Eragon (Inheritance, Book 1) (The Inheritance Cycle) by Christopher Paolini
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Book Reviews of Eragon (Inheritance, Book 1) (The Inheritance Cycle)
Book Review: A reader's opinion
Summary: 5 Stars
U cant reinvent the wheel. And yet you get new tires for your car. Praised to be the newest invention. So how is it that people are so stunned by the fact that he sticks to what is known to the races he uses. He is doing a very good job.
Names are hard to come by. And even if it seems like he took it from somewhere, I couldn't care less. How many people are out there on this world with the same name, living different lives, experiencing different pains and joys. How many George's, Jennifer's whoever. Btw as long as it is not spelled the same it isn't the same, is it? All I am saying is that it doesn't have to be a whole new everything to make a good book.
Hey but thats just me ;)
And like this I see this book. It doesnt bring me to an universe that is in a shifted dimension where the physical rules are not like the one I experience. This is an universe I know. I have learned certain rules of it, have seen(read) different landscapes and have met some of the natives before. It just brings me to a different country. A bit different tribes of the folks. And tells a tale. Yes thats what it does.
As to the book itself. I can see that the fluid of the language maybe is not this high or educated or polished or whatever the word for it is, like some might wish. But it does the job in a way not every writer can. And I mean the ones who getting paid for it for years.
Another importent point could be that english isn't my native language, because of that it could be more appealing to me how the book is written.
For the story there is nothing more to say that is a solid fantasy book. With a very young hero, he is still 16 when the book ends, think about that after you read it. And if u have ever read a book with elves, dwarfes and all the other folks you know what there will be, the arrogance of the elve is worth something for me. I couldn't find "real" logical flaws because most of the things that might seem not clear, are explained, but it has to be read with some attention. And some will be explained.
There is just one little description of the face of the main character Eragon, and its more like it changes and not really how it looks like. But I take that as a plus. This means that I have the space to let my fantasy fly. I have the feeling a lot people have to read "everything". That wouldn't statisfy me, I need some space which automaticly comes with a good writer like this one. And on other more causel matters for some people, I enjoy explicit description. Like landscapes, weather, buildings, clothes. And Christopher Paolini gives me right that.
If you are looking for a solid fantasy book, which I couldn't lay out of my hand till I had finished it(27h). God bless weekends. Here you go.
If however you are on the search for something that you haven't heard of before and blasts you to a new dimension dont buy it. It's a good old solid fantasy book, written with style. And characters worth following and meeting.
A last point I want to make. It nearly hurts me physical that I have to wait for nearly a half year before I can read how it continues. It is open, it is the first book of a trilogy that is what it is, and until all three aren't published it isn't complete. But hey after I am finished writing this review I am going just to read it again. Be prepared for the pain =)
Book Review: Paolini's sword is sharp
Summary: 5 Stars
Master Paolini did a job well done on this. I have read some of the other reviews on this page and found some of them a bit on the harsh side. I think people need to stop and take a few moments to think about what truely Paolini has done, he has wrote a book, published it and made it a bestseller all by the time he was nineteen, now that is amazing, so i ask of those who think his book bad ro a rip off to rethink themselves, give the guy some credit. If you were fifteen years old and you sat down and and tried to write a book and map out a trilogy, I bet one of the first thoughts that would pass through your head would be what evryone else did. Not only that, if your fifteen, one you haven't totally matured and you are going to be influenced, two, there is very little in the genre of fantasy that is original, so that is hard to work around. But I still can admitt, Paolini could have been a bit more original.
Now that I've gotten that out I will review the book for content.
Why to read it?
The book was overall a excitive and action packed book. I was amazed at paolini creativeness and imagination. Also, though many people don't argee, I thought that Paolini's paragraphs of description were good, they allowed me to see what Eragon was seeing, it made the landscape, the cities and the people all that much more real, where the words painted a picture in my mind that I could see. Also I found the telepathic communications between Saphira and Eragon well constructed and original, something I hadn't seen before and enjoyed. Moreover the book is mainstream fantasy, and I like mainstream fantasy, anyone else how does should try this. Also I found the language that Paolini made up, modeled after Norse, I think, well, it was cool, and I found it better than Tolkiens. Also the landscape was really cool, I just hope that Eragon travels the east and we learn more about what is there. I know a good deal of people that said the book wasn't well written. I don't argee, it is written fine, as well as any fantasy novel is and it far passes the standard that writers like Jordan have set with his newest books. The history and concepts behind the series is also good. Also I have heard that the dialouge in the book is not well written. Again I disagree. The dialouge was well written, in fact, Paolini has a very good knowledge of the English language, especially considering that he only nineteen and nearly all of his life is ahead of him. This book is very good, it has a good mix of exticement, action, entrigue, history, and battle that make it five stars.
Why not to read This?
I don't really have any reasons as to not to read this, only if you don't like fantasy, are sick of the traditional fantasy and 'safe' plots. Also if you are a Tolkien lover and you find nearly every he didn't write you find a copy of his work then, please, don't ruin it for everyone, thousands of young adults, how the book was written for, love this.
I wish to give Master Paolini my best wishes, he is quite a respectable young writer, I hope to see many more years of him and many nore books that were just as exciting as this one. I give my full praise to Eragon. Job well done Master Paolini.
Book Review: 5 Stars
I personally enjoyed the book. It was a fun, entertaining read, without all the long boring descriptions Tolkien uses in his lord of the rings trilogy. Sure I enhoyed the movies but the books? No way. I tried, and tried, and tried to finish them, but they were sooo beyond boring. I mean, the author spent a whole page talking about how many steps they took (okay, so that was an exageration on my part, but hey, how many of you reviewers out there are doing the same about this book?). But still, the guy didn't know when to quit with the descriptions, and you think eragon is overdescriptive?YOu see, that's the thing. People are different, and have different tastes. Some people hate any descriptiveness at all, while others like lots of it, and still others like a little, but not too much. So, for the reviewers, you really shouldn't be telling everyone "don't read it, it's horrible" OR "read it, otherwise you'll miss out on the phenomenon of the century" cuz you don't got a clue (yes, i know that's not proper english and some clown's gonna make a stupid comment about it, anyways...)as to what the people reading your review actually enjoy reading. So, really you should say what's wrong with it or what's so great about it(Besides the overly stressed, it's a cheap rip off, or a sloppily put together mess of other people's work and it's great, or it's adventure packed, and then not talking about any of the adventure, how bout giving some examples of the stupidity or greatness of the book people?), and why you hated, or loved it, and you should talk about the story itself, not the author's age, or the hype about it. Let the people choose for themselves whether they wanna read it or not. (Yes, i know, i'm not talking about the story either, but hey, i'm gettin to it)
Oh, and it's getting real old with every story that has elves is a rip off of tolkien and every story with dragons is a rip off of anne mcaffery, and every story with magic done differently is a rip off of the earth sea books. I mean, come on! Do you actually believe that to be true? Oh,and my personal favourite, every story with a boy who's an orphan is a rip off of the great star wars.
SO, on to the story. Well, it's about a young boy who lives on a farm and finds a stone. Hmm...i'm not so good at summaries, and everyone else has talked about it, so you really don't need me to tell you the story again. So, people there's my review. And if you're interested but don't wanna spend money, you can always check it out from a library. THat's how i first read it, but then again, i hardly ever buy books. I bought it afterwards though. SO yeah. Here i go, rambling on and on like a lunatic. Sometimes i think i am, but i'm cool with that. But i spose somebody will find a way to turn that against me, like "Hey, don't listen to that crazy person down there, they're probably living in a nuthouse." WOw, that would be funny. Hmmm.....i spose nobody's probably reading any of this rambling of mine, if so well, i'd just like to thank my family and my close friends for all the help and support they gave me during this time. And i guess that's it. I'm out. LATERZ
Book Review: A fun fantasy containing elements of many styles for young adults and older adults!
Summary: 5 Stars
First of all, I am an adult and 50-something parent who read the book to screen it for my 12-year old son. While I agree with other reviewers that Christopher Paolini clearly "borrowed" ideas from Tolkien, Star Wars, Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" and other similar sci-fi/fantasy literature, my comment is, "So what?" With the notable exceptions of Tolkien and Anne McCaffrey, I believe most sci-fi/fantasy all contain certain similar characters, races and ideas. I have no problem with that as long as the story itself is good and well-written. I have read hundreds of sci-fi/fantasy books.
Eragon is a young farm boy whose name is the title. He lives with his uncle and his cousin,Roran, on a farm just outside the small village of Carvahall. Eragon is good with his bow and is out doing the hunting for food for his family up in the mountains or Spine. He is chasing after a wounded doe when he comes across a beautiful and huge blue stone. It is highly polished and marbled and over a foot in length. Eragon decides that since he couldn't kill their food, he will take the stone to the village and see what he can get for it to buy some food. The butcher he goes to does not want to trade him meat for the stone even though winter is coming and Eragon's family would go hungry. A kind friend, the blacksmith, comes in the shop and pays for the food but tells Eragon he can work it off in the spring and to just keep the stone.
Roran makes plans and leave the farm in the next couple of weeks so Eragon is all the help that Garrow, his uncle, has. Eragon has hidden the stone but takes it out frequently to look at it. One day the egg hatches and a beautiful gleaming blue dragon appears. From storyteller Brom and others, Eragon though dragons were no longer on earth. Eragon makes the dragon a hideout up in a tree and orders it to stay in the woods while he goes to talk to Brom as Brom used to tell tales of dragons and the Riders. Having learned from Brom a little more about dragons, Eragon names the dragon, who turns out to be female, Saphira. Saphira is growing VERY rapidly. Eragon and Saphira have also formed a mental bond.
When the evil Ra'zac kill Garrow, Eragon's uncle, and destroy the farm, Eragon finds out from the Brom that the Ra'zac are after him and his dragon. King Galbatorix wants to be the only Rider and not have his power threatened by another Rider. Galbatorix had destroyed almost all Riders in the past on his way to power. Brom accompanies Eragon on his flight to search for the Ra'zac that killed his uncle and learn more of his role as a Rider.
Brom and Eragon have many adventures and battles as Brom trains Eragon in magic and in sword fighting as well as more of the history of his country. Besides humans, dragons and Ra'zac, there are also elves, dwarves, Shades and rather primitive and violent humans called Urgals.
I enjoyed the story myself and know my son will like it too. I disagree with the publisher's age range, however. I would recommend it for 12 year olds minimum.
Book Review: Cody's Review
Summary: 5 Stars
Hello there everyone! I like this book because it has a lot of adventure in it. You get to read about spells, wars, and it's all with a medevil time period that makes it awesome. An interesting thing about the book is how as it goes from one place to another.You can visualize it on the maps in the front and back of the books. It's a good book because it's mature but not boring but not childish at the same time.c
In the beggining, an elf gets ambushed and sends a package she has to some small town. Eragon, a 15 year-old boy, finds it while hunting in the woods. It ends up being a stone but is a dragon egg that soon hatches changing Eragon's life. He keeps it all a secret but when evil men, Ra'Zac, are in town and find out they kill Garrow, Eragon's uncle, and destroy their house. He then goes on adventures with Brom, a dragon storyteller, to avenge his uncle by kiing the Ra'Zac. On their jouney Eragon lerans that since he has obtained a dragon he has now become a Dragon Rider. Brom then teaches him how to fight with a sword as well as magic. When they find the Ra'Zac, theygot ambushed by them and Brom took an arrow for Eragon and died. Then a man named Murtagh saves Eragon and his dragon, Saphria, from the Ra'Zac. While riding with his new companion, in the night they are attcked and Eragon got captured and sent to imprisonment. Then Murtagh and Saphria rescue him and a girl from a Shade, an evil warrior, and escape the prison. Later they find out she's an elf that's been badly wounded so they bring her to the Varden, a rebel army, to heal her. While there Eragon finds out that Murtagh is the son of an evil rider who served the king. Murtagh is against the empire and helps serve the Varden. After the elf, Arya, is treated she is now fully recovered thanks to Eragon. Then a war breaks out in the middle of the night between the defending Varden and an army of Urgals. Urgals are crude beasts that Eragon has encountered along his travels in small numbers but defeated them. Now they have also Kull, a much larger and stronger species of Urgals. Will Eragon survive this wicked battle or will one of his close allies perish to and Urgal attacker? Read further to find the answers to jam-packed ending. Trust me it's gonna be good!
Any reader who likes midevil, adventure, or fantasy would love this book. Especially if they like all three! The book has adventure fro mEragon battleing Urgals and escaping the empire. Midevil times because of the sword battles and horseback riding. Fantasy! Thgere's awesome spells and magic unlike wand curses from "Harry Potter". It's a little dark of a book and more complicated making it unsuitable for childrem 10 and under. The author has a descriptive imagination by writing the persise details about Eragon's adventures. I personally enjoyed this book down to evry last word. Also it has a setup for a sequal without making it a cliff hanger and is already in the making. I hope everyone is going to and read this book did and will enjoy it just as much as i did.