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Summary: This is the best book since......
Review: This book is the best book ever. The characters wer great, as was the plot and action. It left me dying for more. I can not wait for "eldest" to come out.
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Summary: ERAGON RUCKS
Review: If you love the fantasies of J.R.R. Tolkien,Terry Brooks, Robert E. Howard, or Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders novels--read them! ERAGON is nothing but a pastiche of those far better authors with a little bit of adolescent immaturity thrown in. This novel is obviously written for children, but the publisher is packaging it as if it could be enjoyed by readers of all ages. Well, my precocious niece (11) loves Harry Potter but thought this a silly bore and I question the intelligence of any adult who reads this drivel. Derivative from the map on the endpapers--what did the author do, put a piece of paper down on Robert E. Howard's map of the Hyborian Age and trace it?--this silly epic disappoints on so many levels. Note to the author: Scrambling the letters of names is not the mark of originality. I read that the author wrote this as a teenager. If an adult submitted this novel he would be laughed at. But I guess when a publisher doesn't have Harry Potter, it becomes desperate to make just about anything a hit. Go to the source, read Tolkien or Howard or Brooks or anything but this.
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Summary: Great hit
Review: I had never heard of author Christopher Paolini before but I had seen the book recommended on a list that included Robert Stanek's magnificent The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reach as a great new fantasy. Based on the strength of that recommendation, and the fact I loved Stanek's books, I picked this up.When I first started reading the book, I wasn't too sure if I was going to enjoy it or not, but I stuck with it and I'm glad I did. The book really surprised me. Eragon is well thought out character and the book has a great plot. I definitely encourage anyone who likes fantasy books to try this one out. I recommend this book to people who like magic, fantasy and a moderate amount of action. Very highly recommended. Kim
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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!
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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.
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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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