“The Fork, the Witch and the Worm,” a companion book to the New York Times Best Selling series “The Inheritance Cycle,” was released on Dec. 31, 2018. It is an anthology consisting of three short stories set in the world of the “Inheritance Cycle”. Photo Fair Use of www.getunderlined.com
“The Fork, the Witch and the Worm,” the long-awaited addition to Christopher Paolini’s “Inheritance Cycle,” is disappointingly short and does not live up to fans’ expectations.
Christopher Paolini, author of the New York Times Bestselling series “The Inheritance Cycle”, delighted fans with the announcement of a new book, titled “The Fork, the Witch and the Worm” released on Dec. 31, 2018.
“The Inheritance Cycle,” set in the mythical world of Alagaesia, follows the story of Eragon, the first dragon-rider in centuries and Sapphira, his dragon, in their journey to overthrow the corrupt dictator Galbatorix.
“The Fork, the Witch and the Worm” contains three stories set shortly after the end of “Inheritance”, the last book in the series, all connected by a narrative from Eragon’s point of view.
Unfortunately, “The Fork, the Witch and the Worm” did not live up to its predecessors and to the hype it received following the announcement of a new book. Instead, “The Fork, the Witch and the Worm” reads more like a teaser.
The first short story, “The Fork”, ends abruptly, ruining what was otherwise an entertaining and endearing story, and the second, “The Witch”, contains short, cryptic excerpts of a longer story. “The Worm” is the only story that has a complete plot with a beginning, middle and end, but it bears little relevance to any of the other parts of the book.
Although no additional books have been confirmed, the sudden endings and the phrase “Volume 1: Eragon” on the cover, hint at more books to come, which expands the book’s potential. As a standalone, it is mediocre, but its potential as an introduction for a companion series is intriguing.
Despite its faults, “The Fork, the Witch and the Worm” will be an enjoyable read for fans of the series or even new readers, though they may be better off just reading the original series.
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