Rating: 
Summary: Nice try, but why did this book get published?
Review: On the one hand, it's kind of neat seeing a teenager writing a book and getting it published. On the other hand, it's not "neat" if it's a BAD book originally published by the kid's PARENTS, for god's sake! I agree with most of the 1-star and 2-star reviewers here, and will not repeat their points about how derivative, formulaic, uncreative, and frankly, embarrassing this book is. I would just add that Eragon is an incredibly obvious -- and cynical -- attempt by Knopf to cash in on the Lord of the Rings phenomenon. Let's see, "Eragon"/"Aragorn", "The Spire"/"The Shire", a stone that can't be damaged when struck by a sword/a ring that can't be damaged when thrown in the fire or struck by a sword, elves/elves, dragons/dragons, etc. etc. Yawn. Unfortunately, Christopher Paolini is no JRR Tolkien, by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, Tokien is probably rolling over in his grave right about now. Still, I will be curious to see what, if anything Paolini comes up with in the future. Right now, I've got to say I am NOT optimistic.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Original Recipe. But Still Good.
Review: Much of the hype surrounding this book has been more about the author than the actual story itself. For those who don't know the back story, Christopher Paolini was fifteen years old when he wrote the book. His mother edited it, and his family self published the novel before an editor at Knopf read it and bought it. Now nineteen and at work on the second of what he says will be three stories total, the book is about a young boy named Eragon whose life becomes linked to a dragon, and his destiny promises greatness.
As I was reading the book I kept thinking, "Wow! A fifteen year old penned this, that's pretty terrific." However I guess that's more a statement of the story teller than the story itself. Paolini is a gifted writer. Clearly there's a wonderful imagination at work and I'm sure he'll have a long career ahead of him. Admittedly he says he grew up reading lots of fantasy books, and they all seem to be here in some form. For a younger reader who is looking for something beyond Hogwarts this will be great. He creates a detailed and textured world that you can lose yourself in including a pronounciation guide and a language dictionary of words used in the book. For readers very familiar with the fantasy terrain this will all seem like rehashed-well Tolkien to begin with. As well as Robert Jordan and Anne McCaffrey. Yet even with the obvious comparisons, I found the book entertaining and well written. I actually thought he managed to move through the story with much less excess than any of Robert Jordans recent books. So if you're not concerned with something not being 100 percent original, you might enjoy this book. I did.
Rating: 
Summary: A Fantastic Read for All Ages
Review: Just finished this book by 15-year-old (at the time) Christophoer Paolini, and it's fantastic. It's a sort of Harry Potter meets J.R.R. Tolkien, an epic tale of a young boy who discovers a dragon egg. The story is told in the epic style of Tolkien, and is full of tragedy, mystery, and political struggles. On a grander scale, the book is about the battles raging between the oppressive King Galbatorix, and the rebelling Varden, a war which hinges on control of the Riders, of which Eragon is one of only two alive - and the other is King Galbatorix himself.
Along the way, Eragon travels with Brom the Storyteller, a secretive but wise old man, and encounters all sorts of vile things, from orc-like Urgals to the evil Ra'zac to the cold-hearted Shade. All the while, his powers grow, as does his dragon, and, as he quickly realizes his effect on the world, he grapples with being forced to take sides in a vast power struggle at the young age of 16.
While this is definitely a first-book-in-the-series kind of book, clearly setting up a larger, longer plot, it's a fantastic and quick read, and it will leave you wanting more. If nothing else, it's a perfect book to fill the void while you wait for the next Harry Potter to come out ;) The next book in the Inheritance series should be coming out soon, and I can't wait - if this is how he writes at 15, I can't wait to see his writing matures!
(And while yes, this book is targeted at high school-age teens, it's perfectly enjoyable for adults - of course, I think the Harry Potter books are enjoyable for adults as well, so think of that what you will.)
Rating:
Summary: Eragon
Review: Although I can see some similarities with other author's books, it doesn't bug me at all. As a fourteen year old who loves to write, and hopes to publish a book while still in highschool- Chrisopher Paolini is a complete role-model. He has done what I *dream* to do one day.
And you have to admit, it is nearly impossible to come up with a true, original idea. I also love his writing style- I keep refering back to his book for adjectives that I can never think of while writing myself.
While severe (adult) editors may dislike the book, I recommend it to people of my own age who love reading. Keep in mind that he is not the only writer who has used the ideas of elves, dragons and named swords... It's all fantasy!
Rating: 
Summary: Greatly, Reluctantly Disappointed
Review: I first heard of this book while watching the Today show. The promising interview (and Mr. Paolini's terrific artwork) convinced me that I had to read this book. So I was thrilled when my husband surprised me with a copy. Sadly, I soon realized that ERAGON (which had been described as "better than Harry Potter" by a young reader referred to in the interview) was nothing more than a cobbling together of stories by more talented writers. How I can justify the incongruity between the praise in the interview and my poor reading experience? Perhaps this book would be pleasing to someone who's time spent with the fantasy genre consisted of the Harry Potter stories excusively. But for anyone who's come within ten yards of David Edding's BELGARIAD series, or Anne McCaffry's DRAGONRIDER series, or a dozen other well-known stories, ERAGON is a sad and frustrating copy. For an intelligent tale of magic and self-discovery, start with Edding's PAWN OF PROPHECY. His characters are compelling and three-dimensional. The occasional humor is a delightful counterbalance to the action. Unlike Eragon and his companions, you actually care what happens to young Garion and company. If the concept of dragonriders is appealing to you, check out McCaffry's DRAGONFLIGHT. Here you get fully-fleshed dragon-dragonrider relationships, not to mention a complex, believable social structure. Besides Paolini's obvious borrowing from these and other authors, I found the extensive list of made-up words highly annoying. With few exceptions, they were poorly crafted, unnatural-sounding, and failed to add interest to the story. If only Paolini had read Vonda McIntyre's "Pitfalls of Writing SF and Fantasy" (see her website), particularly "Pitfall #7: Neologisms, or, Calling a Rabbit a Smeerp, or, This Essay Almost Made My Spell-Checker Toss Its Cookies". To paraphrase Ms. McIntyre, unless you have a particular talent for inventing words, made-up words sound made-up. Despite the effort it took to finish this book, I wish Mr. Paolini well. With more experience and original ideas, this young writer has the potential to create an enjoyable story.
Rating:
Summary: Star Wars meets LOTR
Review: Star Wars with no technology and Tolkien with no wisdom. What could be better? Add some of McCaffrey's dragonriders and David Eddings special marks. . .if Paolini is 'new guard' and those original writers are 'old guard', why does the 'new guard' have to use the plots and ideas of the 'old guard'? Seems like the new guard would belong to the ones with the original ideas, past, present, and future.
Fantasy readers are, by and large, pretty intelligent. We can put up with a lot of crossover from the authors we read, so long as there is an original twist. We can't be told that a book like Eragon is original and new, because we know better. Even the names are Tolkien's with some letters rearranged. Or should I say Tolkein.
Rating:
Summary: Eragon
Review: Eragon is a pure fantasy tale of adventure, a bildungsroman. All the necessary pieces for the story are in Eragon. Mr. Paolini has a solid grasp of storytelling. His skill kept me up too many nights, engrossed. I am a high school English teacher, with an MFA in Creative Writing. I am famililar with Mr. Paolini's path to Knopf from being published by his parents publishing company. After I read the Knopf Eragon, published this year, I obtained one of the paperback Eragon from Interlibrary Loan. I was fascinated to compare the two versions. Mr. Paolini said on a radio show I heard, that the Knopf Eragon has 20,000 less words than the original paperback edition from his family publishing company. To tell the truth, I enjoyed reading both versions. Knopf's was tighter and faster in pacing. The original had more descriptions of places, events, and Eragon's interior thoughts. Eragon has a high page count, over 500 pages. Editing a manuscript of that size is a daunting task. I am a part-time freelance editor; the quality of the Knopf edit (what we classify as a light edit) is superb. What impresses me also is the quality of the editing that the Paolini family did for the original book. Mr. Paolini's Eragon poses a challenge to the followers of Tolkien, McCaffrey, Brooks, Eddings, Williams, and Lewis, the old guard of fantasy. Eragon is high quality fantasy fiction. It's excellent in story and execution. What scares the old guard is that this young man has thrown the guantlet down: here is a first book that hits its mark. Writers and authors of decades more experience than this young man are understandably unnerved. I can imagine the professional jealousy, bitterness, and ulcers Mr. Paolini's success is causing. I eagerly await Mr. Paolini's next installment of the Inheritance Trilogy. An inspiring young author and one to watch.
Rating:
Summary: Eragon
Review: I recomend this book for anyone that loves fantasy books or just likes to read.I can't wait for Eldest.
Rating:
Summary: Lord of the Rings Ripoff
Review: I've never taken the time to write a review, but this book was a real disappointment. This is a weak "Lord of the Rings" rip-off. The writing is like being hit over the head repeatedly... no subtlety. The character development is roughly, "Eragon realized he wasn't a farm boy, but a mighty dragon rider with a responsibility to all the little children." Or, "Eragon felt really, really bad that his mentor died." Paolini is so wrapped up in writing an epic that he forgets, or is unable, to make his characters real. They're one-dimensional and weak. Paolini seems to hope the plot can drive the book, supported by the details of the world he's "creating." The problem is that he's not creating anything, just stealing from the Lord of the Rings. His world of humans, elfs, and dwarfs is a weak contrast to the Rings series and other books. What drove me over the edge to write this is that Paolini is arrogant enough to write this as a multi-part series. The ending is lame, with a big voice that says, "Come find me...." It's amazing that he expects this book would draw us back. Bottom line: don't waste your money on this one.
Rating:
Summary: Never trust an editor
Review: This is a great fantasy story. While it does obviously trod upon the well-worn fantasy themes of Tolkien and others, that is not altogether a bad thing. Epic fantasy is a narrow niche to work in as a writer, and there is no better path in which to travel than in that of the master's. Here is some advice for ENJOYING a fantasy story:
Don't overthink the book. Don't try to critique it's flaws and inconsistancies. For heaven's sake don't blame the author for using Tolkien's themes and ideas, as Tolkien is the DNA of Fantasy itself, without whom the genre would not exist. Just enjoy the story and allow yourself to be taken to another world.
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