Brisingr -- Fantasy Book Review

In a past post I mentioned that I was looking forward to reading Brisingr, the latest installment in a fantasy series called the Inheritance Cycle. I had thought the first two books were fairly clean other than a few objectionable words and some graphic violence. I also had high expectations of this author, because he was homeschooled. In his first two books the characters’ heathen, fictional beliefs were laid out in a rather matter-of-fact sort of way. I wasn’t quite sure of the author’s worldview and was hoping that either he would keep the spiritual stuff at that inactive level or bring things around to a Christian worldview, albeit in a symbolic manner. Unfortunately, he explored religion much more extensively in this book and drew all the wrong conclusions.

I had to wonder if the author, Christopher Paolini, is currently on some sort of personal journey in which he is struggling with the truth about God. My husband went through a similar time when he was in college, even bordering on atheism at one point. Paolini seems to be saying that all religions, even pagan, are basically worshipping the same god. One character has a very moving spiritual experience in which she finds much needed peace by drawing comfort from her idols. A main character rushes marriage so as not to have a child out of wedlock, and no one condemns him for fornication. Later in the book someone mentions that two people who really love each other are basically married. Scripture is very clear on this point, and Paolini’s stand is extremely disappointing at a time when our culture increasingly embraces cohabitation. We certainly don’t need another children’s author on the wrong side of the marriage fence.

As I got further into this book, I became more uncomfortable. I have learned to listen to my conscience, and it seemed to be nagging me. By the time I was two-thirds of the way through, I was ready to quit. I ended up skimming the rest just to see the outcome, but in retrospect, I wish I had not read the book at all. I am disgusted with the entire experience, angry with myself, and irritated with the author. I asked Jesus to forgive me for not listening sooner and have decided that unless I hear the author has undergone a major transformation in his beliefs, I will not read the last book when it comes out.

It is possible that the first two novels would be more objectionable to me if I read them today, as I am sure that I have grown spiritually over the past few years since reading them. But I am certain that this third book made a definite and intentional swipe against the Christian worldview, no doubt reflecting the author's own personal walk down a broad, wide path leading to destruction.