Eragon | Eldest | Brisingr

This series had so much potential and that was one of the reasons for why I started reading it this summer. The problem was that by the middle of book three all the excitement and potential was gone. I’m admitting that I never finished the books and probably never will.

Book 1, Eragon was the best of the three, with finding Saphira, fleeing for their lives and learning about dragon riders from Brom. The leader of the Varden was a good man, and his daughter had potential. Arya, the elves and the dwarves were exiting. There were some obvious flaws that ruined the book for me. The worst was how easy it was for Eragon to learn sword fighting and reading. These shortcuts felt like cheating and was the most annoying parts of book 1. But show more overall a good book with a plot that moved the story forward.

However, in book 2 when Eragon and Arya arrive in Du Weldenvarden where he starts training was the most outdrawn, boring part of the books so far. And the authors repetition of how quick he learned to read, why he shouldn't eat meat, and Eragons feelings for Arya gets old fast. Adding the teenage angst and this part takes up far too much space. If this is supposed to be Aragorn and Arwen from Tolkien’s world it is a poor imitation.

The most exicting part of book 2, and the only thing that kept me going, was Roran’s storyline. It was interesting and had a sense of purpose that Eragon’s story in this book lacked. Even the elves seem like egotistical and narrowminded beings whose only concern is themselves, with no interest for anyone or anything else.

And like book 1, we find a huge shortcut, where Eragon heals and become practically an elf overnight, something it takes decades for other riders to become. All this so he can be fighting fit again after becoming a cripple in book 1. Overall book 2 was boring and long, with no story that moved the plot forward other than Roran, and that was practically book 1 all over again but without a dragon.

This leads to book 3. I only read about halfway through and then I figured enough was enough. Nasuada has now become a leader who is willing to do anything for her cause, even condemn a child to a life of suffering and pain, without empathy or willingness to try differently. She reminds me of Alma Coin, President of the 13th district in Hunger Games, and we all know how that went. Even Arya’s reaction to when Eragon chose to save someone’s life rather than execute the person is off and frankly terrible, where she calls him weak and not fit to be a rider, simply because he could not kill an innocent man in cold blood. However after taking with Eragon several times she starts questioning herself, and this seems out of character for her. Is her conviction so weak that shortly after talking to Eragon she questions herself? Has she changed so much in two books? Or is this a way for the author to try and change their relationship? And the conversation that Eragon has with Nasuada and King Orrin after the incident is weird and stilted, and the topic itself is like the other topics that the author makes about Eragon’s crush on Arya, his distaste for meat, him learning to read and fight. They are unnecessary. We do not need to get spoon fed every little detail like this, we can remember things on our own (at this point I decided to give up).

Sometimes the author decides to use “old English” to perhaps make the dialogue more authentic. It doesn’t. By the end, the only person I still liked was Angela, she seems to be the only one with a brain of the entire bunch. Even Roran, hunting the beasts that kidnapped his darling Katharina, believes he can demand Nasuada to do what he wants, something he gets away with, and is another thing I have trouble understanding. I haven’t mentions Saphira simply because she is there but she doesn’t do much. She and Eragon think to each other, and she has her uses, which is mostly as a horse to get from A to B, but for a creature that is majestic and has ancient wisdom she rarely shows it. Mostly she flies around at night to stay under the radar and is frankly as disappointing as all the others.

There is much more I could say, but figured this was enough. To decide if I was going to continue I ended up goint to Wikipedia. Obviously, I decided not to because the author keeps taking these shortcuts all the way to the end, and frankly its disappointing. At this point I didn’t like the characters, the plot was not interesting anymore, much of the writing was bad or filled with shortcuts to probably fill the plot holes, and it wasn’t worth the time to finish the last one and a half books.

Some things like Arya and Eragon I could have figured out by continue to read, but when I add that to all the other problems the story contains I didn't think continuing reading it was worth it. The best thing to do is move on to something hopefully better and leave The Inheritance Cycle behind. show less

When I read this book for the first time, it was everything: inspiration...an amazing example of really really good literature...a motivation for me to work hard to get published early in life. I remember thinking the writing was great, the story super intense, the characters fully developed.

Then I read Eldest. Then Brisingr. Then Eragon again. My opinions have...ummm....changed.

I'll say first off that I want to cut this guy some slack. After all, he did write this when he was just 15, and that's pretty darn amazing if you think about it that way. But really, if you look at it from the viewpoint of one who has read a lot of really great literature, Eragon is nothing super duper special. Good, but...lacking.

The writing is good, but it show more lacks life, meat. Paolini gets across what he wants you to see, but not in a way that gave me chills or made me want to live there or experience that world with Eragon.
Speaking of Eragon, he's just average. I never felt a connection with him, through all the books. I liked him, but not enough to really care about him. I cared more for Arya and Murtagh. Murtagh is actually one of my favorite characters in the whole series, a great, tragic character who caught my eye from the first. And Brom...oh Brom. I loved him.

The story is fairly good, but not as strong and original as I'd want. It was, however, enough to keep me interested and a couple of the scenes, because of their sheer danger and magical intrigue, really stuck with me. So, this book is worth the read, because it is good, and because the series just gets better and better show less

I found this story captivating.

Having grown up on the Lord of the Rings, the Silmarillian, and even the Sword of Shannara, I found Paolini's detailed descriptions drew me into his world, and made it real for me.

That having been said, if you don't like to have the canvas painted for you to immerse yourself in, I'd recommend going elsewhere.

I truly enjoyed this series.

I read Eragon, a stupendous book by Christopher Paolini. It is book one of the inheritance cycle. The story centers around a young farm boy named Eragon. One day, he finds a strange sapphire stone. He decides to sell it for money to buy food, but makes a shocking discovery. It is a dragon egg! Overnight Eragon’s whole world is thrown upside down, and he finds him in a dangerous world of magic and monsters. With only a dragon and a storyteller, Eragon will have to navigate through the perilous land and fulfill an ancient legacy.
What I liked about this book was its amazing plot, likable characters, and an amazing connection. By that last thing I mean that Eragon and his dragon Saphira have a very powerful relationship. That is one show more thing I like about it.
The message of the book is that Eragon grows wiser in many ways. At the beginning of the Eragon’s journey he was rather arrogant and seeked revenge. With a old storyteller and his and Saphira’s relationship he learned to see with his heart and grew wiser in general throughout the book.
I would recommend this book for people who enjoy fantasy (especially dragons), an adventure, and seeing the main character change into a wise person. This is a very good book, one that I think will be enjoyed. show less

I was sure that these books would not be my style of writing but I loved them. They were easy reads and I can't wait for the next book to come out. Paolini is such a young talented author.

I first heard of the author on a newscast. I then saw the movie and thought the book might be a good read also. I found the plot very engaging, and style of writing very intellectual & thoughtful. I've enjoyed being a part of the character Eragon's growth as an individual and as a major player in his world. Overall, I've found the series to be an excellent read!

First off Ive only read the first book and im reading the next one now. But what I can tell you, is that when you read the first chapter of the first book, you'll want to read the entire series. The plot is placed very well, and the battle scenes will give you the perfect visuals, making it feel like your right there holding a sword and a sheild. But one factor that really amazed me was that Christopher Paolini wrote this when he was a teenager.