Eragon, by Christopher Paolini (Inheritance, Book 1)

Eragon, by Christopher Paolini, is the first book in one of few successful dragon series. The main character--Eragon--is a poor orphaned teenager who lives with his uncle and cousin in the land of Alagaesia (pronunciations provided in the back of the book. I consulted them many times.) While hunting for food in the forest, he discovers a rare and mysterious dragon egg which hatches only a few days after bringing it home. Bound together through thoughts, touch, and magic, Eragon and his dragon--Saphira--are thrust into a dangerous, but instantly famous life of dragon and rider, Eragon being the first Dragon Rider to reappear since the evil king slaughtered the others almost 100 years previously.
Brom--the old town storyteller--mentors Eragon as Eragon and Saphira set out on a quest of revenge and adventure. Through these travels, Eragon learns about magic, meets elves and witches, fights the Empire's army and discovers the wonders of flying.
There is no doubt that the author, Paolini, has a detailed and in depth imagination. The history of Alagaesia and mystical cultures of elves and dwarves carries the story through three books. However, the writing style was not my cup of tea. Often times, it feels like I was reading classic literature. You know the type--a lot of description and mixed view points. I can be a picky reader so, while I enjoyed the plot of book one, for pure preference sake I couldn't finish or complete the series. Still, I enjoyed many things about Eragon--cities, characters, plot twists
Eragon does have some swearing in it, and a few battle descriptions reach a grotesque level unsuitable for children. I would recommend this book only be read by the intended age group (12+). Though I may never read it again, solely because of my reading preference (not moral obligations), it's always worth a try. Give this book a chance and let me know what you think. If you have already read Eragon or the entire Inheritance Trilogy, I would love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to e-mail or comment.

My Ratings:

Violence Level: *** 

Romance Level: * (none in Eragon, but it sets the stage for romance in the next books)

Christian Focus: * (none)

Readability Level: *** (too sporadic for me)

Story Depth Level: ***

Recommendation: *** ( [shrug] meh, why not?)

For a more detailed explanation of the above ratings, go here!