Darth Pedant

Work took up all of my mental spoons this week so I didn’t get much reading done. Still, what little reading I managed to do was enough to make me regret some of my life choices. Here’s a sampling of what’s annoyed me in the last 124 pages:

The phrase “Oh, and what am I, chopped liver?” is used, further strengthening my conviction that neither Poalini nor his editors could be arsed about careful use of idioms.

At one point, Eragon rocks up to the army’s livestock pens so he can use the life energy of slaughtered livestock to fill the jewels (magic batteries, basically) in his belt. It’s a horrible experience for him. He feels the animals’ pain and feels “unclean” and responsible for their deaths. And yet, not a single mention of the whole going-vegetarian-then-slipping-back-into-meat-eating thing. I’m still wondering if there was a point to that whole personal journey.

Angela has what is basically a vorpal sword. Because of course she does. What else would a walking deus ex machina carry? I mean, aside from all the other weapons she pulls out of her (figurative) ass. (Unless it’s her literal ass. I really don’t know where she keeps them all.) Whenever Paolini paints his characters into a corner, here comes Angela to save the day in the most annoying and OP way possible. Remember Fizban from Dragonlance? Well, make him shorter and give him boobs and voila! Angela.