Murtagh: The World of Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle)

Murtagh comes as a continuation of the Inheritance Cycle with Murtagh as the central character. It made for quite the epic reading binge to read the past books so I could remember everything that had happened in the 20 years since the first book was published. Murtagh and his dragon, Thorn, have been living on the fringes of society for the last year after Galbatorix was defeated and they were freed from their forced servitude. They both have emotional damage having been forced to murder and torture under his will and they chafe under the idea of ever being bound again.
For the first part of the book, Murtagh and Thorn are a bit rudderless - just content on being in the wild and free. They are haunted by their past deeds that they have no way to atone for. Murtagh longs to see Nasuada but will not swear fealty or have his magic governed by another. This part of the book was a bit slow for me, but does fully flesh out Murtagh and Thorn's mental state and seems completely believable after the suffering they have endured.
Murtagh and Thorn have good hearts and want to be helpful in their own way. That is why despite warnings they go sniff out danger in the far north to discover who the witch, Baschel, and the dreamers are that seem to be infiltrating the land. As dragon and rider who have magic, they are overconfident in their ability to handle danger. Eragon received so much praise for his role in the war and Murtagh just can’t humble himself enough to alert Eragon of his plans or ask for backup. Therefore, when they are captured, tortured, and broken anew they have little hope for outside help.
The ending was a triumph and transformation of the chains that have held them back all their lives. It was also a bit ambiguous on whether we can expect a sequel. There is certainly room for more to write about the danger he has uncovered, but it could also be complete with how it ends. Overall, be prepared for a deep dive into Murtagh’s character in this epic continuation of the original series. Murtagh suffers greatly under torture so beware for sensitive readers.