Book Reviews
Eragon is filled with nightmare moments, dreams, visions. It never falters in its velocity. Its plot is episodic rather than climactic; it is clearly part of a larger work. The 500-plus pages race past. I found myself dreaming about it at night, and reaching for it as soon as I woke. Like countless other readers, I am waiting to see what happens next, with wonder, with admiration and with hope. As Eragon's dragon tells him, ''All will be well, little one.
Lia Rosenberg - New York Times
Christopher Paolini make[s] literary magic with his precocious debut.
People
(Starred review) Unusual, powerful...fresh and fluid. An impressive start to a writing career that’s sure to flourish
Booklist
Eragon by science fiction and fantasy enthusiast Christopher Paolini is a vigorously written high fantasy epic of Eragon, a young man armed with a mythic red sword, accompanied by a beautiful dragon companion named Saphira, and the recipient of Brom's old storyteller wisdom. Our hero is drawn into a complex, interwoven saga of a fantastic land with a cruel and ruthless king. Legacies etched in stars and dreams guide his steps in this enchanting adventure. Eragon is highly recommended for dedicated fantasy enthusiasts.
MidWest Book Review
Paolini takes a little Tolkien, a little McCaffrey, a coming-of-age quest, and combines them with some wicked good storytelling in this first book of his trilogy. Fifteen-year-old Eragon, a poor farmer's foster son, finds a gem-like blue stone that turns out to be a dragon egg. Instead of providing riches for his family, the egg's hatchling and her bond to Eragon give birth to a new generation of the legendary Dragon Riders, the noble magic-users who stood for good and justice throughout the land until betrayed and destroyed by one of their own, who has claimed ultimate power as the Empire's evil king. Eragon's simple life is destroyed as he must flee or be captured by the king's dark servants. He is accompanied on his journey by Brom, the town's old storyteller who is much more than he seems. Eragon, Brom, and the dragon Saphira travel throughout the vast land, seeking safety from the king's minions and answers about Eragon's future. On the journey, Eragon learns of love and loss, loyalty and treachery, while he explores his emerging powers. Ultimately Eragon finds himself caught in the middle of the brewing war between the king who seeks him and the Varden, the king's sworn enemies. Fantasy buffs will find themselves immersed in a world of magic and sword fighting among creatures of legend, eagerly awaiting Book Two. Paolini's Empire is well mapped for readers, and he includes a glossary of terms in the various languages his creatures speak.
Michele Winship - KLIATT
In wunderkind (he's 18) Christopher Paolini's impressive epic fantasy, Eragon, the titular hero (who's 15) and Saphira, the dragon he's raised from a baby, set out to avenge the murder of Eragon's uncle and soon find themselves pursued by the fanatical king Galbatroix. The fantasy bildungsroman has the brave youngster learning about exile, magic, love and his own destiny, and Paolini promises his saga will continue in two more volumes of the planned Inheritance series.
Publishers Weekly
Eragon, 15, is hunting for wild game when he witnesses a mysterious explosion. At the center of the blast radius he finds a polished blue stone marked with white veins. Brom, the village storyteller, has shown interest in it, so it is to him that Eragon turns when it starts squeaking, then wobbling, and then hatches into a majestic sapphire blue dragon. His decision to keep and raise Saphira starts him on an epic journey of Tolkienesque proportions that is only partially told in the 500 pages of this book. Eragon learns that the Empire's cruel and oppressive king will stop at nothing to get Eragon and Saphira to serve him. Training and traveling with Brom, the teen and dragon learn to work together in war and peace, using a combination of traditional fighting arts and magic. They encounter massive humanoid warriors with savage intentions and are befriended by Murtagh, a human warrior with mysterious ties to the Varden and the Empire. Eventually, they seek refuge with dwarves who harbor the Varden, who exist to free the Empire. Eragon does not approach the depth, uniqueness, or mastery of J. R. R. Tolkien's works, and sometimes the magic solutions are just too convenient for getting out of difficult situations. However, the empathetic characters and interesting plot twists will appeal to the legions of readers who have been captivated by the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy and are looking for more books like it. —Susan L. Rogers, Chestnut Hill Academy, PA
Library Journal
This solid, sweeping epic fantasy crosses vast geography as it follows 15-year-old Eragon from anonymous farm boy to sword-wielding icon on whose shoulders may rest the fate of Alagaësia. Dragon Riders have died out over the years, leaving the Empire under the iron fist of King Galbatorix; but hunting in the forest one day, Eragon finds a blue stone that soon hatches into his very own dragon. The next months find him learning magic, sword skills, and bits of his land's history. A slight tone of arrogance running through the narrative voice will hardly bother readers busily enjoying the reliable motifs of elegant immortal elves, mining dwarves, a wise elderly man, and a hero of mysterious birth. Replete with histories, names, and languages, this high fantasy with visible Tolkien influence ends with Eragon's first battle and a tempting pointer towards the second installment, when Eragon will visit the unseen elven city and plunge headlong into his destiny. (Includes map, pronunciation key, glossaries of three created languages).
Kirkus Reviews