Eragon (503 pages) by the young Christopher Paolini will take you on an exhilarating, dangerous, and magical journey—a journey that will unveil his destiny as a Dragon Rider. This is Book 1 of the Inheritance Cycle and it’s highly readable. When I discovered that Paolini was only fifteen when he started writing the book, I was even more amazed. I loved what he has done with the characters and how each event unfolds.

Readers will be able to see Eragon’s progression from a brash young fifteen-year-old farm boy to a more mature sixteen-year-old warrior when the time comes for him to face the battle. His life turns upside down almost overnight. Throughout the story, Eragon’s curiosity serves him well even though most of the time he irritates his sage, Brom, as he barrages him with endless bout of questions on dragons and how certain things came into being. Brom initially masks himself as a storyteller but there is more to him than that. His true identity is slowly exposed as the story gains momentum.

Paolini did a great job in portraying the affection between Eragon and his she-dragon, Saphira. I almost could hear or imagine Saphira’s voice as she speaks with her Rider. It’s rather cute hearing her calling him “hatchling” or “little one.” With Saphira, Eragon’s magic is stronger.

Eragon’s adventure is also filled with tragedy causing the death of his loved ones. But not all is lost. He makes new friends along the way and learn many new things, including the ancient language to perform his magic. He even learns how to read.

There will be four books in the Inheritance Cycle series. Continuing on from here is its sequel, Eldest. I enjoyed Eragon and will definitely continue to read the series.