Christopher Paolini | Inheritance
In his fourth and final novel of the Inheritance cycle, Christopher Paolini offers a dramatic conclusion to the saga of Eragon and the Dragon Riders of the land of Alagaesia.
Readers were introduced to the young Eragon in the first book. The farm boy finds a magical blue stone, from which a dragon hatches. The two form a strong bond, and together are whisked away into the world of dwarves, elves, and the ruthless reign of Alagaesia’s evil ruler, Galbatorix.
The second and third novels follow the pair as they mature, and battle foes, both internal and external.
Paolini originally planned to end the tale with book number three, but there was still too much story to tell. Inheritance, with its darker tone, delivers the most furious round of battles yet, as conflicts intensify between good and evil entities.
Eragon’s somewhat romantic relationship with the warrior elf, Arya, and strained alliance with the triad of men, elves and dwarves blend in an intriguing and intricately told manner.
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Paul Zarzyski | 51, 30 Poems, 20 Lyrics, 1 Self-Interview
In his self-interview, Montana poet Paul Zarzyski – born in 1951 – tells us how the number 51 became his numerological muse, and it begins to sound like his well-love paean, “Why I Like Butte.” The number stands up, begins to bounce off the page with the poet’s unerring rhythm. But it’s that way with Zarzyski – the words won’t stay on the page. They insist on being sung, read or recited … Read more
Matt Pavelich | The Other Shoe
When Calvin Teague, an “unfailingly pleasant and obvious” young man from Iowa, turns up dead in the backwoods of western Montana, an unsettling mystery unfolds. Henry Brusett and his too-young wife Karen are clearly implicated in the crime, but how? Why? In his disturbing and lovely new novel, Hot Springs author and attorney Matt Pavelich writes pitch-perfectly of familiar terrain. Read more
Martha Kohl | I Do – A Cultural History of Montana Weddings
Why write a book devoted to weddings? Author and historian Martha Kohl suggests, “… primarily because they provide an excellent vehicle for looking at the lives of ordinary people. Weddings are generally well documented; they stand out in people’s memories; and they are one of the few rituals widely celebrated in America.” Read more
Glen Chamberlain | Conjugations of the Verb To Be
In “Amongst the Fields,” the first story of Glen Chamberlain’s striking debut collection, Conjugations of the Verb To Be, a dreamy teenager growing up in the tiny Montana town of Buckle tries to fathom infinity. Big themes – like love, velocity and destiny – are grounded in Chamberlain's earthy, elegant writing. Read more
Raptors of the West earns Montana Book Award
The 2011 Montana Book Award winner is Raptors of the West, a collaboration between Bitterroot Valley author and raptor educator Kate Davis and award-winning photographers Rob Palmer and Nick Dunlop. The four honor books are Beautiful Unbroken: One Nurse’s Life, Conjugations of the Verb To Be, Where Elk Roam and Hand Raised: The Barns of Montana. Read more
Willard Wyman | Blue Heaven
Willard Wyman spent four decades as a wrangler, guide and packer in the Bob Marshall Wilderness and California’s Sierra Nevada range. He traverses Montana’s backcountry again in his second novel, Blue Heaven. Set in the Swan Valley of the early 1900s, Wyman tells the story of Fenton Pardee – a charismatic character from his first novel, High Country. Read more