Eragon (Inheritance, Book 1)
Mix two tablespoons of Lord of the Rings, add one teaspoon of Harry Potter and then a dash of Star Wars. Be sure to have a skilled, teenaged writer on hand to stir it all up nicely, and the result... Eragon.
Let me start off by saying that Eragon is a very good book.
Not only for teens, but for readers of all ages. Secondly, the fact that this book was written by a 15-year-old makes the reading even more pleasurable. There were countless times when I had to remind myself of the author's age, and whenever I did, I enjoyed the reminder. Eragon is eloquently written and certainly aspires to be more than young adult literature.
That being said, it's hard at this stage of the game to write an original piece of work without borrowing at times from popular culture. Having seen and/or read The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit (my personal favorite), Star Wars, and the Harry Potter works, it was fun imagining where some of Paolini's inspiration was derived from.
This book has all the required ingredients to make it a great fantasy novel: dragons, magic, swordfights, dwarves, elves, jawas, hobbits, suspense, drama, and even a little comedy. Okay, so there are no jawas or hobbits, but they would fit right in.
A great read for those who enjoy... a great read.
