I absolutely loved this series. I originally read Eragon while in college. My dad read it and told me to, and I am glad I did. I regret not reading Inheritance sooner. Though I bought it when it came out, I kept putting it off, even after I re-read the previous three.
In the final book of this saga, we have Eragon and the Varden marching toward Galbatorix's city, finally putting into action their plans to usurp him from his thrown and free Alagaesia from his tyranny. Through their campaign, the must deal with nightly attacks from Murtagh and Thorn, seizing cities that have been magically protected by Galbatorix, fight soldiers that have been enchanted to feel no pain, and figure out how to bring down the most (magically) powerful ruler that ever existed. All this weight falls upon Eragon and Saphira's shoulders and they are not sure they are fully capable of it.
The conclusion to this saga is epic and well imagined. It is not your basic good-guy-kills-bad-guy-and-becomes-new-leader hero stereotype. The events that unfold are excellent, and semi-unpredictable. You know Eragon is going to go in and defeat Galbatorix, but no way can you predict exactly how. The twist on the defeat is well created, and it adds important dimension.
One reason that it took me so long to finish this book is that there were so many battles. After rapidly rereading the first three and all the details there, I just desperately wanted to know how it ended! At first, reading all the battles seemed tedious to me. I just wanted to skip the rising action and get to the climax, so I stopped reading it. Once I picked it back up, and refreshed my memory, I was immediately drawn into the book unlike before. From this refreshed viewpoint, the I saw the importance of the battles once again and couldn't put the book down. So, if at any point you read this, pay attention to the details of the battles, for they are not superfluous.
The one thing about this book that I absolutely loved I can't share because it is a major spoiler. But, what it does is create an immense sense of hope and this ties together the overall meaning and theme of the saga and helps it end on a note that leaves you wanting more without the feeling like you have been robbed of a satisfactory ending, something that is very difficult to achieve in a series, especially a fantasy series.
On another note, I just found out that in a new edition of Inheritance, a letter from Jeod, one of the characters, give a further explanation as to what happens after the final scene of the book. I shall have to track this edition down and read it myself.
