Eragon

Hello everyone! Well I'm going to try to get a few more blogs in before I go to San Francisco (wahooo), so this might be the last blog for a little while. But I might sneak one in if I have time. So without further ado, Eragon by Christopher Paolini.

Characters: Eragon: the last dragon rider/rider of dragon Saphira/remaining hope of the Varden, a resistance group against the Empire
Brom: Eragon's mentor/a grumpy old man who is rather good with a sword/who is hiding a secret
Saphira: Eragon's dragon/one of the last of her kind/mentally connected with Eragon
Murtagh: man who saves Eragon/is a great fighter/helps Eragon and Saphira in their quest to reach the Varden
Arya: elf charged with protecting Saphira's egg/one of the only elves to leave their secret homeland/delegate between the elves and the Varden

The Plot: In times past, the Dragon Riders kept order in Alagaesia with their magic, fighting abilites, and diplomatic skills. But one rider, Galbatorix, turned against his fellow riders and destroyed almost the entire clan of Dragon Riders. Galbatorix only spared the riders who turned to his side, the Forswarn, and the dark riders built a new empire that Galbatorix commands. After the riders fell, Galbatorix destroyed every last dragon egg, preventing the riders from ever rising again. However, one egg was stolen back from Galbatorix and has been kept safe by the Varden, a resistance group against the Empire. Now, the egg has found its way into the hands of Eragon Garrowson, and has hatched, making Eragon the last rider. When the Ra'zac, Galbatorix's personal assassians, come looking for the egg, Eragon is forced to flee with Brom, a mysterious old man who knows the ways of the Dragon Riders and who agrees to train Eragon. The goal? Get Eragon and dragon Saphira to the Varden and enlist their help in fighting Galbatorix. The only thing standing their way? Thousands of miles of sand, rock, and mountains, and the entire Imperial army.

What I liked: I loved Brom. Your classic wise old man archetype (thank you English II for making me learn that word), Brom was a dynamic character who always gave Eragon sound wisdom and training. My most favorite scene from Eragon was when Brom and Eragon had their first sword fight and Eragon thought he would hurt Brom. He was in for a surprise. But this kind of comedic relief was present throughout the whole novel. I liked all the places that Paolini created. From the dwarf's home in the Beor Mountains to Gilead and Carvahall, all the places were interesting and each had distinct personalities and identities with their own dangers our heroes had to overcome. Overall, the novel was quick-paced and quick-witted, and also very well written; I can't deny Paolini's skill at weaving a story.

What I didn't like: Here is what bothers me about Eragon. I don't think Paolini broke any literary barriers when writing Eragon. It was just your classic hero's tale. The home attack and the journey, Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring. The Empire: Star Wars. Honestly, that is such a cliche. Evil Empire? Come on. Please. I wish Paolini could have thought of something more creative because I think he has the talent. And the Urgals felt like a twist on the Orcs from Lord of the Rings. I like a good reference to classic hero novels such as this but this felt almost like a copy and paste. Paolini's writing was underused here and I can't help but worry that Eragon may have to make a journey to a volcano to defeat Galbatorix.

Overall: I would give Eragon a 6 out of 10. Addicting yet commonplace. Engaging yet familiar. I can only hope that the next Inheritance Cycle novels have a bit more originality, but just as good writing.