Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Title: Eragon
Author: Christopher Poalini
ISBN: 0552553204
Publisher: Corgi/2002
Pages:497

I picked this book from my niece's collection when I was in Bangalore. Even though I had started it, I never got around reading more than a few pages. 497 pages and smaller font did not help! However, I started to read again yesterday and did not stop until I finished it.

Eragon is a fifteen year old boy who lives with his uncle Garrow and cousin Roran in Alagaesia and works in his uncle's farm. They are barely able to manage. One day he finds a beautiful stone, which he thinks can buy him and his family more meat. However, no one is willing to buy it when they find out it came from Spine, a place of magic. One night a dragon hatches out of it and scares Eragon out of his wits. Coming back to his senses, he hides it from everyone he knows. Unknowingly he has been exposed to a world of magic, adventure, fantasy which intermingles with evil. When tragedy befalls him, he has to escape with his dragon along with an old story teller, Brom.

Brom knows all about dragons and their legacy and teaches Eragon about them. The poor farm boy now becomes one of the legendary Dragon Riders. They embark on a journey to save the Empire which is ruled by an evil king. On their way, Eragon meets wizards, elves, and many evil characters about whom he had no inkling at all. Is he the one selected to save the Empire?

Eragon and the Dragon Saphira can connect in their minds. They have a beautiful relationship. Although the dragon is younger than Eragon, we can see she is very protective about the boy and is almost motherly towards him. Eragon too loves Saphira and cares that no one harms her.

This book should appeal to all as it has great battle scenes, magic, armour, totally evil beings along with elves, wizards, dwarves, humans and not to forget the Dragon. It is also a coming of age story of a boy of unknown origins who is selected to be a dragon rider. The beginning was a bit slow and I did find the last 50 pages too hurried but as a fantasy, it works...