"Eragon" by Christopher Paolini
Book 1 of the Inheritance Cycle & Prequel to "Eldest" & "Brisingr"
Oct 27, 2008
Debut Novel
Christopher Paolini began the story that would become his debut novel, Eragon, published by Alfred A. Knopf in 2003 (ISBN 0-375-82668-8) when he was fifteen. According to Christopher Paolini's website (www.alagaesia.com), Paolini self-published his manuscript, which was discovered by well-known author Carl Hiaasen after his stepson bought a copy. Hiaasen recommended the book to his publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, who contacted Paolini and his family.
Introduction to Eragon and Saphira
In Eragon, readers are introduced to Eragon, a fifteen-year-old who is one of the few people in his town who are not afraid to venture into the nearby mountains or challenge the leadership of the town. It is during one of Eragon's hunting trips that he finds a sapphire stone, which turns out to be a lost dragon egg. By protecting this egg and later the young dragon, Eragon becomes the first dragon rider in over 100 years. He and his dragon, Saphira, along with the local storyteller, Brom join the rebellion against former dragon rider Galbatorix, who betrayed and killed the original dragon riders to gain control and reign over the country of Alagaësia as an all-powerful tyrant for more than 100 years.
The Inheritance Cycle
Eragon is a 500 page novel setting out its own mythology, history and languages. This book is young adult fiction in that the main character is a teenager; however, parents should be aware that there are violent scenes throughout the book (such as the destruction of towns and townspeople) which may not be appropriate for young readers. A movie version of Eragon was released in 2006 by Fox 2000. The original novel is more complex and has a more complete story arc than the movie. Teen and adult audiences will also appreciate the availability of the continuing story of Eragon and Saphira through the sequels to the original novel.
According to Paolini’s website, Eragon is the first of four books in the Inheritance Cycle. The second and third books (Eldest and Brisingr) have also been published. Release of Brisingr in the summer of 2008 created a flury of publicity for the Inheritance Cycle, in part due to the news that the originally planned trilogy had been expanded to four books.
Readers wishing to sample the initial book in this series may access the first three chapters of Eragon online at www.alagaesia.com.
 |
