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Eragon (Inheritance, Book 1)
by Christopher Paolini
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- Hardcover: 528 pages ; Dimensions
(in inches): 1.57 x 9.30 x 6.38
- Publisher: Knopf; (August 26, 2003)
- ISBN: 0375826688
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From the Author
Eragon is the book I always wanted to read. It has
wonder, awe, villains, and beauty. Not to mention dragons and
magic! When I graduated from high school at fifteen, I was bored
and looking for a project. So I started a trilogy! It took three
years to finish this beast, but it was well worth the time.
My whole intent with Eragon was to capture the
awestruck feeling I always have at the end of a great book or
movie. I wanted it to be so that when you, the reader, set Eragon
down, you can only say, "Wow!" And if you think I’ve succeeded,
spread the word! Dance naked in the streets with Eragon! Anything
to spread the word!
My favorite part of Eragon is the link between the
hero, Eragon, and Saphira, the dragon. Saphira is wry, humorous,
savage, and she loves Eragon utterly. And he her. Their
relationship forms the central pillar of the story. As I wrote
her, Saphira seduced me with her wit and intelligence. At times I
felt she could see me, as if she were watching over my shoulder as
I wrote the book. Talk about pressure to make it right!
I hope you enjoy my land of Alagaësia. It’s as
real and complex as our world, and perhaps a little bit nobler. If
you’ve always dreamed of adventure, true love, and stunning
vistas, then let me invite you into these pages. Only remember,
it’s much deeper than you think, or expect.
Inside Flap Copy
When Eragon finds a polished
blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a
poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the winter.
But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon realizes he has
stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself. Overnight
his simple life is shattered, and he is thrust into a perilous new
world of destiny, magic, and power.
With only an ancient sword and the advice of an old storyteller for
guidance, Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the
dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an Empire ruled by a king
whose evil knows no bounds. Can Eragon take up the mantle of the
legendary Dragon Riders? The fate of the Empire may rest in his
hands. . . .
Here's a great big fantasy that you can pull over your head like a
comfy old sweater and disappear into for a whole weekend.
Christopher Paolini began Eragon when he was just 15, and the
book shows the influence of Tolkien, of course, but also Terry
Brooks, Anne McCaffrey, and perhaps even Wagner in its traditional
quest structure and the generally agreed-upon nature of dwarves,
elves, dragons, and heroic warfare with magic swords.
Eragon, a young farm boy, finds a marvelous
blue stone in a mystical mountain place. Before he can trade it for
food to get his family through the hard winter, it hatches a
beautiful sapphire-blue dragon, a race thought to be extinct.
Eragon bonds with the dragon, and when his
family is killed by the marauding Ra'zac, he discovers that he is
the last of the Dragon Riders, fated to play a decisive part in the
coming war between the human but hidden Varden, dwarves, elves, the
diabolical Shades and their neanderthal Urgalls, all pitted against
and allied with each other and the evil King Galbatorix.
Eragon and his dragon Saphira set out to find
their role, growing in magic power and understanding of the complex
political situation as they endure perilous travels and sudden
battles, dire wounds, capture and escape.
In spite of the engrossing action, this is not
a book for the casual fantasy reader. There are 65 names of people,
horses, and dragons to be remembered and lots of pseudo-Celtic
places, magic words, and phrases in the Ancient Language as well as
the speech of the dwarfs and the Urgalls. But the maps and
glossaries help, and by the end, readers will be utterly dedicated
and eager for the next book, Eldest. (Ages 10 to 14)
--Patty Campbell
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