Eragon by Christopher Paolini

So, after finishing Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, I decided to work my way through the next book series my nephew Alex loaned me - The Interitance Cycle by Christopher Paolini - book 1 - Eragon.  Christopher Paolini was 15 years old (!!!) when he wrote the first draft of Eragon.  This book doesn't seem like something a normal 15 year old would write.  The language and vocabulary are that of a much older and wiser adult, not that of a kid.  I was surprised, and still am, that this book came from a 15 year old.  But age aside, this is a well-written, exciting to read book.  I started it on November 15 and finished it on December 14.

I have to admit that the first part of the book was a bit slow and it didn't immediately grab me.  It seemed to be another fantasy book with elements of Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and other similar books.  Nothing reached out immediately and grabbed me.  But as I kept reading, the story slowly grew more exciting and intriguing, and by the end, it was hard to put the book down.  I usually read before going to bed, and usually can only get through like 10 pages before I start the head nod, eyes closing, falling asleep thing.  But with exciting and thrilling books, especially at then end, the excitement keeps me awake and it is hard to put the book down.  I just want to see / read what happens.  This book totally did that.  As I got to the end of the book, so much was going on that though I was so tired and wanted to go to sleep, I kept on reading and reading.

I vaguely remember that this was a movie several years back - 2006 to be exact.  As I sat down this afternoon to write about Eragon, I looked up the movie trailer.  Initially I thought it was an animated film like How to Train Your Dragon.  But when I watched the actual trailer, it is decidedly not an animated film.  It looks dark and gritty, just like the book.  I kind of want to rent or find this on-demand to watch later today.

In a nut shell, Eragon is a boy who lives in a land ruled by an evil king.  One day while out hunting, Eragon finds a peculiar blue stone.  He picks it up in the hopes that he can get someone to buy it so he can use the money to buy food and meat for his uncle and cousin.  The butcher won't buy it, and Eragon is concerned that he is returning home with no food to eat.  One of the townspeople, Horst, buys meat for Eragon in exchange for him working during the springtime.  Eragon gets meat, and gets to keep the stone.

     "The stone has given him nothing but frustration and anger, and now it would not even let him sleep!  It ignored his furious glare and sat solidly, occasionally peeping.  Then it gave one very loud squeak and fell silent.  Eragon warily put it away and got back under the sheets.  Whatever secret the stone held, it would have to wait until morning.

      The moon was shining through his window when we woke again.  The stone was rocking rapidly on the shelf, knocking against the wall.  It was bathed in cool moonlight that bleached its surface.  Eragon jumped out of bed, knife in hand.  The motion stopped, but he remained tense.  Then the stone started squeaking and rocking faster than ever.

     With an oath, he began dressing.  He did not care how valuable the stone might be; he was going to take it far away and bury it.  The rocking stopped; the stone became quiet.  It quivered, then rolled forward and dropped onto the floor with a loud thump.  He inched toward the door in alarm as the stone wobbled toward him.

     Suddenly a crack appeared on the stone.  Then another and another.  Transfixed, Eragon leaned forward, still holding the knife.  At the top of the stone, where all the cracks met, a small piece wobbled, as if it were balanced on something, then rose and toppled to the floor.  After another series of squeaks, a small dark head poked out of the hole, followed by a weirdly angled body.  Eragon gripped the knife tighter and held very still.  Soon the creature was ll the way out of the stone.  It stayed in place for a moment, then skittered into the moonlight.

     Eragon recoiled in shock.  Standing in front if him, licking off the membrane that encased it, was a dragon." 

This event changes Eragon's life forever.  He makes some unbelievable discoveries about the town's storyteller, Broom, he meets some unreal and unusual friends on an adventure of, literally, a lifetime.

The writing and imagination in this book really do seem beyond the abilities of a normal 15 year old.  The details and descriptions of people and places really make it so you can envision everything you are reading about.  I especially like the dialog between Eragon and his dragon, Saphira.  No, silly, dragons can't talk, but they do have a kind of mind-meld with their Rider (Eragon is Saphira's Rider).  Saphira is snarky and opinionated, and I like it!

I'm a few days into the 2nd book in the series, Eldest, and so far I'm really liking it.  Can't wait to see where this book & series goes.