Eldest

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Template:Infobox Book Eldest is the title of the second book in the Inheritance Trilogy written by Christopher Paolini.

The story follows the continued adventures of Eragon and his dragon Saphira, centering around their journey to the realm of the Elves in order to further Eragon's training as a Dragon Rider.

The book includes a pronunciation guide, a glossary, and a synopsis of Eragon, the previous book in the series.

1 Critical reaction
2 Plot synopsis
3 Release versions
4 Publishers in other countries
5 Characters
6 List of chapters
7 External links

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Critical reaction

Critical reaction to the book was mixed. Children's Literature praised the intricate details, saying "[t]he linear plot unfolds one section at a time, like the layers of an onion, leaving the reader wanting to know more". KLIATT also enjoyed what they called "lush writing and close attention to detail". Kirkus Reviews, on the other hand, found the book exciting but derivative and overly detailed:

"Suffused with purple prose and faux-archaic language, this patchwork of dialogue, characters and concepts pulled whole cloth from the fantasy canon holds together remarkably well. Dramatic tension is maintained ... though too much time is spent on the details of Eragon's training. Derivative but exciting."

School Library Journal agreed that "there's nothing particularly original here".

Entertainment Weekly graded it a D+ and later awarded it the Worst Book of 2005.

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Plot synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The book begins with Ajihad's death, the disappearance of Murtagh and the Twins (they are captured and thrown into the Pit of Doom, supposedly dead), and the election of a new leader of the Varden - Nasuada, to whom Eragon swears fealty. Meanwhile, in Carvahall, Roran is being pursued by Galbatorix, who has sent the Ra'zacs and a unit of Imperial soldiers to capture him and thus lure Eragon out. After repelling many attacks, they manage to drive the army away, but Katrina, Roran's fianceé, is captured. They decide to leave Carvahall and travel to Surda. Roran hides his identity by calling himself "Stronghammer." By that time, Eragon has decided to go to Ellesméra to further pursue his training. After many adventures on the way, he comes to his destination and meets Islanzadí, the elven queen.

It is revealed that Arya is Islanzadí's daughter. Eragon is introduced to another Dragon Rider, Oromis, the Mourning Sage/The Cripple Who Is Whole, who shielded Eragon in the first book. Eragon and Saphira begin their training with Oromis and his dragon Glaedr. Eragon learns how to read and fluently speak the Ancient Language, as well to use various spells and magic skills. While Eragon's feelings for Arya increase, he continues to train under Oromis's wing and suffers repeated bouts of pain from the scar on his back. Nevertheless he and Saphira grow steadily more powerful. On a traditional elvish celebration day of the pact with the dragons, called the Blood-oath Celebration, or the Agaetí Blödhren in the ancient language, Eragon is healed of his wound and, as a gift from the dragons, gains the powers and appearance of an elf.

In the meantime, Nasuada has made a momentous decision and moved the Varden to Surda, and the threat of war with Galbatorix seems imminent. Upon hearing of this, Eragon immediately leaves for battle in Surda, but not before receiving gifts from Oromis and Islanzadi. During Eragon's travel to Surda, Roran meets Jeod Longshanks in Teirm.

Jeod, as a member of Varden, helps Roran lead his group of Carvahall villagers to Surda. Eragon arrives to find the situation poised on the edge of battle. The armies of the Varden, together with the army of Surda, camp on a plain opposite the vast armies of Galbatorix. Before the battle, four Kull offer to act as a bodyguard to Eragon during the fight. Angela the herbalist poisons the enemy's drinks and bread, killing many soldiers, and causing the officers to hallucinate. The battle begins, and Eragon is able to repel the opposing armies for some time with his new forces, but the tide soon turns. During the fighting, Roran arrives at Surda, and his group of villagers join themselves to the forces of the Varden. Then, with the appearance of the dwarves from the east, the situation changes again, until the appearance of an unknown Dragon Rider who kills Hrothgar, the dwarf king. Eragon faces off with him in both aerial and ground fights and ultimately unmasks his opponent, revealing Murtagh. Murtagh tells Eragon that the Twins had betrayed the Varden and taken him to Galbatorix. Galbatorix made Murtagh and Thorn, his red dragon, swear to try to capture Eragon; Galbatorix knows the true names of both Murtagh and his dragon, and thus is able to control them mentally. Murtagh also reveals that Galbatorix is working to save the dragon race by capturing Saphira and having her mate with the third dragon hatchling, still lying dormant in its egg. He and Thorn prove to be more powerful than the battle-weary Eragon and Saphira, while Murtagh displays the great and terrible potency of his magical prowess, using spells that would have killed a normal human. Murtagh decides to have mercy on them, but before leaving them, he reveals that Eragon was the youngest son of Morzan and Selena, and that therefore Murtagh is Eragon's elder brother. Murtagh takes Zar'roc away from Eragon, saying it should rightfully have been his, an inheritance from Morzan.

In the end, Galbatorix's army is routed, mainly because of the sudden entry of the dwarf troops. Eragon is then reunited with Roran, and he agrees to help Roran save Katrina from the clutches of the Ra'zac, which they believe to be in Helgrind.

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Release versions

Knopf is releasing a "deluxe edition" of Eldest in August 2006. This version includes art by the author.

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Publishers in other countries

Australia: Alfred A. Knopf
Canada: Alfred A. Knopf
China: ???
Czech Republic: Fragment Publishing House
Denmark: Sesam
France: Bayard Jeunesse
Germany: Bertelsmann
Netherlands: Publisher M
Indonesia: Gramedia Pustaka Utama
Italy: Fabbri Editors & Mondolibri
Japan: Random House Japan
Korea: ???
Portugal: Gailivro
Spain: Roca Editorial
Sweden: Bonnier Carlsen
United Kingdom: Doubleday
United States: Alfred A. Knopf

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Characters

Eragon
The sixteen-year-old main character of the book. Eragon is sent to Ellesméra, the capital of the elves, to continue his training as the new Rider. During the battle at the Burning Plains, he finds out that a dragon hatched for Murtagh. Murtagh reveals that they are brothers. Morzan and Selena are Eragon's and Murtagh's parents.

Saphira
Saphira is Eragon's dragon and the "beast" that had been inside of the blue 'stone'. She shares a special bond with Eragon.

Brom
An agent and founder of the Varden, Brom was once a skilled rider. He had a female dragon also named Saphira. He stole the dragon egg which contained Eragon's dragon, Saphira. He trained Eragon and died in the first book saving Eragon from the Ra'zac.

Arya
An elven agent of the Varden, nearly in service as long as Brom. She is the elf Eragon rescues in the first book (Eragon), and whom he falls in love with. She turns out to be the daughter of Queen Izlanzadi and princess of Ellesméra.

Nasuada
Daughter of Ajihad (see below), Nasuada is elected by the council of elders to become the new head of the Varden after her father was ambushed and killed by Urgals. The Urgals turned out to be under the control of The Twins.

Ajihad
Father of Nasuada (see above), Ajihad was the leader of the Varden for fifteen years before he was slaughtered by Urgals that were being controlled by The Twins a few days after the Battle of Farthen Dûr.

Morzan
The first and the last of the thirteen Forsworn. Also the father of Murtagh and Eragon. He was killed by Brom.

Murtagh
Murtagh is Morzan's son. He ran away from Galbatorix and rescued Eragon from the Ra'zac. After the battle of Farthen Dûr, Murtagh accompanied Ajihad underground, and was later captured by Urgals. He was believed to be dead, until Eragon ripped the helm off the red rider at the battle of the Burning Plains, discovering him to be Murtagh. It was Murtagh who revealed that Eragon was Morzan's younger son. Murtagh, with help from The Twins, found out that Eragon is his brother. Their parents are Selena and Morzan. Murtagh is the elder of the two.

Thorn
Thorn is the red dragon ridden by Murtagh. He hatched for Murtagh after Murtagh was taken to Galbatorix by the Twins. He is the second dragon to hatch of the three eggs that Galbatorix had captured, one of which was Saphira.

Galbatorix
King Galbatorix is the ruler of Alagaësia. He slaughtered the riders with the help of his captured and twisted dragon, Shruikan. He knows Murtagh's and Thorn's true names and hunts for Saphira so that he can breed her with one of the other two known dragons, who are both male, to restore the riders, or at least that's what he told Murtagh.

Oromis
Aside from Galbatorix, Oromis is the only remaining rider of old. He lives in a secluded area by Ellesméra and becomes Eragon's teacher in the arts of the riders, preparing him to fight Galbatorix. He is terminally ill and no longer has the strength to perform large amounts of magic.

Glaedr
Glaedr is the gold dragon who has bonded with Oromis. He is missing one leg and teaches Saphira while they are in Ellesméra. Saphira shows an interest in him during Eldest, but he quickly turns her away.

Roran
Roran is Eragon's cousin. He leads the villagers of Carvahall away across the Spine after they are attacked by the Ra'zac. He later joins the battle at the Burning Plains and kills both of the Twins.

The Twins
The Twins are two powerful bald magicians who worked with the Varden. Although they seemed suspicious and untrustworthy, the Varden needed them because of their higher magical power, as they lacked anyone with advanced experience in the Ancient Language. They are presumed to be killed, although at the end of the book, they reappear to slaughter their old allies. Roran takes a hammer to one of the Twin's heads, and finished the other, who lay defensless on the ground from the shock of his brother's death. The Twins were controlling the Urgals that killed Ajihad and captured Murtagh, and it appears they had been the Imperial spies the Varden were looking for. After severely punishing Murtagh in Urû-baen, they managed to extract the information from him that they needed to discover that Murtagh and Eragon shared the same biological mother and father.

Angela
Angela is a witch who uses herbs to perform magic. She resides with the Varden, accompanied by the werecat Solembum. Before the battle at the Burning Plains, she poisons many of the Empire's soldiers.

Elva
Elva is an orphan child of the Varden. Eragon had tried to bless her, but he accidentally used the words "May luck and happiness follow you and may you be a shield from misfortune" instead of "May luck and happiness follow you and may you be shielded from misfortune" because of his ignorance of the Ancient Language. She was also given a silvery star mark on her forehead by Saphira. Because of this, Elva learned to speak perfectly as an infant through her need to help the people around her; she can sense the pain of people around her and becomes physically ill if she does nothing to help. Because of her curse, she saved Nasuada from an assassin. Eragon promises to do what he can to undo the curse after the battle at the Burning Plains.

Ra'zac
The Ra'zac are powerful beings who are the natural predators of humans. They killed Roran's father Garrow and are now in pursuit of Roran. They are weak in sunlight, and have a fear for deep water.

Vanir
An elf that helps Eragon with his swordsmanship. He does not like Eragon because he thinks Eragon is a disgrace to the Riders because he is human, but realizes Eragon is worthy when the dragons give Eragon some elf abilities.

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List of chapters

Each chapter in the book deals with either Roran or Eragon, as they are now dual protagonists. Also some chapters describe Nasuada's plight as she is now leader of the Varden. Image:Alagaesia.jpg