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Summary: WOW!
Review: A wonderful book full of fantasy and wonder. When you think you have the plot figured out it changes and changes again. Better than Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter in my opinion!
Rating: 
Summary: Imitative & utterly derivative
Review: OK OK, so the author is only a teenager, and I give him kudos for his initiative. However, I liken his effort to all of those romance novels that are written by bored housewives --- it is very nice that the initiative is there, but it is nothing we have not seen a thousand times before.Only the most dense reader could fail to see the obvious imitations of Tolkein strewn liberally throughout the work. Paolini may someday develop into a writer of some distinction, but for now he is a verbose imitation of the many fantasy authors that have preceded him. Even his decision to frame his story in the form of a trilogy is irritating --- how many trilogies can the world endure? Just because practically every other fantasy author has done it doesn't mean Paolini has to do it as well. Definitely, this is juvenile literature, written by a juvenile author & best left to young readers without much literary experience. Judged on its own merits, this book leaves little lasting impact.
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Summary: Stunning First Book
Review: I've read most of the fantasy literature. I'm a 57 year old professional, and I was hooked by an online excerpt. I read this book on my PALM! I came close to missing my train stop more than once this week, and that's because I was so deeply involved with the story. I admit there are places where the writing is less than elegant--but for all those places, there are many more where I could have said that I wish I could have written that. I noticed that the first edition paperback is selling for hundreds of dollars. Obviously, the book has sold itself well enough to penetrate the nearly impenetrable world of publishing. It is that good. Considering Paolini is still a teen ager, the book is a small miracle. I am looking forward to the next volume, and I'm only sorry that I can't read it now.
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Summary: An Incredible Story
Review: This book, Eragon, is one of the best fantasy books ever written. I say this for many reasons, one being that the plot is very fixed in its place. Also, the tale is adventurous, exciting, and suspensful. I am an avid fantasy book reader, feeding on works by Tolkien, Lewis, Brooks, and others. I started off reading this book because I wished to support this young man: I have been homeschooled my whole life and I live very near Paradise Valley, so he was somewhat of an inspiration to me. But it turned out to be much more than just another book-reading. I found myself on the edge of my seat, wondering what would happen to the characters. Sometimes I laughed, sometimes I cried. This is a very good quality in a book, one that is often overlooked by authors, making the characters in the story seem dull and super-human. Eragon is as like any other boy his age, even if he does live in an imaginary place. Readers can relate to him in many ways. Overall, this is an incredible book, one which I would highly recommend to everyone. Christopher, keep writing!
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Summary: 5 Stars for younger fantasy readers...
Review: I picked up this book because he is a local author and am glad I did. Having read through several of the posted reviews, I would agree with most, including the more severe. This is not a book for a die-hard fantasy reader. But I give it higher marks as a starter book for younger fantasy readers. It goes without saying that this young writer was influenced not only by Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings, but by King's "Gunslinger" among others, as they too were influenced by those before them. I very much look forward to reading the next two books in this series and in seeing the characters grow "up" along with the author.
Rating:
Summary: Overrated
Review: For all the hype this book has received, I have to admit I was very disappointed by it. While the general plot is compelling, I have trouble taking seriously an author who has so little grasp of how to use the English language that he describes houses as "foreboding"(130), and much less his editor who let that slide. No person speaks like his characters do, and presuming the time period is sixteenth century or earlier, their expressions lean toward the anachronistic to say the least. His writing style is pretentious, as though he feels the need to impress by using his SAT words (incorrectly, sometimes) and as many people do, confuses good writing with frequent use of long words. Want an example of a passage so cheesy you want to cringe? "He saw a young woman, bent over by sorrow, chained in a cold, hard cell. A beam of moonlight shone through a barred window set high in the wall and fell on her face. A single tear fell down her face, like a liquid diamond." (212). That was beautiful. Really. To be honest, I found this book more fun to make fun of than to take seriously. As long as you take it, the writing, and the philosophy Brom spouts- worldly wisdom and life experience from a fifteen year old writer, it's great- with a pinch of salt, it's a fun read. Maybe after the experience of a first book, Paolini will improve with Eldest.
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Summary: homage to Beowulf and of course Tolkien
Review: Fifteen years old Eragon hunts deer in the nearby Spine, a locale feared by the townsfolk of his village Carvahall. As he about to shoot an arrow, an explosion occurs. He checks and in the midst of where his prey was resides a blue stone with white lines on it. The gem soon hatches into a noisy sapphire blue dragon. Receiving guidance from the village storyteller, the teen raises his new companion that he names Saphira. King Galbatorix wants the dragon and its owner working for him. His evil followers murder Eragon's uncle and go after the lad. Eragon and Saphira flee. On the run, they learn to fight as one and study magic in an attempt for the lad and his dragon to become the first Dragon Rider in a century. If successful with the first stage of their quest, they will attempt to avenge the killing of his family and free the Empire from the monarch and his malevolent minions. Clearly paying homage to Beowulf and of course Tolkien, Christopher Paolini provides a powerful epic fantasy. The tale stars a delightful coming of age hero, a dragon, a mentor, and an assortment of human and otherworldly evil essences. Though adjusting to the proper names of places and people can prove difficult (thank goodness for a listing and a map), the fast-paced story line is action-packed so that readers gain a strong novel that tells part of the tale (sequels to follow). Lord of the Ring fans of all ages will appreciate Christopher Paolini's terrific tale and look forward to the sequel in the Inheritance Trilogy. Harriet Klausner
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Summary: THIS IS A GREAT BOOK!!!!!
Review: Im an a 11 year old boy who loves to read. I have read many fantasy books and this is definitely one of my faviorites. The books plot may be a little old and used but still it gives a good read and hooks you in untill the last page. For anyone who is a fantasy reader this is a definite read. I have also reviewed these books Flipped and a book by D.J. McHale.
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Summary: A Book for All Ages
Review: Tolkien's LOTR trilogy was the first work I ever encountered that went beyond being a good read; it pulled me into the larger world of writers, writing, linguistics, language, history, culture, politics, psychology, "man's" inhumanity (and humanity) to "man," and a deeper consideration of the world in all its tragic complexity and beauty. I became a compulsive reader of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and drama. I studied the art and craft of writing and wrote my own books. I became an editor and did a stint as a small-press publisher, so great was my Tolkien-stirred love of the "real world" as captured in literature. I'm in my fifties now, and rarely has a book gone beyond being "just a good book" and stirred me to this higher level of interest. But "Eragon" has done that. I am following the young Christopher Paolini's career with great interest, excitedly anticipating what he's going to do next, but I'm also waking up more to the world around me--just as I did more than 30 years ago with the LOTR trilogy. A reviewer or two mentioned the derivative quality of some of "Eragon." Yes, there are similarities with other books, as well as allusions to Tolkien's created world. But Tolkien infused his world with such strength of myth AND history--we believed Middle Earth did indeed exist and predate us--that I find Paolini's writing to have the same vivid quality of historical significance that Tolkien's did. I read the first edition of Eragon--I'm hanging onto my autographed copy!--and have now compared it to the hardcover version from Knopf. The Knopf editor has tightened up the story and reworked the language so it is more apprehendable for younger readers. I do miss some of the lushness of language that was in the first edition, but (as a former editor) I know that the editing was necessary to make the work accessible to a wider audience. Fortunately, the Knopf edition does not discourage imagination; as with L'Engle's "A Wrinkle in Time," readers can readily enter Eragon's world through their own unique vision and experience, no matter what their age. My only beef with the hardcover edition is the jacket art of Saphira. It's beautifully rendered--but it's just not Saphira. Saphira does not look at all like that! But what an honor to Paolini that the famed John Jude Palencar was commissioned to do the cover. As my artist son tells me, "All the fantasy book covers are like that. Anyone who reads much fantasy knows the cover never looks like what's in the book!" So maybe Saphira will be more like herself in the movie...especially if Peter Jackson directs it!
Rating:
Summary: Great book!!
Review: I'm 13-years-old. This book I read in five days and towards the end it got so good that I had a hard time putting it down. I'd recommend it to anybody, especially dragon lovers!
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