Eldest picks right up where Eragon ended, and it does not disappoint. I still have a tough time believing that a 15-year old wrote these books. They are so complicated, coherent, detailed, and great for such a young person to have written them. There are several different plot-lines in Eldest - Eragon, his cousin Roran, Nasuada, and others. I don't want to give much away here, but OMG - some crazy shit goes down. Shit you don't expect at all.
There are elements of magical surprise, dwarf violence, gory battle, drug-induced euphoria, dragon-spirit healing, and more.
"Then the elves began to sing in their clear, flutelike voices. They sang many songs, yet each was but part of a larger melody that wove an enchantment over the dreamy night, heightening senses, removing inhibitions, and burnishing the revels with fey magic... The throbbing music enveloped Eragon, and he felt a wild abandon take hold of him, a desire to run free of his life and dance through elven glades forever more. Beside him, Saphira hummed along with the tune, her glazed eyes lidded halfway.
What transpired afterward, Eragon was never able to adequately recall. It was as if he had a fever and faded in and out of consciousness. He could remember certain incidents with vivid clarity - bright, pungent flashes filled with merriment - but it was beyond him to reconstruct the order in which they occurred. He lost track of whether it was day or night, for no matter the time, dusk seemed to pervade the forest. Nor could he ever say if he had slumbered, or needed sleep, during the celebration.."I watched the movie Eragon, with high hopes that it would do a good job visualizing the book. I was disappointed. Some parts of the movie were good, but not good enough. It seemed like a very low-budget version of what could be a spectacular movie. Maybe, just maybe, if they make any of the other 3 books into movies now, they will be exponentially better.
Paolini is quite skilled at painting detailed, vivid pictures with words. While reading, I could really envision the surroundings, the characters, I could hear the sounds, I could feel the intensity of situations. To me, this is what great books should be able to do - bring the reader into the world of the book. I remember back when I was younger, watching episodes of Gumby and Pokey. I wish I possessed their power to walk into books - like the intro says "He can walk into any book with his pony pal Pokey too..." - what a fun skill!
What book would you walk into?
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