Parents' Guide to Eragon: The Inheritance Cycle, Book 1

Parents need to know that Eragon is the first book in a four-part fantasy series called The Inheritance Cycle that first made waves due to the young age of its author, Christopher Paolini. Experiencing quick popularity, the book was soon turned into a feature film and video game. The idea that Paolini wrote the first draft of Eragon at 15 may inspire some young readers to try their own hand at writing. The story does feature gory violence, including beheadings, torture, and piles of dead bodies. Someone is called an "ass" once, and casually derogatory phrases are commonplace ("deformed beggars," "the fat one," "the bald man," etc.). And the narrative is male-centric, with female characters falling into tired clichés. On the plus side, the immature main character, Eragon, grows over the course of the book thanks in large part to positive role models around him who teach him character strengths like self-control, perseverance, and the importance of teamwork.