Eragon

Welcome friend. I am rereading The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini with the launch of book 5, Murtagh. This is a series from my teenage years. I remember having the movie-tie in edition of the book though I never watched the movie. I was initially worried that I wouldn’t like it anymore as few YA fantasy novels have appealed to me in the last five years but watching Clinton enjoy his reread of The Dragon Reborn (The Wheel of Time series), I just had to stop procrastinating and read. Here is what Eragon, the first book of The Inheritance Cycle is about:

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Eragon – Review

I bring to this book not just my very superficial memory of what Eragon was about but also:

1. The fact that I adored the last book. It is one of the few books I reviewed on Goodreads long before I even knew there were reviewers. My review is from 2016 and it is not short either. I am interested to see how I compare later.
2. The knowledge of Fantasy that I didn’t have back when I was first reading Eragon. Since then, I have read Game of Thrones, Sword of Truth, Children of Nexus, and The Lost Queen, not to mention the attempt at The Wheel of Time (I made it 1.5 books in but the timing was all wrong since I had just finished Sword of Truth). 

I think one of the biggest appeals for Eragon for me back in the day was how the world was kind of like Lord of the Rings but a lot easier to immerse myself in. I didn’t listen to audiobooks back then and this is a series I would always read and not listen to. I tried.

The Plot

Eragon is a fifteen year old boy, hunting in the wild to help his family prepare for the coming winter, when a beautiful blue stone magically appears in front of him out of nowhere. Curious but also desperate to support his family, he takes it back to town, only no one would buy it from him. Though he lives in a secluded village, it is clear that things around the continent are not going well. There is unrest and reports of attacks from Urgals, warrior tribes that haven’t been seen in the area for a long time.

When Saphira hatches for Eragon, he experiences what it means to take care of a little creature for the first time and to want to protect it. But word about a missing dragon egg has travelled far and danger arrives at Eragon’s doorstep without much warning. Saphira takes it into her hands to protect Eragon but that leaves his uncle exposed to the threat. Eragon leaves the village he has called him for fifteen years with Brom, the storyteller, with a heart full of grief and sorrow but also anger and vengeance. 

Danger ultimately catches up to them and Eragon is grieved further. He finds a new companion on the road and together, they cross the desert into the lair of a rebel group that opposes the tight hold of the Empire.

The Characters

The characters are all well done and fleshed out. Eragon is everything that a fifteen year old can be. He is thoughtful, loving, kind, sincere, thirsty for knowledge and answers, and angry at what has befallen him. With Saphira and Brom’s help he learns patience, magic and combat. He believes in himself and his powers though sometimes he puts himself in bad situations. He is a good friend and I love his development through the first book. I had forgotten that he was never taught how to read until Brom and that speaks to how small Eragon’s world was before Saphira entered his life. 

Saphira may have hatched recently but she was an egg for almost a century. She is barely a year old by the end of Eragon but she carries the knowledge of her kind with elegance. I love how she calls Eragon ‘little one’ and how much stronger and wiser he is thanks to her strength and counsel. Without their bond, this story would not exist. Saphira carries old wounds with her. She remembers times in the dragon ages that she will not reveal to Eragon until it is the right time.

Brom is not the storyteller he seems and as his personal history is revealed, Eragon’s world expands. I admired Brom for many reasons. He has strict boundaries. He is careful about what he shares and the influence that would have on Eragon’s young mind. He becomes a father figure to Eragon as they journey together and though there are spats and disagreements, they grow to each other. 

I hadn’t expected to find Murtagh in this book. My memory told me I would see him in Book 3, Brisingr, where he will definitely play a much bigger role but I am sad that I didn’t notice him as a major character in book 1. Rereads are great for noticing things that did not stick the first time. Murtagh finds Eragon, Brom and Saphira when they are under attack. He saves them from death and tends to them as they recover. Like brom, Murtagh too lays very strict boundaries. There are things he will not talk about and things he refuses to do. Only a few years older than Eragon, Murtagh is a talented fighter. In Eragon, he is relentless in the pursuit of his goals. He challenges Eragon but he is also cognizant in the things that his new friend is capable of doing and where he would need help. I loved how their bond developed and the loyalty that both feel for one another.

Arya has always been an unforgettable character to me though I have rarely thought about her since I finished the last book. She is an elf, the first Eragon has ever met, and she is connected to Eragon through his dreams. This is a really cool connection which I am excited to see explored in the next books. Through most of Eragon, Arya is sick but once she is well, she is a force to be reckoned with. 

World building 

The world of Alagaësia is vast. There are dwarves, elves, dragons, urgals, shades, and many magical creatures, some of which make prominent appearances in the first book. When Eragon meets the dwarves, I was reminded of the similarities with depictions of dwarves in other fantasy worlds.

Eragon and Saphira are connected in their minds. The magic in Alagaësia manifests in the physical world through the ancient language but mental battles are also widely fought. Murtagh has a brilliant grasp of the fortitude of his mind and I admired him for keeping his mind so safe. It is all he has and would not allow anyone to access it. He would rather die. Eragon’s capacities in magic develop with Brom’s help. I enjoyed learning about the ancient language with Eragon, digging into its intricacies and the toll that the words take on his mind and body. Being linked to Saphira offers him a reserve of energy he would not have otherwise.

In the first book, Eragon travels far from home. Here is the map of the world. Eragon’s journey begins at Carvahall and leads him deep into the Beor mountains to Farthen Dûr. The landscape is described in detail. I never felt it too heavy on words to process and I liked how it was interwoven with dialogue and events. The reasoning behind taking the path was justified and logical.

I learned much about the Empire, the history of Dragon Rides, the Varden, the elves but I know it is just the foundation for what is to come.  The politics, the expectations, the training, the perils – they are all just beginning and I know that Eragon is a changed man by the end. I am excited to be on this journey with him again!

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Ten plus years later, does Eragon hold up as a book worth reading? Is it good?

Yes, I loved it. For all the reasons at the beginning of this review, I was a new person but also the same. I enjoyed thinking of other fantasy worlds and discussing the similarities and contrasts with Clinton. The tropes of the tortured-grieving hero, the evil power that is destroying the world as it is, the secrecy of elves, the fortresses of the dwarves, the wisdom of dragons and the magic that is life threatening in so many ways… I want to read more! This is different from other popular series and I am glad that it stands out.

A solid pile of hefty books to make my way through makes me very happy. 🙂

Stay tuned for the review of the next book in the series, Eldest, next Wednesday.