Rating: ![4 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-4-0.gif) Summary: It's a good book. Review: I am constantly amazed by those in the world who believe that everything has to be new and controversial. I love fantasy series and have read all of Tolkein, Brooks, McKiernan, and even Jordan (end the series Robert!!). I read the books because they are entertaining. Do I know what is going to happen? Yes. Is there going to be a completely new twist on the idea? Probably not in this genre, although the Runelords (David Farland) and Witch series (James Clemens) come close. It's rare.This book has a hero, villain, troubling times, and a noble goal of protecting the helpless. The fate of the world relies on the shoulders of a reluctant hero. What else do you want? It is written well. You can read it easily and although there are a lot of characters, it is easy to keep track of them. For people who are looking for an enjoyable read, pick this up. For people who are looking for an Earth-shattering revelation into the fantasy world, get a life.
Rating: ![3 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-3-0.gif) Summary: "Eragon" is still unshaped Review: Every now and then, there's a massively hyped book that catches thwe attention of media and readers alike. Teen author Christopher Paolini's "Eragon" is probably the most-publicized fantasy since the Harry Potter series. Is it as good as they say? In a word... no. Paolini has raw, unrefined talent and an undeniable flair for writing, but he's bogged down by every fantasy cliche in the book. Eragon is an impoverished lad living with his uncle in a secluded village, barely scraping by. That changes when he finds a strange blue stone in the woods. He tries to sell it, with no luck -- it's harder than diamond, and no one knows what it is. Then it hatches -- into a baby dragon. When Eragon touches her, he accidently burns a scar into his hand and forms a mental bond that allows them to communicate without speaking. He raises the dragon in secret, naming her Sephira, until his farm is attacked and his uncle Garrow murdered by the evil minions of the ex-Dragonrider Galbatorix, who is now the evil king. Seeking revenge, Eragon gets the help of the old storyteller Brom, who is more than he seems. When the new Dragonrider (Eragon, of course) sets off with his new friends, he sets out to deal with Galbatorix... Is "Eragon" an amazing fantasy? No. Is it bad? Again, no. The handling of much-worn elements is clumsy but hints that he has promise. Paolini's writing has a certain eagerness that makes his story somewhat appealing, but fails to overcome his inexperience. The storyline is one that has been done elsewhere; it's a fairly standard S&S quest-against-evil. Nobody could accuse Paolini of being too innovative. Young, clueless hero raised by an uncle in the wildlands? Check. Wise old magical man who teaches the hero? Check. Ancient sword? Check. Dragons? Wise and fair elves? Evil magical villain? Stumpy, grumpy dwarves? Check. We've seen these all before, in fantasies ranging from "Lord of the Rings" to "Star Wars"; there's even a bit of Ursula Le Guin's "true names" tossed in. Arguably this could be seen as a more fantastical retread of Arthurian legend, but that doesn't make it original. What boosts up "Eragon" is the writing. Paolini has a genuine flair for description of landscapes and places, right down to the raging storms and burned-out villages. His writing is still a bit raw (some is horribly awkward), but he has a talent for writing action scenes and a solid ability to bring up what things look, smell, sound or feel like. He also has the ability to evoke emotions when the characters feel them, such as Eragon's grief when he sees Garrow dead. Eragon himself is a pretty typical fantasy hero, rather angsty and uninformed. He's likable, but not really compelling yet. Saphira is rather spotty; sometimes she's alien and intriguing, and sometimes she seems almost like a human with scales. Brom is your typical old wizard who knows everything, and Arya your basic fair elf maid love-interest. Unfortunately she isn't really given much of a personality in the brief time we see her. Paolini has some raw talent and a pleasant writing style, which keep "Eragon" from being truly annoying. A mixture of the obviously derivative and the intriguing, "Eragon" is worth a look, but not yet any more.
Rating: ![4 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-4-0.gif) Summary: Familiar, but still good! Review: I loved this book, and I've read many science fiction and fantasy stories. I took off a star, just because some of it was familiar. But the writing style was refreshing, the idea original, and the story was amazing! Some of it has been seen before, and yes, I'll admit, there wasn't much action either! But, for LOTR lovers, I'll remind you of the beginning of Fellowship of the ring! I could hardly get through the first book, but once I moved on to the second, it was great!
Rating: ![1 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-1-0.gif) Summary: Childish and too unoriginal Review: The amazing thing about this book was that it was written by a 15 year old. But the bad thing is that it was horrible. The charactors were so much like LOTR. I felt like this book was too slow paced and lacked action. It also had a very loose story line and lacked any epic feeling. I also felt that is was hard to love the charectors. They all(old or young) had the heart of a 15 year old. Brom,the old wise rider, lacked the wiseness that charectors such as Gandalf had. Overall I hated this book and i dont intend on reading the rest of the series.
Rating: ![3 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-3-0.gif) Summary: Not much special . . . Review: Essentially, this book is like wearing an old comfy sweater. I knew the story by heart before I had finished the first chapter. It's such a basic, innocuous fantasy novel - it reminded me of why I began reading fanasy to begin with, but it didn't give me anything new. The novel had no voice of it's own - it was bland, and I agree with "Ivy" that he is a novice, simply because his writing was boring and seemed forced. No one ever showed him how to write transparently, and though he may grow into a fantastic storyteller, he need to take a few writing courses. Still, it was comfy and entertaining - hand it to your kids, read it out loud to a loved one (I find his language works well aloud - I was shocked how much better it sounded when I started reading it to my boyfriend, etc. Bottom line: It's no Harry Potter, but it'll pass the time until the next one.
Rating: ![5 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-5-0.gif) Summary: I'd say in between 4 and 5 stars so i just rounded up. Review: I have to say that I truly enjoyed this novel. Although many of the concepts are like the Lord of the Rings trilogy, this book is refreshingly modern. Furthermore, Cristopher Paolini is concise, unlike Mr. Tolkein who had a tendancy to ramble on and on about the most random topics. The world of Alagaesia is original and the idea of the epic Dragon Riders and their legendary powers made me quiver with excitement. I absolutely loved this book, but yearned for more information about the elves. Also, Eragon and Saphira are the perfect dynmaic duo. There is an innocent, unconditional friendship between them. Arya is just the correct amount of mystery, Murtagh (despite the horrible puce-like name) is the perfect image of rugged depressed heart throb, and Brom is a great father-figure. The one thing I could not stand, in a good way, was the mystery of it all. There were no true straight answers to anything. I can't wait for more!
Rating: ![3 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-3-0.gif) Summary: Raw talent, but still raw. Review: I'm not sure why this novel is getting so much attention. Probably because the author is so young. He obviously has writing talent, but it is still raw, and I expect (hope) we will see better writing from him in years to come. In the meantime, Eragon is a humdrum rehash of characters and plot lines we have seen before. And there is surprisingly little action. The majority of the book is a travel log--they're chasing something or running from something, the horses are tired, they make camp. Again. And again. And again. Occasionally something interesting happens. The author has a nice descriptive voice, but at times he tries too hard. He overdescribed settings to the point that it is actually hard to visualize them. (The reader doesn't need to know exact heights, right turns, left turns, etc. Too confusing.) That said, I still give it three stars because I kept reading and kept wondering what would happen and intend to read the next book in the series. I admire the author's natural talent and look forward to his more mature work.
Rating: ![3 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-3-0.gif) Summary: What on Earth Review: Now plenty of people have said that this book is unoriginal and completely cliched. I myself find that I must agree with them. One can only read about elves and dwarves and dragons so many times. Along with the fact that the storyline was "slightly" overdone. The multiple versions of said thing did make me angry at times but i might have been able to look past it had the book been original. I'm a fan of fantasy and all, but eventually the same plot can get old. I would have liked to see a few less $20 words and a few more $2 words. Some people might have to go and get a dictionary every other sentence. It's just as easy to get the point across without the crazy descriptions and what-not. I must say that Christopher Paolini does show some promise however. If he can get over making readers feel stupid when they have to sound out half the words on a page, and can decide on a plot and stick with it, then it is possible that the next books could be good reads. I'll probably read them nonetheless because i have nothing better to do, but i would like to be a tad bit more interested. I think he should remember that triteness is bad and originality is good.
Rating: ![2 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-2-0.gif) Summary: Nuff Said Review: Okay...keeping this short and simple. Same old reused tired plot. Writting could be alot better and the story could have been stitched together probably much better. Characters do not have a good balance with each other. Not really suspenseful since we've all seen this story before (just with different characters). BUT it's a okay good book for kids to read if they really can't get into Lord of the Rings. I would say this would be a replacement book for kids that are around 10-16 who can't understand or get into Lord of the Rings.
Rating: ![2 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-2-0.gif) Summary: WARNING!!!!!!!!! Review: Eragon is what I would call an 'editor's dream'; meaning that there is practically nothing new in this book and it sounds as though the editor wrote it. This book is like a badly mixed recipe, with hints from all kinds of books and rolled together, bumpy and boring. It barely held my attention, and there is a very annoying fact that there is hardly any strong girl charactors. It starts out with a classic sound of King Arthur, and when you think about it, the history of Eragon's land is basically a copy of Camelot. The basic plot is incredibly predictable. The only characters that I liked were the dragon, Saphira, the healer Angela, and the elf Arya. I really did not care whether Eragon lived or died. About the only thing I liked about the writing was that he actually used some good adjectives, and even then it annoyed me that he used the word 'lanced' too much. I hope that he gets more skill as a writer in the next books, and doesn't rely on the editor so much. (Or sounds like he used the editor too much). In fact, the only reasons I will read the next book is to see how Saphira, Angela, and Arya fare, and to see the villainy of King Galbatorix. Please, PLEASE make Eldest better written than Eragon!
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