(no subject)
Not a full analysis but some quick notes I've had while reading it.
Saphira and her missing scale.
This is the funniest line so far in the book: Reaching out, he traced the diamond-shaped hole on the left side of her snout, where the object of her consternation had so recently been ensconced. Also, how it is an inch deep? Those are some big and deep scales, possibly heavy too. I don't think scales work like that, but I'm not sure and too lazy to double check.
Also, Eragon, why are you wasting magical energy to create a ward for such a tiny space?
They're bored.
I'm bored.
The siege is going well - for the other guys. As the Varden appear to be running low on food. Wait... here they mentioned the fact that armies will take food the surrounding areas like locusts but the one with Roran didn't touch any of the estates!? I'm not sure who the idiot is any more.
Elva tells Nasuada to fuck off instead of helping her. Good for her.
And then we get to king Orik who is making a ball of mud. Apparently he has nothing to do since his army is just sitting around. And I'm like, really? You're king of an entire dwarf nation and you've got nothing to do!? Everything is done? Just because you're waiting for a battle, doesn't mean that you still don't have kingly duties to do.
I can't say that I've ever seen a king in any story I've read that's not been terribly busy unless they've got an evil vizier working for them. Being king means being busy all the time. There should be constant reports from his home, taxes, rulings, petitions. Even if he's not at home things still need his attention.
Kings, like all leaders, are always busy. It's the price they pay for being leaders.
No, the entire reason why Orik is just sitting out there is because Paolini wanted to have him making this ball of mud. It should have been character development, but it just feels shoved in and so wrapped up with the ball of mud - which in other circumstances could be interesting.
No. Wait. It is character development. We've just learned that Orik is a bad king. He doesn't think that there's anything for him to do because the army isn't going into battle. It's not the character development that Paolini wanted, I'm sure, but it is character development. After all, everything a character does develops them.
Saphira and her missing scale.
This is the funniest line so far in the book: Reaching out, he traced the diamond-shaped hole on the left side of her snout, where the object of her consternation had so recently been ensconced. Also, how it is an inch deep? Those are some big and deep scales, possibly heavy too. I don't think scales work like that, but I'm not sure and too lazy to double check.
Also, Eragon, why are you wasting magical energy to create a ward for such a tiny space?
They're bored.
I'm bored.
The siege is going well - for the other guys. As the Varden appear to be running low on food. Wait... here they mentioned the fact that armies will take food the surrounding areas like locusts but the one with Roran didn't touch any of the estates!? I'm not sure who the idiot is any more.
Elva tells Nasuada to fuck off instead of helping her. Good for her.
And then we get to king Orik who is making a ball of mud. Apparently he has nothing to do since his army is just sitting around. And I'm like, really? You're king of an entire dwarf nation and you've got nothing to do!? Everything is done? Just because you're waiting for a battle, doesn't mean that you still don't have kingly duties to do.
I can't say that I've ever seen a king in any story I've read that's not been terribly busy unless they've got an evil vizier working for them. Being king means being busy all the time. There should be constant reports from his home, taxes, rulings, petitions. Even if he's not at home things still need his attention.
Kings, like all leaders, are always busy. It's the price they pay for being leaders.
No, the entire reason why Orik is just sitting out there is because Paolini wanted to have him making this ball of mud. It should have been character development, but it just feels shoved in and so wrapped up with the ball of mud - which in other circumstances could be interesting.
No. Wait. It is character development. We've just learned that Orik is a bad king. He doesn't think that there's anything for him to do because the army isn't going into battle. It's not the character development that Paolini wanted, I'm sure, but it is character development. After all, everything a character does develops them.