May 2005
Eragon
by Christopher Paolini
The moon was shining through his window when he woke again. The
stone was rocking rapidly on the shelf, knocking against the wall.
It was bathed in cool moonlight that bleached its surface. Eragon
jumped out of bed, knife in hand. The motion stopped, but he remained
tense. Then the stone started squeaking and rocking faster than
ever.
With an oath, he began dressing. He did not care how valuable
the stone might be; he was going to take it far away and bury
it. The rocking stopped; the stone became quiet. It quivered,
then rolled forward and dropped onto the floor with a loud thump.
He inched toward the door in alarm as the stone wobbled toward
him.
Suddenly a crack appeared on the stone. Then another and another.
Transfixed, Eragon leaned forward, still holding the knife. At
the top of the stone, where all the cracks met, a small piece
wobbled, as if it were balanced on something, then rose and toppled
to the floor. After another series of squeaks, a small dark head
poked out of the hole, followed by a weirdly angled body. Eragon
gripped the knife tighter and held very still. Soon the creature
was all the way out of the stone. It stayed in place for a moment,
then skittered in the moonlight.
Eragon recoiled in shock. Standing in front of him, licking off
the membrane that encased it, was a dragon.
While game hunting, a teenage farm boy named Eragon finds a
mysterious and intriguing blue stone. This mesmerizing polished
stone is marked with curious white veins and before he can trade
it for food, it hatches a remarkable sapphire-blue dragon. This
species of dragon was thought to be long extinct. Eragon immediately
bonds with the hatchling and names her Saphira.
When the marauding Ra’zac kills his family, Eragon discovers
that he is the last of the legendary Dragon Riders. The Dragon
Riders are destined to play a pivotal part in the impending conflict
between the humans, dwarves, elves, and other allies versus the
evil Empire controlled by the malevolent King Galbatorix. Eragon
learns that the Empire's cruel and oppressive leader will stop
at nothing to get Eragon and Saphira to switch sides and fight
for him.
Training and traveling with his village’s esteemed storyteller,
Brom, the teen and fledging dragon learn to work together perfecting
the art of war as well as helping maintain the peace. During the
learning process they use a wide variety of traditional fighting
techniques that are coupled with powerful magical spells and incantations.
Eragon and his trusty dragon set out to discover their role in
the impending conflict, as they grow daily in magical power and
strength. They also learn the complexities of the political situation
that has gripped their land. Enduring perilous travels, sudden
battles, dire wounds, capture and escape, Eragon and Saphira develop
into a fighting team that brings hope to those seeking freedom
from the pervasive evil of King Galbatorix.
This synopsis was written by a San José Public Library
librarian
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