I quite liked Ergon. I wouldn't say it was my favourite book ever, but I did quite enjoy it. Some of the characters annoyed me a bit. And I'm not a big fan of huge descriptions. But otherwise.
Eldest ... was not as entertaining. Actually I skipped a huge chunk near the end just so I could finish it sooner.
It was just ... ELVES??? NOOOOOOOO!!!! So Ergon isn't even human any more? Well, that sucks. So the humans don't techincally have a dragon rider? Jeez. The elves just get everything their way. Stupid elves. Think they're so special. *mutters about stupid elves*
And Murtagh!!! I liked him! In Ergon everyone suspected he was evil ... and then ... he was! I mean, it was predictable, but it was just ... why did everyone suspect his evilness if he was going to actually turn out to be evil? That was such a let down. It's like when the murderer in a Who Dun It mystery turns out to be the person the police suspected after all.
Yeah, well. I did still like Ergon. It's just Eldest that disappointed me.
Oh, you're angry! Click your pen.
--Music and Lyrics
Well, since you've already let out some spoilers (which people can skip over thanks to your warning), I think I'll comeent on them. For those of you who have not yet read the book, skip over this post as well.
Well, technically, Eragon isn't actually an elf. At least not completely. He's kind of a mix between a human and an elf. Half and half, more or less. And it was elves who started the dragon riders, so it makes sense they get the best part of the deal. The Elves still don't view him as an elf, he is simply a dragon rider, and still technically a human dragon rider, just with a few elven characteristics.
As to Murtagh, hold on just a moment. You remember the dialogue between the two don't you? If that's one of the parts you skipped over, you missed a lot. I mean, if he were evil, would he have let Eragon go and not taken him to the king as technically ordered? I think not. Go back over that part. The only obvious part for me there was the fact that the two were brothers.
Man, for being such highly praised and well doing books, they don't seem to have a lot of fans here on YWS. Ah well, everyone's entitled to their own opinion, and there are always going to be those who don't like something. At least people aren't afraid to voice those opinions. That's what I like about this site.
"In a fair fight I would have killed you."
"Well that's not much insentive for me to fight fair now is it?" (PotC: TCftBP)
I'm probably dead already, but that doesn't mean I can't take a few scumbags with me. ~Jak
Well ... ok. Still didn't like that book so much as the first one. It wasn't just those few points that turned me off it. It just ... wasn't as entertaining.
I guess there still could be changes in the plot involving Murtagh. But it still annoys me that he is apparently working for the bad guy, whether he turns out to be 100% evil or not.
But you won't get me to change my mind on the elves thing. I have a thing about elves. I don't think Ergon ought to have become even partly elf. And I would have been just as annoyed with it if he had become part dwarf. So it's not just that I have a thing about elves. I mean ... it was kind of like the point of it was that he was human, to me. He was learning, and he was getting things wrong, and basically he was just a moody human teenager (with a dragon). You have these great elves that can beat him oh so easily in fighting and magic, and I thought that was pretty good. But instead of that being a problem, it's just a swish of the magic wand and he's got the powers too.
Oh, you're angry! Click your pen.
--Music and Lyrics
I finished Eldest the day it came out and absoulutely loved it. I thought it was going to be like LOTR but it was nothing like it and i couldnt put it down. I just wish he would write the final book and publish it already so i could be done with the series. Too much waiting don't ya think? (FYI, the movie sooooooo isnt as good as the book.)
I actually liked these books. Though the story did seem to drag on half-way through in Eragon's point of view with his elf training. That plot-line was boring. When I was reading that part of the book, I couldn't wait to see what happened the Roran. His plot-line was much more interesting in the second book.
Ok. I've read both books, and I thought they were okay. As in, not absolutely mind blowing.
Why?
Too many clichés. Dragonriders, dwarves in mountains, mysterious elves, a farmer boy suddenly changing the fate of the world, Orcs- I mean Urgals... Etc. Plus miss mystery Sue, aka Arya, annoys me.
BUT.
Basically every fantasy novel uses some clichés. It's nearly unavoidable - If you don't use them, chances are it feels unfamiliar to your average fantasy enthusiast. The trick is making it good. And Paolini manages to make that mix work. I liked the magic system, for once something that seems to take an effort and make sense, not just fireballs after bolts of energy after waves of destruction. Plus the Roran sideline was an excellent move. Still don't like Arya though. Oh well.
Art is not about thinking something up. It is the opposite -- getting something down.
~Julia Cameron
I love these books. i have read htem each at least 10 times. My eragon copy is currently held together with rubberbands*stupid paperback obsessed parents*
I anjoyed the books tremndously, and cannot wait till the next comes out sometime iun september.
Twilight rocks!
New Moon rules!
Eclispe kicks butt!
In coclusion, Steaphine Meyer is a rocking, ruling, and kick butt authour!
That is the TRUTH!
sometimes i'm like "I should say something quotable to make it into the quote gen" but then I feel bad because quote gen quotes are very spontaneous — theromanticchemist
