Eragon

Inheritance, Book 1

By: Christopher Paolini

Narrated by: Gerard Doyle

Don’t miss the eagerly anticipated epic new fantasy from Christopher Paolini—Murtagh!

A new adventure hatches in Book One of the Inheritance Cycle, perfect for fans of Lord of the Rings! This New York Times bestselling series has sold over 40 million copies and is an international fantasy sensation.

"Christopher Paolini is a true rarity." —The Washington Post

When fifteen-year-old Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon soon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself.

Overnight his simple life is shattered, and, gifted with only an ancient sword, a loyal dragon, and sage advice from an old storyteller, Eragon is soon swept into a dangerous tapestry of magic, glory, and power. Now his choices could save—or destroy—the Empire.

©2003 Christopher Paolini (P)2002 Random House, Inc., Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"It's an impressive start to a writing career that's sure to flourish." (Booklist)

"Doyle's range of accents is perfect for the multiple characters of this epic....On paper Eragon is a sprawling fantasy, filled with obvious nods to Tolkien and too many convenient plot devices. But on audio, it fills the ears with vivid characters, witty dialogue, and nail-biting battle scenes set in a magical world where a beautiful blue dragon and her rider are at the noble center of it all." (AudioFile)

"An impressive epic fantasy." (Publishers Weekly)

A good read, even if similar to other in the genre

This was a fun book to listen to, and caught my interest for quite a while. The book isn't consistently gripping - the beginning plodded along for me, but by the time Eragon hit the road, it was more fun to keep up with. From the minute they introduced it as "Inheritance, Book 1", I figured there would be a sequel, but I was still a little surprised at how quickly the book ended. The Hollywood-style setup for the next book seemed like a quick fix to end it.

I've read a lot of comments regarding how much was lifted from other books in the genre. I'll grant that there are some strong similarities to what's out there: a variant of dragonriding (McCaffrey), blue rock-like things that mark your palm (Eddings), but then I think the comparisons get a little unfair. Yes, there are dwarves, elves and dragons, and yes, Tolkien has them in his books. But so do a lot of other people who have written about them, and you see many similar traits regardless of the author - dwarves hacking stone underground, elves being thin, quiet, strong, and longlived. Some features are just elements of other stories that you'll find anywhere else - a bond between the main character and an animal, the older mentor with a similar past. Paolini has put many of these features together in a way that makes for an interesting story, and is set in an interesting world that I'm looking forward to reading more about.

The writing style _is_ simpler than other authors. Paolini _is_ a teenager, and soon enough, he'll be older, continue to age, and no doubt become a more complex writer as he learns more. I think this is an interesting station at which to hop on the train, and see where he ends up. I'd recommend it as a good fun audiobook, keeping in mind that it won't necessarily be complex and that the descriptions get a little overdone, especially in the beginning. Looking forward to book 2 and the improvements to his writing style he'll likely bring.

Eragon (Unabridged)

This book was a great listen, and I find it to be the quintisential fantasy title. The young warrior/magician type is somehow chosen to begin an adventure with the help of the older wizard/loremaster type and must leave his small village because the big bad is threatening it because of his/her presence. Eragon becomes the rewcipient of a dragon egg and begins his training as a dragonrider with the help of an old story teller from his village. Along the way he meets up with Elves, Warriors, and Dwarves od course. Very good story 5 stars all the way. I see it as Lord of the Rings meets The Whhel of Time with Dragons of the Pern variety.

Great Entertainment Value

I hate to say this, but this was one of the books I just had to listen to even when I was not in the car. The narration is simply superb, and the story well-told. I did not find the obvious references to Tolkien a bother, as great books always stand on the shoulder of giants.

Definitely recommended!

It took a while to get into Eragon; in fact, after I started it, I actually didn?t listen to any more for a couple of weeks. It might have just been my frame of mind at the time, though, because once I started listening to more of the story I couldn?t turn it off! Now I can?t wait to learn more about Eragon?s journey!

WOW!

I could not stop listening to this book. I downloaded the book for a road trip on a tour bus thinking it would be something to keep me occupied. It did more than that!!! I loved the book! Lots of action, suspense, and detailed characters and a very small touch of romance. The book kept you guessing and wondering what was going to happen to the characters next. Everytime the bus stopped for a break I was the first back on to start listening to my book again. I'm a Lord of the Rings fan and this book is along the lines of The Lord of the Rings. As soon as I finished book one I downloaded book two and now I'm waiting for Book 3. Its a great book. I'm curious how the movie will turn out.

Delightful Read

I am an avid bood reader - but Eragon on audiobook was amazing. The theater created by the reader trasported me to a far away land and captured my heart, mind and soul. This book is a must read (or better yet must listen)for anybody that has ever dreamed of finding your true self.

The sequel "Eldest" continues the journey and further advances the characters that you have grown to love.

You will sit in your car

Very enjoyable - good color and depth - action and plot. Looking forward to the rest of the series.

Love the Dragon

This book is already well known. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for some great fantasy tales. If you have seen the movie and liked it then you will love the book.

eragon the best

this is one of the best books i've read

My only complaint

A truly engrossing story! Found myself driving to the other store just to hear more. If only there were more books of this caliber in this genre!

Hoping this series will make it to a true completion.