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Eldest
(The Inheritance Cycle #2)
by
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 the skills of the Dragon Rider. Ages 12+.
Darkness falls…despair abounds…evil reigns…
Eragon and his drag ...more
Darkness falls…despair abounds…evil reigns…
Eragon and his drag ...more
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Paperback, 704 pages
Published
March 13th 2007
by Knopf Books for Young Readers
(first published August 23rd 2005)
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Community Reviews
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Start your review of Eldest (The Inheritance Cycle, #2)
Honestly, this book fueled 90% of my
dragon-obsession
over middle school.
(How obsessed you ask? Tshirts, posters, movies, figurines - if you could slap a dragon on it, I bought it (really not kidding)).
This series will always hold a special place in my heart.
He and Saphira are sent to the hidden lands of the elves, Ellesmera, to learn the secrets of the Dragon Riders. Bu ...more
(How obsessed you ask? Tshirts, posters, movies, figurines - if you could slap a dragon on it, I bought it (really not kidding)).
This series will always hold a special place in my heart.
Eragon, having survived the great battle, is saddled with a completely unexpected consequence - the Shade's Curse.
He and Saphira are sent to the hidden lands of the elves, Ellesmera, to learn the secrets of the Dragon Riders. Bu ...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Aug 02, 2007
Mita
rated it
did not like it
·
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
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
Slow for the first half but really picked up and actually got very very good!
All the twists and turns introduced have boggled my mind... time to move onto book three...
All the twists and turns introduced have boggled my mind... time to move onto book three...
Eldest (The Inheritance Cycle #2), Christopher Paolini
Eldest is the second novel in the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini and the sequel to Eragon. Eldest was first published in hardcover on August 23, 2005, and was released in paperback in September 2006.
Eldest begins following several important events in Eragon. The story is the continued adventures of Eragon and his dragon Saphira, centering on their journey to the realm of the Elves in order to further Eragon's training as a Dragon ...more
Eldest is the second novel in the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini and the sequel to Eragon. Eldest was first published in hardcover on August 23, 2005, and was released in paperback in September 2006.
Eldest begins following several important events in Eragon. The story is the continued adventures of Eragon and his dragon Saphira, centering on their journey to the realm of the Elves in order to further Eragon's training as a Dragon ...more
“The world is stretched thin, Eragon. Soon it will snap and madness will burst forth. What you feel is what we dragons feel and what the elves feel—the inexorable march of grim fate as the end of our age approaches. Weep for those who will die in the chaos that shall consume Alagaësia. And hope that we may win a brighter future by the strength of your sword and shield and my fangs and talons.”Well that was some ride! Amazing! First off thanks to my BR partners, Her Purpleness and Her Pinkyn ...more
The final battle sequence is somewhat short, I felt. And could have been more intense than it was but that’s a minor complaint. The writing overall is pretty great and so is the storyline. The twist at the end of the book is a nice one too! I knew it since I am re-reading but otherwise it’s pretty awesomely done and it is also nice to see Eragon being put down.
And the adventure continueeees!!!
Now let me tell you (gosh, I feel like a mother or father here about to teach their children :)): if you are an YA lover or a high fantasy lover you will like this one a lot. I know there's been a lot of talk regarding what should or shouldn't be included in the YA genre, but I think this fits there. Granted, in my opinion, this genre is made of two classes: the old YA and the new YA. And even if some may get upset, the old YA is much much much better than this n ...more
Now let me tell you (gosh, I feel like a mother or father here about to teach their children :)): if you are an YA lover or a high fantasy lover you will like this one a lot. I know there's been a lot of talk regarding what should or shouldn't be included in the YA genre, but I think this fits there. Granted, in my opinion, this genre is made of two classes: the old YA and the new YA. And even if some may get upset, the old YA is much much much better than this n ...more
4.5 stars!
Truly, I have nothing bad to say about this book. I liked every moment, was engaged, kept finding myself excited about the story. It did many fantasy elements well. I enjoyed the training portions, the shocking revelations, the magic system, seeing young love through a male protagonist's POV, and the fact that injury and disability in heroes during wartime was something that was represented. And DRAGONS. The dragon/rider relationship is my favorite part of this series.
Even though I enj ...more
Truly, I have nothing bad to say about this book. I liked every moment, was engaged, kept finding myself excited about the story. It did many fantasy elements well. I enjoyed the training portions, the shocking revelations, the magic system, seeing young love through a male protagonist's POV, and the fact that injury and disability in heroes during wartime was something that was represented. And DRAGONS. The dragon/rider relationship is my favorite part of this series.
Even though I enj ...more
Sep 21, 2007
Eric
rated it
it was amazing
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
Wonderful BR with my Heartsister Pinky and my favorite gentleman Sir Grumpy! What an excellent ride with Saphy 💜💜💜💜💜💜
“Live in the present, remember the past, and fear not the future, for it doesn't exist and never shall. There is only now.”
Eldest was overall better than Eragon. Especially because most of this book took place in Du Weldenvarden, the place where the Elves live and where Eragon receives his training. Here, I didn't have to worry about impending doom, death and traitors at every corner.
The annoying part, however, was Roran's chapters. Honestly, who cares about Eragon 2.0 minus dragon and superpowe ...more
Eldest was overall better than Eragon. Especially because most of this book took place in Du Weldenvarden, the place where the Elves live and where Eragon receives his training. Here, I didn't have to worry about impending doom, death and traitors at every corner.
The annoying part, however, was Roran's chapters. Honestly, who cares about Eragon 2.0 minus dragon and superpowe ...more
Mar 10, 2018
✨ A ✨
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy,
read-in-2019,
five-stars,
owned,
re-read-in-2019,
audiobook,
faves-ya-scifi-and-fantasy
Re-Read
SPOILERS FOR ERAGON (book 1) BELOW ⤵
We pick up exactly where book one left off. Eragon and Saphira have helped the Varden defeat the army of Urgal, where he was badly injured in his battle with Durza.
Eragon and Saphira are then sent to Ellesméra to receive their full Dragon Rider training with the elves and to perhaps find a way to heal himself from the wound Durza left him with.
Miles away, Roran has struggles of his own. Even though Eragon left Palancar Valley to protect the people of ...more
SPOILERS FOR ERAGON (book 1) BELOW ⤵
We pick up exactly where book one left off. Eragon and Saphira have helped the Varden defeat the army of Urgal, where he was badly injured in his battle with Durza.
Eragon and Saphira are then sent to Ellesméra to receive their full Dragon Rider training with the elves and to perhaps find a way to heal himself from the wound Durza left him with.
Miles away, Roran has struggles of his own. Even though Eragon left Palancar Valley to protect the people of ...more
Jan 31, 2008
Alena
rated it
did not like it
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.
Jul 16, 2007
Kerry (The Roaming Librarian) O'Donnell
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
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
This is about my millionth reread. I will never tire of this story or these characters.
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
“We are about to change history, said Saphira.
We’re throwing ourselves off a cliff without knowing how deep the water below is.
Ah, but what a glorious flight!
(Eragon to Saphira)”
― Christopher Paolini, Eldest
I try to express only my most honest opinion in a spoiler free way. If you feel anything in my review is a spoiler and is not already hidden in spoiler brackets please let me know. Thank you.
We’re throwing ourselves off a cliff without knowing how deep the water below is.
Ah, but what a glorious flight!
(Eragon to Saphira)”
― Christopher Paolini, Eldest
I try to express only my most honest opinion in a spoiler free way. If you feel anything in my review is a spoiler and is not already hidden in spoiler brackets please let me know. Thank you.
In the second book of The Inheritance Cycle series. The battle is won and the Shade is dead, but i
...more
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
Alright. Eragon was a great book. I mean GREAT. There was suspense, action, and a possible romance.
But this book just completely screwed everything up with the boring dialogue and the action less pages.
Yes, this is a very unpopular opinion, so no hate, ok?? :)
So as a person who was obsessed with this series at the time, I fortunately finished the book. Unfortunately, what exactly was this book about??
1.Eragon was a hopeless, romantic ditz that kept running after Arya. Like, dude, nobody wants to ...more
But this book just completely screwed everything up with the boring dialogue and the action less pages.
Yes, this is a very unpopular opinion, so no hate, ok?? :)
So as a person who was obsessed with this series at the time, I fortunately finished the book. Unfortunately, what exactly was this book about??
1.Eragon was a hopeless, romantic ditz that kept running after Arya. Like, dude, nobody wants to ...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
(Most of) the negative critics out there are true, but this doesn't make the story any less enjoyable.
...more
...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
“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
My rating for this is 3.5-stars.
This was a perfectly good book but it just didn't capture my attention in the same way that book 1 did; as you can probably gather by how long it has taken me to finish reading it.
I felt that this book was rather too long and drawn out, and I had begun to notice a great many ideas borrowed from other greats from the fantasy genre. That's quite hard to avoid doing these days, there are so many good fantasy authors out there.
I'm not a fan of authors who create the ...more
This was a perfectly good book but it just didn't capture my attention in the same way that book 1 did; as you can probably gather by how long it has taken me to finish reading it.
I felt that this book was rather too long and drawn out, and I had begun to notice a great many ideas borrowed from other greats from the fantasy genre. That's quite hard to avoid doing these days, there are so many good fantasy authors out there.
I'm not a fan of authors who create the ...more
This full review can be viewed on my blog along with others at: shesgoingbookcrazy.com
Buddy read with Maks
The battle against Galbatorix' army in the dwarvan mountain realm was only the cusp of the war looming ahead. Now that Eragon and Saphira's presence is becoming known across Alagaësia, enemies arise at every turn.
Strategy, politics, and duty threaten to delay Eragon's much n ...more
Buddy read with Maks
Understanding begets empathy and compassion, even for the meanest beggar in the meanest city of Alagaësia.
The battle against Galbatorix' army in the dwarvan mountain realm was only the cusp of the war looming ahead. Now that Eragon and Saphira's presence is becoming known across Alagaësia, enemies arise at every turn.
Strategy, politics, and duty threaten to delay Eragon's much n ...more
I thought the first half is a bit boring but then second half is a lot better than first half.
I agree with one review in this book "Will appeal to legions of readers who have been captivated by the Lord of the Rings trilogy." School Library Journal.
Roran is one of my favourite characters. ...more
I agree with one review in this book "Will appeal to legions of readers who have been captivated by the Lord of the Rings trilogy." School Library Journal.
Roran is one of my favourite characters. ...more
The writings of Eragon are the lamentations of readers...
NOTE: I listened to this on audiobook, so espect to find the names and places probably hideously misspelled. I would make an effort to correct the spelling if I cared.
Eragon and the Vardan have defeated Galbatorix’s forces at Farthen Dur. But Eragon’s journey has only begun. He must now travel to Ellesmera to learn the ways of the dragon riders from the Elves. Meanwhile, his cousin, Roran, must defend his home of Carvahall from the Raz’ac. ...more
NOTE: I listened to this on audiobook, so espect to find the names and places probably hideously misspelled. I would make an effort to correct the spelling if I cared.
Eragon and the Vardan have defeated Galbatorix’s forces at Farthen Dur. But Eragon’s journey has only begun. He must now travel to Ellesmera to learn the ways of the dragon riders from the Elves. Meanwhile, his cousin, Roran, must defend his home of Carvahall from the Raz’ac. ...more
The second book in the Inheritance series and again full of magic and adventure, more dragons, and more action everything better.
Reread
So I am re-reading the entire Inheritance cycle and I am glad for it because in more than 10 years since I read this series originally I had forgotten almost everything about it. Rereading this series is so much fun that I was able to read this 700+ pages book in little more than 3 days and that too with job and youtube and all. So while Eragon was yes derivativ ...more
Reread
So I am re-reading the entire Inheritance cycle and I am glad for it because in more than 10 years since I read this series originally I had forgotten almost everything about it. Rereading this series is so much fun that I was able to read this 700+ pages book in little more than 3 days and that too with job and youtube and all. So while Eragon was yes derivativ ...more
I really enjoyed Roran rising up to become his own man and learn all the lessons of being a dragon rider along with Eragon. The level of detail in this story is astounding and it takes a very special kind of writer to not only come up with a story like this but to be able to keep all the different plots moving along smoothly without leaving loose threads that savvy readers could unravel. Bravo!
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YA Buddy Readers'...: Eldest (The Inheritance Cycle #2) by Christopher Paolini - Restarting November 5th 2020 | 46 | 233 | Nov 10, 2020 12:43PM | |
| Fantasy Buddy Reads: Eldest [Apr 5, 2019] | 10 | 25 | Apr 06, 2019 08:44AM | |
| Eldest book review | 1 | 9 | Dec 14, 2018 09:01AM |
Readers also enjoyed
Christopher Paolini was born in Southern California and has lived most of his life in Paradise Valley, Montana. He published his first novel, Eragon, in 2003 at the age of nineteen, and quickly became a publishing phenomenon. His Inheritance Cycle—Eragon and its three sequels—have sold nearly 40 million copies worldwide.
To Sleep in a Sea of Stars
is his first adult novel.
Visit Paolini.net for ...more
Visit Paolini.net for ...more
Other books in the series
The Inheritance Cycle
(4 books)
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