Eragon by Christopher Paolini

A determined boy hunted through the Spine with the hope of keeping his family fed throughout the winter. Hapless though he was with his bow and arrow that night, luck was keen to keep him company, resting as a dragon egg amidst charred grass. And one night "crawls onto his arms" burning the 'Gedwëy ignasia" into his palm and giving him the fame of a noble Dragon Rider. The unexpected adventure of Eragon thus begins with his own dragon: Saphira. Along with venomous foes and heartening friends Eragon faces all the difficulties the young author makes him confront with aplomb, as Paolini himself declares.


The author has poured all his teenage raves into his plot to make it mind-blowing, complex and still enchanting. It’s buzzing and quite zealous.With the Ra'zacs slaughtering Garrow; Eragon's uncle, enraged, he climbs onto Saphira to seek vengeance. “Nothing is more dangerous than an enemy who has nothing to loose". He soon encounters Brom, a story-teller in appearance. but who later turns out to be an intellect and a Dragon Rider himself. The plot ascends with this escapade of Brom and Eragon in search of the merciless Ra'zacs. Here reader is to undergo a plethora of awakening curiosity, with a spell-binding revelation made in each page. And this "curiosity" sometimes agrees with Eragon’s notion of them; "wearying", until they start to fit in place as story continues. Our patience is thus rewarded and a necessity to surf backwards again through the pages is evoked to distinguish between friends and foes. With imminent threats hanging over Eragon, Brom undertakes the duty of transforming him into a worthy Rider. Eragon imbibes magic and fighting skills each and every day and strengthens with the aid of these demanding lessons. The soothing bond of Eragon and Saphira also accentuates, through their connected minds and perpetual conversations.



Characters are kept busy throughout the story, with continuous arousals of evil around them, which they have to battle through. Events are pretty scintillating and lively that the reader himself starves without food, writhe in pain and fall to the ground unconscious, along with the characters, when they make their way through shivering mountains or simmering desserts. And the climax is a climax indeed with the associated ferociousness and the inexplicably satisfying consequences. Entangled immensely with nature, for a time you forget everything other than the verdurous gloom of the Spine or the grains of sand that rush into your eyes when traversing the Hadarac dessert. You feel ancient. Like you belong with Algaësia. The reader is to relax and enjoy this magical antiquity.





However, in spite of the author’s ingenuity there appears to be a simple deviation from the initial plot, where the main concern lied on the revenge of Eragon from the Ra’zacs. There are occasional remindings to the reader of this aim, but with the arrival of Arya, the graceful elf, in the scene it is rarely referred to again. Thus the readers’ anticipation on that part is hardly answered. Perhaps Eragon might make amendments for this ignorance in Paolini’s next book of the Inheritance series: Eldest.



There’s an oblique hint about the author’s view of heroism. “Many people died for their beliefs. It’s actually quite common. The real courage is in living and suffering for what you believe”. The idea is novel and attractive as it’s not clichéd and suggests the author’s love for a little differerence in his novel.

Paolini’s character variation is as stunning as his fresh perspectives. There’s a vivid variety of characters from the mysterious and enigmatic werecats to blood curdling Shades with faces like “death masks or a polished skull with skin pulled over it to give it the appearance of life” and also from tough and vicious Urgals to brave and ambitious Eragon and kind –hearted Saphira.



The author is a success in creating a magical Algaësia, that anyone who lays their hands on this debut novel will never undermine the true depths of magic and dragons. “A person’s mind is his last sanctuary”. But I couldn’t help letting Eragon and Saphira trespass into my sanctuary and I would ask anyone with a brave enough heart to travel with a Dragon and a Dragon Rider to keep their own sanctuaries open for these two loveable protagonists.