Eragon: The Inheritance Cycle, Book 1
by Christopher Paolini
Fantasy, Young-Adult, Fiction, Dragons, Adventure, Magic, High-Fantasy
One boy… One dragon… A world of adventure. When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the winter. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon soon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself. Overnight his simple life is shattered, and he is thrust into a perilous new world of destiny, magic, and power. With only an ancient sword and the advice of an old storyteller for guidance, Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an Empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds. Can Eragon take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders? The fate of the Empire may rest in his hands.
Recommendations from Common Sense Media
Age Recommendation: 12+
What Parents Need to Know:
Parents need to know that Eragon is the first book in a four-part fantasy series called The Inheritance Cycle that first made waves due to the young age of its author, Christopher Paolini. Experiencing quick popularity, the book was soon turned into a feature film and video game. The idea that Paolini wrote the first draft of Eragon at 15 may inspire some young readers to try their own hand at writing. The story does feature gory violence, including beheadings, torture, and piles of dead bodies. Someone is called an “ass” once, and casually derogatory phrases are commonplace (“deformed beggars,” “the fat one,” “the bald man,” etc.). And the narrative is male-centric, with female characters falling into tired clichés. On the plus side, the immature main character, Eragon, grows over the course of the book thanks in large part to positive role models around him who teach him character strengths like self-control, perseverance, and the importance of teamwork.
Educational Value: n/a
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Positive Messages: 2/5
While the story’s events support the iffy notion that killing and murder may be necessary to vanquish evil, there’s also the clear message that teamwork and perseverance are winning strategies. Also, using self-control in the moment can mean bigger rewards down the line.
Positive Role Models: 3/5
Eragon is immature and impetuous and has a lot to learn, but he’s surrounded by great role models, such as his mentor Brom, who’s wise and powerful. Murtagh is a supportive friend. Saphira, Eragon’s dragon, is loyal. Arya sacrifices her own safety and well-being for the greater good.
Diverse Representations: 1/5
Two positive characters, one in a supporting and one in a minor role, have skin “the color of oiled ebony.” An elf with “midnight black hair” and “angled eyes” is described by Eragon as having an “exotic look.” All other characters are described with Euro-centric features (pale complexions, blond hair, etc.). Female stereotypes abound: They’re homemakers, healers, dead mothers, a fortune-telling witch, or an unhappy wife who “wants the usual: a good home, happy children.” That said, the dragon Saphira is female. And Arya has an important role as a mysterious, magic-wielding elf — though she spends most of the book as a love interest/damsel in distress who’s imprisoned, tortured, poisoned, and beaten before getting rescued (twice) and is unconscious for much of the story. Disabilities are naturally worked into the book’s world through facial differences, body scars, a dwarf in a positive (if clichéd) role. Casual ableism: Villains are “mad,” exhibit aspects of albinism (“very pale with red eyes”), are bald. Some disabled characters are pitiable, like beggars mentioned in passing who are blind or “deformed.”
Violence & Scariness: 4/5
Characters in a war-torn land hunt for food with bow and arrow; a ravaged town has “mountains of bodies,” including one that’s topped with a spear “impaling the white body of a baby.” A religious following is said to “drink human blood and make flesh offerings”; their priests lacking body parts that were sacrificed (not described in detail). Monsters called Urgals get the brunt of the gore: They’re beheaded, torn apart by dragon teeth, scalded by pitch, set aflame by magic, and have skulls cleaved open, “mixing brains with metal and bone.” But heroes get hurt, too — whipped, branded, tortured, poisoned, forcibly sedated, broken bones, skin torn off legs, minds invaded without consent, captured by villains, and someone is stabbed with a thrown knife. Two important characters die of injuries. Several of the heroes have dead and/or murdered parents in their backstories.
Sex, Romance & Nudity: 1/5
Passing mention of an earl having three mistresses. Eragon has a crush and admires Arya’s “shapely frame,” describing her as “beautiful” several times. Male teens remove their shirts to tend to injuries; one disrobes to take a bath (not explicit).
Language: 1/5
Someone is called “an ass.” Iffy character descriptions include “the fat one,” “the bald man,” “crazy,” “mad,” and “deformed beggars,” and someone is known as “The Cripple Who Is Whole.”
Products & Purchases: n/a
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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking: 2/5
A main character regularly smokes “cardus weed” out of a pipe, blowing smoke rings and large clouds. A minor character smokes once from a long-stemmed pipe. Main characters drink beer or mead a few times. One instance of next-day hangovers from alcohol.
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