User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
Honestly, this book fueled 90% of my
dragon-obsession over middle school.
(How obsessed you ask? Tshirts, posters, movies, figurines - if you could slap a dragon on it, I bought it (really not kidding)).
This series will always hold a special place in my heart. 
Eragon, having survived the great battle, is saddled with a completely unexpected consequence -
the Shade's Curse. He and Saphira are sent to the hidden lands of the elves, Ellesmera, to learn the
secrets of the Dragon Riders. But his training is not easy - the magic is challenging and literally one wrong move could trigger the Shade's curse.
At that instant, Eragon's back ruptured in an explosion of agony so intense he experienced it with all five senses...and above all the feeling that Durza had just laid open his back.
Meanwhile, Rowan (Eragon's coursin) is dealing with a horrible situation of his own. The Ra'zac have returned to their hometown, Caraval, to
terrorize the locals in the hopes of luring Eragon back.
Eragon remains completely unaware as he trains in Ellesmera - leaving Rowan to find a way to
save the entire town and track down Katrina (the love of his life) who was
stolen by the Ra'zac.As much as I try to be objective about these novels - I can't. They're so entwined with my past that I simply can't rate them anything below 5 stars.
Dragons were my middle school "thing" - I drew them, I wrote about them and I read about them constantly. Unsurprisingly, this series spoke to me and it still does.
Every time I reread this series, I find
something new to adore - whether it be a new appreciation of Rowan's strength of character or amusement regarding Angela the witch's quirkiness:
I suppose I won’t see you for a while, so farewell, best of luck, avoid roasted cabbage, don’t eat earwax, and look on the bright side of life!
Loved this one the first time through and every time I read it, I love it even more.
Audiobook CommentsSomeone give this poor narrator a throat lozenge because, my god, the voices Gerard Doyle used for the dragons must've caused permanent damage. (it sounded like a congested yoda)
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Rating: really liked it
"Is it better than Eragon??"
Lots of people have asked me if I liked
Eldest better or thought it was a better book. Yes and no. The writing was more coherent and sounded less inexperienced, and some of the perspective changes made it easier to read. But if a writer doesn't get better on his second book or as he gets older, he's kind of a jerk, eh? But Chris was quite a bit more aware this time that he had an audience, that his book's arrival was being anticipated with bitten nails, whining, and drool. He therefore did even more of that language dress-up and song-and-dance, more of that irritating demonstration of his belief that the words themselves should be the art rather than the art being the story they describe.
Paolini appears to be convinced that talking in pseudo-archaic language is grand and epic rather than HOKEY AS HELL.
In talking about the novel's inconsistency with place names: Chris claims that all of Alagaësia's different areas are sorta mix-n-match because all the places were settled by different races. Umm . . . in real life, usually if that is the case then each race or culture has a name for each area, and depending on which language the map is in, you will see different names.
"While this is of great historical interest," he writes, "practically it often leads to confusion as to the correct pronunciation. Unfortunately, there are no set rules for the neophyte. The enthusiast is encouraged to study the source languages in order to master their true intricacies." The source languages? The ones that are in your head?? No one is convinced by this ramble that there is actually an alternate world where these languages are spoken. Odd how instead of doing his homework, Paolini makes up an excuse for why homework is not necessary in this instance.
And then he says this: "One more volume to go and we shall reach the end of this tale. One more manuscript of heartache, ecstasy, and perseverance. . . . One more codex of dreams." I'm going to die. Codex of dreams?? "Stay with me, if it please you, and let us see where this winding path will carry us, both in this world and in Alagaësia."
I'll tell you where it's going to lead us. Read
The Hero's Journey, go watch
Star Wars, study some
Lord of the Rings and some obscure mythology, steal some words from ancient languages and pretend they're magic words, and read
Story by Robert McKee and
The Writer's Handbook, and then write a book ganking one or two aspects from all the other high fantasy you've read and liked. That's the formula. It should work for you too.
Instead of saying Murtagh and the Twins are "dead," the narration "sneakily" refers to them as "gone." That way, after the characters have lamented their kidnapping and apparent death, Paolini can rejoice in the fact that he tricked us into thinking they were dead, but then point and laugh when they reappear on the battlefield and say "HA, see I never SAID they were dead!" We know you didn't. As soon as they found no bodies, we knew they were coming back. This was not a surprise.
Saphira's magic powers. It's been said throughout the books so far that magic comes from dragons and whatnot, but that Saphira and other dragons don't really use it the same as elves and humans do. It's pointed out several times that the "rules" for dragons performing magic are not set--I suppose that's so that whatever Saphira wants to do, she can do, period.
Also, Saphira was the one who broke the Star Rose and pissed everyone off. But if she heals it, she'll be honored for "uncounted generations." Does this bother anyone else? I would think that the dwarves would pretty much reluctantly agree to tolerate her presence if she undid the damage she did and maybe kissed up to them for a few thousand years. I somehow doubt that she'd suddenly be a hero just because she's willing to clean up her own mess.
I think my BIGGEST problem is with the incoherent magic system.
A lot of people have either said this book is NOT predictable--which tells me they probably have never read another high fantasy book--or they make up a bunch of excuses why it's okay to be predictable because this is a basic story type. Sure, by all means, excuse it for all its faults because it is a hero "type" story. Which of course means that he should do the same things in the same order as every hero of myth and fantasy from Odysseus to Luke Skywalker.
A book should not be so based on a story "type" that it feels like it is following a template; every "revelation" in this book is more of a confirmation of a suspicion than an actual surprise.
BAD WRITING: NARRATION
- "For gray-eyed Destiny now weaves apace, the first resounding note of war echoes across the land." Or you could try to be a little more vague, please. And I think this needs to sound a little more like bad teenage poetry. No, really. Is there anything to be understood from calling Destiny "gray-eyed"? Do these words actually mean anything? If not, then why were they chosen?
- First line: "The songs of the dead are the lamentations of the living." Eragon's walking along through a battlefield thinking this. Unless I really don't understand something, this sentence is an attempt to write romantically but actually does not say anything.
- Eragon's tear was described as "A small, glistening dome." I think I have discovered something. Christopher Paolini has never actually seen a tear before. And the trend continues in this book for there to be a single tear. Doesn't anyone actually cry, with buckets of tears and snot pouring out of their noses? I wanna see boogers and red eyes and wet cheeks and actual SORROW. Not a single tear. That's nothing but a mockery of sadness.
- Completely ridiculous simile: "Slippers flashing beneath her dress, like mice darting from a hole." First of all, why would you compare someone's feet to MICE?
- "The dawnless morning. . . . " Should I even say? Yes, I should. HOW IS IT MORNING IF THERE WAS NO DAWN? Why does he think this sounds cool? He is so obsessed with making things sound cool that he doesn't even think to himself, "Wait, this makes no sense. How is it a 'dawnless' morning?"
- "He closed his eyes and sank into the warm dusk that separates consciousness and sleep, where reality bends and sways to the winds of thought, and where creativity blossoms in its freedom from boundaries and all things are possible." I don't know. Don't you just want to, I don't know . . . DIE right now?
- Can you visualize this scene? "Katrina screamed again and jumped on the men, biting and clawing furiously. Her sharp nails furrowed their faces, drawing streams of blood that blinded the cursing soldiers." I cannot see this. At all. One woman--who might be somewhat tough but is not superhuman--is somehow biting and clawing . . . several men at once . . . to the point that they are all blinded by the blood that runs from the scratches she has caused. Oh, and they respond by standing there cursing, not, say, immobilizing her. I don't mean to be sexist, but surely it would take no more than two men to subdue a woman who is fighting with her frickin' fingernails. CP, the idea is to try to actually visualize this happening, and then THROW OUT SCENES THAT ARE STUPID.
- "Bright as a flaming sun." Call me weird, but are there any suns that aren't, oh, in flames? Could we have some similes here that don't forget that they are for description above and beyond sounding cool?
- "Hair as black as a forgotten pool." Being forgotten does not make water black. I bet there's tons of pools around that have been forgotten and nevertheless are not black. What exactly does this simile mean?
- "Silent as the night." Ever been in the night, Chris? It's pretty quiet in your room with your earplugs in, I guess. This is silly. I won't even go on with this one.
- As the book winds up to make its climax, there are all kinds of REALLY dramatic sentences that are so silly they just make me cringe. "Shall we dance, friend of my heart?" "That is the sound of our destiny." There is a time and a place for drama. But asking "shall we dance?" upon going into battle is one of the goofiest things I've heard in my life. This makes me wonder whether CP watches the movies that would be shown on
MST3K and thinks the dialogue is smooth.
The parts that he's making "colorful" with zesty little words like "proclaimed" and "apologized" and "expectorated" are not the parts of the story that NEED to be colorful. They are middle school English attempts to make writing varied. What needs to be colorful is the storytelling, the descriptions, the dialogue. Not the permutations of "said." It's misplaced.
That's why editors and publishers look at that as the hallmark of the amateur writer. Because it indicates a basic misunderstanding of the whole point of language. His problem is that he concentrates so much on making his prose elegant that he doesn't understand that prose's job is to be elegant enough to be invisible.
A quote from Paolini: "In my writing, I strive for a lyrical beauty somewhere between Tolkien at his best and Seamus Heaney’s translation of Beowulf."
Well . . . I suppose we can give him an A for effort. We definitely see the trying.
- And last but not least: The overused, horrific "you should be hit on the head by a troupe of 100 literature professors if you do this" literary device: HAVING THE VILLAIN EXPLAIN EVERYTHING IN THE END. And the fact that it was written in such a way that the author obviously thought having these characters charge in as the main villains of the story when everyone thought they were dead just adds insult to injury. This sort of writing just insults my intelligence. If you didn't see this coming or thought it was a revelation, please go find that aforementioned troupe of literature professors and let them hit you for a while. I'll join in.
Rating: really liked it
I hate Eragon, but I was intrigued to see if Paolini has improved, so I borrowed this book and attempted to read it.
I hate Eragon. I hate Eldest even more.
If Eragon is bad, it at least had a semblance of a traditional plot - the introduction, the buildup, the climax, and the teaser for the next chapter of the journey.
Eldest started off with a flat summary, then it went straight into a continuation from the previous story, and around 600 pages of exposition full of step-by-step miniscule details that have no bearing towards the plot at all, before finally going to a faux-climax again. The faux-climax battle of dragons comes out of the blue, as there was a sadly sparse attempt of interweaving it with the bulk of the book. I rather thought the 600 page could be edited out to just 10 pages, and it might've made the book a bit better and much more bearable for the readers.
So how did I bear reading the book? I didn't. I skimmed through the book, saving myself from the complete painful experience, yet still scarred enough to warn other people against reading it. The 600 page in short: emo angsting, super!protagonist transformation, excessive hero worship, and fumbly teenage crushing.
God only knows what Paolini's last chapter will be like. All I know is that if this is what people call good writing, I, like many others, fear for humanity.
NOTE: If you're an Eragon fangirl huffing and puffing about my review being mean, save your energy. I'll just ignore and delete your comment. Why? Because I can. This is my review of the said book and it won't change just because you're twisting your knickers over it. If you don't like it, move along, find a review you like, hug each other and sing kumbaya together over a Saphira spit roast.
Rating: really liked it
Eldest (The Inheritance Cycle #2), Christopher Paolini Eldest is the second novel in the Inheritance Cycle, by Christopher James Paolini American author, and is the sequel to the Eragon.
Eldest was first published in hardcover on August 23, 2005, and was released in paperback in September 2006.
Eldest begins following several important events in Eragon. The story is the continued adventures of Eragon, and his dragon Saphira, centering on their journey to the realm of the Elves, in order to further Eragon's training as a Dragon Rider. Other plots in the story focus on Roran, Eragon's cousin, who leads the inhabitants of Carvahall to Surda to join the Varden, and Nasuada as she takes on her father's role as leader of the Varden. Eldest ends at the Battle of the Burning Plains, where Eragon faces a new Dragon Rider, Murtagh, and a new dragon, Thorn. ...
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: سال2008میلادی
عنوان: الدست: نویسنده: کریستوفر پائولینی؛ مترجم: مهناز ولی؛ تهران، زهره، سال1386؛ در دو جلد؛ شابک دوره9789642981007؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده21م
عنوان: الدست: نویسنده: کریستوفر پائولینی؛ مترجم: محمد نورالهی؛ تهران، بهنام لیوسا، سال1386؛ در دو جلد؛ شابک دوره9789645668407؛
از سه گانه میراث + یک
دومین کتاب از سری چهارگانه ی «وراثت»، از سری رمانهای فانتزی، و حماسی «وراثت»، بنوشته ی «کریستوفر پائولینی» نویسنده ای از «ایالات متحده ی امریکا» است، که نخستین بار، در سال2005میلادی به چاپ رسید؛ «اراگون» اکنون باید سفر خویش را، از «فاردن دور» و شهر «ترونجهیم (پایتخت کوتوله ها)»، به سوی «الزمیرا (پایتخت اِلف ها)» آغاز کند؛ او با فهمیدن رازی بزرگ، که حتی بیشتر «الف»ها نیز آن را نمیدانند، آموزشهای خویش را ادامه میدهد و....؛
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 14/02/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ 03/01/1401هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
Rating: really liked it
Do Elves have pubic hair? Are Orc marriages performed with ceremonies? What is the life cycle of the giant birds the Nazgul ride? If questions like these have haunted you ever since you delved into the world of fantasy, look no further for your answers!
Eldest continues the saga started in Eragon by sending our plucky hero into the land of the Elves in order to complete his training as a Rider. There, we learn absolutely everything you (n)ever wanted to know about the Elves (think of it as though the Lord of the Rings treated the different races not as allegories, but as Star Trek races, with their own anthropologies). Alas, all the training is worthless in changing Eragon. They then must ask the hot, female, identical twin Elves to stand naked back to back and jiggle so as to make the dragon tattoo running over their bodies release the "spirit of the dragon". This, it seems, triggers the desired transformation (Freudian minds, insert your own joke here).
Meanwhile, back on the farm, Eragon's cousin Roran comes into his own by mowing down opposition to lead his people to freedom (he even counts them as he goes along, i.e. "And now I've killed five men"). His story aligns with Eragon's just in time for him to destroy in one page of action a threat bloated out to be important in the previous 500.
I can't wait for book three; do you think we'll find out the literacy rates for Dwarf children?
Rating: really liked it
Slow for the first half but really picked up and actually got very very good!
All the twists and turns introduced have boggled my mind... time to move onto book three...
Rating: really liked it
“The world is stretched thin, Eragon. Soon it will snap and madness will burst forth. What you feel is what we dragons feel and what the elves feel—the inexorable march of grim fate as the end of our age approaches. Weep for those who will die in the chaos that shall consume Alagaësia. And hope that we may win a brighter future by the strength of your sword and shield and my fangs and talons.”
Well that was some ride! Amazing! First off thanks to my BR partners, Her Purpleness and Her Pinkyness, who not only kept me company but also greeted and treated me with such amazing warmth! I felt so welcomed. Thank you, ladies!!
I don’t think I can review this book effectively. Mostly bcz I read it on the go and in small bits and pieces. The impact was somewhat lost on me (thanks to RL shit)! I’ll still try.
When I last read this series in 2013, I wasn't reading. Not really. I was burying myself in anything that could save me from what afflicted me at that point of time. This series saved me by not just keeping me sane when I probably would have lost myself, it also became close to my heart for some reason, a reason that I lost with time and as I healed. When I set out to re-read this series, I wanted more than anything to find that reason, that connection, which made this series special for me, not to mention that it made me a reader.
“Things that change and are lost, that is what’s worth preserving.”
I found that reason in this book. It is a deep bond that I share with Eragon. Something that has been captured well by Paolini. That Eragon went through it and still stood strong, it gave me hope and will to keep fighting and pushing when I needed it the most. It may sound childish, drawing strength or inspiration from this series or this character but that’s the truth. I will forever cherish this series for some very deeply personal reasons. Eragon will always be a brother, Saphira the greatest friend, Arya my love, Murtagh will be the embodiment of all my betrayals and Galbatorix will be the ultimate foe!
Given that I am super biased towards this series, I’ll keep this review short and as impartial as possible. Here goes:
After the battle of Farthen Dur is done and dusted, scarred as he is, Eragon wakes up to all the devastation around, and yet, he along with Varden must suffer another blow! The setback that charges up the political maneuvering, one where we see Eragon and Saphira grow a touch through their decision making.
The battle that has ended brought but a small taste of what is to come and the inevitable war that looms. And if he hopes to survive the war, he must be instructed in the ways of the Dragon Riders. Eragon and Saphira must travel to the land of the Elves, Ellesmera, for there is much they need to know and understand but not enough time.
While Eragon deals with his troubles, Roran has his own share and along with all of Carvahall, they must deal with their problems to make a stand or be obliterated at the hands of the Ra’zac or worse, sold into slavery. And that cannot stand. So they must abandon all they own and know, their homes and lands, and make hard decisions, to fight and even kill!
“Roran had never expected or wanted to kill, and yet he had taken more lives than anyone else in Carvahall. It felt as if his brow was marked with blood.”
Tbh, there isn’t much ‘keeps-you-on-the-edge-of-your-seat’ stuff happening in this book except for the battle sequence towards the end. This book is mostly character central. There are so many characters that come up so strongly in the book.
Nasuada, who takes over the Varden and she is a great character that you wanna root for. She is strong and has potential. And yet, not unkind.
Roran, who goes through hell to come out a changed and hard man, one who would do anything to achieve his goals.
Arya, who is still much of a mystery, her character is very nicely done, I love her strength and resolve.
But the highlight has to be Eragon and Saphira! They both grow and learn so much more and they come even closer, if that’s possible. I love their interactions, their elating and their despairing moments. They have such range from squabbles like siblings to jealously like lovers and advice and concern like parents. I really, really love how Saphira refers to Eragon as ‘little one’ in places and thus adding extra charm! Their bond and interactions are not to be missed.
“Shall we dance, friend of my heart?
We shall, little one.”
The final battle sequence is somewhat short, I felt. And could have been more intense than it was but that’s a minor complaint. The writing overall is pretty great and so is the storyline. The twist at the end of the book is a nice one too! I knew it since I am re-reading but otherwise it’s pretty awesomely done and it is also nice to see Eragon being put down.
“Eragon closed his eyes, tears leaking from under the lids. They had won, but he had lost.”
It’s a great book in its own right! Even if it draws on Tolkien, which I still don’t see or feel btw, it lacks nowhere! It holds its own just fine! Making comparisons as desperate as Eragon = Aragorn or Arya = Arwen is kinda off putting to me. In my opinion, Paolini did a great job of writing and creating The Inheritance Cycle and comparing him to Tolkien is an insult to both authors.
I can say that I loved the book thoroughly! The pacing of the book is fab and it keeps you hooked. Not much happens in the book except for a lot of buildup and some major character building and yet, so much happens! This book serves as a proper launch pad for the next book, which I trust to be a cracker bcz more battles and skirmishes are on the way for the swords are drawn and the armies march. Allies have been called upon and some unexpected support has been found. Now everyone must declare themselves and must fight to be rid of tyranny!
“Is it time to fight, Eragon? asked Saphira, an odd note of formality in her voice. He knew what she meant: Was it time to challenge the Empire head-on, time to kill and rampage to the limit of their considerable abilities, time to unleash every ounce of their rage until Galbatorix lay dead before them? Was it time to commit themselves to a campaign that could take decades to resolve?
It is time. said Eragon”
I will be back soon, Eragon & Saphira! Until then, fair winds!
Rating: really liked it
And the adventure continueeees!!!
Now let me tell you (gosh, I feel like a mother or father here about to teach their children :)): if you are an YA lover or a high fantasy lover you will like this one a lot. I know there's been a lot of talk regarding what should or shouldn't be included in the YA genre, but I think this fits there. Granted, in my opinion, this genre is made of two classes: the old YA and the new YA. And even if some may get upset, the old YA is much much much better than this new stuff, that seems to believe the only way to make a story good is through lovey-dovey stuff...
Eldest doesn't have a lot of romance and it does not need it. And that is because the writing is excellent! The story is excellent! And Paolini brings his characters to full development. That is a lot to be accomplished in one book and it is also the reason why Eldest is my favorite entry in the series.
I so wish a movie studios would decide to adapt this series, but with care this time. It would end a fantasy classic if done right, because it is much to be liked here!
As a particular note, I really love the magic system here. The politics are also very interesting, without it turning into another Game of Thrones. And the culture and language of the different races is nicely explored. It isn't Tolkien level of commitment, but then again, no author came even close to that.
I really hope people decide to give more attention to this series! They wouldn't be disappointed.
Rating: really liked it
4.5 stars!
Truly, I have nothing bad to say about this book. I liked every moment, was engaged, kept finding myself excited about the story. It did many fantasy elements well. I enjoyed the training portions, the shocking revelations, the magic system, seeing young love through a male protagonist's POV, and the fact that injury and disability in heroes during wartime was something that was represented. And DRAGONS. The dragon/rider relationship is my favorite part of this series.
Even though I enjoyed everything about this book, there's something holding me back from 5 stars. I still can't say this is a favorite series, but after being unimpressed with book 1, I was delighted to enjoy this one so much and am eager to continue the series!
Rating: really liked it
Ok thank you for continuing on from my Eragon review. Now remember step one from the last review yea ok we'll call it Step 5: Go to the store and buy Eldest...Ok now follow these steps. Step 6: I hope you've learned from your previous mistakes and set nonperishable snack foods withing reach as to keep reading while eating. Now get an empty 2 littter bottle don't worry..you'll figure it out. Finally get a drink that is pretty good a room temperature or if you just really like cold drinks be sure to get a cooler and a bag of ice. Make sure you've got a bottle of No-Doze handy Step 7: Now call all of your friends and family and tell them that you will not be answering your phone for at least the next 20 hours or so. Step 8: Turn phone off and or yank from wall and place a note on your door saying that your are ill and very contagious not to disturb unless world is coming to and end ...and even then you might want to consider waiting another day. Step 9: Turn on the light above your head even if it is daylight outside trust me that could become a pesky motion when you have to get up to do it later. You'll probably be right at the part where Eragon discovers...oh sorry bout gave it away there. Step 10: find the most comfortable place where all of the essentials can be within arms reach and bring a blanket incase you get cold, matter of fact turn the air on and get the blanket cause you don't want to be to hot...this book is intense. Step 11: Begin reading book.....wait for it....now. Step 12: OH MY GOD I KNOW!!!!!! Now you have to wait for the 3rd book just like the rest of us lol. Review to be continued aout 24 hours after the release of 3rd book.
Rating: really liked it
“Live in the present, remember the past, and fear not the future, for it doesn't exist and never shall. There is only now.”Eldest was overall better than Eragon. Especially because most of this book took place in Du Weldenvarden, the place where the Elves live and where Eragon receives his training. Here, I didn't have to worry about impending doom, death and traitors at every corner.
The annoying part, however, was Roran's chapters. Honestly, who cares about Eragon 2.0 minus dragon and superpowers? Not me.
Reading this roughly a decade (bloody hell, I'm old) after I first picked up these books, shows me how far I've come and how much I've learnt when it comes to my views on literature. I was definitely easier to impress when I was in my early teens - I guess we all were. Nevertheless, the writing and mostly the talks about pride, honour and noble-mindedness made me roll my eyes a lot. The way these notions are expressed in the book seems juvenile and exaggerated. Everything in this book has a touch of melodrama, hence plot and characters lose their authenticity.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to reading Brisingr. Or rather, to rereading it. Since I'm not able to recall a single thing that happened after book 2, this will probably (hopefully) hold the one or other surprise for me.
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Rating: really liked it
Wonderful BR with my Heartsister Pinky and my favorite gentleman Sir Grumpy! What an excellent ride with Saphy 💜💜💜💜💜💜
Rating: really liked it
Re-Read SPOILERS FOR ERAGON (book 1) BELOW ⤵We pick up exactly where book one left off. Eragon and Saphira have helped the Varden defeat the army of Urgal, where he was badly injured in his battle with Durza.
Eragon and Saphira are then sent to Ellesméra to receive their full Dragon Rider training with the elves and to perhaps find a way to heal himself from the wound Durza left him with.
Miles away, Roran has struggles of his own. Even though Eragon left Palancar Valley to protect the people of Carvahall, it seems Galbatorix is still determined to find and capture anyone close to Eragon.
To be honest I've lost count of how many times I've reread this book. I know many did not enjoy the plot of
Eldest as much as the rest of the series because of its slower pacing but it is actually one of my favourites.
We learn more about the magical system of this world, which to me is above any other magical system I have ever come across in fantasy so far.
I love the whole of Alagasia but I am enchanted by Ellesméra. Paolini really brings it to life, I could picture everything in my head and I was as mesmerised as the first time I read it. I love every second we get to learn more about the elves, their history and their way of life.
Eragon is still full of angst in this one. Which is understandable, given that he is a young teen with the fate of the world on his shoulders and an injury that causes him to seizure. He is feeling the pressure but determined to prove himself worthy of the title ‘Dragon Rider’.
Saphira, as always is a gem. I love her to bits and her bond with Eragon is so precious. Makes me wish I had a Saphira of my own.
My favourite characters of this whole series of magical powerful beings, are two simple humans: Roran and Nasuada. Both of them find themselves in positions of leadership otherwise given to more experienced men. I admire them both so so much.
Roran, though not much older than Eragon, becomes the leader Carvahall needs to get them through the assault of the empires army.
The Council of Elders thought they could use Nasuada as a puppet but she showed them that she has a mind of her own and that she can lead a rebellion just as well as any man. She is what the Varden didn't even know they needed. And she is willing to take risks that no one else would ever would have thought to take. She is a total icon. Can you tell how much I love her?
These books are filled with well fleshed out characters that I can't help but become attached to. I'm so excited to continue my reread.
______
My reviews:Eragon
Rating: really liked it
To say that Paolini's follow-up to
Eragon is a disappointment is something like saying that George Lucas'
Howard the Duck isn't quite as spectacular a film as
Star Wars. It took me NINE MONTHS to force my way through this drivel-saturated sequel, and turning each page required an act of will.
WARNING: Spoilers below.
If
Eragon is Tolkien fanfiction,
Eldest reads like the world's longest Mary Sue story. In between soapboxing about religion and veganism, Eragon proves that you CAN have a character who is whinier and more obnoxious than Anakin Skywalker in Episode II (to continue the
Star Wars metaphor). He spends much of the book moping about his injured back and his unrequited love (a relationship which I find completely baseless and implausible) until, presto,
deus ex dragon! -- the whiny brat is MAGICALLY transformed into a perfect and incredibly handsome specimen of Rider, whisking away not only his scars and physical infirmities, but also any sympathy the reader may have felt for him.
The big twist ending of the book is hardly a surprise (honestly, I pegged Murtagh's true identity within a few pages of his character's introduction in
Eragon -- was there anyone who DIDN'T see this coming?). By the end of the final battle, I was rooting for a
real twist: That someone would put Eragon out of his misery and elevate some other, more interesting character to the title role.
After reading
Eldest, I don't know if I'll bother with the third book in the series. I'm usually a completist where trilogies are concerned, but this may be the exception.
Rating: really liked it
This is about my millionth reread. I will never tire of this story or these characters.
