Paolini could be the next Tolkien...

I grew up reading Tolkien, Feist, and C.S. Lewis, the authors of the most tattered books on my shelf - the ones that have been read so many times that the pages are hanging on to the binding by a few strands of translucent glue. I never had much taste for other genres of fiction. The escape from the mundane, the hour or two in which everything outside the story disappears - bills, chores, your ugly boss - is very addictive.

One of my relatives (the only one who actually pays attention to my Christmas list) gave me "Eragon: Inheritance", the first volume of the trilogy. I'd heard about Paolini, probably the youngest successful author out there, and was eager to see of the book was as good as everyone said it was.

The story follows the standard epic fantasy / coming-of-age formula. Eragon, a teenage boy who lives with his uncle and nephew on a secluded farm outside of Carvahall, stumbles upon a dragon egg and discovers a magical world full of wonder and dangers he had never expected.

The Ra'Zac, nocturnal creatures that resemble something between a human and a bird, destroy his farm and murder his uncle after an unsuccessful search for the egg, and Eragon is launched into a quest for revenge. Accompanied by his loyal companion, a wise old story-teller named Brom, he leaves Carvahall on a wild chase after the Ra'Zac and begins his training as a Dragon Rider.

Eragon encounters many enemies during his travels. The Urgals (who have an uncanny likeness to Orcs) slaughter villages under the command of the Ra'Zac and a Shade named Durka (Shades are extremely powerful evil spirits that possess human bodies). But behind every evil in the Empire of Alagaesia is King Galbatorix, a Dragon Rider who betrayed the rest of his kind and took power by force.

But Eragon is not alone in his quest. Brom, who was once a Dragon-Rider himself, takes on the task of training the young rider. He teaches Eragon the ancient language of magic, and hones his combat skills. Murtagh, an outcast and an excellent swordsman, becomes a loyal friend, though he jealously guards his mysterious past.

Paolini creates a fantastic world of magic and a whirlpool of political strife that rivals Frank Herbert's "Dune". Eragon is forced to decide where he will place his loyalty, for every power in the Empire and beyond is trying to gain his service. He is the first of the last generation of Dragon Riders, and he must either join Galbatorix or fight against him.

Every character is well developed, even that of Eragon's dragon, Saphira. The vivid imagery pulls you into the story like an inescapable magnet, and I often found myself forgetting that Alagaesia is a fictional place.

This is a must read if you enjoyed the Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, or any of Raymond E. Feist's novels. Congrats to Chris Paolini for writing such a great story at such a young age. I'm eagerly awaiting the next book in the series, Eldest.