Title: Eldest
Author: Christopher Paolini
Series: The Inheritance Cycle #2
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dragons, Medieval fantasy
Dates read: 21st – 29th April 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Knopf
Year: 2005
5th sentence, 74th page: After dinner, Eragon and Saphira flew together.

Darkness falls…despair abounds…evil reigns…

Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have just saved the rebel state from destruction by the mighty forces of King Galbatorix, cruel ruler of the Empire. Now Eragon must travel to Ellesmera, land of the elves, for further training in the skills of the Dragon Rider: magic and swordsmanship. Soon he is on the journey of a lifetime, his eyes open to awe-inspring new places and people, his days filled with fresh adventure. But chaos and betrayal plague him at every turn, and nothing is what it seems. Before long, Eragon doesn’t know whom he can trust.

Meanwhile, his cousin Roran must fight a new battle–one that might put Eragon in even graver danger.

Will the king’s dark hand strangle all resistance? Eragon may not escape with even his life. . . .

I vaguely recalled reading this novel years ago. But, as I reread it… I seriously began to doubt my memories. There was just so much in this novel that I didn’t see coming and which completely pulled me in. There is just a great sense of intrigue and interest in this story… an amazing journey that doesn’t end the way you expect. Although, it does end in a great way. Now I can’t wait to read Brisingr… a book that I know I’ve never read before…

After Eragon’s rough entrance into the world of the Varden and the battles he must face in the future, there is a nice little period of quiet in his and Saphira’s lives. It was actually quite nice to start this book in a period of quiet before the storm. It helped to get to know a little more of the political ramifications of the storyline and characters in play. Which, I’m thinking is going to be seriously important for the rest of the series…

The world of the elves is one that completely reeled me in – which was probably why I enjoyed the downtime that Eragon and Saphira experienced there so much. A world in which trees are sung into buildings, pride is something that is a serious weakness and lives are lived for way too long… of course I’m going to love it. Particularly when Eragon is struggling to create a reality in which he is likely to survive and undergoing some of the harshest training he’s experienced thus far.

Yet, it is the very ending of this story that is the most intense and amazing. Not only is there the traditional, epic, final battle… but there is a great reveal. And a new Dragon Rider in the mix. It opens up a world of hurt for Eragon’s future and makes me seriously want to sink my nose into the next book… which I may just do as soon as I finish writing this review… like… right… now.

<- Eragon

Brisingr ->

Image source: Amazon

Title: Eragon’s Guide to Alagaesia
Author: Christopher Paolini
Series: The Inheritance Cycle Companion
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Dragons, Medieval fantasy
Dates read: 28th August – 4th September 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Graphic novel
Publisher: Doubleday
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: His order, which has endured for a least five hundred years, believes that all knowledge is sacred.

From the creators of the bestselling books Dragonology, Egyptology, Piratelogy, and others, this is a never-before-seen glimpse into the world of Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance cycle. Alagaësia comes alive in a lush and detailed look at an unforgettable magical land. From elves, dwarves, Urgals, humans, and dragons, to the natural landscape and the magic it contains, Eragon himself offers the reader an unsurpassed tour. This oversized, full-color book provides 15 spreads chock full of spectacular artwork, engaging novelty elements, and fascinating insights into Eragon’s home. With gorgeous jewels adorning the cover and pages filled with envelopes, gatefolds, samples of dragon skin, and more, Eragon’s Guide to Alagaësia is sure to appeal to the legions of fans of Christopher Paolini’s bestselling Inheritance cycle.

This is one of those fun, cute and easy reads. Albeit a little hard to lug around anywhere, hence the fact that it took me so long to actually read this. It’s only about half an hour of reading, but you actually need to be able to sit in a comfortable spot with a ginormous book for that period. With two dogs trying to climb all over me… that’s difficult.

I might be a grown woman, but I love interactive stories and pretty pictures as much as the next girl. They’re just fun. And all of the different textured pieces placed throughout were even more enjoyable. It bought back the enjoyment of my first books as a child. Before I was really able to read to any decent level.

I read this companion before Eldest, and I’m so grateful that there weren’t many spoilers throughout. I was expecting far more, but except for one tiny slip about Eragon’s father, there was nothing to hint at what was going to happen in the future of the series.

This was a really nice and easy read for the last few days when my head has been full of PhD work and event planning. And it just makes me want to pick up Eldest all the more… although maybe I should finish a few books that I’ve already started first…

<- The Fork, the Witch & the Worm

Eragon ->

Image source: Goodreads