My Reading Nook

This young man amazes me with the depth and complexity of his writings. I can only predict that he will get better and better as he matures and hits his writing peak.

Eldest is the second in the Inheritance Cycle trilogy and begins with a synopsis of Eragon which was the first book.

Our Rider, Eragon, having defeated the Urgals at Farthen Dùr which is home to the Dwarves, and suffering a wound from the Shade, Durza must now go to the elves in Ellesméra for training.

Meanwhile, we return to Eragon's home in Carvahall where his cousin Roran now becomes the focus of the Ra'zac who still seek Eragon and Saphira for the evil king Galbatorix's ends. After a prolonged battle with the entire village, Roran realizes that he must send the children and women into the Spine to keep them from the King's soldiers and the Ra'zac. His fiance is among those who are slated to go up into the hills, but a confrontation with her father where he disowns her for becoming secretly engaged to Roran delays her departure and sets up her capture by the Ra'zac. The villagers overwhelm the solders who retreat with Katrina and her father in the custody of the Ra'zac and Roran swears to follow them and rescue Katrina. Their retreat is not without penalty, however, as the Ra'zac swear to return and kill every villager and burn the village, so Roran convinces the majority of them to follow him to the Varden stronghold in Surda.

Mustering an entire villiage, what belongings are transportable, livestock and supplies to sustain them on their travels is a monumental task, but Roran is undettered by it. They make it to the port city of Narda where they  commission barges to take them further down the coast to Terim. There they find the Jeod, Brom's friend from Earagon who helps them steal a ship to take them to the Varden in Surda.

Meanwhile, Earagon is training with the elves and the rider know as Oromis who's dragon is crippled. He learns much about magic and swordplay, but it's not until the Agaetì Blödhren where the greivous scar he received in the fight with Durza that brings him to his knees is healed by the dragon tattooed on the two elven women's skin. This also accelerates the changes in his physical self that make him look more and more like an elf, give him a greater strength and stronger magic. His studies are not quite complete before he is summoned by a scrying to return to Surda to fight the massed soldiers of the Empire who seek to break the Varden and all their allies.

Roran and his villagers arrive at the battle just in time to throw themseves into the fray and help tip the outcome towards the Varden. Roran is responsible for the killing of the two strongest magicians that are with the King's army which also helped turn the tide, but our hero, Eragon is not yet finished with his battle.

When Earagon and Saphira are nearly spent from fighting the soldiers and the king's magicians, a new menace appears in the form of a Rider on a red Dragon. It is Murtagh who was believed to have been killed by the Urgalls in the battle at Farthen Dùr. Murtagh spares Earagon's life and so ends our story which will be picked up in the third and last book, Brisingr which was released this month.

Eldest by Christopher Paolini
Copyright 2005 by Alfred A Knopf
ISBN 978-0-375-92670-9