Allan Liu

Christopher Paolini’s novel “Eragon” rings of the same medieval, quest-like storyline taken by the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. Heroic characters travel through fantastical lands toward some distant goal, each chapter filled with satisfying, entertaining content. This captivating adventure will have you on your toes to the very end

The setting is on the continent of Alagaesia, a place plagued by social and economic divide. Eragon, a 16-year-old boy of unknown lineage, comes upon a dragon egg on a failed hunting trip. This discovery sets off a chain of momentous events—the corrupt King Galbatorix sends representatives to investigate, Eragon’s uncle is brutally killed by the king’s ambassadors, and Eragon faces the decision of what to make of his life. Then the adventure truly starts when he casts his fate with the Varden, a rebel group who resist Galbatorix’s Empire. Armed only with a sword of mysterious origins and the guidance of old man Brom, Eragon embarks on the adventure of a lifetime.

With each passing day in the story, readers watch Eragon change, crossing the line from child to adult. Hardship makes him tough, and the prospect of revenge fuels him. The story also offers insight to the thoughts of his dragon, Saphira, and the magical bond between them that gradually possesses Eragon of the powers of the legendary Dragon Riders. However, near the end of his journey to the Varden, Eragon discovers that he not only opposes the Empire for personal revenge, but because “he had witnessed too many wrongs committed in Galbatorix’s name, from murder to slavery, to turn his back on the Empire.”

This book is written with illustrative description and an action-filled storyline that combined make reading it an enthralling experience. Eragon describes the landscape after a storm: “The wild elements were slow to abate, but as the day passed, they wandered elsewhere. Once again the sky was revealed, and the setting sun glowed with brilliance… Objects had a unique sense of mass; grass stalks seemed sturdy as marble pillars. Ordinary things took on an unearthly beauty; Eragon felt as if he were sitting inside a painting.” Also, personification is prevalent. “Tall rocks slanted out of the ground- gray witnesses to their presence. There was an unfriendly feel in the air, an animosity that resisted intruders.” “The turret was crumbling in disrepair, but it was still a stern sentinel over the valley.” Such description effectively brings out the mood in a scene, and makes the reader feel as if he were looking through Eragon’s eyes.
If you don’t generally like medieval fantasy, but want to share in this thrilling adventure, now’s the time to make the switch.

-Allan Liu