Perfect for fans of Lord of the Rings, the New York Times best-selling Inheritance Cycle about the dragon rider Eragon has sold more than 35 million copies and is an international fantasy sensation.

Fifteen-year-old Eragon believes he is merely a poor farm boy - until his destiny as a Dragon Rider is revealed. Gifted with only an ancient sword, a loyal dragon, and sage advice from an old storyteller, Eragon is soon swept into a dangerous tapestry of magic, glory, and power. Now, his choices could save - or destroy - the empire.

“An authentic work of great talent.” (The New York Times Book Review)

“Christopher Paolini make[s] literary magic with his precocious debut.” (People)

“Unusual, powerful, fresh, and fluid.” (Booklist, starred)

“An auspicious beginning to both career and series.” (Publishers Weekly)

A New York Times best seller.

A USA Today best seller.

A Wall Street Journal best seller.

A Book Sense best seller.

Listening Length

16 hours and 22 minutes
Author

Christopher Paolini
Narrator

Gerard Doyle
Audible release date

October 16, 2003
Language

English
Publisher

Listening Library
ASIN

B0000U7N4G
Version

Unabridged
Program Type

Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length	16 hours and 22 minutes
Author	Christopher Paolini
Narrator	Gerard Doyle
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com Release Date	October 16, 2003
Publisher	Listening Library
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B0000U7N4G
Best Sellers Rank	#2 in Study Guides (Books) #39 in Teen & Young Adult Fantasy

Customer reviews

5 star		83%
4 star		12%
3 star		3%
2 star		1%
1 star		1%

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Talor

Wonderful Story to Come Back To

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 14, 2022

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I read this book when it first came out. Years later I have come back to it and I love it even more. I had forgotten some important players in the story and was once again thrilled by Eragon’s growth through the story, Saphira’s powerful personality and sass, and the twists and turns they took along the way. Years later this book still stands well on its own.

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Dixie Writer

The writing is wonderful!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 19, 2007

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I'm a professor of literature and language. From all that I have read, even on the dust jacket of this first book in Paolini's series, nobody, including the author or the publsher, makes a secret of the fact that he was heavily influenced by Tolkien, Lucas, McCaffrey, and most likely other readers.

In fact, good writers are always influenced to some degree by those whom they have read. That's usually how they end up becoming GOOD WRITERS.

Now, take a look at this very sentence in the prologue. This is the first introduction we have to the writing style of Paolini:

"Wind howled through the night, carrying a scent that would change the world."

That is powerful. That has nothing to do with Tolkien or Lewis or anyone. That has to do with individual writing voice, and an extremely good one, at that.

When you read this book, or re-read it - look at it with an eye of examining how the words are put together. It's masterful. I've seen numerous examples, published and unpublished, of authors old and young(er) who were quite obviously influenced by any number of writers. Unfortunately, those writers, and I use the term as a point of reference only, did not choose to, OR HAVE THE ABILITY TO, string together words in such a way that was masterful. Or, for that matter, in any way approaching logic or sense or really, just sort of thrown in together in a way that made me quickly get to my used bookstore to trade in the item as fast as I could get rid of it. I'm talking about published writers who couldn't string together simple sentences and throw in an adjective or two along the way, without getting twisted up and falling over their own ink. And I've seen experienced writers do that, too.

Anybody can use their love of certain written works to come up with similar plot lines.

Plagiarism, as I saw a couple of reviews in here glibly toss out (and I am certain that means that you, of course, never plagiarized any of your reports in high school or college, yes? of course it does :) - is when someone steals another's words and claims them as their own.

Paolini doesn't do that. The dust jacket, all press that I've read about him and his book, the publishers, his parents - everything I've read that promotes his book acknowledges in a broad metaphorical flag-waving right up front, Hey, Paolini was influenced BY - and gives a short list. That's not plagiarism.

Also, ideas are not copyrighted. Words are. Ideas are not. Gilgamesh had an epic journey of good and evil. It's been going on for thousands of years in the written world. If we are going to start pointing fingers at who copied whom, or who had the original idea, I'm afraid you're going to have to point a finger at Tolkien and Lewis and McCaffrey. No writer for centuries has been able to avoid being influenced, to some degree, by those who have gone before.

It's why writing is considered to be immortal, in a sense. Your words live on.

And the words - oh my, Paolini's words. Look at how they are put together. Look at the rich description. That's not plagiarized. That IS original. Look at how he puts together ideas and plots and describes emotions, characters, colors, scents, the change of seasons, the change of terrain - that is all original. The WAY in which he put together his words, is original to him. It's his personal writing voice. Everybody has a writing voice. Some voices ought to be quiet, frankly, because they are that bad. Some voices should be trumpeted.

Paolini's should be trumpeted.

Gosh, you picked up a book that clearly, upfronts notes that Paolini was influenced by Tolkien, then you sit there and smugly type "Hey, ooobbbbbviously he was influenced by Tolkien" - well, gosh. You're like, Einstein. Of course, that would mean you got the idea of being Einstein, from Einstein. :)

Look at the words. Look at how they are put together. Look at how Paolini crafts - yes, he crafts, he's an artist in the most precise sense - the words.

Can you do that?

Because I'm not seeing it in the evidence of some of your reviews. Or perhaps it was an off-day.

Look - really look - at how the words are put together. It is art. It is truly art.

13 people found this helpful

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I don't usually read fantasy/science fiction -- but,

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 3, 2004

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I made an exception for this book.
I can't remember how I stumbled across "Eragon", but I was at loose ends after the third film of the Lord of the Rings series (and I've read the Tolkien books too many times to count) and I found myself craving more flights of fancy and fantasy. I was taken by the fact that a 15 year old prodigy had begun such an ambitious endeavor, for author Christopher Paolini is planning to write a trilogy about his young hero, Eragon, who goes from poor farm boy to a young master, growing in power, of magic. This first book is subtitled: "The Inheritance".
Paolini's family first self-published 10,000 copies, and Floridian Carl Hiassen helped to sell the fantasy to Knopf, which later released a first national printing of over 100,000 copies.
Paolini embraces the standard fantasy world of humans, dwarves and elves (no hobbits, here!), and adds the existence of dragons, nearly extinct, as creatures of power. Elves, and sometimes humans, are selected by hatchling dragons to become Dragon Riders, companions of dragons who can communicate with them and others by telepathy. Riders have magical powers, but the use of magic drains them of much energy.
The evil forces of the land are somewhat more creative. Sluggish, warring monsters (Tolkiens' Orcs?), the Urgals, abound, but are no threat until they are organized for the king by the evil Ra'Zac (creatures of the King that are not human, covered in cloaks, and strongest at night) and the terrifying
Durka, who is a Shade (a spirit in human form, with crimson hair and maroon eyes) all of whom are working for the king, and trying to locate Eragon and his dragon.
Set in the fantasy world of Alagaesia, Eragon's land is ruled by Galbatorix, who once was a Rider himself. The adult dragons have all perished, and Galbatorix has been dispossessed of one of three dragon eggs by a group dedicated to ending his cruel rule, the Varden. This egg is conveyed to Eragon, and the dragon hatches in his care. Much of the facts of the land are uncovered as the book moves along, and Eragon is slowly filled in on the history of how he got to be who he is. His mother, Selena, has been missing from his life since he was a child, and the book ends without disclosing the mystery of what happened to her and just who his father was.
Alagaesia is bordered by Du Weldenvarden, a deep forest, home to the Elves. It appears that this will be the setting for much of book 2. The country south of the forest is a vast desert that Eragon and his traveling companions must cross to reach safety (the Hadarac). Paolini is particularly clever in devising how the small band of travelers with Eragon gets water while crossing. He's also created rich city and village profiles in the kingdom, as Eragon tries to locate the Ra'Zac, to revenge killings in Eragon's home. South of the desert are the Boer mountains, home to the dwarves, who are assisting the Varden; the climax of the novel takes place in these mountains.
Paolini has peppered his cast with strong characters who will assist Eragon in fulfilling his role. Brom, a wise soothsayer, with mysterious origins, becomes Eragon's mentor. Murtagh, a fearless fighter, accompanies Eragon across the desert to the Boer mountains; his history, when uncovered, is somewhat shocking. Arya is the elven woman that fills Eragon's nightmares, and must be rescued by the travelers from a prison, where she has been cruelly tortured at the hands of Durka. Ajihad is the strong leader of the Varden and Hrothgar the King of the dwarves, both of whom risk their followers to assist the young Rider. Two of the most interesting characters are Angela, an herbalist and her werecat, Solembum, both of whom are much more than they seem. Eragon encounters them more than once in this novel.
Above all, Saphira, the dragon that Eragon hatches and accepts for his own, weaves a magical air into the story, and her relationship to the homeless boy, and their telepathic communion and communication, form the strong story background that sets "Eragon" apart from much of what has been written in the genre in the past.
Paolini's a rich storyteller, with short chapters, and action-packed scenes. He doesn't forget to give his hero a conscience, nor does he fail to set the tone for the second book in the series, "The Eldest". I very much enjoyed the read, and hope he's close to finishing the second in the trilogy.

8 people found this helpful

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Mark Richards

Incredible Book!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 7, 2022

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I would highly recommend this book for fantasy fans! Loved the story and adventure! I can't believe I wanted this long to read it!

One person found this helpful

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Dan

Nostalgia hit hard this time!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 13, 2022

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The media could not be loaded.

Bought used but came brand new. Great find.

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Victor the Reader

Eragon (My Kindle Review)

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 12, 2022

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An absorbing fantasy about a young teen whose life changes forever when he finds a dragon egg and when it hatches into his new dragon Saphira, they will both find themselves in unwanted sights. A great fantasy that’s more on adventure than action. It’s best part is that we see Eragon and Saphira’s friendship greatly build into something very solid. A series that has its wings well kept at the start. <b>A- (91%/Excellent)</b>

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Amazon Customer

This is a riveting tale.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 8, 2022

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I have really enjoyed reading this book with my 13-year-old, twin daughters.

2 people found this helpful

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Literary Junkie

Classic Fantasy

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on May 11, 2020

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Again a book I read years ago but reviewing now to pass lockdown boredom going through my Amazon purchases.

Eragon was the book that got me into fantasy. I read it before reading Tolkien et al. Eragon is a grown-up children's tale and I know everybody talks about how bad the film was but you really do need to read the book to get the full flavour of the world Paolini has created and the magic and wonder of Sophia (and her wisdom). It has all the magic that lets you escape the real world and leave you disappointed when you return to it after finishing the book. Luckily there are three more books in the series to lose yourself in afterwards.

7 people found this helpful

guy1974blue

Quite long, steadily picks up after halfway

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 13, 2019

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I saw there were tons of great reviews for this book, so when I found it for 99p I gave it a punt. I haven't seen the film. It's a good book, but whenever I looked to see how far I'd got, i was hardly through it. I'm not sure that's a good sign that I kept looking to see how far I got. I guess I was looking to see when it got exciting. Don't get me wrong, it's well written and at no point did I put the book down because I was bored, but I'm sure if made shorter it would've been more engaging. I understand there are three follow up books, which I'd only read if I could pay 99p for them. I'm not recommending my 9 year old daughter to read this, and I'd wait until she's 12 or 13 at least.

9 people found this helpful

Conan The Librarian

A story with very little story - but reading because heard the sequels are good

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 26, 2021

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I have plugged away at this one because I've heard the sequels are better. Also, as this was written by a 19-year-old I'm willing to accept its limitations. It's basically a very long walk from A to B, with some interesting bits at the start and end. Probably could have shortened this down to about 70 pages and still provided the same total narrative.
But, there are several passages of great writing here, and the characters are endearing, if a little flat and without interest.
It kind of reminds me of playing a D&D campaign that's very episodic. It kind of keeps you entertained, but you keep wishing it would evolve and become better.
I really hope the next few books are better.....here is hoping.

One person found this helpful

Worth a read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on February 19, 2021

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Very good. I had read another book by the same author (to sleep in a sea of stars) which was fantastic so thought i give this a try, even tho is did say teenager and I am well past that.

I won't spoil it. Very well written with good characters and few unexpected twists.

Dislikes, sometimes it does drag on for few pages, but that's not very often.

Finished this book and bought the set. I am halfway through the second book now which is just as good.

2 people found this helpful

Kit-

Beautiful Collector's Edition.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on June 8, 2018

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Beautiful hardback, collector's edition with blue boards and gold gilt lettering. It has blue marbled endpapers and several illustrated coloured plates inside. Paper quality seems to be good and overall this book feels sturdy but not heavy. I have one complaint and that is that the spine seems to be slightly off centre, however the front is perfectly aligned so this looks like a minor production error and is probably the case with all the collector's editions. This wouldn't put me off from buying this book though, it is beautifully done and a must have for Eragon fans if you can get it at a semi-reasonable price.

6 people found this helpful

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