, I went online and dug up dictionaries and guides to the language. I invented more words based on what I learned and then formed a system of grammar and a pronunciation guide to fit my world. Developing this has probably been the most difficult part of writing the books."[5] The languages used by the dwarves and Urgals in the book were created from scratch by Paolini.[5]

When asked by Sci Fi Wire what kind of challenges he faced while writing the book, Paolini said: "One of the challenges [...] is trying to keep out any references to contemporary items or actions. My invented world of Alagaesia [sic] is set in a time before the industrial revolution. That limits not only the things my characters use and do, but it also informs their worldview. This constraint extends to more recent words and phrases as well. For example, in Brisingr, I was going to use the description short-order. When I researched its origins, however, I discovered that it was coined to describe modern cooking: a short-order cook."[5]

Split and editing

"A few chapters into Brisingr when Eragon and Roran have attacked Helgrind where the Ra'zac are, [...] Eragon encounters a moral quandary and in order to resolve it in a way that felt consistent to Eragon's character, I ended up adding about a hundred pages to the book. [...] I like big books, but there is a point when it gets too big [...] At that point I began to realize that [...] maybe the Inheritance Trilogy should become the Inheritance Cycle, and instead of three books it should be four books."

Christopher Paolini[6]

According to its author, Brisingr features a complex story with "weighty moral dilemmas" and "a sheer number of events that gives it a rich narrative." Halfway through the writing of the book, Paolini realized the story was so complex that it was going to end up being 2,000 pages. He decided to split it into two books, and thus the Inheritance Trilogy became the Inheritance Cycle. Paolini revealed this decision in an October 2007 press release,[7] and acknowledges that the complexity of the book is reflected by his growth as a writer since he began writing Eragon at the age of fifteen, and also as the result of having spent nearly a decade immersed in the fictional world he created.[3]

The decision to bring in and then kill a Shade at the end of the book was made when Paolini realized he needed a new ending for the book after it was split up. He was in need of plot points that were strong enough to keep the reader interested through the ending of the book, and that were strong enough to end the book on. The point of view of Glaedr and Oromis' confrontation with Thorn and Murtagh was combined with the Shade battle to further keep the reader interested.[8]

The first draft of the book was finished in April 2008. In a newsletter sent out that month, Paolini said he was busy "chewing [his] way through the editing, which has been a surprisingly enjoyable experience this time around."[9] The hardest part of editing was having to excise material that he spent days and weeks working on. "However, as most any writer will tell you, just because you spent ten days slaving over a certain scene is no reason to keep it in the final manuscript. The only question that matters is whether the scene contributes to the book as a whole," he said.[9] Michelle Frey, executive editor at Alfred A. Knopf who worked with Paolini on Eragon and Eldest, assisted Paolini as the editor of Brisingr.[10]

Title, covers, and audio book

Paolini said "brisingr" was one of the first words he thought of for the book's title, as it was the first Ancient Language word that Eragon learned in the series, and it holds a particular significance for him.[10] Unlike the first two books in the series, Brisingr has a subtitle: The Seven Promises of Eragon Shadeslayer and Saphira Bjartskular. Paolini revealed it in a newsletter at his official website, in which he said that it was added "because I felt it suited the story, and also because, in a way, I still view Brisingr and Book Four as two halves of the same volume; the subtitle is merely the name of the first these two sections."[11]

John Jude Palencar illustrated the cover of Brisingr.

John Jude Palencar illustrated the English cover featuring the golden dragon Glaedr. The content of the cover was one of the few things initially confirmed by Paolini before he wrote the book. He had originally planned for it to feature a green dragon,[12] but later indicated that this was affected by the expansion of the series to a four-book cycle.[13] Paolini liked the cover because it reflects that Brisingr is the longest and "most intense entry in the series so far."[9] The Japanese translation of Brisingr was so large that the publisher split it into two volumes. Since they did not want the same cover on two volumes, they commissioned Palencar to paint one of the Lethrblaka for the second volume. The Lethrblaka are the Ra'zac's steeds and parents.[14] Paolini himself made drawings based on the book for the deluxe edition of Brisingr, including one with Eragon's arm and hand holding the sword he receives in the book, named Brisingr, with flames around the blade.[8]

Gerard Doyle provided the voice for the English audio book of Brisingr. In order to help Doyle with this, Paolini recorded the pronunciation of every invented name and word in Brisingr from a list over nine pages long. It was tricky even for Paolini to do this because he cannot "roll [his] r's" properly.[11] Doyle said he prepared for narrating Brisingr by going "largely by physical description. If there are specific details about the voices, I latch onto those as best I can. But if a creature’s anatomical features are described, I try to imagine, for example, how the jaw might work [...] and then try and adapt that and attach it to something that sounds okay to the ear and is still slightly stranger than normal."[15]

Promotion and release

Paolini visited the Beckman auditorium on Caltech during his book tour to promote Brisingr.[16]

In March 2008, a spoiler about the book was released on the Inheritance Cycle's official website, stating that "In Brisingr, Eragon will meet a god."[17] In May 2008, Paolini posted a video message on his website stating that in the book, Eragon will meet "a new, rather terrifying enemy" that "likes to laugh, but not in a good way."[18] A third and final spoiler was released by Paolini in July 2008, stating that one of the characters will become pregnant in the book.[19] Excerpts from Brisingr were released both on the official Inheritance Cycle website[20] and on MSNBC, which held an interview with Paolini the day before the release of the book.[21] Paolini toured across ten cities in the North America to promote the book;[1][16][22] his first visit was to New York City on September 19, 2008, and his last was to Bozeman on November 22, 2008.[16]

Brisingr was released in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the United Kingdom on September 20, 2008, though it was originally supposed to be released on September 23, 2008.[10] Nancy Hinkel, publishing director of Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, said the company received "an outpouring of requests from booksellers hoping to host midnight launch parties. We have responded to their enthusiasm by advancing the date, and we know fans will welcome the opportunity to celebrate the publication together."[10] More than 2,500 midnight party events were held in the United States for the September 20 release.[23] A deluxe edition of Brisingr is scheduled to be released on October 13, 2009, including deleted scenes, foldout posters, never-before-seen art by the author, and a guide to dwarf runes.[24]

Brisingr sold 550,000 copies in North America on its first day of an initial print run of 2.5 million copies.[25] Both the initial print run and first-day sales were the largest ever for the Random House Children's Book division.[1] According to Random House U.K., Brisingr sold 45,000 copies on its first day in the United Kingdom and was the fastest-selling children's book in the country in 2008.[1][26] The novel debuted at number one on USA Today's top 150 bestsellers list. Brisingr stayed on the list for 25 consecutive weeks until March 3, 2009.[27]

Critical reception

Brisingr received mixed reviews from critics, who commented on the book's length and Paolini's growing maturity in his treatment of characters. David Durham of the Washington Post gave the novel a moderately negative review, praising Paolini for his streamlined prose, but said the novel loses focus in the middle. He added, though, that Brisingr "reconnects with the core elements that animate Eragon's tale" toward the end of the book, and Paolini shows growing maturity during some "quiet" moments in Brisingr, although Durham noted these parts could bore younger readers. Durham also found that Paolini's new characters are original, and that Paolini added depth to some characters from the previous novels in the Inheritance Cycle.[28] In contrast, Sheena McFarland of the The Salt Lake Tribune said that Paolini "hasn't learned how to create characters that readers can relate to," although she praised him for strong female characters in Brisingr such as Arya and Nasuada. McFarland calls the last fifty pages "riveting", but says they are a "paltry reward for trudging through the 700 preceding pages."[29]

Publishers Weekly gave Brisingr a negative review, criticizing the novel for relying on "classic fantasy tropes", and noting that Brisingr might appeal to younger readers, but older readers might be unimpressed.[30] Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) reviewer Kathleen Beck criticized the length of the book, accusing Paolini of "plainly [enjoying] wandering around in his fantasy world" and urging him to provide a cleaner finish to the series. She further criticized the content of the book, asserting that "there is a lot of action in [Brisingr] but paradoxically not much forward motion."[31] Children's Literature writer Jamie Hain gave the book a positive review, praising the action scenes, as well as the appeal to both male and female readers. She asserts that it is a "long read", but it is "worth it for those who reach the end."[31]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Roback, Diane (September 23, 2008). "'Brisingr' Breaks Random House Children's Record". Publisher Weekly. Retrieved 2009-07-18.
  2. ^ Macauley, Mike (2009-05-29). "May 2009 Monthly Q&A with Christopher Paolini". Shurtugal.com. Retrieved 2009-07-12.
  3. ^ a b c d Holt, Karen (September 2008). "From home-schooled teen to hit author, Paolini takes wing with dragon series". BookPage. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
  4. ^ "Shur'tugal's Exclusive Interview with Christopher Paolini". Shurtugal.com. June 2008. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
  5. ^ a b c Joseph Adams, Jon (October 2, 2008). "Q&A: Brisingr Fires Up Paolini". Sci Fi Wire. Sci Fi Channel. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
  6. ^ Paolini, Christopher. "News about the Inheritance Trilogy". Alagaesia.com. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
  7. ^ "Series Will Be Expanded To Include To Include A Fourth Full-Length Novel (PDF)" (PDF). Random House Children's Books. October 30, 2007. Retrieved 2009-07-18.
  8. ^ a b Macauley, Mike (October 2008). "First Post-Brisingr Interview with Christopher Paolini". Shurtugal.com. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
  9. ^ a b c Paolini, Christopher (April 2008). "Alagaësia News". Alagaesia.com. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
  10. ^ a b c d "Brisingr press release (PDF)" (PDF). Random House Children's Books. January 16, 2008. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
  11. ^ a b Paolini, Christopher (June 2008). "Alagaësia News". Alagaesia.com. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
  12. ^ Macauley, Mike (May 19, 2004). "Highlights from the CP Phone Chat". Shurtugal.com. Retrieved 2009-07-18.
  13. ^ Paolini, Christopher (December 2007). "Alagaësia News". Retrieved 2009-07-18.
  14. ^ Paolini, Christopher (September 2008). "Alagaësia News". Alagaesia.com. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
  15. ^ "Narrator Profile - Gerard Doyle". AudioFile. 2008. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
  16. ^ a b c "Brisingr Tour Announced!". Alagaesia.com. August 5, 2008. Retrieved 2009-07-18.
  17. ^ "BRISINGR Spoiler released!". Alagaesia.com. March 18, 2008. Retrieved 2009-07-02.
  18. ^ "BRISINGR Spoiler released!". Alagaesia.com. May 12, 2008. Retrieved 2009-07-02.
  19. ^ "Third and final BRISINGR spoiler released!". Alagaesia.com. June 14, 2008. Retrieved 2009-07-02.
  20. ^ "Fricaya - Excerpt". Alagaesia.com. Retrieved 2009-07-18.
  21. ^ "Excerpt: Fantasy novel 'Brisingr'". MSNBC. September 19, 2008. Retrieved 2009-07-16.
  22. ^ Goodnow, Cecelia (October 7, 2008). "Christopher Paolini's 'Brisingr' keeps fans fired up". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved 2009-07-16.
  23. ^ Rosen, Judith (July 14, 2008). "'Breaking Dawn' and 'Brisingr' in a Post-Harry World". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2009-07-18.
  24. ^ "Brisingr Deluxe Edition". Random House. Retrieved 2009-07-18.
  25. ^ "Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Kidman, Alec Baldwin". The New York Times. September 24, 2008. Retrieved 2009-07-18.
  26. ^ Adams, Stephen (September 23, 2008). "Harry Potter rival Brisingr is fastest selling children's book of the year". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2009-07-18.
  27. ^ "Brisingr search on Best-Selling Books Database". USA Today. Retrieved 2009-07-18.
  28. ^ Anthony Durham, David (September 25, 2008). "For Fantasy Fans, the Dragons Fly Again". The Washington Post. pp. C13. Retrieved 2009-07-18.
  29. ^ McFarland, Sheena (October 4, 2008). "'Brisingr' bores with its meandering". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 2009-07-18.
  30. ^ "PW's Review of Brinsingr". Publishers Weekly. September 22, 2008. Retrieved 2009-07-18.
  31. ^ a b Beck, Kathleen. "Brisingr (Inheritance Cycle #3) - Editorial Reviews". Barnes & Noble. Retrieved 2009-07-18. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Brisingr&oldid=303528672"