
The Empire is at war and the stakes have never been higher in the third book of the Inheritance Cycle, perfect for fans of Lord of the Rings! This New York Times bestselling series has sold over 35...
The Empire is at war and the stakes have never been higher in the third book of the Inheritance Cycle, perfect for fans of Lord of the Rings! This New York Times bestselling series has sold over 35...
Available Formats-
- OverDrive Listen
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Levels-
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ATOS™:7.8
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Lexile®:1050
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Interest Level:UG
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Text Difficulty:6 - 9
Subjects-
Languages:-
Edition-
- Unabridged
Copies-
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Available:1
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Library copies:1
Description-
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The Empire is at war and the stakes have never been higher in the third book of the Inheritance Cycle, perfect for fans of Lord of the Rings! This New York Times bestselling series has sold over 35 million copies and is an international fantasy sensation.
Oaths sworn . . . loyalties tested . . . forces collide.
Eragon is the greatest hope to rid the land of tyranny. Can this once simple farm boy unite the rebel forces and defeat the king? Following the colossal battle against the Empire's warriors, Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have narrowly escaped with their lives. Still, there is more adventure at hand for the Rider and his dragon, as Eragon finds himself bound by a tangle of promises he may not be able to keep.
When unrest claims the rebels and danger strikes from every corner, Eragon must make choices-choices that will take him across the Empire and beyond, choices that may lead to unimagined sacrifice.
Features interlocking art that reveals an image across the spines of all four books! And don’t miss the most recent book set in Eragon's world, The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm: Tales from Alagaësia!
"Christopher Paolini is a true rarity." —The Washington Post
Awards-
- Children's Choices Selection
International Reading Association & The Children's Book Council
Excerpts-
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From the book
ASSAULT ON HELGRIND
Daybreak was fifteen minutes away when Eragon rolled up right. He snapped his fingers twice to wake Roran and then scooped up his blankets and knotted them into a tight bundle. Pushing himself off the ground, Roran did likewise with his own
bedding. They looked at each other and shivered with excitement. “If I die,” said Roran, “you will see to Katrina?”
“I shall.”
“Tell her then that I went into battle with joy in my heart and her name upon my lips.”
“I shall.”
Eragon muttered a quick line in the ancient language. The drop in his strength that followed was almost imperceptible. “There. That will filter the air in front of us and protect us from the paralyz ing effects of the Ra’zac’s breath.”
From his bags, Eragon removed his shirt of mail and unwrapped the length of sackcloth he had stored it in. Blood from the fight on the Burning Plains still encrusted the once-shining corselet, and the combination of dried gore, sweat, and neglect had allowed blotches of rust to creep across the rings. The mail was, however, free of tears, as Eragon had repaired them before they had departed for the Empire.
Eragon donned the leather-backed shirt, wrinkling his nose at the stench of death and desperation that clung to it, then attached chased bracers to his forearms and greaves to his shins. Upon his head he placed a padded arming cap, a mail coif, and a plain steel helm. He had lost his own helm—the one he had worn in Farthen Dûr and that the dwarves had engraved with the crest of Dûrgrimst Ingeitum—along with his shield during the aerial duel between Saphira and Thorn. On his hands went mailed gauntlets.
Roran outfitted himself in a similar manner, although he augmented his armor with a wooden shield. A band of soft iron wrapped around the lip of the shield, the better to catch and hold an enemy’s sword. No shield encumbered Eragon’s left arm; the hawthorn staff required two hands to wield properly.
Across his back, Eragon slung the quiver given to him by Queen Islanzadí. In addition to twenty heavy oak arrows fletched with gray goose feathers, the quiver contained the bow with silver fittings that the queen had sung out of a yew tree for him. The bow was already strung and ready for use.
Saphira kneaded the soil beneath her feet. Let us be off!
Leaving their bags and supplies hanging from the branch of a juniper tree, Eragon and Roran clambered onto Saphira’s back. They wasted no time saddling her; she had worn her tack through the night. The molded leather was warm, almost hot, underneath Eragon. He clutched the neck spike in front of him—to steady himself during sudden changes in direction—while Roran hooked one thick arm around Eragon’s waist and brandished his hammer with the other.
A piece of shale cracked under Saphira’s weight as she settled into a low crouch and, in a single giddy bound, leaped up to the rim of the gulch, where she balanced for a moment before unfolding her massive wings. The thin membranes thrummed as Saphira raised them toward the sky. Vertical, they looked like two translucent blue sails.
“Not so tight,” grunted Eragon.
“Sorry,” said Roran. He loosened his embrace.
Further speech became impossible as Saphira jumped again. When she reached the pinnacle, she brought her wings down with...
About the Author-
- Christopher Paolini’s abiding love of fantasy and science fiction inspired him to begin writing his debut novel, Eragon, when he graduated from high school at 15. He lives in Paradise Valley, Montana.
Reviews-
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The long-awaited third novel in Paolini's Inheritance Cycle will not disappoint devoted fans. Swords, sorcery, and plenty of "Chosen One" teenage angst await the listener. But wait, there's more--Gerard Doyle's performance takes the excitement and high fantasy of the story to dragon-soaring heights. He voices all the characters well but never overacts. Considering the length and breadth of the novel, the listener will be grateful. While the text does drag at points, Doyle is able to keep the listener mostly satisfied and engaged--Eragon's wallowing in fear and self-doubt might wear thin in print, without Doyle's energy to keep the emotions flowing. Doyle handles Paolini's fantasy language with ease and style, reminding the listener that some books improve when matched with a sympathetic, talented narrator. A.A. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine
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September 22, 2008
The much-anticipated third book in Paolini's Inheritance Cycle continues to rely heavily on classic fantasy tropes. The novel launches with magician and Dragon Rider Eragon, his cousin Roran and the dragon Saphira on a quest to rescue Roran's betrothed. The cousins soon split up, and Roran undergoes his own series of heroic tests, culminating in a well-choreographed and intense fight against an Urgal (a ram-human hybrid). Eragon, at the same time, encounters treacherous dwarves, undergoes even more training with the elf Oromis and gains a magical sword suitable for a Dragon Rider. The silly revelations about Eragon's background in the previous book, Eldest, are given a new spin near the end, but the change is neither unexpected nor interesting. Predictably, the book concludes with even more character deaths and another battle, but those expecting a resolution will have to wait until the next novel. The clich\xE9d journey may appeal to younger readers of genre fiction. Older teens, even those who might have first cut their teeth on Paolini's writing years ago, are less likely to be impressed. Ages 12-up.
Title Information+
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Publisher
Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group -
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Digital Rights Information+
OverDrive MP3 Audiobook
Burn to CD:PermittedTransfer to device:PermittedTransfer to Apple® device:PermittedPublic performance:Not permittedFile-sharing:Not permittedPeer-to-peer usage:Not permittedAll copies of this title, including those transferred to portable devices and other media, must be deleted/destroyed at the end of the lending period.