August 13, 2008

Eragon Books

Rating:
Awards:
Author: Christopher Paolini
Narrator:
Category: Fiction
Publisher: Random House Audiobooks
Release Date:
Length:
Abridged

An Overview:
The Eragon books series, the latest blockbusters in the world of fantasy fiction are gaining popularity by the day.

Eragon is a 15-year-old farm boy whose destiny as a dragon rider has just been revealed. With his loyal dragon, an ancient sword and sage advice from a novel storyteller he begins to fulfill his destiny to save the Empire. Beautifully narrated, Eragon is a wonderful flight of fancy and a great story.

The book is filled with fantastic imagery, courageous battles and plenty of realism. It is a great read for fantasy lovers. If you are a Lord of the rings or a Harry Potter fan, this audiobook is sure to please. A New York Times Bestseller, A USA Today Bestseller, A Wall Street Journal Bestseller and a Book Sense Bestseller.

Check out the Eragon audio book series. If your kids are avid Harry Potter or Lord of The Rings fans, then they will definitely love the Inheritance trilogy by Christopher Paolini. The best part is that, like Potter and Tolkien, the adventures of Eragon are engrossing enough for adults as well.

The inheritance trilogy, which includes Eragon, Eldest, and a yet to be released final tome, takes us on an adventurous journey along with the novels’ protagonist, 15 year old Eragon. For people who do not have the time or the energy to go through these books, Eragon audio books are a very good option and have found great favor among audio book lovers.

The trilogy deals with the adventures of a young farm boy, Eragon, who lands up with a dragon’s egg in the mountains near his home. When Eragon’s dragon Saphira is born, he realizes that he has been chosen as the last of the brave Dragon Riders. He soon sets out on the quest to avenge his uncle’s death and realizes that he has been fated to play an important part in the destruction of the evil king Galbatorix.

Both the novels take us along with Eragon on his life’s journey as he learns about his fate and destiny and is schooled in the arts that shape him into a great warrior. Eragon learns about love, exile, politics, and the art of war as he leads a life full of adventure.

Tolkien, Anne McCaffrey and the likes, has heavily inspired Paolini’s characters and story. However, this does not take away from the beauty of the story that he narrates. The Eragon series is a good investment of time, whether you read it or listen to an audio version. You might even have to keep going back in order to keep a track of the numerous characters and places that the adventure series introduces you to.

The first book, Eragon, has already been adapted into a successful movie that was released last year, and Eragon audio book sales via downloads are making up a considerable percentage of total audio book sales. The story of Eragon has been narrated skillfully by Kerry Shale, who makes the characters come alive in such a manner that the book proves to be enjoyable fare for both kids and adults.

While both the books of the Eragon series have been appreciated and perused by adults, the fact remains that these are books written for kids. Fantasy audio books like Eragon fuel a child's imagination like nothing else. creatures like dwarves, elves and gnomes come to life in an audio book making for a much more entertaining and enjoyable experience for children.

Reviewed by Peter Markovic