Christopher Paolini's Eragon
A Frodo's Notebook Book Review
by Amanda Leas - Director of Public Relations

This isn’t Hogwarts. This isn’t quite Middle Earth. This isn’t anything like a day in the lives of the three Baudelaire children. This is Alagäesia, a vast land ruled by an evil, corrupt emperor and magical creatures. Okay, so maybe it’s a little of Harry Potter crossed with Lord of the Rings, but instead of Orcs there are Urgals, and instead of brooms and Quidditch there are dragons and a league of Riders. It’s grand. It’s epic. It’s a whole new take on fantasy, and what really makes it even better is that it was written by a teenager.

Christopher Paolini introduces us to Eragon (not to be confused with Lord of the Rings Aragorn), a humble, orphaned hunter and farm boy who lives with his uncle, Garrow, and his cousin, Roran. They live just outside of Carvahall, a settlement isolated by forests, rivers, and The Spine, a feared and revered chain of mountains that only Eragon himself dares to enter. On one of his daily trips to The Spine, Eragon stumbles across an odd blue stone. He takes it back with him and has local villagers examine it for any worth. Rumors of evil and black magic quickly spread through the village, and after several people tell him the stone was worthless, Eragon decides to tuck it away.

A few weeks later, however, Eragon discovers that he didn’t find a stone; he actually found an egg, an egg that was being sought after by the empire because of what it housed—a dragon. There were only three rumored eggs left in the whole empire, and the emperor, Galbatorix, had killed and ravaged many villages in the past to keep possession of the eggs. Why? Because in Alagäesia, dragons and their riders are revered. They share a powerful, supernatural connection. These men and mystical beasts soon became known as The Riders, keeping the peace throughout the land. Galbatorix himself was once a rider, until he committed mutiny and killed off all his Rider brothers to claim the title as emperor. The dragon hatches, and Eragon quickly finds himself in a dangerous predicament: if he becomes a Rider and is caught by the Galbatorix, he will be killed. Nevertheless, Eragon decides to keep and raise the dragon in secret within the woods of The Spine.

Galbatorix hears word that his lost egg was in the vicinity of Carvahall and quickly sends scouts, the Ra’zac, to find it. In the process, the Ra’zac destroy everything in their path, including Eragon’s uncle. With help from the local storyteller, Brom, Eragon escapes with his dragon and his life.

Gradually, Eragon decides to avenge his uncle’s death and the wrongdoing done to the people of Alagäesia. Brom coaches Eragon in fighting, magic, and dragon etiquette. The dragon quickly grows, and Eragon, with the dragon’s telepathic permission of course, names her Saphira. They form an unbreakable bond and begin an adventure through the empire, fighting off the Ra’zac, high sorcerers, called Shades, and joining forces with elves and dwarfs.

Though very reminiscent of The Lord of the Rings with its mythical lands and creatures and Harry Potter with its use of magic for both good and evil purposes, Eragon still proves to make its individual mark. The beginning starts off slow, but things really get moving once Eragon gets swept away in the twisted, corrupt politics of the empire. With the raging popularity of epic fantasies, it is difficult to come up with something genuine and original. At the age of fifteen, Paolini conjured up an entire civilization complete with order, complex characters, and an enduring adventure that leaves you yearning to know what happens next. For me, the second half of the book redeemed the first half, and I can honestly say that I am eagerly anticipating the next installment, Eldest, which comes out August 23. So, if you’re looking for a fantastical adventure that’s not quite Hogwart’s but not far from Middle Earth, Eragon is a great book to investigate. If you want to catch the next installment of Paolini’s series while it’s fresh, there’s no better book to top your summer reading list.

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