Eragon: The Inheritance Cycle, Book 1

Book review by Matt Berman, Common Sense Media
Eragon: The Inheritance Cycle, Book 1 Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 12+

A teen wrote this engrossing fantasy story.

Parents say

age 11+

Based on 47 reviews

Kids say

age 11+

Based on 203 reviews

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Community Reviews

age 9+

Could be great, but without any seeable character development, this book is only decent

Sooo… where to begin? I hardly ever feel the need to write a review on a bad book, but in this case, ranting about Eragon might just make me feel better about the whole crappy book in general. First off, if you want to read something about Eragon that’s interesting, read the one-star reviews on kindle. They are hilarious. Second off… I’m just sitting here and thinking, “Why did I read that book all the way through?” I even read half of the second book to see if the series gets any better, SPOILER ALERT! it doesn’t. So you might say that I am an idiot to hate the first book and still read most of the second one. And maybe I am. Why I didn’t just throw Eragon across the room at chapter 2 and say, “NOPE, NOT HAPPENING!” Is something I will forever regret. Alright. Ready to dive into the hilariously cliche plot with me? Let’s go! Characters: Eragon. Ok. First off, listen to the name. Eragon. Hmm. Sound like a certain LotRs also-ranger character? Aragorn? Well, sorry Mr. Paolini, but that name is just… pretty obvious. And guess what? Eragon falls for an elf princess named… wait for it… Arya! Arwen, no? Second thing: Eragon’s personality. Or rather, lack of personality. Draw a smiley face. Name the smiley face. Say that the smiley face is sassy and loves hot sauce. BAM. There you have it, ladies and gentlemen, a better protagonist then Eragon. Saphira: Ok, to be honest, I did love Saphira. She’s sassy, smart, and super down-to-earth. If a book could be saved by a sidekick, then Eragon almost was, by Saphira, Brom, and Angela. But sadly, it still wasn’t interesting at all. Arya: Well, our lovely love interest is pretty bratty. Actually, no, she’s just reserved, and we never get to see her softer side, so she comes off as bratty. If I have to hear about her slanted eyebrows one more time… Conclusion: Eragon had potential, lots of potential, actually, but somehow missed the mark so entirely that the book is as painful to read as it is to listen to my friends rave about it. If you like bland fantasy, then you’ll like Eragon. But if you want something extremely original, you’ve come to the wrong book.
1 person found this helpful.
age 10+
My daughter LOVED this book and the entire series. She was a total book worm!

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