| Here's a great big fantasy that you can pull over | | | | has shown interest in it, so it is to him that Eragon |
| your head like a comfy old sweater and disappear | | | | turns when it starts squeaking, then wobbling, and |
| into for a whole weekend. Christopher Paolini began | | | | then hatches into a majestic sapphire blue dragon. His |
| Eragon when he was just 15, and the book shows | | | | decision to keep and raise Saphira starts him on an |
| the influence of Tolkien, of course, but also Terry | | | | epic journey of Tolkienesque proportions that is only |
| Brooks, Anne McCaffrey, and perhaps even Wagner | | | | partially told in the 500 pages of this book. Eragon |
| in its traditional quest structure and the generally | | | | learns that the Empire's cruel and oppressive king will |
| agreed-upon nature of dwarves, elves, dragons, and | | | | stop at nothing to get Eragon and Saphira to serve |
| heroic warfare with magic swords. | | | | him. Training and traveling with Brom, the teen and |
| Eragon, a young farm boy, finds a marvelous blue | | | | dragon learn to work together in war and peace, |
| stone in a mystical mountain place. Before he can | | | | using a combination of traditional fighting arts and |
| trade it for food to get his family through the hard | | | | magic. They encounter massive humanoid warriors |
| winter, it hatches a beautiful sapphire-blue dragon, a | | | | with savage intentions and are befriended by |
| race thought to be extinct. Eragon bonds with the | | | | Murtagh, a human warrior with mysterious ties to the |
| dragon, and when his family is killed by the marauding | | | | Varden and the Empire. Eventually, they seek refuge |
| Ra'zac, he discovers that he is the last of the Dragon | | | | with dwarves who harbor the Varden, who exist to |
| Riders, fated to play a decisive part in the coming | | | | free the Empire. Eragon does not approach the |
| war between the human but hidden Varden, | | | | depth, uniqueness, or mastery of J. R. R. Tolkien's |
| dwarves, elves, the diabolical Shades and their | | | | works, and sometimes the magic solutions are just |
| neanderthal Urgalls, all pitted against and allied with | | | | too convenient for getting out of difficult situations. |
| each other and the evil King Galbatorix. Eragon and | | | | However, the empathetic characters and interesting |
| his dragon Saphira set out to find their role, growing | | | | plot twists will appeal to the legions of readers who |
| in magic power and understanding of the complex | | | | have been captivated by the "Lord of the Rings" |
| political situation as they endure perilous travels and | | | | trilogy and are looking for more books like it. |
| sudden battles, dire wounds, capture and escape. | | | | Was the mysterious blue stone that appears out of |
| In spite of the engrossing action, this is not a book | | | | nowhere sent by accident or is teenage Eragon |
| for the casual fantasy reader. There are 65 names of | | | | meant to have it? When a dragon, Saphira, hatches |
| people, horses, and dragons to be remembered and | | | | from it, beast and boy connect (in much the same |
| lots of pseudo-Celtic places, magic words, and | | | | way dragons and riders do in Anne McCaffrey's |
| phrases in the Ancient Language as well as the | | | | popular Pern series) and face danger together. In this |
| speech of the dwarfs and the Urgalls. But the maps | | | | story, Eragon is thrust into a new role as the first |
| and glossaries help, and by the end, readers will be | | | | Dragon Rider in more than 100 years who is not |
| utterly dedicated and eager for the next book, | | | | under the evil king's control. After the king's ghastly |
| Eldest. | | | | minions kill Eragon's uncle as they search for the |
| In wunderkind (he's 18) Christopher Paolini's | | | | teen, Eragon and Saphira, mentored by the village's |
| impressive epic fantasy, eragon, the titular hero | | | | aged "storyteller," hunt for the killers and, in turn, find |
| (who's 15) and Saphira, the dragon he's raised from a | | | | themselves being hunted. This unusual, powerful tale, |
| baby, set out to avenge the murder of Eragon's | | | | begun when Paolini was 15 (he's now 19) and |
| uncle and soon find themselves pursued by the | | | | self-published in 2002 before being picked up by |
| fanatical king Galbatroix. The fantasy bildungsroman | | | | Knopf, is the first book in the planned Inheritance |
| has the brave youngster learning about exile, magic, | | | | trilogy. It's obvious that Paolini knows the genre |
| love and his own destiny, and Paolini promises his | | | | well--his lush tale is full of recognizable fantasy |
| saga will continue in two more volumes of the | | | | elements and conventions. But the telling remains |
| planned Inheritance series. | | | | constantly fresh and fluid, and he has done a fine job |
| Grade 5 Up-Eragon, 15, is hunting for wild game when | | | | of creating an appealing and convincing relationship |
| he witnesses a mysterious explosion. At the center | | | | between the youth and the dragon. It's an impressive |
| of the blast radius he finds a polished blue stone | | | | start to a writing career that's sure to flourish |
| marked with white veins. Brom, the village storyteller, | | | | |