The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm Tales from Alagaësia (Volume 1: Eragon)

It was so good to be back in the world of Alagaësia.I was so happy that we got more of this story and that, even with the little information on Eragon's current occupation and whereabouts, we get a feeling of what his life looks like after the war against Galbatorix. True, the focus lies in three different short stories, but it's still very much the same vibe and world that we got to love during the first four books. In "The Fork" we meet a young and brave girl whose dialogue partner, who seems kind of familiar, to us readers at least, presents her with a valuable lesson. Such a precious story that heals the wounded hearts of the readers when it comes to this one character (I'm not spoiling it ^^). In "The Witch" we finally read more of Angela and her past. The witch, who's so hard to grasp and who gives you so much to wonder about, let's us in on a sliver of her life through her memoir. She's one of my favourite characters in the original series, and I was so happy to see that we are to dive just a tad bit more into her story. "The Worm" seemed the most fleshed out (which makes sense when you think about the fact that it was supposed to be a whole book on its own), and I loved that we get to meet new characters and even focus on Urgals with this third and last story. It helps in taking the horror from these creatures and making them just as much deserving of existence as the rest of Alagaësia. While they are prone to violence, we develop a greater understanding for them. All the while we join Ilgra on her mission to save her people from the terrifyingly big and hungry dragon - with quite the twist at the end.The whole scenery is reminiscent of the chapters on Carvahall which felt so homely and added even more nostalgia. If you've enjoyed Eragon, and you're contemplating on reading The Fork, the Witch and the Worm - do it. But please don't anticipate a full-blown sequel to the story, as it's really "only" three short stories within the universe. Those short stories, however, add so much colour and hope to the uncertain future we're left with at the end of book 4. Overall, I missed these characters so much - even though I've only just re-read the Eragon series last year - and it was such a treat to at least get this little bit more of the world. Maybe one day, we'll have more on Eragon and Co. but for now, I'm happy and at peace knowing that he's doing as well as he can in his care and training of the dragons and their riders. And with this, I'll leave you one of my most favourite quotes of this book: "Happiness, Eragon had decided, was a fleeting, futile thing to pursue. Contentment, on the other hand, was a far more worthwhile goal."

Drei Kurzgeschichten, drei Bewertungen: Die Erste ist klasse! Die Zweite immer noch gut. Die Dritte tut nicht unbedingt Not. Das Buch selbst hat leider deutlich weniger Seiten als angekündigt da es eine sehr lange Leseprobe des ersten Bandes der Eragon Bücher enthält.