The Fork, the Witch and the Worm

12 Aug 2020

The fork, the witch and the worm* is the fifth book in a saga that is internationally renowned. Needless to name it, everyone reading this article knows this long-awaited manuscript is the first volume of what will be remembered as the follow-up to Eragon's Inheritance Cycle*, by Christopher Paolini, which is one of the best epic-fantasy saga on the market today.

Compared to Eragon, it is a rather short story, which might disappoint some readers as I was disappointed at first. After all, two-hundred and seventy pages can barely rivalize with seven or eight hundred, especially when you have been expecting such a book for many a year.

Now, the idea of this short article is to determine whether this volume is a good followup to the saga and if I would recommend anyone to read it.

First of all, what were readers’ expectations ? Some readers have been awaiting this novel for many many years, so they had to be quite high. To be honest, my expectations were and, to a certain extent, I was disappointed. I wanted to know more about Angela, find out what Eragon and Murtagh had become, how their lives were getting on... I wanted to know how Arya was doing as a queen and if there was any hope for a relationship with Eragon. Now, was my thirst quenched ? No, and this book could not even begin to do so. This does not mean that Paolini's new novel was not enjoyable. It merely means he decided to ignore all the questions I had been pondering on for many years, along with countless other readers.

The storytelling may be snailishly slow, the story and the writing remains faithful to what Paolini got us used to. He still manages to give you this inexplicable feeling which makes you turn the page. Honestly, I would recommend this new book to pure Eragon fans. People who are not scared off by a slow start and are interested in the intricacies of Alagaesia's history.

There also is good news : it’s called volume 1, which means we get to read the sequel perhaps some time soon. Right ?

Have you read The fork, the witch and the worm ? Have you read another book, by Christopher Paolini ? Would you consider reading this one ? Tell me in the comment section. You may also drop a like and consider following my blog. Oh! And by the way! I also have a Goodreads account, for those of you who are interested to add me there.

Take care,

Phil.

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