Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle #1) : Book Review

If you were to ask to me to name a random young adult fantasy story, some story that you would point to as a decent starting point for some Middle School kid to get into fantasy. I think I would say Eragon is a decent enough starting point. And honestly, I’m pretty sure it might be one of the first fantasy stories that I read myself in Middle School. And with the recent announcement of a TV Show adaption of Eragon happening, I decided I would try rereading the book. Now many years past when I originally read it, and with a much better understanding of the fantasy genre and reading in general. Why not give it another shot, and see how it actually holds up after all this time.

So what are my honest thoughts about Eragon? It is kinda a fan-fiction of Lord of the Rings. Right from the very first chapter, you are immediately confronted with creatures and monsters and a world that you have trouble not seeing as their Lord of the Rings counterparts. Reading through the book, I never once thought anything in it was all that original. You could very easily see what other media the Author Chris Paolini used to craft the story and the characters and the world.

And yet as you finish up the first book, I can’t say I didn’t walk away enjoying what I read. It isn’t perfect in any aspect, not even close. The story progression is honestly rather uneven, with the beginning being a very strong start but it starts to fall apart some the longer it goes. Events start to happen simply cause they are required, not because they are well foreshadowed. And the final battle in the story feels so very rushed, it never had enough time to develop and instead just kinda happens suddenly and is over just as fast. Honestly you get the feeling it exists simply because Paolini thought every book requires some big action piece to end the book, and that he couldn’t simple end the book on some mystic and wonder to entice readers to return for the second book.

The characters aren’t the worst you have ever read, but also never impress. Much like everything else in the story, they are just fine. Though they suffer from making dumb choices at times that feels out of character simply to move the story in the required direction. There are also some hints of a future romance, though I will leave any discussion of that for when I read the next book.

I guess the real question is, would I recommend reading the Eragon? And I think I would have to say yea, go right ahead and read it. But don’t expect a masterful fantasy novel, or something deep and thought provoking. It is none of those things. It is a pretty standard Fantasy Novel that is based closely on Lord of the Rings. That is simple enough for a young new reader to enjoy, with enough action and fast enough pace to keep the reader entertained. Just don’t look too deep, or you will find all the issues the book has.