I would only give Eldest 3 stars out of 5. I found it long-winded, full of complicated names and backstory, and light on plot where Eragon was concerned. The pace was pretty glacial, and then the final battle was squished in at the end. The secondary plot focuses on Eragon's brother, Roran, and this was more focused and action-packed, but I wasn't particularly drawn to Roran as a character in himself. In conclusion, I won't be reading further books in the series given that the second felt like a decline.