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Eragon (Inheritance book 1) by Christopher Paolini
01/01/2007 . Source: Tomas L. Martin 
Pub: Corgi. 517 page paperback. Price: £ 6.99 (UK). ISBN: 0-552-55209-7. Buy Eragon in the USA - or Buy Eragon in the UK  checkout websites: www.booksattransworld.co.uk and www.alagaesia.com
With the success of 'The Lord Of The Rings' film adaptation, Hollywood producers looked everywhere for the next epic fantasy they could convert to the silver screen. young Christopher Paolini's 'Eragon' becomes that next film, full of special effects, monstrous creatures and heroic battles.
Here is the book. Published when the author was nineteen, it is difficult to avoid comparisons with Tolkien's legacy. Paolini borrows heavily from the mythology of elves, dwarfs and humans and one evil overlord. Dragons, a bit part in 'The Hobbit', are the mainstay in this book, their eggs opening only to their future rider, as young farmer Eragon discovers.
Finding an egg that later hatches to produce the blue dragon Saphira, Eragon's life is turned upside down when the cruel king, Galbatorix, sends henchman to reclaim the egg and kill Eragon and his family.
Taken under the wing of Brom, a local storyteller with far more to him than he lets on, Eragon runs from his home to chase the killers after the death of his uncle. As they travel through the continent of Alagaesia, Brom teaches Eragon some of the skills he will need as a dragon rider. They practice sword fighting, riding and even some magic.
Despite his reluctance to be a rebel, Eragon's quest leads him to the Varden, a small country and faction that opposes the Empire. Aided by the mysterious Murtagh, Eragon must flee from a vast army to warn the Varden and then take part in a battle to decide the future of Alagaesia.
'Eragon' is not a particularly original book. Its world of elves, dwarves and magic can be found in many fantasies. However, I was pleasantly surprised that the plot itself isn't nearly as derivative. The feel of the local towns and villages feels nicely realistic - full of local politics, harvests and struggling to make ends meet. Although the overall ideas of the world weren't anything new, Paolini has used them in a surprisingly fresh, down to earth manner.
The quest that Eragon embarks on is a more realistic one than many fantasies. Revenge is used as motivation and there's no ultimate weapon or item that has to be found or destroyed. The emphasis is on people. Politics is a factor in Paolini's world, where the acts of a few heroes are important but not without the majority too. Magic is powerful but it leeches off the user's strength. If a spellcaster casts something too powerful, it will kill him.
These efforts to keep 'Eragon' rooted in a world bound by rules is of great benefit to the story as it refuses to allow the characters any wiggle room. There are no deus ex machina here, giving real threat and danger to the characters in their quests. The build-up to the next book 'Eldest' is handled well and the writing is fresh and descriptive.
As a reader, I fully enjoyed reading 'Eragon' and its colourful cast of characters. I would have hoped for young Christopher Paolini to have used more imagination in first conjuring his world without resorting to the standard tropes. As it is, for such a promising young writer this is a very good heroic fantasy and well worth at least some of the hype it has received.
Tomas L. Martin
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