I finished reading this roughly 2 weeks ago. Ordinarily, I try to write my reviews sooner than that, but Inheritance left me incredibly conflicted. Up to the last 110 pages, I thought it had enormous potential, easily a 5 star rating. With practically non-stop action, and several twists and turns, it's no wonder that it was a highly addictive read. I just HAD to know how everything would turn out!! 
 First and foremost, I realized that Christopher Paolini's writing has matured by leaps and bounds. Throughout much of the novel, I would literally sit back in awe and wide-eyed wonder of what he'd achieved. Especially when one compares his debut novel, Eragon, to his latest offering. It's like, WOW! 
 Inheritance starts like a lot of series installments: shortly after the previous volume left off. 
 With the introduction of new, interesting characters like the feline/human half-breed known as King Halfpaw, the overall intrigue is intensified. He is, by far, my favorite of the newly introduced. 
 But Paolini takes it even further by expertly developing many of the familiar faces. It's always a pleasant surprise to think that you know characters like Lady Nasuada, Eragon, Saphira, Murtagh, even Angela to a certain degree, and then get to know them on a more intimate level. Furthermore, they were all completely believable. They didn't feel contrived, at all. 
 Several hundred pages into it, the final battle against Galbatorix finally arrives. And for the most part, it and the build-up are fairly well done. It isn't one of your typical battles where everything comes to an abrupt end after a seemingly short duration. Paolini also peppers said confrontation with dialogue which makes it all the more worthwhile. The insights into the war and particularly the Mad King, Galbatorix, are revealed in such a way as not to detract from the overall progress. It's all seemingly natural, actually, and I reveled in every word. 
 Then, just when all hope felt lost, and you think you know the direction it's going to take, Paolini throws a monumental curve ball. And while I enjoyed how it was accomplished (which is awesome, IMO,) sadly it comes off as slightly contrived and not exactly realistic. I can kind of understand the logic behind it, and how it might be possible, but if that's the case, then it needed further explanation. 
 Making matters worse, the last 110 pages are completely anti-climatic. Now, I'm not saying it didn't need some form of closure, because I think it did. But it's like, "Come on, tell the rest of your story and end it already!" 
 Instead, it just goes on and on, with little to nothing gained. The end result is basically an abundance of filler. Literally speaking, I had to force myself to get through it. Before I'd even finished, I no longer cared about the characters I'd grown to adore and cherish. I've been told by more than one reader that by doing so, it made way for a possible spin-off, and also that it leaves more questions. I couldn't care less, personally. 
 I don't recall ever being so utterly relieved to be done with a book! Good riddance, Christopher Paolini!!