Eragon - Book Review (Mala)

Eragon is an enchanting, fantasy novel tickling your imagination.

One day, Eragon, a poor, young farm-boy finds a mysterious, blue stone, while he goes out hunting. Dazzled by the brilliance of the stone, Eragon goes to the colony market and tries to trade it for food for his family. However, nobody believes him or stone and Eragon is left with the stone to last him a lifetime. A lifetime, during which the blue stone hatches into a cute, little, adorable dragon. A dragon Eragon can communicate with – telepathically.

Eragon decides to name the little dragon as Saphira – because of its Saphire blue color. Eragon and Saphira bond – at a very different level.

But all good things must come to an end, or at least be disturbed.

The evil forces of Galbatorix, Razac, set out to find Eragon and his prized possession. Eragon and Saphira get away, but not without paying a prize – death of his uncle, his guardian.

Who is Galbatorix? Who is Razac? Where do they come from?

As disjoint as it may seem, Galbatorix is the last of the Dragon Riders (remember Sauron of the LOTR?) and it’s his destiny to find the dragon egg. His servants (deja vu: Dark Riders of the LOTR), including Razac, will help him find his destiny.

Not one to be defeated by evil, Eragon, accompanied by Saphira, decides to hunt down the killers of his guardian. Brom, the village storyteller (think Gandalf), joins them in their endeavor. The trio, on their journey, encounter humans, dwarves, elves and Urgals. Every day is a struggle with newer challenges facing them.

Whether Galbatorix is successful in finding his destiny, whether Eragon saves the world from evil, whether Saphira proves to be Eragon’s lucky charm is what the book, Eragon, is all about.


While reading Eragon, you will find a hundred overlaps with the Lord of the Rings. And like the LOTR trilogy, Eragon is Chris Paolini’s first novel of the Inheritance trilogy. The second book, Eldest, is out in the market, while work on the final book is underway.

Riding high on the success of LOTR, Eragon is all set to release as a film.

Go watch!

Personally though, the LOTR magic cannot be recreated. The book did not do it, the film won’t either.