Eragon, a young farm boy, finds a marvelous blue stone in a mystical mountain place. Before he can trade it for food to get his family through the hard winter, it hatches a beautiful sapphire-blue dragon, a race thought to be extinct. Eragon bonds with the dragon, and when his family is killed by the marauding Ra'zac, he discovers that he is the last of the Dragon Riders, fated to play a decisive part in the coming war between the human but hidden Varden, dwarves, elves, the diabolical Shades and their neanderthal Urgalls, all pitted against and allied with each other and the evil King Galbatorix. Eragon and his dragon Saphira set out to find their role, growing in magic power and understanding of the complex political situation as they endure perilous travels and sudden battles, dire wounds, capture and escape.

In spite of the engrossing action, this is not a book for the casual fantasy reader. There are 65 names of people, horses, and dragons to be remembered and lots of pseudo-Celtic places, magic words, and phrases in the Ancient Language as well as the speech of the dwarfs and the Urgalls. But the maps and glossaries help, and by the end, readers will be utterly dedicated and eager for the next book, Eldest. (Ages 10 to 14) --Patty Campbell

Paolini borrows a significant amount from an already-strong fantasy tradition, but he still manages to bring his own unique offerings to the table. His characters are well-developed, his imagery strong, and his wit keen but subtle enough to avoid seeming forced.

At times, he gets bogged down in descriptive detail, but the book and its engaging storyline easily overcome such minor flaws, and it ends up developing into a true page-turner.

And unlike much of today's mass-produced fantasy fiction, Eragon has literary merits. It it well-written, has satisfying depth and offers tantalizing hints about what is to come in the next two books. (Who is Eragon's mother? What's the deal between Eragon and Arya? Is Murtagh a good guy or not?) Fantasy lovers will also enjoy the appendices, which include a glossary, a pronunciation guide, a series of language guides, and a map that readers will find themselves referring to constantly.

Paolini is a young author with promise, and "Eragon" is a must-read book that is bound to lure new fans to the genre while satisfying old ones.

I found the writing in Eragon to be a bit dry, especially when it comes to his choice of descriptive words and sentence structure. While Paolini certainly chooses words that are adequate for describing the scenes and characters, they lack that certain dramatic flair that grabs the reader's attention. Some sections felt downright mechanical. This especially shows in the dialogue. For a country bumpkin farm boy, Eragon and his family are amazingly sophisticated in their speech patterns.

However, if you can look past the aforementioned fault, you will find an entertaining story here. I'm a huge fan of dragons, and Saphira is a very interesting character. I feel she practically breathes life into the scenes. Some argue that the plot is archetypical, and I agree. Eragon isn't exactly the most original fantasy novel out there. Take the Brom character, for instance. Hmmm, now where else have I seen a wise old man who seems to know everything about everything, and loves nothing more than to puff his pipe and blow smoke rings into the air?

However, let's be realistic. Who in their right minds expects a 17 year old kid to write on Tolkein's level? Perhaps a child prodigy who works as a medical doctor at the age of 16, but us mere mortals have faults. I believe it's a credit to Paolini's intelligence that he wrote a book at all. It's all too easy to point fingers and find faults while failing to give credit where it's due.

That said, I believe Paolini has some raw talent which he must mold with discipline and technique. If nothing else, I believe Eragon is a good read for children and young adults. It's also good as a start for those who aren't into fantasy books. I can easily imagine Eragon being seen as incredible to those for whom this book is their first taste of fantasy. For the Tolkein fan boys and fantasy aficionados out there, I recommend steering clear of this one. It won't live up to your lofty biases and expectations.

I give it a 4 as a young adult read. A 3 for adults.