Eragon was one of those books that a friend casually suggested to me. Having just finished State of Fear by Michael Crichton I had been on the prowl for my next read. However, even though I was getting desperate for new material, I had my doubts on Eragon as, not only was it a fantasy, but it had some awkward blue dragon on the cover.
I would not consider myself a fan of fantasy novels; even though I love the Lord of the Ring and Harry Potter novel series'. Besides these two sets of books, I have never had any inclination to check out any other stories that dealt with magic, mysterious creatures or a medieval setting.
But there I was standing at the bookstore staring at the newly packaged box set of not only Eragon, but the next chapter in the
Inheritance Trilogy titled Eldest. Becoming desperate for something to read I purchased the giant hardcover books and immediately prepared for my descent into a whole new world of fantasy.
Eragon : Understanding Alagaesia
Eragon was written by rookie author Christopher Paolini when he was only fifteen. Homeschooled and with comprehensive knowledge of fantasies such as Lord of the Rings, Paolini took what has been done by the greats such as JRR Tolkein and JK Rowling and developed a similar, but new world of fantasy. Sure, some of the themes may sound all too familiar and we still may have some Elves and Dwarves running around, but who cares; this is one damn good tale!
Paolini takes a couple pre-established races and creatures from other fantasy tales and has developed his own map, history, characters and additional races to fill the book of Eragon. And, considering that this book is Paolini's first major go at storytelling, Eragon reads at the same level as the Harry Potter books; though the story can be more graphic than Lord of the Rings.
The best way for me to describe Eragon is to call it a mix between the first Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. First, the overall setting is much more akin to Lord of the Rings, but the story of Eragon's coming of age is right on with Harry Potter. Like Potter, Eragon must learn his abilities as the book progresses; something that usually results in injury or loss. Luckily Eragon has a guide named Brom that teaches him the ways of a Rider.
What is a Rider you ask? Well, let's take a brief look at the story behind Eragon.
Before your grandfathers' fathers were born, and even before their fathers, the Dragon Riders were formed. To protect and guard was their mission, and for thousands of years they succeeded. Their prowess in battle was unmatched, for each had the strength of ten men. They were immortal unless blade or poison took them. For good only were their powers used, and under their tutelage tall cities and towers were built out of the living stone. Wealth flowed into the cities of Alagaesia, and men prospered.
Dragon Riders were men and elves who were chosen by a dragon fetus still in its egg. When a suitable individual would come in contact with a dragon egg the dragon would hatch and the minds of the human/elf and the dragon would ever become linked. What this means is that the two can then communicate in a sort of telepathic manner, as dragons are actually more intelligent than humans and elves, and are bonded for the rest of their lives. Usually, when a dragon dies, so does its rider.
As mentioned above, life was good when the Dragon Riders had rule over Alagaesia. However, one day the top Dragon Rider,
Galbatorix, was attacked by a group of Urgals (a race of creatures) and Galbatorix's dragon was killed. Upon returning back to the council of Riders Galbatrorix requested a new dragon. Unfortunately, this is not how the system worked and Galbatorix was going to have to live out his days dragon-less. Instead of accepting his fate, Galbatorix killed another Rider and stole his dragon hatchling. After opening a war against other Dragon Riders he was able to get thirteen other Riders, including another powerful rider named Morzan, to join him and therefore become the 'Thirteen Forsworn.' At the end of the war Galbatorix and his Riders stood triumphant and began to rule Alagaesia under a stiff arm.
Now, I know this seems like a lot, but this is where the story of Eragon begins.
Eragon opens with a young fifteen year-old boy named Eragon hunting game in the Spine-- a dangerous and mysterious forest most grown men wouldn't dare enter. During his hunt Eragon is shocked to find a polished blue stone and quickly returns home to sell the stone in order to recover enough money to feed his step-father, Garrow, and step-brother, Roran. Unfortunately, much time has gone by since the era of the Riders and there are few who would recognize a dragon egg or the hidden value behind the stone Eragon was carrying.
After being unsuccessful at selling the stone, Eragon is forced to hold onto it in his room. One night the stone begins to move and admits a sound that wakes Eragon. To his shock, Eragon is confronted with a dragon hatchling, a hatchling that has waited centuries before choosing its perfect host, and his life shatters overnight. Eragon has been chosen, it is now his duty to survive the empire and learn what it is to be a Rider. Luckily, Eragon is confronted by Brom the Storyteller, a mysterious man who arrived in Alagaesia around the same time Eragon was born. Who is Brom and why does he happen to know so much about the art of combat and dragons?
In order to protect himself and his family, Eragon is forced to set out on adventure with Brom to find those that have done him wrong and train to become a greater Rider than even Galbatorix himself.
Before you ask-- Yes, Galbatorix is still in rule of Alagaesia when Eragon finds the egg, as Dragon Riders all have an extraordinary long lifespan similar to Elves.
Now, if you are a supergeek of Lord of the Rings and other films such as Star Wars-- somewhat like myself --you may catch a couple similar themes through out the book of Eragon. Hell, even some of the dialogue sounds the same. But don't let that hinder you, Christopher Paolini has only just begun the incredible adventure of the Inheritance Trilogy and Eragon serves as a fantastic beginning.
Like JRR Tolkein, Christopher Paolini creates multiple languages for his races and, even though some of the races we have heard of before, offers new historical lessons for each race he (re-)introduces.
Eragon is an incredible book and a very fast and easy read. Be warned: Paolini has a style of flow similar to JK Rowling, as each writer drags us on and makes us want to read more and more.
We now have a page for the upcoming film adaptation of Eragon: go to the Eragon Movie Page.
We promised that we will be pretty geeked this year on every update for this film... so stay tuned.
Score:  
|
Add to Heffee!
