Cheap Eldest (Inheritance, Book 2) (Book) (Christopher Paolini) Price

Surpassing its popular prequel Eragon, this second volume in the Inheritance trilogy shows growing maturity and skill on the part of its very young author, who was only seventeen when the first volume was published in 2003. The story is solidly in the tradition (some might say derivative) of the classic heroic quest fantasy, with the predictable cast of dwarves, elves, and dragons--but also including some imaginatively creepy creatures of evil.

The land of Alagaesia is suffering under the Empire of the wicked Galbatorix, and Eragon and his dragon Saphira, last of the Riders, are the only hope. But Eragon is young and has much to learn, and so he is sent off to the elven forest city of Ellesmera, where he and Saphira are tutored in magic, battle skills, and the ancient language by the wise former Rider Oromis and his elderly dragon Glaedr. Meanwhile, back at Carvahall, Eragon's home, his cousin Roran is the target of a siege by the hideous Ra'zac, and he must lead the villagers on a desperate escape over the mountains. The two narratives move toward a massive battle with the forces of Galbatorix, where Eragon learns a shocking secret about his parentage and commits himself to saving his people.

The sheer size of the novel, as well as its many characters, places with difficult names, and its use of imaginary languages make this a challenging read, even for experienced fantasy readers. It is essential to have the plot threads of the first volume well in mind before beginning--the publisher has provided not only a map, but a helpful synopsis of the first book and a much-needed Language Guide. But no obstacles will deter the many fans of Eragon from diving headfirst into this highly-awaited fantasy. (Ages 12 and up) --Patty Campbell

Meet Author Christopher Paolini
Christopher Paolini’s abiding love of fantasy and science fiction inspired him to begin writing his debut novel, Eragon, when he graduated from high school at age 15.

"Writing is the heart and soul of my being. It is the means through which I bring my stories to life. There is nothing like putting words on a page and knowing that they will summon certain emotions and reactions from the reader. In my writing, I strive for a lyrical beauty somewhere between Tolkien at his best and Seamus Heaney’s translation of Beowulf." --Christopher Paolini

Paolini talks more about the series, and about what inspires him in this video clip.
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The Eragon/Eldest Boxed Set

Want to learn more about the series? Check out our review of Eragon: Here's a great big fantasy that you can pull over your head like a comfy old sweater and disappear into for a whole weekend. Christopher Paolini began Eragon when he was just 15, and the book shows the influence of Tolkien, of course, but also Terry Brooks, Anne McCaffrey, and perhaps even Wagner in its traditional quest structure and the generally agreed-upon nature of dwarves, elves, dragons, and heroic warfare with magic swords. Read more

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Learn the Lingo
Our quickie pronunciation guide will help you get to know some of the names and places in the Inheritance series.

Ajihad

AH-zhi-hod

The Leader of the Varden

Argetlam	ARE-jet-lahm	Elven word to describe Dragon Riders meaning "silver hand"
Arya	AR-ee-uh	A powerful elf who is both beautiful and a master swordswoman
Eragon	EHR-uh-gahn	A Dragon Rider from Carvahall
Ra-zac	RAA-zack	Evil creatures
Saphira	suh-FEAR-uh	Eragon’s dragon

AUTHOR:	Christopher Paolini
CATEGORY:	Book
MANUFACTURER:	Knopf Books for Young Readers
ISBN:	037582670X
TYPE:	Action & Adventure - General, Animals - Mythical, Children's 12-Up - Fiction - Science Fiction, Children's Books - Young Adult Fiction, Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9), Dragons, Fantasy, Fiction, Juvenile Fiction, Science Fiction / Fantasy (Young Adult), Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic, Youths' writings, Juvenile Fiction / Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic
MEDIA:	Hardcover
# OF MEDIA:	1

Customer Reviews of Eldest (Inheritance, Book 2)

Interesting storyline
As a long time fan of Chinese fantasy books, I found it interesting that Eragon and Eldest also follows that tradition. Of cause I know that the author borrowed much of the elements from The Lord of the Rings. But who else didn't? <
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>The part of tedious journey and detailed descriptions of elf world can get you bored. However, even in the Lord of the Rings you can find that element. Excellent story teller wouldn't jump into careless action scenes. So don't complain too much for lack of any action. <
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>The sufferings of Eragon and his eventual transformation is in line with the typical Chinese fantasy nobles but still hilarious. <
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>As a reader we somehow identify with the main character and it's good to know that Eragon, a humble boy, is overcoming hardship and becoming everybody's hero. <
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>I greatly expect the final book of this wonderful series by such a young author. You should not forget that the great SF writer Asimov also started his first volume of Foundation just when he was 20. <
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I love the social commentary!
Great book! Engaging enough to finish in one day. I love what appears to be the social commentary throughout the book (i.e. critical thinking vs. superstition & the lack of appreciation for that which is too easily gained). A great read! The only thing I'm annoyed about is having to wait for book 3.

A Solid Sophmore effort, though I understand the negative review too
I just finished reading Eldest and thought I would state my 2 cents about the book. I personally enjoyed it, though, I can completely understand why so many didn't. <
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>First the bad: <
>-It was Very long and there was a lot of information that seems useless (though no one will know until the last book is out) <
>-Most of the book is about Eragon's training and there were some long droughts where it got boring. <
>-Though you may see this in the good too, the ending. I liked and disliked the ending, here is what I disliked: The main battle that the whole 700+ page book gears you up for is WAY too short!!! I am talking like 50 - 75 pages!!! Don't get me wrong, it was an excellent 50 - 75 pages but it did disappoint me a little, especially the outcome. <
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>Ok, now here is what I liked: <
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>-Rorans adventure was excellent!! I found myself hurrying through the chapters of Eragons training just to find out what happened to Roran and the people of Carvahall! So the book does have some action and adventure throughout it's just not Eragon's. <
>-Unlike so many, I believe Paolini has set himself up for an excellent third novel if he does things right. All series' have that one book or episode that is worse that the others b/c it's more about advancing the story than anything else. This, in my opinion was more about learning more in depth about the characters, especially the elves and Roran. It was a bit much but I feel he used this book to give us the base knowledge that will allow the last book to focus on the adventure itself(don't make me eat my words Paolini). <
>-Now, the part I liked about the ending. It has a twist that I kind of felt was going to happen all along but when it occurred I still had to lower the book and say "Aw Man!" to myself. Also, it leaves you hanging and wanting to read the third book to see what happens, that is always a positive when finishing a book. <
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>All in all, I liked the book. I feel that in the long run all the seemingly overdone detail and explanations provided in this book will very helpful in book 3. I could be wrong though I hope not. It wasn't that boring either, you had Rorans adventure and there were a few action scenes during Eragons training. One last thing, for all the people who claim he is a Tolkien rip off I have one question. How do you write a epic adventure with dwarves, elves, dragons, etc.. without borrowing ideas from Tolkien b/c he pretty much covered most everything!