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Sunday, April 26, 2015

Book Review - The Inheritance Cycle: Eragon, Brisengr, Eldest and Inheritance by Christopher Paolini

I was introduced to this series by several of my friends who had already read each of the four many paged books. Eragon was being discussed at work by colleagues. What I heard was ‘dragons’ and ‘elves’ and bits of plot.

I was intrigued. Borrowing the first three from one of my friends, I read them all in about a two weeks. In four or five more days, I read the last, Inheritance. Now, you must understand that each of these books are from 500 to over 700 pages long. And then there are pages with pronunciations of the various languages ~ Dwarf, and Elven to name only two~ as well as maps of the country of Alagaesia

Eragon, who begins in the story as a farm boy raised by his uncle and aunt, and knows his couson Roran as a brother finds a blue stone. This blue stone turns out to be a dragon’s egg that hatches, to Eragon's great surprise and concern. (Hiding a growing dragon from everyone is no small feat!) A magic bond is established between Eragon and Saphira, who grows to have crystal blue scales. The Ra’zac, a Shade, and Urgals, each with their own languages or ways of communicating invade Carvahall, the town where Eragon’s uncle Garrow gets supplies and visits friends. Brom, the town's Storyteller, begins to tell Eragon stories of the legendary Dragon Riders and further, tells Eragon and Saphira that they may be the last of the fabled Dragon Riders that kept the peace in the land. A bond is formed between Brom and Eragon. 

Fleeing from the Ra’zac, after they had brutally killed his uncle Garrow, Eragon and Brom on horse back, with Saphira travel to Farthen Dur, in a vast mountain range. During that trip Brom is killed leaving Eragon, Saphira and two horses alone. Deep inside the mountain is the city of Tronjheim where the dwarves live. After a time there, they continue their travels to Du Weldenvarden, the forest where the elvish race has their home. There they learn more about magic, their role of Dragon Riders and the ancient language.

Each book, from Eldest, Book Two to Brisingr, Book Three and finally to Inheritance, Book Four develops a fascinating story of the politics of a land filled with magic, while the armies, led by the Varden, from all these disparate ‘races’  gather to face a common foe by the name of Galbatorix who threatened all the lands, all the inhabitants and their families with subjugation. Throughout, Eragon grows and learns about how to become a true Dragon Rider. There are battles in the air between dragons and on the ground humans, elves, dwarves, Urgals and were-cats fight some pretty gruesome battles in this work of Youth Writing. 

This series is written by Christopher Paolini, who published the first in the series, Eragon, in 2003 at age 19. This authors own story is almost as interesting in this very fascinating and magical series. He has a website at http://www.alagaesia.com that has maps, the languages and so very much more. 

“The worth is in the act. Your worth halts when you surrender 
the will to change and experience life. But options are 
before you; choose one and dedicate yourself to it. 
The deeds will give you new hope and purpose..”
~ Christopher Paolini, Eragon

Title: Eragon
Author: Christopher Paolini
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Publication Date: 2003 (Hard cover)
ISBN: 0-375-82558-(trade)
ISBN: 0-375-92668-2 (lib.bdg.)
ISBN: 0-375-82669-6
Type:  Youth Fiction

Title: Eldest
Author: Christopher Paolini
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Publication Date: 2005 (Hard cover)
ISBN: 0-375-82670-X(trade)
ISBN: 0-375-92670-4 (lib.bdg.)
Type:  1.Fantasy 2. Dragons-Fiction 3. Youths’ Writings


Title: Brisingr
Author: Christopher Paolini
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Publication Date: 2008 (Hard cover)
ISBN: 978-0-375-82872-6 (trade)
ISBN: 978-0-375-92672-3 (lib.bdg.)
Type:  1.Fantasy 2. Dragons-Fiction 3. Youths’ Writings

Title: Inheritance
Author: Christopher Paolini
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Publication Date: 2011 (Hard cover)
ISBN: 978-0-375-85611-2 (trade)
ISBN: 978-0375-846321-1 (tr.pbk.)
ISBN: 978-0-375-95611-9 (lib.bdg.)
ISBN: 978-0-30797418-1 (ebook)
ISBN: 978-0-307-93074 (intl.tr.pbk.)
Type:  1.Fantasy 2. Dragons-Fiction 3. Youths’ Writings



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