Alright, my verdict on Murtagh:
This book feels like it was meant to be so much more than it ended up as. It began as an adventurous, high-stakes series of side quests wending their way deeper into the main conflict, but once Paolini got them to Nal Gorgoth, everything stagnated. The momentum and intrigue fell off in favor of yet another cringe Reddit atheist take on religion in Alagaesia. Seriously, Paolini needs to stop trying to write religions. I was cringing so much at all the "bow, heretic!" lines. The dialogue from the cultists was all hamfisted zealotry, to where it felt like a caricature and not a believable ancient cult.
When Murtagh and Thorn got their first sight of the village, I was so interested to find out what they would discover, what secrets they'd find, what the people were like, but it ended up as wasted potential. There was so much room to develop the beliefs and rites and build intrigue and suspense and make the Draumar as a whole seem truly terrifying. This is a group that was feared by the greatest of the Riders, and you're making them look like a goofy pentecostal church. At least include more lore. I was so let down that the only thing Murtagh found in his snooping was a tower full of crows and the pin from the Forsworn. He couldn't even have found a sacred text that would add context, or a piece of correspondence revealing more of their schemes? In contrast, the quest to retrieve Silna had so much more intrigue and fascinating discoveries along the way, and all Murtagh finds in this ancient and formidable village is some crows and a clasp??
Bachel was annoying with all of her grandiosity, and Paolini repeated the "unbelievers can't know, you will find out in time, you are fated blah blah blah" too many times when instead he should have been building complexity in the environment and history. Instead he just wrote yet another "lol religion is so cringe and silly and ignorant" cult with little to no depth.
I hated that he made Murtagh and Thorn slaves again, it just felt gratuitous and went on way too long. I read those parts quickly just wanting to get on with the story.
I was also annoyed that he used ALL of the energy from his yellow diamond to make a gust of wind knock the villagers down. And then later it's shown that the villagers are not even effective fighters, so that's even more of a waste. It also required some serious suspension of disbelief for Murtagh to be able to face a pretty much fully rested Bachel after expending a serious amount of energy fighting off dozens of enemies and running around the caves beforehand. And that was without any extra energy stores, either. It just seems ridiculous to me that Paolini would give Murtagh TWO places to store energy, and for him to have neither of them at his disposal in the final boss battle.
Overall, the part of the book before they reach Nal Gorgoth is so interesting, building a precedent for action-packed adventures and character development, and then it turns into a completely different book. Whatever happened to the werecats? What was the connection between Wren and the Draumar? What exactly are the Draumar doing in Alagaesia? Sure, they're trying to destabilize things, but can't you reveal some of their schemes and purposes? Instead it's like five instances of Murtagh asking "What is your purpose?" And Bachel being like "I am the Speaker," and any other interaction is like "What can you tell me about this place/people?" "[insert recitation of dogma as if the only thought cult members have is a nonstop tape in their heads repeating their beliefs]."
I guess I just wanted to see more complexly layered adventure and intrigue, as was suggested by the beginning of the book.
He's clearly leaving room for a sequel, but he still left way too many threads loose and didn't follow through with all the plot points he set out in this book.
If I had the time, I'd be sorely tempted to rewrite it for myself, lol. It could have been so much more...
Something else that bothered me: You're really telling me NOBODY bothered to rehabilitate Murtagh and Thorn's reputation and public image after the war?? He helps you defeat Galbatorix and not a single person involved tried to spread the word that it was largely thanks to Murtagh and Thorn, and that they were literal slaves?
