Returning to Alagaësia: Why Murtagh Is the Sequel We’ve All Been Waiting For
So, when I heard about Murtagh, I was curious. I don’t even like him that much as a character, but I’ve been aching to revisit arguably the best fantasy world out there: Alagaësia.
Revisiting Alagaësia with one of its most complex characters felt like coming home. But I was also a little skeptical. Could this possibly live up to the magic Paolini captured before?
We’re talking about one of the most complex characters in the Inheritance Cycle finally getting his own story. But I was also a little skeptical. Was this going to be a worthy continuation or just milking the franchise?
Spoiler alert: It absolutely does.
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Murtagh and Thorn: More Than Just Brooding
Murtagh picks up a year after Inheritance, right where I’d always hoped the story would go.
Murtagh and Thorn are wandering around, trying to escape their past. It’s like they’re haunted by everything that happened under Galbatorix’s rule. And honestly? They’re not wrong.
Everyone fears them—those same chills you got when you first realized how deep the lore runs in Paolini’s world? They’re back.
Murtagh and Thorn were once just pieces in Galbatorix’s grand game, but now they’re free. Or at least trying to be.
Their bond is intense, and Thorn? Well, let’s just say the scars run deep. Galbatorix didn’t just break him physically, but mentally, too. You feel every bit of it.
Murtagh’s pain is palpable, especially when he says, “The pain of the hatchling—it was too much. Of his own, he could have endured. But not this.”
It’s moments like this that remind you why you’ve always been drawn to Paolini’s work—the depth of emotion, the stakes that feel so real.
Exploring a Darker Alagaësia
One thing that really stood out? The way Murtagh explores new corners of Alagaësia, places you’ve always wondered about.
Post-war Alagaësia isn’t what it used to be. There are werecats roaming the cities. Enchanted fish (which, let’s be honest, is such a Paolini thing). Urgals, dwarves, and even some creepy cults.
Murtagh and Thorn end up in some seriously dangerous places, the kind that made you fall in love with the series in the first place.
And because it’s Murtagh, he obviously has to ignore all the warnings. Like when they walk right into a trap that Umaroth warned them about. Classic Murtagh move.
The book doesn’t just revisit old battles—it digs into the aftermath, the stuff you’ve always wanted to see explored further. There’s a scene where they find the bodies of soldiers from Gilead, and it’s as gut-wrenching as you’d expect.
But it’s not all heavy. There’s hope in there too. Murtagh meets Uvek, an Urgal shaman who helps him see that he’s more than his past—a theme that feels so natural in Paolini’s world.
The Pain and Poetry of Murtagh
Another surprise? Murtagh’s poetry.
It’s unexpected, but when you think about it, it makes total sense.
Paolini always had a way of giving his characters depth, and Murtagh’s no different. He’s been through hell, so of course, he’d find some solace in words. And Thorn? Thorn’s got his own way of coping too. They recite their true names to each other—a ritual that’s so simple yet so profound, it fits right in with everything you love about this series.
Their relationship isn’t smooth, but that’s what makes it so compelling. Murtagh and Thorn are like two broken pieces trying to fit together, relying on each other to stay afloat.
In the end, Murtagh isn’t just a story about redemption. It’s about trying to find your place in a world that’s way more complicated than it seems—a theme Paolini has always done justice to.
This book is a must-read if you’ve ever felt that pull to return to Alagaësia, to explore its depths and see how its characters navigate their complicated lives. Paolini has done it again, crafting a tale that feels both fresh and familiar, the way only he can.
