Rating: Summary: Good, But Unoriginal Review: Pro: It gets steadily better and more exciting towards the end. For a teenager, this is amazing, but there is another book I read by a teenager which is better, except I've forgotten the name.Con:The writing is sometimes clunky, dragons are too perfect-not in personality, but the author keeps on saying that dragons are mysterious and stuff so that when they do totally amazing things like create diamonds out of nowhere he can just use that as an excuse, Eragon has too many powers-a lot of the time the authors states something along the lines of 'wow, what you did in X days normally takes a person X months/years', the characters are unlikeable, and most importantly, it's excruciatingly unorginal. Now, I'm not a big fan of Lord Of The Rings, so I've only read the books once. But even I can tell that several things are stolen from LoTR, Ursula K. Leguin, and fantasy in general. The twists aren't surprising at all for someone who reads enough books-not just fantasy-to know all of the cliches. And it irks me that they don't even bother to make Eragon just born powerful, he's special because he is named after this really powerful guy (obvious, much?) and I wouldn't be surprised if there is a prophecy about his birth too. -.- Still, for a teenager it's good and toward the end it's exciting enough for me to want to read the next book.
Rating: Summary: the title should warn you Review: I was dismayed by the title (way, WAY too similar to Aragon of LOTR) but since it's a fat fantasy, gave it a try. Kept on going, despite increasing dissapointment at words, characters, settings lifted directly from other books & movies. Stone that turns into dragon = Simak, people riding dragons= McCaffery, tuatha as magic word = Willow, old man as warrior in hiding = Star Wars, elves as beautiful guardians of the good = Tolkien, etc., etc. There were just TOO many borrowings to be credible. It was similar to the fan fiction one sees on the web, or that most of us wrote in high school. Then I find out afterwards...he WAS in high school! So that explains it all. When he finds a voice of his own, he'll be a good author, but I'm afraid this wasn't it.
Rating: Summary: Nice try, but a try's not enough Review: Since so many people have reviewed this book, I hardly think I could be helpful; but anyway. First, let me list the GOOD things about this book. The cover, beautiful. The map, engrossing. Angelina and the Werecat; a bit special, a bit mysterious. There are more BAD things than these GOOD things. There's the characters first. ERAGON: The name's similar to Aragorn. How come a farm boy doesn't marvel at the new world? He accepts his fate so calmly! It's as if he isn't really in this world of Alagaesia, but on Earth reading his own biography. ARYA: The name's similar to Arwen. She is too predictable. She almost dies but has enough strength to beat Eragon, so she's almost like a goddess. She's going to date our dear Eragon. We already knew that when Eragon dreamed his "prophetical" dreams. BROM: This storyteller suddenly is revealed his status. It was predictable, otherwise how could a normal storyteller have taught Eragon? He's just a copy of Gandalf, if you take out Gandalf's wisdom and power. SAPHIRA: Well, Saphira's amusing; no doubt Paolini tended her to be; but not truly amusing. She just hatches and seems to know even more than Eragon. Dragon or no, she's truly young and inexperienced. MURTAGH: Interesting character with an interesting past, but the future of this poor man is quite predictable. SHADE: The idea of Shades is too often-used. Then there are the plotlines. Arya getting poisoned was so predictable I put the book down then and there, but I read more to find out if anything interesting'll happen. Of course not. Arya was used; used to be Eragon's lover and his savior. Eragon needed a reason to go into the Varden welcomed. Also, we get to the 'species.' Dwarves are typical; disagreeable. Elves are almost gods, with their proud, scoffy way of handling everything. Urgals are EXACTLY Orcs. They're easily hatable. There's this new species of Urgals that can move fast without halting even in daylight, which is JUST LIKE URUK-HAI. I'm not saying that using other people's ideas is bad. COPYING them is. Paolini's given it a nice try, but you shouldn't just publish your try right away. He needs something special, his own style. Right now, his style is just a hodgepodge of Star Wars, Tolkien, Anne McCaffrey and such. If you think this book is interesting, which it is to some limit, I recommend you read other masterpieces by authors like Philip Pullman, Susan Cooper, D.W.Jones, Garth Nix, Tamora Pierce, and the authors mentioned above. If you're younger, Artemis Fowl series and the infamous Harry Potter is much better. When Paolini improves; which no doubt he will; read his series then. Eragon's immature yet. Look at his conversations, for example: "I want to stay," he complained. <-we know he's complaining. "You need a break and fresh air. Don't worry, you can go back soon enough." consoled Horst. <-we know he's consoling. Use 'said' when you can. You can read so many examples of these that you get used to it. It's like a blueprint of a fantasy trilogy. It's Lord of the Rings without the Rings of Power, the effectively evil Sauron and Saruman, the effectively wise Gandalf and Elrond. Then there's the almost unpredictable ending with Gollum biting off Frodo's finger. This book is predictable. If I ever read this book, it will be to see the ending and the evil of King Galbatorix. This is a seventeen-year-old's book - the characters are all seventeen years old.
Rating: Summary: Nice try, but a try's not enough Review: Since so many people have reviewed this book, I hardly think I could be helpful; but anyway. First, let me list the GOOD things about this book. The cover, beautiful. The map, engrossing. Angelina and the Werecat; a bit special, a bit mysterious. There are more BAD things than these GOOD things. There's the characters first. ERAGON: The name's similar to Aragorn. How come a farm boy doesn't marvel at the new world? He accepts his fate so calmly! It's as if he isn't really in this world of Alagaesia, but on Earth reading his own biography. ARYA: The name's similar to Arwen. She is too predictable. She almost dies but has enough strength to beat Eragon, so she's almost like a goddess. She's going to date our dear Eragon. We already knew that when Eragon dreamed his "prophetical" dreams. BROM: This storyteller suddenly is revealed his status. It was predictable, otherwise how could a normal storyteller have taught Eragon? He's just a copy of Gandalf, if you take out Gandalf's wisdom and power. SAPHIRA: Well, Saphira's amusing; no doubt Paolini tended her to be; but not truly amusing. She just hatches and seems to know even more than Eragon. Dragon or no, she's truly young and inexperienced. MURTAGH: Interesting character with an interesting past, but the future of this poor man is quite predictable. SHADE: The idea of Shades is too often-used. Then there are the plotlines. Arya getting poisoned was so predictable I put the book down then and there, but I read more to find out if anything interesting'll happen. Of course not. Arya was used; used to be Eragon's lover and his savior. Eragon needed a reason to go into the Varden welcomed. Also, we get to the 'species.' Dwarves are typical; disagreeable. Elves are almost gods, with their proud, scoffy way of handling everything. Urgals are EXACTLY Orcs. They're easily hatable. There's this new species of Urgals that can move fast without halting even in daylight, which is JUST LIKE URUK-HAI. I'm not saying that using other people's ideas is bad. COPYING them is. Paolini's given it a nice try, but you shouldn't just publish your try right away. He needs something special, his own style. Right now, his style is just a hodgepodge of Star Wars, Tolkien, Anne McCaffrey and such. If you think this book is interesting, which it is to some limit, I recommend you read other masterpieces by authors like Philip Pullman, Susan Cooper, D.W.Jones, Garth Nix, Tamora Pierce, and the authors mentioned above. If you're younger, Artemis Fowl series and the infamous Harry Potter is much better. When Paolini improves; which no doubt he will; read his series then. Eragon's immature yet. Look at his conversations, for example: "I want to stay," he complained. <-we know he's complaining. "You need a break and fresh air. Don't worry, you can go back soon enough." consoled Horst. <-we know he's consoling. Use 'said' when you can. You can read so many examples of these that you get used to it. It's like a blueprint of a fantasy trilogy. It's Lord of the Rings without the Rings of Power, the effectively evil Sauron and Saruman, the effectively wise Gandalf and Elrond. Then there's the almost unpredictable ending with Gollum biting off Frodo's finger. This book is predictable. If I ever read this book, it will be to see the ending and the evil of King Galbatorix. This is a seventeen-year-old's book - the characters are all seventeen years old.
Rating: Summary: GREAT BOOK!!!! Review: YES THIS BOOK IS BETTER THAN HARRY POTTER! I could not put this book down because of the action packed plot. Unlike Harry Potter, this book was on the rise with unexpected twists throuoghout the entire story. This is kind of like Lord of the Rings, but is 10 TIMES BETTER! The story has powerful elves, strong dwarfs, humans, dragons, and evil urgals, and varden. THIS BOOK WAS GREAT!
Rating: Summary: An Impressive Epic Fantasy? Puhleeze... Review: If you call this epic, think again. All "Eragon"(Lord of the Rings imitation of Aragorn)and "Brom" do is travel through trees and mountains. Epic journey? Nope. Just because the author is 19 or whatever, it's not the best book. My friends hated it, they claim it's an imitation of Lord of the Rings, examples;Elves, Dwarves, wizards, and dragons! THIS IS NOT A CONSCIEDENCE. Elves are spelled exactly the same, as are Dwarves, and their culture is the same too! Dwarves are great miners and craftsmen,they carry axes and chain mail, they're short, stocky, and strong, Elves are beautiful and good at forging swords, and they even have a horse lord, like Shadowfax!! The elf, Arya, is like Arwen, with long dark hair, and yet, Murtagh is like Boromir, with a silver bound horn!!!!!!!! This book is NOT epic, I'm telling you! It's a copycat!
Rating: Summary: copycat Review: I read the first chapter and was not impressed. I think he copied J.R.R. Tolkien. Instead of orcs, he has Urgals. He even copied Arwen! The magic is too easy to cast and it works every time. The languages are inconsistent and sound like a caveman trying to talk. You should read Tolkien's books. They are waaaaaaay better.
Rating: Summary: Nice book, IF you are into fantasy and Wizards Review: BORING!! I found reading Harry Potter was MUCH more enjoyable then this piece of trash! I found that comparing this book to Harry Potter series is like comparing apples and oranges. The story line is a little slow and at times drags a little. The story could have picked up the pace and quit with all the endless little reminders about how the dragon riders was betrayed and how the king came into power! It seems every time Eragon encounters a new person or a elf or a dwarf, you are reminded about the fate of the dragon riders and/or how the king came into power. And some Eargon's traveling companions and people he meets. It would have been nice if they are suppose to be teaching young Eragon how to use magic and about the history of the dragon riders/elves/drawfs/etc instead of just gives out drips and drabs of it, and giving you the reader a sense of frustration Change the settings to outer space, the dragon to a A.I spaceship and you can compare this with many sci-fi books like Star Wars series. This author shows promise (NOT!), he just need to pick up the pace a little and make the main charaters a little more interesting.
Rating: Summary: One of the Best! Review: Every time I would pick up this book I would never want to put it down. The story gets deeper and deeper as you move into it, and has a few twists along the way. By the time I was done, I found myself searching my house for books that were similar to Eragon because I did not want it to end! Read it and you will most likely be amazed. Even though it has some similarities with Lord of the Rings, it doesn't put out the magic of it.
Rating: Summary: Light fun fantasy reading Review: For a first book this is quite good. Paolini does use a typical setting--the farmboy with hidden talents and destiny. The characters he encounters are fairly typical fantasy types as well (even if they come with different names) You will find Goblin-like creatures, elves, undead, wizards. All this is quite fun. The story moves fairly quickly, the plot has just enough variation to keep you reading, if not particularly surprised. (If you need the unexpected read George R.R. Martin instead). If you feel like a quick light fantasy read this is your book. If you are looking for something deep with complex characters, intricate plotline and unusual creatures, look elsewhere.
|