I loved the Eragon movie as a kid to the point where I was reenacting Arya’s scenes. Having only made it through 1 chapter of Eldest back in elementary school, I thought it was high time to restart reading this series. Thank you EmmaSkies and Christopher Paolini himself for finally pushing me to resume my journey into Alagaësia. 

With only my knowledge of the movie plot (& the first chapter of Eldest) I got to start anew which made this read exciting for me. Learning more about the world as well as the “true” lore & personalities of the characters enriched my intrigue. I liked getting to see Murtagh and Eragon’s relationship grow having realized how little we saw of Murtagh’s character in the movie. I’m excited to the son of Morzan’s character arc later in this series knowing 1 spoiler and having been team Murgagh since elementary school. 

The world that Paolini wrote has the standard blueprints of a fantasy novel (elves, dwarves, dragons, galore) that while is easy to understand—it is young adult—it has a level of matureness and realism that felt refreshing. I have to commend 15 year old Paolini for penning and promoting this novel, first self-published, then traditionally. He planted the seeds in the world building and story foundation at a young age that I’m seeing evolved having started the second book. 

One of the realism points is awarded to Eragon’s growth. This boy made mistakes often enough that it didn’t feel repetitive or annoying, but from a place where he learned from it. His growth and his strengthening bond with Sephira was believable. 

The plot is straightforward and while not as nail biting as it is mainly traveling, I am looking forward to the next four books!