Binding: Kindle Edition
Format: Kindle Book
Label: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Languages: Array
Manufacturer: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 528
Publication Date: 2003-08-26
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Reading Level: Young Adult
Release Date: 2003-08-26
Studio: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Fifteen-year-old Eragon believes that he is merely a poor farm boy—until his destiny as a Dragon Rider is revealed. Gifted with only an ancient sword, a loyal dragon, and sage advice from an old storyteller, Eragon is soon swept into a dangerous tapestry of magic, glory, and power. Now his choices could save—or destroy—the Empire.

“An authentic work of great talent.”—The New York Times Book Review

“Christopher Paolini make[s] literary magic with his precocious debut.”—People

“Unusual, powerful, fresh, and fluid.”—Booklist, Starred

“An auspicious beginning to both career and series.”—Publishers Weekly

A New York Times Bestseller

A USA Today Bestseller

A Wall Street Journal Bestseller

A Book Sense Bestseller


From the Hardcover edition.
Here's a great big fantasy that you can pull over your head like a comfy old sweater and disappear into for a whole weekend. Christopher Paolini began Eragon when he was just 15, and the book shows the influence of Tolkien, of course, but also Terry Brooks, Anne McCaffrey, and perhaps even Wagner in its traditional quest structure and the generally agreed-upon nature of dwarves, elves, dragons, and heroic warfare with magic swords.

Eragon, a young farm boy, finds a marvelous blue stone in a mystical mountain place. Before he can trade it for food to get his family through the hard winter, it hatches a beautiful sapphire-blue dragon, a race thought to be extinct. Eragon bonds with the dragon, and when his family is killed by the marauding Ra'zac, he discovers that he is the last of the Dragon Riders, fated to play a decisive part in the coming war between the human but hidden Varden, dwarves, elves, the diabolical Shades and their neanderthal Urgalls, all pitted against and allied with each other and the evil King Galbatorix. Eragon and his dragon Saphira set out to find their role, growing in magic power and understanding of the complex political situation as they endure perilous travels and sudden battles, dire wounds, capture and escape.

In spite of the engrossing action, this is not a book for the casual fantasy reader. There are 65 names of people, horses, and dragons to be remembered and lots of pseudo-Celtic places, magic words, and phrases in the Ancient Language as well as the speech of the dwarfs and the Urgalls. But the maps and glossaries help, and by the end, readers will be utterly dedicated and eager for the next book, Eldest. (Ages 10 to 14) --Patty Campbell

Customer Rating:
Summary: YES! YES! YES!
Comment: This is my favorite book, I think. I have read many. It is one of the better ones. And, as usual in a series, the very first book is usually the best. Eldest is alright, but I think Brisingr is an awesome book also.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Eragon: Inheritance Cycle, Book 1
Comment: I don't like write reviews on Amazon but after reading all the negative reviews of Eragon I had to put my 2 cents in for your consideration. At the time of writing this there are 3 books that have been written (& I've read) with the promise of the 4th one being the last one coming out in the future.
I have read The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings and I love those books. Eragon is the story of a boy that finds a dragon egg and through a number of events becomes a dragon rider, etc.
When I picked this up I was looking for book to entertain me and it did. The world that Christopher Paolini has written uses races (Dwarfs & Elves) that Tolkien created in Lord of the Rings. So what! Paolini also writes other creatures and a world that are unique to Eragon. As I said this book entertained me. I like the characters and their development through the story.
Those of you who are wondering whether to give this book a try I recommend it for fun escape fantasy. I hope you will see what I have seen in this story (and the other two books so far). Its a little read with a lot of excitement and adventure. I would encourage you to make your own decision about the book(s). I believe if you read them with an open mind you'll probably enjoy them like I do. I can't wait to read the 4th book to find out what happens.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Entertaining
Comment: I liked it. I understand that many of the characters have been written about before in other books. I also think that people seem to complain about the writing more just because he is a teenager. Tell me how many people could have written this book? Give him a break.

If you just enjoy the story for what it is worth, then you will like it...

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Well written fantasy
Comment: Paolini has a fabulous story in the Inheritance series, and Eragon is largely devoted to setting up questions that are to follow the reader through the later books. While Eragon does drag in a few places, I liked it well enough to read the later books, and this is an excellent series. If you enjoy fantasy like Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, or Harry Potter, these books will be right up your alley.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: A wonderful book to hear
Comment: I enjoyed listening to this book as I worked. The writing is descriptive and allows you to lose yourself in the story. After watching the movie, I recommend listening to these unabridged cds. The reader has a wonderful, clear voice that gives life to all the books characters.

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