"The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm" "The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm" is a collection of stories written by Christopher Paolini. This book serves as a companion to his popular "Inheritance Cycle" series and includes three short stories set in the world of Alagaësia. The first story in the collection is titled "The Fork," and it picks up where the original series left off. The protagonist, Eragon, is now living in the land of the elves and is tasked with the responsibility of rebuilding the Dragon Riders. This story explores Eragon's internal struggles and his desire to find a new purpose in life. The second story, "The Witch," introduces a new character named Tenga.
It's been a year since Eragon departed Alagaësia in search of the perfect home to train a new generation of Dragon Riders. Now he is struggling with an endless sea of tasks: constructing a vast dragonhold, wrangling with suppliers, guarding dragon eggs, and dealing with belligerent Urgals and haughty elves. Then a vision from the Eldunarí, unexpected visitors, and an exciting Urgal legend offer a much-needed distraction and a new perspective.
They reach out to Eragon to whom Angela gives her memoirs with the clause that they may or may not be true which we, the reader, then get to read to learn Angela s backstory. She almost dies but then she uses the magic that a shaman taught her to make the dragon join their side to protect the urgals against attacks from other animals and enemies.
The second story, "The Witch," introduces a new character named Tenga. Tenga is a hermit who possesses magical abilities and has been living in seclusion. When Eragon stumbles upon Tenga's abode, he is drawn into a mysterious encounter that tests his understanding of magic and his own limitations.
Book Review: The Fork, the Witch & the Worm
The Fork, the Witch & the Worm by Christopher Paolini is a collection of three short stories in the world of Alagaesia, the world of his famous Eragon series.
The Eragon series are some of my favourite childhood books, and the nostalgia of getting to experience the wonderful adventures in that world again was a pleasure.
However, each of the three stories is rather disconnected from the others – one tells of the lonely life of Murtagh, another of Angela and the cursed child Eva, and the third of the dragon of Kulkaras.
Murtagh is Eragon’s half-brother. He was an antagonist throughout the series, originally a friend to Eragon, but this friendship was later ruined because he was discovered to be the son of a dragon slayer and that wasn’t allowed. Murtagh was later captured against his will to become the righthand of the bad King Galbatrix. He ends up having to fight against Eragon a few times; the final time he wins which wins Murtagh his freedom and eventually he joins forces with Eragon to take down the king. By the end of the series, he is still viewed as the enemy though based on his bloodline. This is where the short story picks up – Murtagh living out his life as a lone wolf of sorts. I enjoyed this short story and getting to learn more about what happens to Murtagh after the series ended.
I didn’t like the story of Angela and Eva – I felt there was no purpose to the story and it was only written as filler content. In the original series, Eva was cursed by Eragon after he accidentally said a protection spell incorrectly. Her curse is to be a shield against evil, so she constantly has to endure pain from the enemy. Her curse is used by the queen as protection. Angela, a witch, takes Eva from the palace and out into the wilderness for her protection to give her a chance to live normally. Then, in the short story, Angela teaches Eva the art of being a witch. They reach out to Eragon to whom Angela gives her memoirs (with the clause that they may or may not be true) which we, the reader, then get to read to learn Angela’s backstory. I felt that this was a pointless story, only written to fill pages.
I liked the story of the dragon of Kulkaras – it was the only one of the three that introduced new characters who weren’t in the original series, both the dragon and a young urgal called Ilgra. The clan of urgals live happily in the mountains until the dragon comes and destroys their village and kills Ilgra’s father, among many others. After the dragon destroys everything in sight, he retreats to the mountains of Kulkaras. The remaining urgals then try to chase him away, however, after more bloodshed, they give up. Ilgra doesn’t want to give up, so she goes on a mission by herself to attempt to get rid of the dragon. She almost dies – but then she uses the magic that a shaman taught her to make the dragon join their side to protect the urgals against attacks from other animals and enemies. It symbolizes the unreachable thing that all of us have, and that instead of chasing it away or killing it, we must learn to live with it and accept it.
Unfortunately, overall it felt as though the book was only written to ride on the success of the Eragon series, relying on nostalgia as a selling point. The book was quite empty in terms of content, each page had huge margins and the chapters were all disoriented. It felt like Paolini had some good ideas for storylines, but needed to build it out to make it the length of a proper book and that he ended up writing just to fill the pages.
Book bought in Paihia, New Zealand // 281 pages // finished April 4, 2021
Three short stories are included in the book, each following a different character:
The final story in the collection, "The Worm," takes readers into the perspective of a dragon named Saphira. In this story, Saphira is faced with a unique problem as a worm has been troubling her kind. She embarks on a quest to solve this issue and protect her fellow dragons. Throughout these stories, Christopher Paolini delves into themes of personal growth, self-discovery, and the importance of individual choices. The collection also provides fans of the "Inheritance Cycle" series with a chance to revisit their favorite characters and delve further into the intricacies of the world of Alagaësia. "The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm" is an engaging and captivating read for fans of the original series. It offers new insights into beloved characters while also introducing new elements to the story. Whether you are a long-time fan or a newcomer to the world of Alagaësia, this collection is sure to provide an immersive and exciting reading experience..
Reviews for "The evolution of Christopher Paolini's writing in 'The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm"
1. John Doe - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with "The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm". The story was disjointed and lacked a clear direction. The characters were underdeveloped and I found it hard to connect with any of them. The writing style was also confusing at times, with unnecessarily long descriptions that distracted from the plot. Overall, it felt like a rushed and half-hearted attempt to capitalize on the success of the previous books in the series. I wouldn't recommend it to fans of the original series.
2. Jane Smith - 1 star - "The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm" felt like a cheap cash-grab. The plot was predictable and cliché, with no surprises or twists. The pacing was incredibly slow and it took me ages to finish the book because I kept losing interest. The writing felt lazy and uninspired, lacking the depth and complexity that made the original series so captivating. I was hoping for a return to the magic and wonder of the previous books, but instead, I got a lackluster and unoriginal addition to the series. Save your money and skip this one.
3. Emily Johnson - 2 stars - As a fan of the original series, I was excited to dive into "The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm", but unfortunately, it fell flat for me. The story felt rushed and incomplete, with loose ends that were never properly addressed. The new characters introduced were forgettable and lacked depth, and the interactions between them felt forced. Additionally, the book seemed to rely heavily on nostalgia rather than delivering a fresh and unique storyline. While there were a few moments that reminded me of the magic of the original series, they were few and far between. I had high hopes for this book, but it ultimately failed to live up to my expectations.
4. Michael Thompson - 2 stars - "The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm" was a disappointment for me. The story felt disjointed and lacked a clear focus. The pacing was off, with certain parts dragging on while others felt rushed. The writing style was also lacking, with overly simplistic descriptions and dialogue that made the characters seem one-dimensional. I wanted to love this book, but I found myself forcing my way through it, hoping it would get better. Unfortunately, it never did. It's a shame because the original series was so captivating, but this addition just didn't live up to its potential.