Eragon by Christopher Paolini

I must admit that I did not have high hopes for this book, but I can now understand why many people enjoy it.  It has action and adventure, but it is not all action and adventure.  Multiple mysteries build suspense and carry the reader along.  In the book, Eragon discovers an odd stone in the mountains near his home.  This discovery soon proves to be a dragon egg, and Eragon becomes the first in a new generation of a group called the "Dragon Riders."  In the past, the Dragon Riders had kept the kingdom safe and created peace throughout.  They have been gone for a long time, though, and the kingdom is in desperate need of a hero.  Eragon learns how to be just such a hero from Brom, his town's storyteller, who is wiser than anyone knows.  Together, Brom, Eragon, and Eragon's dragon, Saphira, set off on a journey that will change the kingdom forever.  At first, I was a little disappointed in the character of Eragon because he only seemed to want revenge for the men who hurt his family.  However, through his long and dangerous journey, Eragon soon learns that he needs to use his gifts to free and help all of his fellow countrymen from the king out to control them all.  I liked how at times Eragon and Saphira's relationship almost had the same feel as one of those "a boy and his dog books."  I also really enjoyed the character of Brom who was like a father to Eragon and the kind of mentor I think we would all like to have.  This is not the type of book I would normally choose for myself, but I am glad that I did.  I think you would like this book if you like adventure or fantasy.  Girls should not be turned off by this book just because it has action.  This story is very much about the journey more than the destination.  You would also like this book if you like to challenge yourself; it uses strong vocabulary and even some made-up words.  It is impressive that the author was only seventeen when he wrote it!  Take a look through the pages and see what you think.  You might be surprised!

Stats:
(c) 2002            Published by:  Knopf             Number of pages:  497