The Picture of Dorian Gray

Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. 2011. 295p. ISBN 0-674-05792-9. Available at FIC WIL on the library shelves.

A beautiful youth of 20, Dorian Gray sits for Basil Hallward, a famous painter of the time. Basil has kept him a secret from his good friend, Lord Henry Wotton. When the two meet, Dorian is immediately captivated by Lord Wotton’s philosophy that pleasures of all kind are the only reason one should live. Convinced by Lord Wotton that a youth’s beauty is all that matters, Dorian makes the wish that his painting would age instead of him, and, unbeknownst to him, his wish is granted.

Falling in love Sibyl with an actress, Dorian attempts to convince his friends that she is amazing, only to witness her poor performance during a play. She reveals to him that she loves him and sees no point in pretending through plays. More in love with the idea of her than the actual person, Dorian breaks off his engagement and castigates her. She commits suicide, and her brother, James Vane, vows to avenge her but doesn’t know Dorian’s name.

As Dorian comes of age, he falls further in corrupted experiences along with Lord Wotton, affecting the lives of many aristocratic youths as well as the youths of other social classes. His portray, meanwhile, begins to show the signs of aging and of the evil influences of his life, and soon Dorian cannot bear to look at it. Years later, Basil Hallward visits Dorian on his way to Paris, and confronts him about his wanton ways. Dorian, in a fit of rage, kills Basil and disposes of his body. That murder haunts him, however, and when he crosses path with James Vane, Dorian is shaken to the core and worried that it is time for him to provide an account of his life.

The violent death of James Vane during a hunting trip frees Dorian from the guilt he had, but he decides from now on he needs to lead an exemplary life, with the hope that the portrait will once again show him his beautiful self. When it doesn’t, Dorian decides to destroy the portrait, but a yell awakens his household and they find the portrait on the ground next to a disfigured and ugly old man who’s recognized as Dorian by his rings and clothes.

A tale of moral duplicity and corruption, The Picture of Dorian Gray remains controversial today for the themes it addresses and its (at the time) scandalous nature.

The Great Tennessee Monkey Trial

Goodchild, Peter. The Great Tennessee Monkey Trial. 115 mins. ISBN 9781580815581. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

In 1925, the state of Tennessee passed a law that criminalized the teaching of evolution. Fundamentalist and evangelical people applauded this decision to only use the teaching of the Bible in the science classroom, but others opposed this law. The ACLU actively looked for a science teacher willing to become a case test to support the First Amendment’s freedom of religion. John Thomas Scopes, a science teacher from the small town of Dayton, worked with the local school board and elected leaders to bring this case to court, so that Dayton would economically benefit from such a trial.

Legal heavyweights assembled on both sides, with William Jennings Bryant, a three-times presidential candidate and evangelical favorite for the prosecution, and Clarence Darrow, a famous New York defense lawyer, defended Scopes. Over the course of the trial, the evangelical position was undermined by arguments made in court by Bryant and Darrow. Though Scopes was eventually found guilty at the state level, the negative publicity that this court case had brought the state of Tennessee, coupled with errors by the trial judge allowed the Tennessee Supreme Court to overturn the case on a technicality and prevent the certain appeal the defendant wished to make in Federal Court. However,

This audiobook features a reenactment of the actual court case based on court transcripts, and reveal the depth of convictions on both sides. The debate surrounding the separation of Church and State continued for decades afterwards, and remain present to this day, with controversies surrounding “Intelligent design.”

Noragami: Stray God, Vol. 6

Adachitoka. Noragami: Stray God, Vol. 6. 2015. 181p. ISBN 978-1-61262-996-4. Available in the Graphic Section of the library.

The long awaited confrontation between Bishamon and Yato has now erupted, and the war goddess is overpowering the stray god with her strength and weapons. In Noragami Stray God Vol. 5, Yukiné was sliced in half, destroying Yato’s shinki. However, Yukiné’s single-minded devotion suddenly transforms him into a blessed vessel, and he regains form, this time in the shape of two swords. Bishamon’s shinkis are shocked that such as lowly shinki as Yukimé would be able to achieve such a high status.

Kugaha, Bishamon’s medicine man, continues to observe the titanesque combat between the two gods. Soon, the medicine he gave Bishamon will wear off, and her true blighted nature will reveal itself. To speed the process, he releases an angry Ayakashi amid Bishamon’s shinki, and the Ayakashi proceeds to devour them.

Kazuma and Hiyori, who were imprisoned in Bishamon’s dungeon by Kugaha, manage to escape and join the fray. As Bishamon weakens, Yato is poised to deliver the killing blow. Will the stray god triumph over the war goddess?

The story continues in Noragami: Stray God, vol. 7.

The Hobbit

Tolkien, J.R.R. The Hobbit. 2001. 330p. ISBN 0-618-16221-6. Available at FIC TOL on the library shelves or as an eBook on Overdrive.

Bilbo Baggins leads a life of contentment in his very comfortable dwelling under the hill in Hobbiton. A hobbit of means, Bilbo enjoys good food and time with friends. On a beautiful morning, he greets Gandalf the wizard, a human, who just happened to be passing through, with a good morning. Gandalf questions whether it is a good morning, or whether Bilbo meant it as a question, confusing the hobbit who promptly retreats back to his hobbit hole. Gandalf realizes he has found his hobbit, and marks Bilbo’s door. Thus commences Bilbo’s adventure to the Lonely Mountain and back.

That night, thirteen dwarves present themselves at Bilbo’s house and eat all of his food. They reveal that Gandalf told them to meet here, and that Bilbo is to accompany them as a burglar for the purpose of infiltrating the Lonely Mountain, the dwarves’ ancestral home, and fight the dragon Smaug, who conquered it over a century ago. Bilbo is not the adventuring type, but he soon finds himself on the road. Along the way they encounter trolls, elves, goblins, shapeshifters, spiders, more elves, and the men of Laketown. Bilbo manages to acquire a weapon that glows when goblins and orcs are present, as well as a strange ring that allows him to become invisible. He acquired this ring from a creature named Gollum who dwelled in the depths of the Misty Mountains.

Freeing the mountain from the dragon takes some work, but the death of Smaug leads to several competing claims on the Lonely Mountain, all backed by armies. Five armies meet on the plains by the mountain, and though not a fighter, Bilbo is nonetheless involved in the conflict. Peace is finally achieved, but at the cost of the deaths of many a dwarves, who are now tight friends of Bilbo.

Returning home a rich hobbit due to his share of the treasure but a changed one due to the hardships of the adventure, Bilbo discovers with astonishment that his cousins thought him dead and have proceeded to auction off his possessions and his home.

The Hobbit introduces the world of Middle Earth and provides several details that become important in the Lord of the Rings. Fans of fantasy will love the worldbuilding Tolkien performed and will cheer Bilbo on as he manages time and again to overcome the odds placed before him.

The Red Umbrella

Gonzalez, Christina Diaz. The Red Umbrella. 2010. 284p. ISBN 0-375-86190-4. Available at FIC GON on the library shelves.

Lucía and her family live in Cuba. Two years ago, Fidel Castro and his revolutionaries seized power, and up to the beginning of 1961 it has had limited impacts on Lucía and her younger brother. Her parents, however, have noticed the change. When soldiers show up in town and begin executing perceived enemies of the state, the Álvarez siblings are witnesses. School is cancelled for the rest of the year, as the government attempts to redefine what a Cuban education should be like. The imposition of communist values on her small town change life for the worse. People are now disappearing and are not being seen again. Neighbors begin to inform on other neighbors. Lucía loses access to her beloved American fashion magazines. Her father, who works at the bank, is under tremendous pressure to conform to new values.

As the situation degrades and oppression increases, Lucía feels the tension. When she stumbles upon the hanging body of the town pharmacist, it is too much. Her illusions are shattered. Her best friend, meanwhile, wholly adopts the communist outlook and is drifting away from Lucía. Her father loses his job at the bank and is arrested for hiding his money in the house’s floor. With all the uncertainty, the family is faced with a stark choice: Remain here and fight the oppression at the risk of their lives, or flee.

Lucía and her brother obtain departure visas and are sent to Nebraska, where they meet the Bakers, their foster parents. As things continue to get worse in Cuba, the children will now have to adapt to a new environment and a new language. At first they hope this exile will only be temporary but as time drags on they realize that their identity is already changing.

A coming-of-age novel coupled with a traumatic forced migration, The Red Umbrella focuses on Lucía’s growth as a person and her resilience in the face of life-changing events. Fans of Lucky Broken Girl, which also deals with Cuban immigrant attempting to adapt to life in a new country.

By Your Side

West, Kasie. By Your Side. 2017. 342p. ISBN 978-0-06-245586-4. Available at FIC WES on the library shelves.

Autumn is looking forward to spending time with her high school girl friends at a remote cabin for the Martin Luther Day weekend. Before that, she and her friends spend an evening in the library working on a history project. With the library closing time fast approaching, Autumn and her group head to the underground parking lot. She places her bag in Jeff’s car, since they will all be going to a campfire in the woods before the girls head to the cabin. Considering the long drive, she decides to return to the library one more time to use the bathroom. Coming out, however, everything is black, and the library staff has departed, leaving her locked inside the library. With no phone, no computer access, no food, no change of clothes and all office phones locked, Autumn settles for a long night, until she realizes the long weekend means the library will not reopen until Tuesday. Worse, she’s not alone in the building.

Once she realizes that she’s locked in with druggy Dax Miller, she calms down a little. Mysterious Dax is quiet, and all she knows about him is that he got in trouble in the past and has spent some time in juvenile detention. And now he’s here with her, and unlike her, he planned on being locked in the library for the long weekend. Equipped with some food, a sleeping bag, toiletries, but also with a dead phone and no charger, there is no way to leave. The doors are locked, and only by pulling the fire alarm would people know someone is inside the library. Dax, however, does not want the police to get involved, and they most assuredly would.

Over the next three days, Autumn and Dax get to know each other better. But during watching television in the breakroom, Autumn sees a report about her disappearance in the car accident that injured Jeff Friday night, when he was returning to town from the campfire. Afflicted with panic attacks, Autumn enters full crisis mode, and Dax saves her by putting his own future in danger. He pulls the fire alarm. Now, Autumn owes Dax for saving her. Was the connection that they made over the long weekend real, or simply an arrangement for unfortunate circumstances?   

In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer

Opdyke, Irene Gut and Jennifer Armstrong. In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer. 2008. 304p. ISBN 9780553494112. Available as an eBook on Overdrive.

Growing up in Poland, Irene never thought her country would be attacked. But when German tanks roll across the border on September 1, 1939, she decides to fight for her country. A nurse in training, Irene joins the tatters of the Polish Army and hides in the forest until she is captured by the Soviets, who have invaded the eastern side of Poland. Raped by the soldiers, she is sent to a Russian hospital as a prisoner. When her body heals enough, Irene resumes her work as a nurse and helps the wounded. When sexually assaulted by the hospital director, Irene manages to run away with the help of a kind doctor, and finds refuge with one of his colleagues deep in Russia.

When Irene gets wind that Polish prisoners are allowed by German authorities to return to Poland, she makes the dangerous trek back to the border and after another arrest by the Soviets manages to board a train taking her back home. She is soon reunited with her family, and everyone has survived the conflict. Because she looks and speaks German, she gets a job working in a hotel for German officers. She begins to witness atrocities against the Jews, with the local ghetto abutting the hotel. Irene decides she must help the Jews as much as she can, and she provides them with food.

Her life changes again when Germany invades Russia in 1941. At first the front moves forward quickly, and Irene finds herself returning to the site of her first imprisonment. Working for the major in charge of the ammunition plant, Irene manages to move several Jews in comfortable working positions so that they can escape the harshest work. She soon discovers that Hitler’s Final Solution is about to strike, and she saves many of her friends by having them live in the basement of the major’s house. She continues to help local Jews and partisans, but as the Russians begin pushing back and the front moves closer, Irene is forced to withdraw.

When the war ends, she manages to return home, only to be arrested by the Soviets again as being an enemy of the state for her partisan activities. Escaping one more time, she first arrives in Germany, then eventually emigrates to the United States.

Not Jewish herself, and considered not dangerous because she was a simple girl, Irene manages to not only save herself, but also many others. Her legacy of courage and dedication in the face of evil continues to inspire to this day.

Adventure Time, Vol. 1

Corsetto, Danielle and Meredith McClaren. Adventure Time, Vol. 1. 2016. 120p. ISBN 978-1-61398-180-1. Available as an eBook from Overdrive.

Based on the television animated series of the same name, this graphic novel tells the story of Finn and his trusted best friend Jake the dog, who has the ability to transform into anything he wants. Finn likes the Fire Princess, but having a relationship with a being who is able to ignite anything on fire just by touching it can be difficult at times.

Finn’s soul is kidnapped by a powerful being, Jake and the Fire Princess must team up so they can free him. Unfortunately, the path to freedom is littered with puzzles that need to be solved, and to the Fire Princess every solution involves burning down the door and moving on to the next challenge. Only, one of the challenges involves traveling down a lake filled with … water. Can the Fire Princess manage to control her fiery impulses long enough to discover a solution that does not involve fire?

Freakling

Krumwiede, Lana. Freakling. Book 1 of the Psi Chronicles series. 2012. 309p. ISBN 0-7636-5937-1. Available at FIC KRU on the library shelves.

The city and countryside of Deliverance has lived at peace ever since its people, led by Nathan, removed themselves from the Republic and sought shelter behind an impassable chain of mountains. Persecuted for their abilities to manipulate their environment through psionics powers, specifically telekinesis, psy wielders found rest and created a new society. That society is now in danger, however, as the priesthood seeks to gain control of psy weapons and enter in an alliance with the Republic against its enemies.

Twelve-year-old Taemon has never known any other world. He uses psi to eat, dress, wash, open locks and turn on the lights. His older brother, Yens, hopes to become a psi ball professional player so he can escape the fate of becoming a religious teacher like his father. For Taemon, however, he still has a year left before he needs to make a decision. When the head priest, Elder Naseph, announces that the True Son prophesized by Nathan has arrived, all eyes turn to Yens, who demonstrates an understanding of psi beyond his years.

However Yens is evil. He attempts to kill Taemon by throwing him over a cliff, and only Taemon’s clairvoyance saves him from drowning. In the process, he loses access to his telekinetic abilities. Having to fake your way through life without the ability to manipulate the environment through his mind, Taemon is soon discovered to be psi-less, and is sent to the Colony, a space reserved for those people who do not have psi.

There Taemon discovers people who do things the old fashioned way: with their hands. He begins a new trade, and makes new friends, including Amma, a beautiful girl. But even in the Colony there are secrets. Why is there a door hidden in Amma’s house that is locked by psi when no one has any here? Why are people disappearing in Deliverance? As secrets are revealed, Taemon must decide if he is willing help his people, knowing that this help will come at a deadly price.

The Time Machine

Wells, H. G. The Time Machine. 2000. 118p. ISBN 0-03-056476-X. Available at 823 WEL on the library shelves and as an eBook on Overdrive.

Having invented a machine that allows travel through time, an English scientist informs his dinner guests of the fourth dimension of time and claims that he will prove it with his machine. The following week, when the guests return to the scientist’s estate, they are more than puzzled to find him dirty, bruised and haggard. He reveals to them that he has traveled over 800,000 years in the future.

Through an unbelievable tale, the Time Traveler describes his encounter with the children-like people of the Eloi, a society of indolent humans descendents who seem to have neither curiosity nor desire to improve their lot. At first the Time Traveler is enchanted by their lack of work and their diets based on fruit, yet he can’t escape the conclusion that this is what happens when humans no longer need strength and intelligence. When he discovers that his time machine has been move in a building with locked doors, the Time Traveler panics. He must retrieve the machine otherwise he will never be able to go home.

Discovering the presence of another race of human descendents he dubs the Morlocks living in the depths of the world, the Time Traveler realizes that they are responsible for removing his machine. Having saved the life of Weena, an Eloi who was drowning, the Time Traveler and the girl travel through the forest to visit ancient sites, but are attacked on their way back. Now armed with matches and a weapon, the Time Traveler fights the Morlocks back, but Weena disappears in the process. Ready to return home, he realizes that the doors to the building where his machine is kept are opened, but it most likely is a Morlock trap.

The first novel to make extensive use of the concept of time travel, The Time Traveler opened the door to a new genre of science fiction still popular to this day.

The Second Summer of the Sisterhood

Brashares, Ann. The Second Summer of the Sisterhood. Book 2 of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. 2003. 373p. ISBN 0-385-72934-0. Available at FIC BRA on the library shelves.

Last summer a pair of jeans from the thrift store saved four girls from a terrible summer apart. At nearly seventeen, the four friends find themselves heading in different directions again. Lena will be working all summer. She and Kostos broke off their relationship, but she soon discovers that Kostos has come to the United States to pursue an internship in New York City. They can see each other every weekend, when he will make the trip down to Washington. Kostos, however, has a secret that will crush Lena.

Tibby is attending a summer program at Williamson College. There she struggles with acceptance by friends she perceives as cooler, and ignores Brian’s overture towards more than friendship. It takes making a mockery of her mother for her first production to realize that the story she really should tell is Bailey’s, her young friend who died of leukemia last summer.

Bridget dropped out of soccer during the year, blowing her chance at scholarship from a big university. When she discovers letters her maternal grandmother wrote her family, she decides she must reconnect with her and learn more about her own dead mother. She travels to Alabama, where she pretends to be someone else but soon finds herself living under that new identity with her grandmother, helping her clean the attic and removing personal memories that help Bee reconstruct a better view of her mother. As the same time, her abandonment of soccer was premature.

Last summer Carmen made an impression on Krista, her step-sister. Krista runs away to live with Carmen. At the same time, Christina, Carmen’s mother, re-enters the dating scene with a co-worker, throwing Carmen for a loop. Has she been holding her mother back all this time?

Through it all, the four best friends exchange the jeans. For the first part of the summer, the jeans are not used, but when Christina wears them Carmen throws a fit and decides to break her relationship with David so she will not be left alone. As the summer progresses, however, and as each girl’s relationship deepens, the jeans once again help make everything right. And as tragedy strikes, all four friends will be reunited and able to support each other.

The story continues in Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood.

The Great Fire

Murphy, Jim. The Great Fire. 1995. 144p. 151 mins. ISBN 9780439203074. Available as an audiobook on Overdrive.

Sunday October 8, 1871 was a day like any other in the great town of Chicago. People had been out enjoying church, spending time with their families, or working in one of the many industries scattered through town. The weather had been extremely hot and dry for this time of year, and no measurable precipitation had fallen in months. With most of the city built of wood, fires were a constant danger and several procedures had been developed over the years to prevent widespread destruction. When a fire erupted in the barn of the O’Leary family in the southern part of Chicago, it spread quickly to adjoining structures, but all witnesses assumed that it would be put out quickly like the fire that had struck the city the previous day.

The alarm was triggered, and firefighters responded. A series of human errors led them to the wrong place, and by the time an effective firefighting force was assembled it was too late. Despite their best efforts, the harsh winds quickly spread fire from house to house, even leaping over the river to the other side. By Monday morning, the extent of the destruction was clear to everyone. Chicago had been ravaged by the fire, which continued to burn. It would take 36 hours to finally control and put of the fire, but by then over 79,000 buildings had been destroyed and more than 100,000 people were homeless. More than 300 people perished.

With the city devastated and winter fast approaching, measures were needed to ensure that food, water, and shelter were available to the residents who had lost everything. A profound economic recession stopped the rebuilding of the city, and by the time the economy improved six years later new fire and construction codes were in place, ensuring that new buildings would be fireproof.

The riveting story of the Great Fire of 1871 will fascinate readers of history as well as those who are interested in catastrophes and disasters. Fans of this book should take a look at Blizzard of Glass, the destruction of Halifax, Canada, during the First World War by what was at the time the largest man-made explosion in history.

Bungo Stray Dogs, Vol. 3

Asagiri, Kafka. Bungo Stray Dogs, Vol. 3. 2017. 188 p. ISBN 9780316468152. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Following Atsushi’s rescue of Port Mafia assassin Kyouka Izumi in Bungo Stray Dog, vol 2, after she made an attempt on a train, he must deal with the consequences of sparing her life. After all, she is wanted by the authorities for over 35 lives lost during the bombing, and at the same time the Port Mafia wants to kill her to prevent her to talk. Having spared her life, he is now responsible to decide what to do with her. Before he can decide, however, he is ambushed by Ryuunosuke and is thrown in the back of a truck. Hoping to deliver Atsushi’s head to a bidder, Ryuunosuke boards a ship with the shapeshifter and congratulates Kyouka’s unwilling role as an accomplice.

The Armed Detective Agency does not react well to Atsushi’s disappearance. The president of the Agency himself orders all personnel to participate in their newest recruit’s rescue. At the same time, Dazai finds himself in the hands of the Port Mafia, chained to a wall. Carrying a death wish, Dazai is visited by his ex-partner, Chuuya Nakahara. Dazai and Chuuya have a tense confrontation, but Chuuya suddenly realizes that Dazai meant to be here at this specific time. Dazai frees himself and investigates who would put such a high price on Atsushi’s head.

Meanwhile, a battle between a damaged Atsushi and a powerful Ryuunosuke erupts aboard the ship carrying them out of the country. Will Atsushi manage to resist Ryuunosuke’s attacks and save Kyouka?

The story continues in Bungo Stray Dogs, Vol. 4.

Rebuttal

Hariharan, Jyotsna. Rebuttal. 2016. 100 mins. ISBN 9780062663474. Available as an audiobook from Overdrive.

Alex is an expert debater, but she’s not looking forward to the all-expense paid trip to Europe if she wins first place in the upcoming debate tournament. She’d rather win second place, because she would then be able to attend the Nottingshire’s Writer Retreat in London, where Mary Noelle Simmons teaches. Simmons is Alex’s source of inspiration for life, from her attendance at a small South Dakota college to her writing career. Unfortunately, she needs to win in the local debates first, and her partner has just bailed on her due to an unforeseen romantic crisis. Now she needs to find a partner, and quick, for the next round of debates starts in less than ten minutes.

Jeremy works with the AV club, and he’s in the auditorium bringing a cable when Alex sees him and asks him to participate in the debate. Since he really needs to pass AP biology, Jeremy agrees to help her, but only if she will help him get his average up in bio. A transactional friendship is thus struck, but begins to grow as the two of them realize they share many characteristics, from overbearing and demanding parents to the desire to escape the future that has been planned for them. As they prepare for debates and for biology, they also begin to plan for a future they had not dreamed was possible.

Winner of HarperCollins’ audio drama contest, Rebuttal takes the listener through a short adventure where both Alex and Jeremy discover that they are worth more than the sum of their parents and that big plans are not just pipe dreams but, with support from friends, can indeed take place.

Brisingr

Paolini, Christopher. Brisingr. Book 3 of the Inheritance series. 2008. 763p. ISBN 978-0-375-82672-6. Available at FIC PAO on the library shelves.

In Eldest, Murtagh reappeared as a dragon rider under the control of their enemy, King Galbatorix. Eragon and Saphira now find themselves at the center of events affecting Alagaësia. Having nearly been defeated by Murtagh and Thorn on the battlefield, Eragon knows he is hopelessly outmatched against the magical skills of the king. He will need more training in order to gain enough strength to overthrow Galbatorix. Fortunately, the Varden was able to win the battle in the end, and now Nasuarda and her troops are on the offensive, moving deep in the Empire.

Hoping to save Katrina, Eragon and his cousin Roran set out on Saphira to Hellgrind, the Ra’zac’s lair. Discovering the fell beasts and their parents, the trio triumph and dispatch the monsters, rescuing Roran’s love in the process. Unfortunately, Eragon finds that Sloan, Katrina’s father, is a prisoner of the Ra’zac. Having been rendered blind and tortured, the butcher is in bad shape, but Eragon knows he cannot be both judge and jury on the penalty he should suffer. He lets Roran and Katrina escape on Saphira, while he rescues the old man and sends him on a quest to seek shelter in the land of the elves.

Trekking back on foot, Eragon is reunited with Arya, who departed the Varden to meet up with him when Nasuarda learned what had transpired at Hellgrind. Together they travel back to the Varden. There Nasuarda sends him out to travel to Farthen Dur, the dwarves’ capital, to convince them to elect a king and support the Varden’s efforts. Saphira, meanwhile, stays back and runs patrols in the sky to let the Varden and its supporters believe Eragon is still with them.

Following the election of King Orik and his support to the cause of freedom, Eragon travels back to Ellesméra to meet once again with his teacher, Oromis. There Eragon and Saphira finally discover Galbatorix’ secret of collecting dragon heart of hearts. Filled with the consciousness of a dragon before he or she died, these items are powerful magic and the evil king has been drawing off them to oppress the people of Alagaësia.

With Roran fulfilling several dangerous missions for the Varden, and with Eragon, Saphira, Oromis and Glaedr heading back to the various battlefronts, the fate of an entire continent rests in the efforts of this motley crew.

Eragon tries to uphold the oath he made to save Katrina from King Galbatorix, while being pulled in different directions by the needs of the Varden, elves, and dwarves--all of whom need his help and strength to overcome the tyranny of the king.