Misha -- Sorry, this is the same as on my Facebook.
Paolini's writing has not changed, which thankfully does not disappoint. It's about as bad as ever. He never truly writes about the scenes, but merely summarizes them. Constantly he uses passive writing when active would be so much more appropriate. It feels more as though he doesn't want to take the time to write out the story then that the scene's dialogue is not very important. Just as he uses passive writing when he should use active, so does he as well use passive tense when it is not needed. At times I wonder if he knows where the delete button is, or how to erase. For example, in the prologue: 'It is into this tense political situation that Eragon finds himself thrust.' There is no need for passive, and while I do like passive tense, there are times when it should not be used.
As I'm on the topic, the prologue itself was, while useful, annoying. He did not seem to know what who was saying the prologue, whether it was a narrator or Eragon. For a recap, there should not be point of view changes. It is sloppy and why his editor or publisher did not push him to rewrite it is a mystery to me.
I never liked his series, however I find it a wonderful teaching tool. It is a wonderful example of what not to do when writing. It is always a good idea to read, bad or good books. As a writer, you can learn what is and is not a good idea. In Paolini's instance, it is to always think ahead. Plan your stories, otherwise you slip up, and you don't know what you're doing anymore. Also, there is always a delete button. Always look over what you have written and change what is necessary. Learn from your mistakes. Do not give in to what 'sounds cool'. His series has much posturing and posing, as though everyone is trying to look cool. What's worse is that the villain is much more respectable than the main character--who is alive merely because the story would end if he died. Eragon is a stupid, reckless boy.
It is always a good idea to make your story believable in some way, particularly if it is a fantasy. Within the first chapter, we are shown a cult of amputees. Every member is missing a limb. By the end of this scene, we find that it is because in order to show fealty, they hack off one of their limbs. The reasoning behind this, I do not know. I suppose it is to make Galbatorix's world seem more evil, vile, and horrifying. To me, it shows that his subjects are highly lacking in IQ. Yes, it sounds cool to have this evil cult of self-mutilators, but to actually cut off whole limbs, it goes too far. This goes the same when, later on, there is a trial for control over a tribe, and to do so is to slice open your wrist. The two contestants for leadership start at the elbow and cut until they are a few inches away from the hand. What Paolini does not understand about basic human anatomy, is that no matter where you cut on the underarm, there is an artery, two actually. If these people were giving themselves shallow cuts, there'd be blood, but they'd be fine. However by how much blood he describes them to lose, they should have bled out. What's worse is that they did it on both arms, and weren't allowed magical healing. And yet, they continue to move around as though they never lost a fatal amount of blood for weeks after the event. Paolini has no sense of how the world works. Real or his.
Besides unbelievability abound, the 748-so pages are a giant list of things to do for the Dragon Rider. It's actually even the subtitle: The Seven Promises of Eragon Shadeslayer and Saphira Bjartskular. There is no climax or exciting point of the story. It's Eragon running around the world completing everything he promised to do. It'd be best to just read a summary, as you would get the same information and in less time. Also, you wouldn't have to buy the book and save the $20-something for a different book. Maybe a real fantasy, like George R.R. Martin or The Wheel of Time series.
There were, as well, too many scenes that had no point, and never will. They may add to the world, but literally have nothing to do with the story. Eragon finds an old man, who we find out later that he knows a friend of Eragon's, and that's the end. There is no point whatsoever to the scene but wasted pages. Or wasted potential. There is large mystery behind Angela, or the werecats, or spirits, but the mystery is wasted; it's not exemplified upon. I have a feeling that Paolini does not know what to do with these things.
It's obvious that this all started out as a kid's fantasy, because that's still what it is. It doesn't deserve ththeree praise and popularity. It's just not well thought out. It has too many weak points, and most certainly not enough strong ones--and many of the strong points are not his original idea, as he has taken too much from D&D, Wheel of Time, Martin, Tolkien, Dragonheart, and much more I am unfamiliar with.
Currently Reading: Heretics of Dune by Frank Herbert
Currently Watching: X-Files Season 3
Currently Listening: Mamma Mia! in the background (family is watching it)
