Was Murtagh's conversion crushingly obvious?

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Near the end of Eldest, in the midst of a dramatic clash on the Burning Plains, another Rider appears on the scene.After some time spent engaging this new Rider, Eragon unmasks him. Surprising absolutely nobody, the extremely powerful Rider is Murtagh, who was believed to be dead. Was it just me, or was this plot twist bone-crushingly obvious? As soon as Eragon thought that Murtagh was dead, it became obvious. Galbatorix would never just take Murtagh without sending notice, and Christopher Paolini would never kill off a character as good as Murtagh. From that moment I knew that Murtagh was his brother, and the next Dragon Rider. Did anyone else feel that this was a huge setup? I thought that it was. Now, the question becomes, how to get Murtagh back. Since Galbatorix knows Thorn and Murtagh's full names, he can control them however he likes. Now, the question becomes how to become strong enough to compete with Murtagh, and how to learn Galbatorix's weak spot, or his real name. Discuss Murtagh, his Ridership, and all related plotlines.