Murtagh (Mini-Review)

Murtagh is a book by Christopher Paolini that is set one year after the Inheritance Cycle. Murtagh travels alone with only Thorn, his dragon, for companionship. He has forgone any kinship as after everything that has happened, he feels he deserves no one. Yet he still feels that it is his duty to figure out a vague threat to the world he calls home. Through their investigations, Murtagh and Thorn eventually find themselves in Nal Gorgoth with an enemy even the dragons of old had been terrified of.

I began to read this book once my birds started to have their health issues. During the course of November, December, and January Navi and Ghost died. Navi's death was quick but Ghost held on for a lot longer. So once I read the final sentence I broke down. It was like the book itself helped keep all of my sorrow at bay. Or maybe it was a reminder of when the pain hadn't pierced my heart.

It was good to learn more about Murtagh. Where Eragon's journey allowed him to grow more open and loving, Murtagh's was the opposite. So now the man is able to grow outside of King Galbatorix's and Morzan's shadows to find out who he is. It's not an easy journey nor should it be. He is both learning and unlearning everything. And on top of everything what he was forced to do is all people remember of him. So the rare moments of good he had been able to do are forgotten about.

Thorn struggles with claustrophobia and it leads to him being unable to do things. The root cause of his phobia is how he was treated while only a hatchling. Saphira was able to grow up normally and experience the open world. Thorn, on the other hand, was forced to grow up quicker and kept to confined corners. So being in enclosed spaces makes him freak out. Now...overcoming a phobia is no easy feat. It's something that can take years, if you can even overcome it, and takes a lot of effort. Yet Thorn is able to just ignore it by the end of the book because Murtagh is in danger and suddenly he's cured. It would have made more sense for Thorn not being able to help Murtagh because of his disability and the guilt eventually makes him able to overcome his claustrophobia in the sequel.

Bachel, the main antagonist of the book, is a force to be reckoned with. She is a cult leader with enough sway over her followers to be a sizeable threat. Though cracks within her power can be seen early on. Her and her cult believe in the power of dreams. Yet even though she is supposed to be talking to a god-like being, something that reminded me of Cthulhu, she needs to know other people's dreams. Later on she even admits she doesn't talk to this god-like being personally. What this seems to hint at is that while she is powerful, she isn't nearly as powerful as she proclaims to be.

I would recommend Murtagh by Christopher Paolini to fans of the Inheritance Cycle. I would also recommend Murtagh to fans of the fantasy genre.