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Eragon

Eragon

List Price: $49.95
Your Price: $32.97
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Possibly the beginning to an era of young authors
Review: Eragon is simply amazing - the fact that the author is a teenager has nothing to do with it - it's a fantasy masterpiece. An inspiration to all young people who wish become authors, Eragon is a milestone in fantasy history. One of these young authors myself, I thought that Paolini's work was mindblowing. I wont explain the plot of the novel for if you wish to know what it is, read Amazon's other reviews.

Eagerly awaiting Eldest, book two of the Inheritence Trilogy, I enjoy Paolini's work as much as I loved Harry Potter and the Dragonlance Chronicles.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Promising and enchanting
Review: Eragon is a peasant boy ( in the world of Alagaesia )who stumbles across a mysterious blue stone while hunting. Unbeknownst to him, the stone is a dragon egg, and the dragon inside is about to draw him away on a difficult adventure. .

The book shows the rough edges of a beggining writer, and follows the generally accepted format familiar to fantasy readers, but it has a depth and enchanting freshness that promises great things to come.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: This book stinks
Review: All Paolini did was take characters, events and ideas from Tolkien, McCaffery and many other major fantasy writers (thank goodness he didn't get his hands on Cooper), throw them in the blender and spit them out through his own playdo mold. The story smells like he's sprayed the whole thing with Tolkien perfume. All that would be acceptable if the kid could write. Being 18 years old myself, i am in a position to criticize. He doesn't go deeper than the surface on any of his characters or invesitgate their motives from more than one angle. His entire writing style is flat and childish. The words themselves are not intersting to read. As Stephen King said, they call is prose for a reason. People need to stop praising him just becuase he is a nineteen year old. Get real. This book stinks!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Tony's Eragon Book Review
Review: Eragon
A review by Tony Merevick

To me, Eragon was one of the best books I've ever read. I love the His Dark Materials Trilogy, and I love the Lord of the Rings, and Eragon is an awesome mix of both! I think it is marvelous that young Mr. Paolini can create such a great epic tale. He is truly a mentor to me!

Truly a fantasy tale, Eragon starts off with an event that truly changes the course of Eragon's life. He and the rest of the world are caught up in the evil that is rapidly creeping across the world; this is defiantly a good vs. evil story. This book is a page turner, an easy read, it endlessly kept me reading and loving every page! It's a very long book, 509 pages! Don't worry, I experienced no headaches! There's magic, adventure, mistakes, thrills, and wisdom to be found! Eragon is kind of a cousin of the Lord of the Rings. Eragon travels all across his world, and his life is drastically changed from being a mere farm boy, to something much more honorable! Oh, and there's magic! Magic takes a crucial part in this story! When I read Eragon one of the only problems was pronunciations. There are a lot of hard words such as "Alagaesia", "Du Welldenvarden", and "Ra'zac". Yes, lots of strange words, but that's what makes it interesting!
Eragon was a great reading experience all together. Whether it is the great fantastical elements, the magic, the adventure, or even the annoyance of trying to find a comfortable place to read it! Any fantasy fans should read Eragon. McCaffrey fans, Tolkien fans, Pullman fans, maybe even Rowling fans would love it! I hope whoever is reading this will read Eragon! You'll LOVE it!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Pleasently surprised
Review: I read quite a bit of fantasy and with the many new additions to the genre recently it is hard to find a book that truely draws your attention. Eragon is wonderful and it really made me attached to the characters nad the world they live in. I look forward to the rest of this series with anticipation and congratulate Mr. Paolini on this success.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: As good as Harry Potter and Lord of The Rings!
Review: This book was great! I found it as interesting as Harry Potter, or Lord of the rings! I want more! This book ranges from everything from slight romance, to epic battles with ferocious monsters, like urgals, and their giant realatives, kull. It has very intense moments, and anyone who thinks that it stinks obviously has no taste in a good book! Eragon has a dragon, saphira, and uses her to fight the king, Galbotrox's army. Shades, evil and powerful wizards, Raz'ak, deathly birds, and many other fiends challenge him, and his many companions in the book. It is full of tragety, and cheers of victory, and surprises at every turn! This is no doubt one of the best books I've ever read, and with Amazon's great low prices, you can't beat these great deals!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good, solid Sword & Sorcery tale! A favourite!
Review: So what if it draws settings from J.R.R. Tolkien, themes from Anne McCaffrey, and plot from George Lucas and Frank Herbert?
That's actually one of the things I liked about this book, besides the fact that Christopher Paolini can tell an excellent story!
Here we come across vivid depictions of mountains, woodlands, deserts, and rivers,and travels through them.
No boring Terry Brooks-like travelogue here!
Eragon finds a mysterious polished blue stone in the forest. He thinks he can sell it to earn money to buy food for his family, but a sleazy butcher named Sloan
My favorite character of all was Angela the witch. You've got to see her slay seventeen Urgals with her double-bladed sword, ala Darth Maul's lightsaber! And I want to find out more about her werecat.
A lot of names of the places in Carvahall, I noticed, were tributes to characters from Star Trek:Deep Space 9, which I found as incredibly funny in-jokes.

The ending kept me waiting for the next installment in the series! I want to find out more about Brom's ring and about Eragon's fate!
Keep up the good work, Mr. Paolini!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: In a Different Light . . .
Review: I must admit, when I first heard about Eragon and its plot, I was a bit skeptical. However, once several acquaintances had urged me to read it, I consented to give it a try. And I was pleasantly surprised. I simply could not put it down.

As I have read in several reviews on various Internet websites, whether they are casual or more official, this novel does reflect in many aspects the work of other authors such as Tolkien, McCaffrey, and many more famous names throughout the fantasy realm. However, I find this book to have a different flavor, both complimenting and contrasting the more prestigious writers. Perhaps it is because this plot was conceived and written through the mind of a young adult, but I find that the characters and movements in the storyline are seen in a completely different light than in the vision of more accomplished writers.

The style of writing may, at some times, seem common and unsophisticated, almost unworthy, but who among the myriads of amateur writers has no such work? I must confess to being among the many who falter in their practice in the creation of conceivable storylines and characters. I believe that this style, just now emerging, is that of the new generation of writers to come. In reflection, it may be seen as a comparison to the world around us. Although not perfect, as it may seem in comparison to other items, I find Eragon to be an enrapturing tale of the trials and conquests of an unwilling hero trying to fit in.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: An Authentic Adventure from they Eyes of a Boy
Review: This book is a fresh perspective on fantasy. A teen-aged boy finds a dragon, Saphira, and sets out to avenge the death of his uncle, battling the forces of darkness along the way. The best part -- this book was written by a boy who is about the same age as the hero, Eragon. The result is authentic storytelling.

Eragon, the main character, grows from a naive hunter to a budding Dragon Rider with the powers of magic. Knowing that Paolini started the book at the age of 15 gives credence to his view of the loss of a relative, young love and crushes, oppression of well-meaning teachers, and the looming dark forces of evil kings and wicked sorcerers. The result is striking. This book gives readers a peek at how teenagers feel about the world around them, which older and more powerful people control, not unlike the perspective of most teenagers.

Other reviews that pooh-pooh Eragon should cool their heels, get over their jealousy and realize that this book is fresh and entertaining. Some have said that Paolini has 'ripped off' other fantasy writers. They have somehow forgotten that the genre of fantasy -- the world of elves, dwarves, dragons, and wizards -- has been well developed by previous writers, most notably Tolkien. Those who pick up the torch of fantasy story-telling need not recreate that world, which makes it the perfect playground for young writers such as Paolini because they need not remake what has already been mapped out. The same is true of writing about the mafia in New York City, for example. The skyscrapers, taxicabs, and gun-wielding thugs in dark coats need not be recreated. Paolini chose a perfect subject to launch his writing career on because he can legitimately rely on those masters who have already created the fantasy realm.

Finally, the critics of Paolini betray their jealousy too easily. Anyone who has written a novel or short story and has tried to sell it knows that there is a sea of self-involved souls who view other writers as competition and take every opportunity to tear down others on the way to success. They cloak themselves in the skin of creative criticism but they possessed by the spirit of If-I-Can't-Publish-Neither-Can-You. Do not listen to those that attack Paolini because of his age. They are merely frustrated after years of trying to publish their own boring works, and now are enraged that someone so young could find success so early. Well, more power to Paolini. He has given us an entertaining read and a new look at fantasy from a fresh perspective.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Simply Entertaining
Review: I enjoyed this book tremendously. It gave entertainment without adding all the extra unneeded scenes. I definitely see the traces of Tolkien and Brooks (what fantasy writer does not look up to such?). I think it is a book you either like or dislike. Hardcore fantasy readers might deem it too simplistic or too amateur (the boy was 15 remember...) while others may feel it a refreshing retreat from the complexity of Tolkien. Those who find Tolkien and Brooks and the like to be too complex, but long for fantasy might find Eragon a nice beginner into the realm of elves and kings. Perhaps later they too will delve into our world of Swords and Rings. For a boy of 15, when he wrote this, I am highly impressed. Would any of us have been able to put out such work at such an early age... think about that the next time you pick up a book from a young author.


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