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29th out of 12,660 books
—
34,822 voters
Eldest (The Inheritance Cycle #2)
Darkness falls ...Despair abounds ...Evil reigns ...Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have just saved the rebel state from destruction by the mighty forces of King Galbatorix, cruel ruler of the Empire. Now Eragon must travel to Ellesmera, land of the elves, for further training in magic and swordsmanship, the vital skills of the Dragon Rider.
It is the journey of a lifetime...more
It is the journey of a lifetime...more
Paperback, 668 pages
Published
March 23rd 2007
by Knopf Books for Young Readers
(first published August 23rd 2005)
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Nov 10, 2012
Mita
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
nobody
Shelves:
read-in-2007,
fantasy
I hate Eragon, but I was intrigued to see if Paolini has improved, so I borrowed this book and attempted to read it.
I hate Eragon. I hate Eldest even more.
If Eragon is bad, it at least had a semblance of a traditional plot - the introduction, the buildup, the climax, and the teaser for the next chapter of the journey.
Eldest started off with a flat summary, then it went straight into a continuation from the previous story, and around 600 pages of exposition full of step-by-step miniscule details...more
I hate Eragon. I hate Eldest even more.
If Eragon is bad, it at least had a semblance of a traditional plot - the introduction, the buildup, the climax, and the teaser for the next chapter of the journey.
Eldest started off with a flat summary, then it went straight into a continuation from the previous story, and around 600 pages of exposition full of step-by-step miniscule details...more
Mar 25, 2013
Kerry
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
fantasy fans
Shelves:
fantasy,
ya-fiction
This second installment in the Inheritance Cycle was extremely surprising for me. I find it hard to be surprised by most book endings, and this one had a twist that I was not looking for, so when it jumped out at me, I was almost knocked out of my chair with shock. This book goes much deeper into the world of Alagaesia, its myths and history, and the characters become much more complex. I felt for Eragon as his attempts at romance are spurned, and watched carefully as his bond with Saphira deepe...more
Feb 09, 2008
Alena
rated it
1 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
someone trapped on a desert island with nothing else to read
Shelves:
young-adult
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Eldest, the second book in the inheritance trilogy by Christopher Paolini is disappointing largely because it's a long book in which very little happens. The narrative through most of the book switches back and forth between Eragon and Roran. Eragon is traveling across Alagaesia and eventually begins training as a dragon rider. As a result we get long swaths of exposition explaining every detail of Alagaesia and the philosophy of dragon riders. It's common in fat fantasies like the inheritance t...more
Remember what I said about the first book in this series? How it shows promise, is an interesting take, blah blah? Yeah, forget it all.
This was one of the biggest disappointments I've ever read. All of the promise and interest in the first story disappeared into a foul-smelling vapor within the first 2 chapters.
The author has obviously forgotten the character parameters he set for his own characters, namely Eragon. This story takes place at most 6-9 months after the end of the first book, in w...more
This was one of the biggest disappointments I've ever read. All of the promise and interest in the first story disappeared into a foul-smelling vapor within the first 2 chapters.
The author has obviously forgotten the character parameters he set for his own characters, namely Eragon. This story takes place at most 6-9 months after the end of the first book, in w...more
Oct 01, 2007
Eric
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Everyone...especially people who love dragons.
Ok thank you for continuing on from my Eragon review. Now remember step one from the last review yea ok we'll call it Step 5: Go to the store and buy Eldest...Ok now follow these steps. Step 6: I hope you've learned from your previous mistakes and set nonperishable snack foods withing reach as to keep reading while eating. Now get an empty 2 littter bottle don't worry..you'll figure it out. Finally get a drink that is pretty good a room temperature or if you just really like cold drinks be sure...more
May good fortune rule over you
Peace live in your heart
And the stars watch over you."
This book was quite amazing. The plot was good, the story made me gasped with amazement. Beautifully written. Although I found some sentences were really descriptive and drag through pages and pages.
I still don't like the elves somehow. They are too perfect.
But Roran's story was quite amazing.
And the title of the book - "Eldest" was really meaningful.
Better than the first book.
Peace live in your heart
And the stars watch over you."
This book was quite amazing. The plot was good, the story made me gasped with amazement. Beautifully written. Although I found some sentences were really descriptive and drag through pages and pages.
I still don't like the elves somehow. They are too perfect.
But Roran's story was quite amazing.
And the title of the book - "Eldest" was really meaningful.
Better than the first book.
I was very pleasantly surprised - Eldest laughs in the face of the so-called sophomore-slump curse.
While I liked Eragon enough to give it five stars despite the weird feeling that it was a mediation between Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, it was kind of slim in several places, character- and plot-wise.
Not so in Eldest. Finally, some real meat to the relationships between characters, the government of Alagaesia, and the drive toward battle. My empathy was tested every time I was irritated ov...more
While I liked Eragon enough to give it five stars despite the weird feeling that it was a mediation between Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, it was kind of slim in several places, character- and plot-wise.
Not so in Eldest. Finally, some real meat to the relationships between characters, the government of Alagaesia, and the drive toward battle. My empathy was tested every time I was irritated ov...more
“Eldest Book Review”
The book Eldest by Christopher Paolini is a book about a dragon and his rider. The two, intertwined by the magic of thought, journey through the land to Ellemera to study the arts of magic as he prepares to face off against the belligerent tyrant Galbatorix.
The book had many interesting twists and turns. Eragon, the rider, has always thought to be the last rider, excluding the king and his evil riders, know as the foresworn. But suddenly, Ormoris, an Elvin rider appears to...more
The book Eldest by Christopher Paolini is a book about a dragon and his rider. The two, intertwined by the magic of thought, journey through the land to Ellemera to study the arts of magic as he prepares to face off against the belligerent tyrant Galbatorix.
The book had many interesting twists and turns. Eragon, the rider, has always thought to be the last rider, excluding the king and his evil riders, know as the foresworn. But suddenly, Ormoris, an Elvin rider appears to...more
I was half expecting Eldest to be an improvement for Paolini, but what I expect never seems to be what I get.
Eldest was lengthy; too lengthy. What were easily 500 pages of adjective oriented action would have been fine at 30 pages tops. It seems as if Paolini is still aiming his novels towards the pre-teen to teen audience, something that paid off for him after making Eragon. It's a shame that strategy worked again.
Besides the one or two exciting twists and turns, the plot did not impress. The...more
Eldest was lengthy; too lengthy. What were easily 500 pages of adjective oriented action would have been fine at 30 pages tops. It seems as if Paolini is still aiming his novels towards the pre-teen to teen audience, something that paid off for him after making Eragon. It's a shame that strategy worked again.
Besides the one or two exciting twists and turns, the plot did not impress. The...more
SPOILER ALERT Again, same thing as Eragon. Paolini almost, almost comes into his own, until the very end, when the story finally collapses around Paolini. He makes the bad guy, Murtagh, Eragon's brother. Brothers fighting against each other. "You were my brother Anakin! I loved you!" Is that not all too familiar? I wonder if Murtagh will finally defeat Galbatorix by throwing him into a blue pit filled with electricity. Heck, everything else is parodied off of something else. I'll still read the...more
Okay, let me be straight about with my "three star" review: my rating is for the last sixth of the book (the climactic scene -- those who have read it know what I'm talking about). Everything else in this novel would only merit two stars from me at best (on a VERY, VERY GOOD DAY). (The Roran chapters would not even merit a star from me because I didn't just not like them; I hated them with a dragon's fiery passion.)
I respect Christopher Paolini as a writer, but I'm not a fan of lengthy descripti...more
I respect Christopher Paolini as a writer, but I'm not a fan of lengthy descripti...more
Apr 14, 2010
Hope
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
No one short of my worst enemy...
***Warning: this review contains spoilers, and I'm a little mad that this kind of lameness was a bestseller. I mean, REALLY?***
Okay, so...I was able to stand Eragon pretty well, but...Eldest just about killed me. I have to be honest, I only made it about halfway through, then I skimmed over the rest because I was getting ill.
I was able to skip pages of descriptions without missing any of the story.
Which brings me to my first complaint: THERE ARE WHOLE PAGES DEVOTED TO DESCRIBING A ROOM! -_-
Paoli...more
Okay, so...I was able to stand Eragon pretty well, but...Eldest just about killed me. I have to be honest, I only made it about halfway through, then I skimmed over the rest because I was getting ill.
I was able to skip pages of descriptions without missing any of the story.
Which brings me to my first complaint: THERE ARE WHOLE PAGES DEVOTED TO DESCRIBING A ROOM! -_-
Paoli...more
I try not to read sequels as they come out. With the exception of every Harry Potter book (yes, I attended three of the midnight release parties) and
Breaking Dawn
(which I bought two weeks after it was released), I wait until an entire trilogy, quartet or series are released in paperback before starting the first one. Like the Faerie Wars or the Derkholm books. I mean, I’m a Tamora Pierce junkie, but I'm still waiting to start the Terrier series.
(Note on paperback v. hardback – it’s a preferen...more
(Note on paperback v. hardback – it’s a preferen...more
Do Elves have pubic hair? Are Orc marriages performed with ceremonies? What is the life cycle of the giant birds the Nazgul ride? If questions like these have haunted you ever since you delved into the world of fantasy, look no further for your answers!
Eldest continues the saga started in Eragon by sending our plucky hero into the land of the Elves in order to complete his training as a Rider. There, we learn absolutely everything you (n)ever wanted to know about the Elves (think of it as though...more
Eldest continues the saga started in Eragon by sending our plucky hero into the land of the Elves in order to complete his training as a Rider. There, we learn absolutely everything you (n)ever wanted to know about the Elves (think of it as though...more
I had a lot of problems with this book when I read it. Okay, the Inheritance series is not the most original pairs of books in the bunch, but I at least managed to enjoy reading Eragon, and was interested enough to pick up this one.
There's a certain shallowness that comes out in this book that demonstrates clearly, Paolini's immaturity. Characters behave with teenage idealism and immaturity - particularly when it comes to romantic situations. It's not hard to tell what Paolini's political and re...more
There's a certain shallowness that comes out in this book that demonstrates clearly, Paolini's immaturity. Characters behave with teenage idealism and immaturity - particularly when it comes to romantic situations. It's not hard to tell what Paolini's political and re...more
This is crap. Paolini ditched almost all of Eragon's potential, spending his time in the land of elves who are smarter, more gorgeous, wiser, stronger, faster, longer-lived, better at magic, more hygenic, more tasteful, better at art, music, metalworking, and just generally better in every way than those poor, lowly humans. And. . .every man jack and woman girl of them is an atheist vegetarian! Yes, Paolini takes some clumsy but pervasive swipes against religion, demonstrating that he really doe...more
I went out and bought this pretty much right after it was released, because I assumed that with a few more years under his belt Paolini could have developed some real skills.
In short, no. He actually got worse, for me. While the first one had some pretty major faults, this one had just as sloppy writing and an even worse plot. It felt like a 200 page novel that was prolonged to be almost 800 pages, and the love story that dominated the plot was forced and just gag-worthy.
Boo to Christopher Paoli...more
In short, no. He actually got worse, for me. While the first one had some pretty major faults, this one had just as sloppy writing and an even worse plot. It felt like a 200 page novel that was prolonged to be almost 800 pages, and the love story that dominated the plot was forced and just gag-worthy.
Boo to Christopher Paoli...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
As previously noted I am a fan of this series. And yet at the same time I am a fan of literary masterpieces. How does a series that dips occasionally into overuse of fantasy cliche and borrows ideas from epic masterpieces break into my personal favourites shelf? Well read on and I shall explain.
The answer is simple. Despite all the petty flaws in the writing, the borrowing of ideas and occasional overuse of cliche Christopher Paolini succeeds in creating a living breathing world that is in no wa...more
The answer is simple. Despite all the petty flaws in the writing, the borrowing of ideas and occasional overuse of cliche Christopher Paolini succeeds in creating a living breathing world that is in no wa...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Apr 12, 2010
Nathan
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Fantasy enthusiasts, aspiring writers, patient readers
Shelves:
fantastic,
young-folks
Okay, so most of what I said about Eragon still applies... the main change here seems to be that the author has reduced the amount of action and plot events, and replaced them with exposition. This isn't completely horrible, as it's somewhat well done, but having done it at all really just resulted in hundreds of pages where very little actually happens, while the author fleshes out the setting and history of the world through lessons with Oromis, casual conversations with Arya, informational mo...more
Liked it in line with Eragon. I am hooked on this series and will see it through to the finish! This is my first series like this ( Elf, dragon, magic) and I am warming to it. Good read.
It's been a while since I read Eragon, but I remember enjoying it quite a bit, so I was really looking forward to Eldest. And I think I would have enjoyed it if it'd been 400 pages instead of 650 or so. But as it stands, there's just not enough plot to carry the length of this book.
It felt a *whole* lot like Paolini opened a word blender and dumped in equal amounts of LOTRO and Star Wars and added a pinch of Pern and hit the BLEND button. And that still would have been OK except he got a huge cl...more
It felt a *whole* lot like Paolini opened a word blender and dumped in equal amounts of LOTRO and Star Wars and added a pinch of Pern and hit the BLEND button. And that still would have been OK except he got a huge cl...more
I had high expectations for 'Eldest' because I loved 'Eragon'. And I was disappointed a little bit. I hope this volume is only a derailment. I can’t believe that you get such a sequel after the first volume.
The beginning of the book is boring. The long journey to Ellesmera is necessary, but I was hardly able to finish reading it. Then there is a big WOW: Oromis and Glaedr. I couldn’t wipe the grin off my face, but it lasted only until the first half of the next chapter. Sadly, then the story goe...more
The beginning of the book is boring. The long journey to Ellesmera is necessary, but I was hardly able to finish reading it. Then there is a big WOW: Oromis and Glaedr. I couldn’t wipe the grin off my face, but it lasted only until the first half of the next chapter. Sadly, then the story goe...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Eldest is a great book that keeps you in suspense throughout the whole book. It tells the story of the new lives of Eragon and his older cousin Roran after the devastating events that happen during the first book Eragon. Paolini jumps back and forth between characters to show their feelings about each event that occurs to them. Eragon is traveling trying to learn about himself as well as the other cultures of the other races that were kept from him by the corrupt Emperor Galbotorix. While on hi...more
There’s just something about this series that makes me froth at the mouth in anger. I know this is completely unfair, but I think it’s because of the author. I mean really, this kid got where he is because his family owns a publishing company, and thinks Eragon is some kind of masterpiece. Look, I like writing, and one day I hope to be published, but I’m not so arrogant to think I was worthy of praise at fifteen with my pathetic attempt at an epic fantasy.
Every time I read even a paragraph of a...more
Every time I read even a paragraph of a...more
Apr 22, 2012
Ren
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
High fantasy fans
Shelves:
fantasy,
all-age-can-read-this,
ass-kick-heroine,
dragon,
had-translated,
5-stars,
borrowed,
reviewed
Jadi teringat perjuangan buat baca Eldest ini.
Dulu pas mau baca lanjutannya Eragon, ternyata baru aja masih fresh dari oven. Akhirnya setiap hati kerjaannya nerorin yang punya perpustakaan. Dialognya kira - kira gini :
Aku : Mas, Eldestnya sudah ada belum?
Mas Penjaga Perpustakaan (disingkat MPP) : Masih dipinjem tuh.
Aku : Terus aku kapan nih?
MPP : Dua kali giliran antri deh. Seminggu lagi balik yah
Akhirnya pulang, sedih gw :((...
Seminggu lagi..
Aku : Mas, Eldestnya?
MPP : masih dipinjem tuh.
Aku :...more
Dulu pas mau baca lanjutannya Eragon, ternyata baru aja masih fresh dari oven. Akhirnya setiap hati kerjaannya nerorin yang punya perpustakaan. Dialognya kira - kira gini :
Aku : Mas, Eldestnya sudah ada belum?
Mas Penjaga Perpustakaan (disingkat MPP) : Masih dipinjem tuh.
Aku : Terus aku kapan nih?
MPP : Dua kali giliran antri deh. Seminggu lagi balik yah
Akhirnya pulang, sedih gw :((...
Seminggu lagi..
Aku : Mas, Eldestnya?
MPP : masih dipinjem tuh.
Aku :...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alagaësia: Eldest Discussion | 1 | 1 | May 15, 2013 07:13pm | |
| =.= I know you guys know, but I couldn't bear it anymore.. | 41 | 284 | May 04, 2013 07:06am | |
| nobody really likes this book, but i do. opinion? | 47 | 175 | May 03, 2013 01:26pm | |
| The Dragon's Lair: Eldest | 1 | 1 | Apr 20, 2013 12:14pm | |
| Melodramatic, purple prose, simply plain bad writing? | 6 | 64 | Feb 27, 2013 04:00am |
Christopher Paolini was raised in the Paradise Valley, Montana area. His family members include his parents, Kenneth Paolini and Talita Hodgkinson, and his sister, Angela Paolini. Home schooled for the duration of his education, Paolini graduated from high school at the age of 15 through a set of accredited correspondence courses from American School of Correspondence in Lansing, Illinois. Followi...more
More about Christopher Paolini...
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“Live in the present, remember the past, and fear not the future, for it doesn't exist and never shall. There is only now.”
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“Wise? No, I simply learned to think.”
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