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Eragon

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This article is about the book. For other media, see Eragon (film) and Eragon (video game). For the title character, see Eragon (character). For the other character in the series, see Eragon I.
Eragon
File:Eragon.jpg
First edition cover
AuthorChristopher Paolini
IllustratorJohn Jude Palencar
Cover artistJohn Jude Palencar
LanguageEnglish
GenreFantasy novel
PublisherAlfred A. Knopf
Publication date
August 26, 2003
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (Hardcover and Paperback) and audio-CD
Pages544 pp (first edition, hardback)
ISBNISBN 0-375-82668-8 (first edition, hardback) Parameter error in {{ISBNT}}: invalid character
Followed byEldest 

Eragon is a novel written by Christopher Paolini. It is the first book of the Inheritance Trilogy. The sequel is Eldest, which was released in mid-2005. The third book is rumored to be called Empire but the title has not been confirmed. Eragon is set in the land of Alagaësia, and is a story about a teenager named Eragon and his dragon Saphira. The book has been adapted into a film, which was released on December 15, 2006.

Publication history

Christopher Paolini was home schooled in Montana, and graduated from high school at the age of fifteen. He and his parents felt he should wait before attending college, so meanwhile he began writing Eragon. His parents' publishing company, Paolini International, LLC, published his book when he was nineteen. The book was then discovered by Alfred A. Knopf and was republished under Knopf in 2002. With Knopf as the publisher, Eragon became a success and a New York Times Bestseller. After release of the film for the movie, a new cover was released for the book. The new cover shows the actors standing together and Saphira flying in the background. It was released at $6.00-$10.00 per book.

Plot summary

Template:Spoiler Eragon takes place in a land called Alagaësia, which is ruled by the King Galbatorix. Galbatorix was once a Dragon Rider, but went mad after his dragon was killed and he was denied another dragon by the council. Dragons were once involved in a partnership with the elite Dragon Riders, and together they kept peace in the land. Galbatorix, along with the Forsworn (a group of thirteen riders that betrayed the rest of the order), destroyed and killed the council and their dragon. For years, many believed that dragons were extinct. The main character of the novel is Eragon, a fifteen year-old-boy who lives with his uncle Garrow and cousin Roran on their farm, in a small village called Carvahall. While hunting in The Spine one day, which are some dreadful and mysterious mountains filled with magic, Eragon comes across a polished blue stone, which magically appeared in front of him in a violent explosion.

He tries to trade and sell the blue stone in the village, but nobody wants it because it came from The Spine (people are afraid of things that comes out of the Spine, because they don’t like magic). Then late one night while Eragon is looking at the stone, it starts glowing from the inside, and a baby dragon hatches from the "stone", which was, in actually, a dragon egg. He also manages to touch the dragon hatchling and the gedwey ignasia, or shining palm (which is the mark of a Rider) appears on his palm in the shape that resembles a dragons head. He questions Brom, the elderly town storyteller of Carvahall, about the history and the ways of the Dragon Riders.

After this talk, Eragon suggests names to the dragon. His dragon decides to keep the title Saphira. He raises the dragon in secret until the two Ra'zac, sent by Galbatorix, go to Carvahall in search of the egg. Eragon and Saphira manage to escape by hiding in the forest, but Eragon's uncle Garrow is killed and the house and farm are destroyed. Eragon is furious and wants revenge on the Ra'zac.

Eragon becomes a Dragon Rider through his bond with Saphira. He seeks revenge on the Ra'zac. Eragon and Saphira begin a journey in search of the Ra'zac, accompanied by Brom, who insists on joining them to keep Eragon safe and out of trouble. On the journey, Eragon learns sword fighting, magic, and the ways of the Dragon Riders from Brom, who is something of an expert in these areas. Eragon is shocked by the way that the Empire is harming the land and its people, especially when they pass the town of Yazuac for supplies, only to find the whole town slaughtered. There was a mountain of dead people in the middle of the town, with a speared baby at the top, who were all killed by an army of Urgals. Suddenly two Urgals comes out of nowhere and attacks them. Brom is busy with one of the Urgals, and can’t protect Eragon. Eragon doesn’t know what to do, because he panics, so with an accident, Eragon uses magic and kills the Urgal. It is here where he uses magic for the first time. When they reach the town of Teirm, Eragon gets his fortune told from a witch called Angela, also getting strange advice from Angela's Werecat, named Solembum. After obtaining information in the town of Teirm with the help of Brom's friend Jeod, Eragon continues on his journey with Brom, who concludes that the Ra'zac reside in Dras-Leona.

There, Eragon, Saphira, and Brom are lured into an ambush by the Ra'zac. Thankfully, a stranger by the name of Murtagh comes to the rescue and aids them in the battle. Sadly though, Brom is gravely injured and dies shortly after, but not before revealing the secrets of his past. Brom was a Dragon Rider who had a dragon, which shared Saphira's name, but was killed years before by king Galbatorix. The sword that Brom gave Eragon at the start of their journey, later revealed by Murtagh, is actually Morzan's sword, Zar'roc, which he took after killing Morzan at Gil'ead (Morzan was one of Galbatorix Forsworn). The new company, Eragon, Murtagh and Saphira, now travel in search of the hidden leagues of the Varden, a strong rebel army, that is against the Empire, which Brom had mentioned earlier on their journey. On the way Eragon has dreams of a beautiful elf, all of which feature her suffering great pain in a prison. They travel to Gil'ead in order to find a man named Dormnad, who supposedly can bring them to the Varden (according to Brom who told Saphira days before his death). Murtagh manages to find the man and appoint a meeting with him and Eragon outside Gil'ead on a hill at the west the next morning. However, the company is ambushed by Urgals and Eragon is captured and imprisoned in the same prison where the elf, Arya, is being held captive. Murtagh and Saphira stage a rescue and after battling the Shade (an evil magician with great combat skills), named Durza, and Murtagh piercing an arrow on Durza's forehead (after which the Shade disappears), Eragon escapes with an unconscious Arya. The fact that a Shade is walking freely in the land deeply disturbs Eragon and he suspects that Galbatorix is planning something terrible. Eragon learns the directions to The Varden (a resistance group fighting to wrest the throne from Galbatorix, and once more bring peace and fairness to the land) by speaking to Arya by means of the mind-communication, or mind-touch.

Eragon and his party are pursued by an army of Urgal soldiers known as Kull (much bigger than ordinary Urgals and could walk for 5 days straight and still be ready for battle) as they travel to the Varden's fortress, hidden deep within the Beor Mountains, in a remote, hard to reach valley. Eragon, Murtagh, and Arya are almost killed by the Urgals when people from the entrance of the falls of the Varden rescue them. Once inside the fortress, Farthen Dur, Eragon learns from the wise and just Varden King, Ajihad, of the pact between the dwarves, the elves and the Varden and how it was that Saphira's egg was magically teleported to the Spine with Arya's help. While in Tronjheim (a city built by the dwarves under the mountain Farthen Dur and inhabited by the Varden and the dwarves), Eragon learns that he will eventually continue his Rider education with the elves, in their capital, Ellesméra. He also meets the Twins (corrupt, unnamed, bald men who want to learn the words of the ancient language which Eragon learned from Brom and who would have killed Eragon by challenging him to summon the spirit of silver in a silver ring if not for the arrival of the elf Arya), Orik (the dwarf soldier who opened the gates that lead to the rescue of the group and defended Eragon and Murtagh from one of the twin's mind-probing test and which, as punishment for not following his superior, that is, one of the twins, was made Eragon's tour guide in Tronjheim), Hrothgar (the dwarf king who also supports Eragon and later gave them ancient but excellent dragon armor for Saphira), and Nasuada (King Ajihad's daughter), and, again, Angela and Solembum. The group is, at last able to rest, although an invasion by the army of Urgals is imminent and the internal politics of the Varden begin to hinder Eragon's progress. When the battle finally is upon them, the Varden and dwarves are pitted against an enormous army of Urgals. During the battle, Eragon faces the Shade, Durza, whom he had encountered during his imprisonment and his escape from Gil'ead (there are two things to note here: One is that Durza was also the one who pursued, captured, and tortured Arya; two, is that Shades could not be killed unless stabbed through the heart, and what Murtagh did earlier was ineffective and the Shade was reborn elsewhere) and kills him. After the death of the Shade, the Urgals seem to have a spell lifted from them, and begin to fight among themselves. This gives the Varden a chance to counter-attack, routing the surviving Urgals. Unconscious, Eragon's mind is engulfed in Durza's memories, until a mysterious figure who introduces himself as Osthato Chetowa (the Mourning Sage) and Togira Ikonoka (the Cripple Who is Whole) enters Eragon’s mind and frees him from the sleep and drives him on. This being tells Eragon to find him in Ellesméra and complete training as a Dragon Rider. Eragon awakes to find a large, bumpy scar across his back. The story ends as he promises to do as the Mourning Sage asks and journey to Ellesméra.

List of characters

Main aricle: List of characters in the Inheritance Trilogy

  • Ajihad: Master swordsman, brilliant tactician, and leader of the Varden. He is the father of Nasuada and is the perfect example of a King in Alagaësia — the opposite of Galbatorix.
  • Angela: A powerful witch who supports the Varden and specializes in herb-based magic. She foretold Eragon's future in Teirm by using dragon knuckle bones, and lives there beside Jeod's place as a herbalist. She also has for company Solembum, the werecat.
  • Arya: An elf who was the guardian of Saphira's egg. She was imprisoned by Durza in Gil'ead on King Galbatorix's orders, and Eragon rescued her.
  • Brom: Eragon's mentor. Brom plays what is possibly the most important role of Eragon's growth. Earlier in life, Brom was a Dragon Rider fighting against Galbatorix, but in Carvahall he disguised himself as a storyteller. Brom later gets killed by the Ra'zac, leading Eragon to face the world of reality.
  • Durza: A main antagonist in the book, he was a powerful Shade who controlled the Urgal army. He was killed by Eragon, with the help of Saphira and Arya, at Farthen Dûr.
  • Eragon: The main character in "Eragon". Son of Selena and raised by his Uncle Garrow in a farmhouse near Carvahall in Palancar Valley with his cousin, Roran. One of the last Dragon Riders other than King Galbatorix.
  • Garrow: Farmer of Carvahall, Eragon's uncle, and Roran's father. He was killed by the Ra'zac and died at the house of Horst, the Carvahall blacksmith.
  • Horst: Horst is the father of Baldor and Albriech, and is a father figure to Eragon and Roran when Garrow died. He is a blacksmith with a wife named Elain.
  • Hrothgar: King of the Dwarves who befriends Eragon. He adopted Eragon into his clan of blacksmiths and metalworkers.
  • Jeod: A merchant of Teirm, Jeod is Brom's old friend, and also a member of the Varden. He secretly smuggles supplies to the Varden since farming is not possible in Farthen Dur.
  • Katrina: Daughter of Sloan and a romantic interest of Roran's.
  • Murtagh: Son of Morzan, who was the first of the thirteen Forsworn (betrayers of the Dragon Riders); he becomes good friends with Eragon and travels with him to the Varden's hidden stronghold.
  • Nasuada: Daughter of Ajihad, leader of Varden. She befriends Eragon and Murtagh in Farthen Dûr.
  • Orik: Hrothgar's nephew; he befriends Eragon, and is his guide through Tronjheim and Farthen Dûr.
  • Roran: Eragon's cousin and good friend.
  • Saphira: Saphira is Eragon's dragon. She is the first dragon to hatch in a century. As an egg, she was kept locked up by Galbatorix. There are only two dragon eggs left in Galbatorix's hands because of this.
  • Sloan: Butcher of Carvahall who hates Eragon's family. He is Katrina's father. He is also the one who relayed information to the Ra'zac about Eragon and his dragon egg.
  • Solembum: The werecat who lives with Angela; he helps Eragon in various parts of the book, occasionally taking human form.
  • The Twins: Un-named twin magicians with strong magical abilities who work for the Varden. They are both very wary of Eragon and Saphira, and don't seem to completely trust the young rider and his blue-scaled friend.

Unseen characters

  • Galbatorix: The antagonist, an insane, corrupt emperor who rules Alagaesia from the capital city Urû'baen with dark magic and his enslaved black dragon Shruikan.
  • Morzan: The first and the last Forsworn, he is also the father of Murtagh, and is later found to be the father of Eragon. He was killed by Brom and afterwords Brom took Murtagh's inheritance, Zar'roc (a sword).
  • Selena: Eragon's mother. She arrived at Carvahall, alone and pregnant, and implored her brother, Garrow, to raise Eragon. Upon his birth, she left and was never seen again.
  • Shruikan: Galbatorix's evil, black dragon whose first rider was killed by Galbatorix.

Reviews

Main article: List of derivative natures in the Inheritance Trilogy

Stephen Samara world renowned author of fantasy novel series The Crown of Dominance is quoted as saying: "Absolutely marvelous. I couldn't put it down at all, I read it day and night! 10/10" (Daily News, 29th January 2006, Vol. 8 Issue 100)

Anne McCaffrey is quoted as saying: "Full praise to Eragon, and I want more."[1]

The New York Times Book Review stated that the novel was, "for all its flaws... an authentic work of great talent."[2]

Inconsistencies

  • One scene sees Eragon galloping on a horse all night long. The horses are ready to perform a similar task the following morning. It is highly unlikely that a horse could keep going for such a long period of time, and such an act could potentially kill them.[3]
  • Arya, like all other Elves, are said to be vegetarians and do not believe in slaying of animals or using animal products, yet throughout Eragon and Eldest she is seen wearing leather clothes.[4]
  • Dragons are said to never stop growing, which is why armor for them is so rare to come by. When Saphira leaves Farthen Dur, the dwarves offer to keep her armor for when she needs it again. At the end of Eldest, a significant amount of time has passed, but Saphira can still wear her armor.
  • When Eragon and Brom went to get horses after leaving Carvahall, they found out that the Ra'zac have horses too. But when they went to track the Ra'zac they were following their footprints. [5]

References

Notes

  1. ^ Eragon, Random House Inc., 2005, p.1
  2. ^ Liz Rosenberg. "CHILDREN'S BOOKS; The Egg and Him". New York Times Book Review.
  3. ^ http://www.anti-shurtugal.com/inconsistencies.htm
  4. ^ http://www.anti-shurtugal.com/inconsistencies.htm
  5. ^ http://www.classicalfencing.com/horsetraining.php
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