Your source for romantic fantasy on the web
|
|
Christopher Paolini
|
Karen: I am sure that by now everyone has heard of Eragon, the latest epic fantasy to sweep the young adult fantasy genre. And I am sure that most of what has been said is good, which is true. This book simply makes me want to gush! Reviewers tend to compare it to Harry Potter but this simply does not do it any service. The only similarity to Harry Potter is that it is wildly popular with the younger set. Well, I intend to convince you that this book should be just as popular with older readers as well. Unlike Potter, Eragon’s hero and dragon set out on a quest involving far ranging conspiracies for control of all dragons and thus the world. It has a map! Our hero is already an older teen at the beginning of the book and there is a hinted love interest that will hopefully be explored in later sequels, and yes the sequel is due in August 2005! So anyway, why do I love this book? Well, the hero is extremely likable and his dragon is absolutely wonderful. In this world, a dragon forms an unbreakable bond with just one person, and the two exist as soul mates. The interaction of these two soul mates is done to perfection. The action never stalls and the plot is intriguing enough to keep you awake if you don’t finish it all in one go. I absolutely adore this book and I think that you will too! 6/3/05 Eldest Update- Karen: In the second episode of his “Inheritance” trilogy, Paolini makes a valiant effort to escape the middle book blues. In some ways he achieves this goal but in others "Eldest" simply feels flat. Eragon and his dragon Saphira are wonderfully portrayed again. Eragon is a wonderful hero in that he is not perfect and yet he tries very hard to do his best. Saphira has some great lines and the affection between these two is palpable. I was not fond of any of the secondary characters; they are not interesting or sympathetic enough. Like many middle books, "Eldest" whiles away a lot of time on filler material. Most of the book details Eragon’s training as a rider, which is not very interesting. Paolini does try to liven things up by tracking two other story arcs, Eragon’s cousin Roran’s efforts to fight the empire and the tribulations of the rebel queen, Nasuada. None of this helps increase the pace of the book, though. Eragon is shot down in his fledgling romantic efforts, though I have to admit I did not like the thought of his romance with an older woman flourishing. Hopefully the author will find a more suitable object for Eragon’s affections in the last book. Paolini has a lot to write about in his third project, for while detailed, "Eldest" left a lot of loose ends. I can only wonder how he will finish up so many story threads in only one book. I did enjoy this book, though it was slow going, and it was a faithful sequel to the beloved "Eragon." 8/15/05 |
©2005 www.rfbookreviews.com
