Review: Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Genre: Fantasy
Format: Audiobook
Published 2004 by Listening Library
First published 2003 by Alfred A. Knopf
More about the author: Bio
Goodreads // Amazon UK

When young Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his adopted family meat for the winter. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself. Overnight his simple life is shattered, and he is thrust into a perilous new world of inescapable destiny, magical forces, and powerful people. With only an ancient sword and the instruction of an old,mysterious, hermit storyteller for guidance, Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an Empire ruled by a Emperor whose evil and power knows no bounds. Can Eragon take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders? The fate of the Empire may rest in his hands….
From the Hardcover edition.

Eragon is what I'd call a fairly typical epic fantasy. While it isn't the fastest read I've come across, it's makes up for it in the vast amount of mythology and world building. Those two things are nothing short of beautiful, even if they aren't that original. When I think of a world of men, elves, dwarves, and nasty things (called urgals in this series), I think of Middle Earth. Eragon is Middle Earthen mythology meets Star Wars plot with dragons thrown in. If that interests you, then you won't be disappointed in this book. If that irritates you, turn away now! You won't find much in the way of redeeming qualities in the rest of the book. The first time I read this book, it was a 'Did Not Finish' because I was irritated with how many things Christopher Paolini borrowed from. This time around, I gave it another chance because I've come to terms with how many books are similar to each other in general. The bones of most books are the same when you look closely because there's often a formula to what makes a book good.

I gave this book three starts because not only were the bones similar to other epic plots, but most of the details mirrored other authors. It was a gorgeous read, nonetheless, and I enjoyed it for what it was. The author shows a lot of promise for the books to come in this series. I'm just not sure if I have the patience to read them!

*Audio Review: I really enjoyed the narrator's voice and character he brings to the story. I just felt frustrated occasionally, as it was very slow at times. The book is long as it is and I wish it was read a bit quicker.