Rating: 
Summary: copycat
Review: While the story kept me turning pages I kept feeling as if I where reading a poor reproduction of Robert Jordan's THE WHEEL OF TIME. Similarities range from the shape of the land on the map to the capabilities of the main character. Too many typical fantasy words crammed into every sentence give the impression of a high school writer getting carried away on a free writing exercise. Nothing special here other than the authors age...and it shows.
Rating: 
Summary: Tedious at first, but worth the effort!
Review: A trusted friend recommended this book to me, or I'd have given up after the first chapter. So I continued to dredge on - thinking I'd need Webster's Dictionary at hand to decipher the abundant adjectives. Alas, I was hooked well before the 25th page, and I knew I'd be enjoying the rest of the book! Perhaps it took a bit of time for me to get Paolini's voice into my head, because after I finished the book, I returned to those ever-so-irritating first few chapters and re-read them with ease and enjoyment! I enjoyed the story and the plot twists, found the characters to be believable and interesting and often couldn't bear to put the book down! I found myself dreading the end of the book because I wanted the adventure to continue. I am glad that there is promise of a second volume, "Eldest - book Two of Inheritance" ... I look forward to it!
Rating: 
Summary: A bit over-rated (it's surely not the next Harry Potter....)
Review: I read the hyped up reviews and bought the book, but it's really your standard "sword & sorcery" epic. Great chunks of it are lifted from The Lord of the Rings--dwarves, elfs, a wise old wizard, a mysterious quest and so on. It's the same old drill. The lead character Eragon isn't remarkably likable, either. Seems to be self-righteous teenager. The book is fine as a diversion, but lacks the humor to make it anything out of the ordinary. It lacks the wit of Harry Potter, the mystery of The Da Vinci Code (great book!), or the true epic power of Rings trilogy. If you like this kind of banal quest fantasy, it's fine, but otherwise, look elsewhere.
Rating: 
Summary: Leaves Readers Wishing for Next Installment
Review: BlueJeanOnline.com by Matt Starr, age 15 I have been hooked on medieval science fiction and fantasy ever since reading the Lord of the Rings, but not since that trilogy have I seen such a unique and imaginative fantasy novel as I have in Eragon. Author Christopher Paolini captures the wonderful essence of fantasy, putting on paper what others only dream of. Paolini creates a world full of such wonders that the end will leave readers wishing for the next installment. I have to admit that when I first picked up Eragon and read the prologue, I thought it would be a waste of time. The first few pages were filled with elves, magic, and death, and I felt that I was about to read a book by a Tolkien copycat. And I was right, in a sense. Throughout the book I saw various connections between Christopher Paolini's world and J.R.R. Tolkien's world: Urgals to Orcs, Isenstar to Isengard, Orthiad to Orthanc, and the list goes on. But then I realized Paolini didn't copy Tolkien's work; he simply branched off it. I also came to realize that many other authors have branched off Tolkien's work. Any Harry Potter fan will notice that those books contain many parallels to J.R.R Tolkien's books. And so I must apologize to Paolini for judging his book by its cover (or rather, its first few pages). After I realized this, I immediately started over. It wouldn't be fair to the author to say that this novel is just a ripoff of the Lord of the Rings. Eragon is the first book in the Inheritance trilogy. When a boy named Eragon comes to possess a polished blue stone in the forest known as the Spine, he thinks he has found something of great value. He hopes it might buy his family meat for the coming winter. Imagine his great surprise when a dragon hatches from it. Soon, Eragon realizes that he is now mixed up in a great battle that has lasted for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. With the help of his good friend Brom and the dragon Saphira, Eragon sets out on a journey to become a member of the greatest and noblest force that has ever existed - the Dragon Riders. When I finished the book, I knew right away that it would be a best seller. Young Christopher has a wonderful gift for spreading his love of fantasy to all. With battles between good and evil and friendships tested and challenged, Eragon should be recognized as one of the greatest pieces of fantasy literature Copyright 2003 BlueJeanOnline.com
Rating:
Summary: Eragon a great read for LOTR fans
Review: Readers who devoured the Lord of the Rings saga will find the plot and characters of this new fantasy very familiar--it follows the formula fairly closely, with an epic quest, a reluctant hero, a diabolical sorcerer villain, and a heroic stand against evil forces. There are even dwarves and elves. This is certainly an amazing debut by this young author, but it lacks the depth and richness of the Lord of the Rings. However, this series shows wonderful promise and is an excellent recommendation for LOTR fans.
Rating:
Summary: Page-turner
Review: As the other reviews mentioned, Paolini fails to give credit where it is due to all of the great fantasy writers. Paolini does not copy Tolkien's writing excessively, though, but Robert Jordan of the Wheel of Time. The similarities are unmistakable. Example: the mountain range called the Spine, similar to the exact same mountain range above and beyond coincidence. It's useless to point them all out. To Paolini's credit, though, while writing a pretty traditional fantasy book, he somehow manages to keep you reading. Read this book if you are looking for a nice story that will keep you immersed until you sadly reach the end. It is sitting infront of me right now, and I need to stop writing this review so I can enjoy it. In my mind, Paolini's book is very much worth reading.
Rating: 
Summary: Dismally Derivative
Review: The powerful forces of mediocrity must be gloating and laughing all the way to the bank. Somehow the author of Eragon has circumvented the supposed standards and ethics of the publishing world to get not only a free ride from some critics, but also--judging from the marketing displays seen in my local bookstore--a million bucks worth of backing from a major publisher, all for ripping off other fantasy writers who worked all their lives to carve out a modicum of notice. Is there a secret society out there that put their heads together, a sort of publisher's version of The Emperor's New Clothes? "Let's see whether if we make a big enough fuss over a truly mediocre book without an original line in it, people will buy it?" If you buy this book, you've been had. Even so, I feel some pity for this young author, who, if he had been forced to deal with the normal adversities confronted by many budding talents, might one day have written a work of art worthy of attention. As it is, it's to be hoped that he will find his way through the maze of hype surrounding him, to the treasures of originality and depth that now elude him.
If you're interested in reading fantasy writers who write well and don't recycle the stories of Tolkien, McCaffrey, etc., I recommend the books of Ursual LeGuin, Philip Pullman, Victoria Hanley, and Garth Nix.
Rating:
Summary: THRILLING!!!!, if you enjoy fantasy.
Review: Eragon is a wonderfully written book. At times it reminds me of toilken books, but it's still original to the plot and characters. Christopher Paolini did an excellent job considering his young age. If you've already read the Artemis Fowl series, than you'll love this book. My mom got this for my brother, put i've been stealing it do i can read it. It's a wonderful book full of fantasy, so please go get it and read it.
Rating:
Summary: A great book for dragon fans everywhere
Review: This is a great book. Written well, especially by someone so new to the writing business. He clearly has talent, and the book is well written. The book may have a resemblance to other famous works, but the way that all of these elements go together in Eragon keeps readers reading long after dark. It has all of the elements essential to a good book, humor, adventure, mystery, and even a little romance. The story tells of a boy, just old enough to realize that there is more to life than just his little home. Eragon has many adventures, and the story is long, yet not too long. As I finished the last pages of the book I found myself wishing I hadn't read it so fast. All in all, this book is well worth the read, with a good plot for people of all ages. I will eagerly be awaiting Eldest, book two.
Rating:
Summary: Rock On Chris !
Review: This book was the most thrilling fantasy book I have ever read. It really captures the soul and heart of medieval fantasy and if you are into elfs, dwarfs, and dragons then this is defintely the booko for you.
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