Eragon

[Earniel]

Moved to proper forum and merged with older, already existing thread on the same topic.

It took me a while to get into Eragon, and when I was just getting into the story, the book ended. But then I suppose I'm rather spoilt when it comes to stories.

Still, Eragon was an okay read, if not somewhat unimaginative at times. But hey, it's a lot better than anything I could have written at the age of 19, let alone get published.

And this is the first book that managed to trick me. Usually I never read a book of which the sequels haven't been published yet. I dislike reading one book and then waiting another two years to read the next one, when I probably don't remember by then just what was in the first book. Eragon fiendishly hit the fact it had a sequel until the last page. How I cursed. But I still think I will buy Eldest too, when it comes out in paperback and translation.

[ElvenLover]

I am the same way. I hate reading a book if I know that I have to wait for the next one. The Stress of it all kills!
I personally agree with a few of the others. CP wrote a good book and he was not much older than myself,, but he did make himself seem slightly pompous with his choice of vocab. and the length of the book. (What teenager has the time to write something that long? I barely have the time to do my reports, much less write a book! )
But, I still enjoyed it and and waiting for it all to come to a close.

[Nurvingiel]

I heard he self-published the book, and then his parents promoted it at a number of different libraries, then a publisher picked it up.

I don't know if that's true or not.

However I did skim some of the book and I don't think I can read such... prose. It's as though every high fantasy cliche was distilled, and its putrid essence was used to soak every page of the book. Throw in a little ripping off of Tolkien and you have yourself a book.

That's the impression I got from the two pages I read before I had to bleach my eyeballs anyway.

[RaistlinMagere]

I personally loved the book, but what everyone has said is true....he did kind of copy many great books, but his twist on their story lines is what made the book great...
I most appreciate the fact that Eragon didnt start out skilled at anything but the peasant/naive lifestyle and became something great...thats not very much copied from Tolkien or any other fantasy series i've read...magic was renewed in his world, it wasnt always there like in Frodo's...

[durinsbane2244]

chris wrote a very good book. one thing that i personally liked was that eragon gained everything. whenever i read a book, i always want the main character to be awesome, and he is. the best human swordsmen, ok, but elves can beat him. oh, look, he has elf powers. amazing! stuff like that...great...

[Earniel]

Originally Posted by durinsbane2244

chris wrote a very good book. one thing that i personally liked was that eragon gained everything. whenever i read a book, i always want the main character to be awesome, and he is. the best human swordsmen, ok, but elves can beat him. oh, look, he has elf powers. amazing! stuff like that...great...

Funny, that is exactly something I experience as a flaw of the book. Eragon has a dragon, he has strong magic abilities and he very quickly became an impressive warrior. A little too much of everything for my taste.

[The last sane person]

Yeah, in six months he became UBER DUDE from simple weak farm boy who has only ever held a sycthe. Then in his elfy training, he just cant cut it and it is nearing the end of the book. Then, Oh! Look at this magnificent plot hole. Bring out a pair of naked tattooed elf chicks who have a dragon imprisoned in thier skin nad have it elf-ify him.

Now, as not to spoil it for maybe those that have not read it.

Now, I did like the plot twist of Murtagh being his brother. I knew for sure he wasnt dead, that was just too fishy. I had a murky suspicion that he would be but I deemed it a little to much of a twist for some of his younger readers. But now that I think of it, I really should have expected it. Yes, he is a bit pompus in word choice, but he is homeschooled in a place called Paradise Valley. What do you expect?!

[Gwaimir Windgem]

Originally Posted by Eärniel

Funny, that is exactly something I experience as a flaw of the book.

Exactly. Excessive uber-powers is silly.

[Nurvingiel]

Giant plot holes to give the main character uber powers bug me. I want to read about a struggle, not a suped-up hero beating a criminally stupid villain.

Is the villain in Eragon dumber than a box of rocks, or does he have a couple brain cells to rub together.

A good litmus test is if the villain says stuff like, "No, this cannot be. I am invincible!"

Originally Posted by The last sane person

Now, as not to spoil it for maybe those that have not read it.

[I read the spoiler because I'm not going to read this book anyway] What do you expect?!

An editor. That's what I expect. Bah.

[ayra]

Wait, are we talking about Eragon or Eldest? It is a little bit of both (mostly Eragon) in this thread. I've read both and I think that they are good books...

[me9996]

I think Eldest stinks, it barely is useful for moveing on the plot. And elvish resoning is nuts.

The rest is a bit of a spoiler...

And Murtagh being Eragons brother and what's-his-name's his father! What's next? Is Arya going to be his sister? (No offence Arya) But one thing that struck me funny is that his father was a dragonrider, his brother is a dragonrider, and he is a dragonrider, must run in the family Lol.

[ayra]

No offence? Eldest is a pretty good book, this is not my thought but some think roren next... What do you expect? Murtagh and Eragon have the same Father...

[me9996]

Another thing that's bugging me that oughta be put in spoiler tags, so I will.

First of all, Eragon and his Cuzan (I CAN'T SPELL) Rohan keep saying 'aye'. 'aye' this 'aye' that! It just bugs me up the wall! The best way to discribe how much this bugs me would be a missused quote from the same book... Just take any part when Angelica insults Eragon and goes on about what a blockhead he is and imagen she's talking about his constant use of the word 'aye'. Second, the elves realy bug me. I'd like to get a few words in with Orumus (I think that's his name) but of course he doesn't exist. Third, once Eragon lays hands on the raz'ac he's going to rip them apart with magic, no two-ways about it no matter what the elves say! (And I'd like to read that part)

So that's it. One thing I'm shure is going to happen in the third one is Eragon

bringing someone back to life!

[ayra]

So, how (the last spoiler) is that going to happen? They, (elfs and Brom, general teachers of Eragon) say it cannot happen.

[me9996]

That's just why! They're setting it up so when he does it it'll be realy big as a plot point! (And they made shuch a point of it that if it doesn't come into play at all during the story...)

[Lord of the Mark]

Originally Posted by me9996

That's just why! They're setting it up so when he does it it'll be realy big as a plot point! (And they made shuch a point of it that if it doesn't come into play at all during the story...)

Agreed, I bet he's going to fight Murtagh at the end and kill him then bring him back to life or something, it's bound to happen one way or the other

[Gwaimir Windgem]

Welcome, Eorling!

[Lord of the Mark]

Thanks

[ayra]

I'm not sure... Eragon should kill whats-his-name the king. The one who has Murtagh under his control. If Eragon does bring Murtagh back to life, wouldn't Murtagh still be under the kings control?

[me9996]

I have long been under the impretion that oaths are made null by death