Darryl Handberg
Mr.Soto; English 4, Period 4
December 15, 2014
Word Count: 1181 Eragon
Eragon is the first book in a fictional series called the "Inheritance cycle" written by Christopher Paolini. It is set in a mythical world in a time period comparable to the medieval ages. This world is called Alagaësia where creatures such as elves, dragons, and magicians exist but are under the control of a corrupt king by the name of Galbatorix. The book is told in the third person as it follows the main character, a teenage boy by the name of "Eragon" on a journey that takes him across Alagaësia with his dragon Saphira. Eragon is an simple, ordinary farm boy who lives in the small, isolated village of Carvahall (located in the northwest corner of Alagaësia).

When Eragon finds a strange blue stone while on a hunting trip, he thinks that the stone will bring in a small fortune to him and his family. He is proven wrong when one night the stone cracked and a baby dragon hatched from it. Eragon forms a special bond with this newborn dragon and named it Saphira. When two cloaked figures show up in the village of Carvahall looking for the stone, Eragon panics. He and Saphira flee the village and return a few days later to find his home in ruins and his uncle Garrow dead. Eragon deducts that it was the cloaked figures that killed his uncle and plots for his revenge. Before Eragon can execute his plan, he is stopped by the village hermit named Brom. Brom gives information on how to find the cloaked figures named Ra’Zac and helps Eragon realize that he alone cannot successfully plan his revenge without help. Brom accompanies Eragon with much persuasion through the land of Alagaësia and teaches him how to control magic and the art of swordplay. Eragon grows stronger throughout this journey and when the three of them attempt to seek revenge on the Ra’Zac it goes horribly wrong. Brom is killed while trying to escape the lair of the Ra’Zac. A new member joins Eragon’s quest to eliminate the Ra’Zac by the name of Murtagh. Things are seeming to go well until Eragon is kidnapped by a group of Urgals (A hybrid form of humans) that work for King Galbatorix and is taken to a castle where he is held prisoner. Murtagh helps Eragon escape the clutches of King Galbatorix and rescues an unconscious elf by the name of Arya. While escaping a Shade (Sorcerer possessed by spirits) by the name of Durza was summoned and attacked Eragon. Thankfully, Murtagh shot Durza in the face with an arrow allowing the party to narrowly escape. Eragon and company are then chased by creatures under the command of King Galbatorix through a massive desert and into a gigantic mountain range called the Beor mountains. In these mountains, the group finds protection with a rebel faction called the Varden. The Varden’s goal is remove King Galbatorix from the throne and take down the Empire. Unfortunately, Eragon and his group are not safe for long as they led an army of Urgals commanded by the Shade Durza right to the “front-door” of the Varden and a massive battle ensues. Eragon and the Varden end up winning the battle after Eragon manages to kill Durza by stabbing him in the heart. After the battle, Eragon is visited in a dream by the Cripple Who is Whole. This entity invites Eragon to visit it in Ellesmera, the capital of the elven kingdom. Eragon agrees, and the book ends with him getting ready to start his journey to visit the Cripple Who is Whole.

The main characters that very important to the plotline of the book are Garrow, Brom, Murtagh, and Arya. Garrow is Eragon’s uncle who has raised Eragon since birth after the death of Eragon’s mother. He is well known as a farmer in the small village of Carvahall. Brom is the village hermit who spends his days telling children stories of dragons and large battles. Although many people in the village consider him to be a crazy, old man, Brom was once a Dragon Rider and had his own dragon named, “Saphira”. Murtagh is the son of