The Inheritance Cycle

Inheritance Trilogy

File:Eragon.jpg File:Eldest-usa.jpg Cover art of the two released books, Eragon and Eldest
Author	Christopher Paolini
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre	Children's literature, Fantasy
Publisher	Alfred A. Knopf
Publication date	August 26, 2003

The Inheritance Trilogy is a series of high fantasy books written by American author Christopher Paolini that have sold more than 8 million copies worldwide [1] [2].

As of 2007, two of these three books have been published: Eragon (2003) and Eldest (2005). The third and concluding novel in the trilogy is still being written. The name of Book 3 has been selected but has not yet been released. Both Eragon and Eldest were New York Times bestsellers. In 2006 Eragon was adapted into a major motion picture of the same name.

Set in the fictional world of Alagaësia, the trilogy focuses on a 15-year-old boy named Eragon and his dragon Saphira as they try to bring back the Dragon Riders, a legendary group of people who governed the land upon mighty dragons. Along their way, Eragon and Saphira meet a whole cast of characters as they pass through Alagaësia, always on the run from the threat of King Galbatorix, who destroyed the Dragon Riders and claimed the crown.

Writing and publication history

Christopher Paolini, the author of the Inheritance Trilogy, was home schooled by his parents. He graduated high school at the age of fifteen. Feeling that he was not mature enough for college at the time, he wrote the book, Eragon in his spare time. After spending the first year writing what would be the first draft of Eragon, he spent a second year rewriting it and fleshing out the story and characters. After this second year, he presented the book to his parents, who had it self-published by the family publishing company, Paolini International, LLC, when he was nineteen. Paolini traveled around to various schools advertising his novel. By chance, the book was discovered by Alfred A. Knopf and was republished under Knopf in 2002. With Knopf as the publisher, Eragon became a success and a New York Times Bestseller.

Eldest was released as a hardcover edition in August 2005. A limited edition, featuring extras such as a brief history of Alagaesia, a double-sided poster featuring Brom's ring & Glaedr, and a sneak peek of Book III was released in September 2006. A paperback edition was released in March of 2007.

The third book has a confirmed name, but it is yet to be released to the public and media. The deluxe edition of Eldest had an excerpt from the third chapter of the third book.

Synopsis

Background Synopsis

In the fictional land of Alagaësia (where the trilogy takes place), there was once an organization of people who governed the country and brought peace to the world. This group was known as the Dragon Riders– in the Ancient Language, Shur'tugal– for they rode dragons, with which they had a great bond. One Dragon Rider named Galbatorix had his dragon slain by the troll-like Urgals. Denied another dragon by the council, Galbatorix was driven into madness and sought to destroy the Dragon Riders. He stole a black dragon, whom he named Shruikan. He forced Shruikan to do his bidding, and, finally, with his dragon and the Thirteen Forsworn, Riders-turned-traitors and the thirteen followers of Galbatorix, he destroyed the Riders and their dragons. Since then, he has ruled Alagaësia as king.

Synopsis of Eragon

Main article: Eragon

Eragon, a brown-haired 15-year-old farmboy and the main character of the trilogy, is shocked when a polished blue stone appears before him while he is hunting in the range of mountains near his village, known as "The Spine." Eragon takes the stone back to his uncle's farm near the village of Carvahall, where he lives with his cousin Roran, as well as his uncle, Garrow. Garrow and his late wife, Marian, raised Eragon, and very little is known of his parentage, save that his mother was named Selena, and has not been seen since shortly after Eragon's birth. Eragon keeps the stone, hoping that it will perhaps sell for enough money to feed hiss family for the winter. He is shocked when the stone turns out to be an egg, hatching to reveal a baby dragon, which answeres to the name of Saphira. Eragon is now the sole bearer of the ancient responsibility of the Dragon Riders, or Shur'tugal.

Eragon and Saphira are able to spend a short time together, during which Saphira grows in size and mental ability. Shortly after, Eragon's home is attacked by creatures called Ra'zac. Garrow dies as a result of wounds sustained during the attack. Eragon and a mysterious old storyteller named Brom escape with Saphira, and embark on a quest to find the Ra'zac and avenge Garrow's death. Brom teaches Eragon how to fight with a sword and use magic (or gramaraye, as it is properly called). During their journey, they visit the seaside city of Teirm. Here, Eragon has his fortune told by an herbalist named Angela, and two prophetic pieces of advice are given to him by the werecat, Solembum. Unfortunately, a turn of events causes them to be unable to journey to the Ra'zac's base near the city of Dras-Leona for quite some time. While searching for them there, Eragon and Brom are ambushed by the Ra'zac. A young man named Murtagh, later revealed to be the son of Morzan rescues them, becoming Eragon's ally. Brom is fatally wounded in the attack by the Ra'zac; in his final words, he reveals that he was a Dragon Rider before the Fall and that he is an agent for the Varden. He also tells Eragon seven special words from the Ancient Language, but neither the words nor their meanings have been revealed.

Shortly afterwards, Eragon is captured and taken to prison. Murtagh comes to his rescue, and, whilst pulling off an escape from Gil'ead, the duo also manage to rescue a beautiful female elf named Arya, who has been poisoned. They travel many leagues over the Hadarac Desert to find the antidote for her. They are taken in by the Varden, and Eragon is tested by the smarmy, bald-pated Twins. They ask him to perform an act of magic that is impossible at his skill level, but Arya intervenes in time to stop them from killing him. Arya then challenges Eragon to a duel, to test him. As Arya is an elf, she defeats Eragon, but quietly informs him that he passed the test.

The forces of Galbatorix attack the Varden's hideout, and during the battle that follows, Eragon kills a Shade named Durza, suffering a terrible wound which will cause him endless grief during the next book. Whilst he is immersed in a healing sleep, he converses mentally with a being who calls himself Oromis, "Togira Ikonoka", or "The Cripple Who is Whole". He also calls himself "The Mourning Sage", which in the Ancient Language is Osthato Chetowä. When he awakes, he decides to go with Arya and complete his training with the elves, following advice from the Mourning Sage.

Synopsis of Eldest

Main article: Eldest

Following the battle of Farthen Dur, Ajihad, leader of the Varden, is killed in a sudden surprise attack by Urgals. Murtagh and the Twins disappear during the attack, and are presumed dead. After swearing fealty to Nasuada, Ajihad's daughter and new leader of the Varden, Eragon then sets out on his journey to Ellesmera, the Elf capitol, accompanied by Orik.

Much of the book is devoted to Eragon's training with the ancient Dragon Rider, Oromis, and his unsuccessful attempts at wooing Arya, who is dedicated to her mission and considers his feelings misplaced. The spirits of the dragons heal Eragon's scar in a ceremony called the Agaeti Blodhren. Eragon wakes up the next day with elven qualities that make him much stronger and more agile. While this is going on, Roran returns to Carvahall after learning of his father's death, and discovers that he is wanted by Galbatorix. Consequently, his presence is endangering the entire town, which has come under attack by the Ra'zac. He convinces most of the villagers to follow him in an attempt to reach sanctuary in Surda. Before they can make good their escape, however, Roran's fiancée Katrina is captured by the Ra'zac. Forced to leave without her, Roran and company join up with Jeod at Teirm and set sail in pirated ships for the southern coast.

Eragon returns to the Varden to help them in the approaching battle against Galbatorix's army. Thanks to the timely arrival of Roran, Jeod, and the villagers, the battle is a victory for the Varden. During the battle, Murtagh resurfaces alive, riding Thorn, the second dragon hatched of the three eggs. He reveals that he is now Morzan's successor as Galbatorix's second-in-command. Murtagh and Eragon begin to fight, and Eragon is defeated, but he manages to convince Murtagh to let him go. Eragon offers to kill Murtagh and his dragon for the sake of helping the people under the rule of their king, Galbatorix, but Murtagh refuses it because he loves his newfound power. Eragon loses because he has lost too much energy in the battle before and was not expecting another Dragon Rider to come this late in the game. Murtagh then reveals that they are, in fact, brothers, Morzan being the father of both. He relieves Eragon of the sword Zar'roc, claiming it as his inheritance. The book ends with Eragon promising to accompany Roran and free Katrina.

The Universe of Alagaësia

The World

Main article: Alagaësia

• Alagaësia - Fictional continent where the story takes place
• Du Weldenvarden - A vast forest in Northern Alagaesia. Home to the elves, it literally means "The Guarding Forest" in the Ancient Language
• The Empire - The country ruled by the mad King Galbatorix
• Surda - The land of the resistance to The Empire, it lies far to the south.

Alagaësia

• Beor Mountains - The mountains, underneath which the dwarven cities and tunnels lie.
• Carvahall - The small village where Eragon was raised by his Uncle Garrow.
• Dras-Leona - A large city on the eastern shore of Leona Lake, located near Helgrind
• Farthen Dûr - A huge, hollow, almost impregnable mountain where the dwarf city Tronjheim is located, and where the Varden are hiding from the Empire.
• Gil'ead - The barracks for Galbatorix's troops. Also where Arya was sent when the shade Durza captured her.
• Hadarac Desert - The vast desert in the center of Alagaësia, that Eragon and Murtagh crossed to reach the Beor Mountains.
• Helgrind - A strange formation next to the city of Dras-Leona that is home to the Ra'zac.
• Palancar Valley - Location of Carvahall and Therinsford. Located in northwestern Alagaësia, is surrounded by the Spine to the west, and the Anora River to the east.
• The Spine - A mountain range that runs most of the vertical span of The Empire, along the western coast. A mysterious place that many people are very afraid of. The hiding place Eragon chooses for Saphira in the first book.
• Urû'baen - The capital city of the Empite.

Du Weldenvarden

• Ceris - An elven outpost on the Edda River
• Ellesméra - The hidden capital city of the elves.
• Gaena River - The river that flows from Du Weldenvarden
• Síthrim - A city within Du Weldenvarden, also the first place where Eragon first hears the Dagshelgr Invocation.

Surda

• Aberon - The capital city of Surda

Characters and Creatures

Main article: List of characters in the Inheritance Trilogy

• Ajihad - Leader of the Varden until his death in Eldest.
• Angela - Witch/herbalist who helps Eragon. Solembum (see below) is a constant companion of Angela.
• Arya - The Elven princess rescued by Eragon, for whom he develops an infatuation. Until she was ambushed and captured by Durza, she acted as a courier for Saphira's egg, carrying it between the elves and the Varden.
• Brom - Former Dragon Rider and Eragon's mentor. Thinks the King has much to answer for. Has defeated many of the thirteen Forsworn, a group of Dragon Riders who betrayed their order and helped Galbatorix make himself king. He dies in the first book.
• Blagden - A raven that once saved Arya's father's (King Evandar) life. Now blessed with long life and knowledge, the bird turned white and gained the limited ability to see into the future.
• Dragon riders- One-time keepers of the peace in Alagaësia. They are called Shur'tugal in the Ancient Language
• Durza - A "Shade"-- Once a normal person who lost control of his mind when spirits entered his body. His human name was Carsaib. He was defeated by Eragon, but wounded him severely.
• Eragon - The protagonist. His quest begins when he finds a dragon egg during a hunting trip. He gradually learns how to fight, use magic and read.
• Elva - A little girl that Eragon accidentally curses. Her forehead is marked by Saphira. She is able to "shield" others from danger by foreseeing and taking it herself. Becomes Nasuada's protector.
• Galbatorix - The evil king of the Empire; a Dragon Rider.
• Glaedr - Oromis's golden dragon. One of, if not the, last dragons of the old Dragon Riders
• Hrothgar- Dwarf king who is one of the wisest in the books. Is killed by Murtagh on the Burning Plains.
• Islanzadí - Queen of the elves, and Du Weldenvarden. Arya's mother.
• Jeod - Brom's friend in Teirm who helped Brom steal Saphira's egg. Helps Roran flee to Surda with the others from Carvahall.
• Katrina - Roran's fiance. She gets kidnapped by the Ra'zac.
• Kull - Elite urgals, who possess even more strength than the former.
• Maud - A white werecat living among the elves. Also known as The Watcher, Quickpaw, and The Dream Dancer.
• Murtagh - The son of Morzan, the most powerful of the thirteen Forsworn, and Eragon's older brother. Rescues Eragon and takes him to Farthen Dûr. Later becomes a Rider who is forced to pledge allegiance in the ancient language to Galbatorix.
• Nasuada - Daughter of Ajihad and leader of the Varden after Ajihad dies.
• Orik - Nephew of Hrothgar and Eragon's companion/personal guide in Farthen Dûr.
• Oromis - The last of the Dragon Riders of eld. He is an elf, hiding in Du Weldenvarden, and is Eragon's second teacher.
• Ra'zac - Evil creatures who prey on humans; They are the servants of King Galbatorix who help the King find Riders and dragon eggs.
• Roran - Eragon's cousin, and revolutionary leader of Carvahall. Meets Eragon again in Surda at the end of Eldest.
• Saphira - Eragon's blue dragon, also name of Brom's dragon.
• Shruikan - Galbatorix's black dragon. Shruikan was originally the dragon of another Rider, but was twisted to serve Galbatorix by black magic.
• Sloan - Carvahall's butcher, father of Katrina.
• Solembum - The werecat that chooses to travel with the herbalist, Angela.
• Thorn - Murtagh's red dragon.
• Urgals - A tribal race of creatures with orc-like qualities; fought against the other races for many years, later to be betrayed and enslaved by Galbatorix and Durza. Released by Eragon with the death of Durza. At the battle on the Burning Plains in 'Eldest', they become the allies of the Varden.
• Varden - A group of rebels against the Empire and King Galbatorix who fight for freedom for the people of the Empire.
• Mysterious Green Dragon - Paolini has said that a green dragon will be portrayed in his next book.

Critical response

Numerous critics have cited the books for their derivative nature. The two most commonly discussed sources are Star Wars (due to a strikingly similar plot) and The Lord of the Rings (due to the setting, elven and dwarven races, the language and character names). Even many positive reviews note that the work pulls strongly from the conventions of fantasy, in character, dialogue and concepts.

School Library Journal's review of Eragon was positive, yet lukewarm, noting that it compares unfavorably to Tolkien and is overly simplistic in its resolution of plot issues. The Journal's review of Eldest was more negative, noting the book drew heavily upon fantasy conventions and the work of Tolkien (The Lord of the Rings), Anne McCaffrey (Dragonriders of Pern), and George Lucas (Star Wars), but still thought it would find reception among fans despite its lack of originality.

Common Sense Media, a family-friendly review site, called Eragon's dialogue long-winded and clichéd, with a plot "straight out of Star Wars by way of The Lord of the Rings, with bits of other great fantasies thrown in here and there." The website did concede that the book is a notable achievement for such a young author, and it would be appreciated by younger fans." USAToday also alleged strong echoes of Star Wars in Eragon's plot, while Entertainment Weekly writes that the plot closely resembles that of the original The Lord of the Rings saga; in addition, Entertainment Weekly named Eldest the "Worst Book of 2005".

Adaptations

On December 15, 2006, a film adaptation of Eragon was released. The movie, starring Ed Speleers, Jeremy Irons, and John Malkovich, was produced by 20th Century Fox. Stefen Fangmeier, a first time director, made his directing debut by directing Eragon. The screenplay was written by Peter Buchman. Principal photography for the film took place in Hungary and Slovakia. The film did not do so well in the box office as predicted, coming in at #235 in the all time world wide box office chart. A DVD of the movie was released March 20, 2007.

There is a possibility that Eragon's sequel, Eldest, will be made into a film. Many critics have considered the possibility of a sequel in their reviews of Eragon. One critic said that 20th Century Fox's plans to adapt Eldest was "jumping the gun" and that "they will have a tough time convincing anyone but the most die-hard fans to return for another helping." Even some critics who gave the film positive reviews were skeptical towards the possibility of a sequel: "That the studio hopes to build a franchise on this, now that—that is expecting way too much."

See also

• Category:Inheritance Trilogy
• Category:Inheritance Trilogy characters
• Category:Inheritance Trilogy locations
• Magic (Inheritance)

External links

Official

• Official Inheritance Trilogy website
• Eragon page, from Random House

Interviews

• Video clip from Amazon.com
• Recorded audio of interview with Christopher Paolini, from "Bill Thompson's Eye On Books"
• Recorded audio of interview with Christopher Paolini, from Homeschool.com
• "Philip Pullman, Tamora Pierce, and Christopher Paolini Talk Fantasy Fiction", from Powell's books