Eragon

By: Christopher Paolini

Narrated by: Gerard Doyle

Length: 16 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's Summary

Don’t miss the latest book from the author of Eragon: The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm: Tales from Alagaësia! 

Perfect for fans of Lord of the Rings, the New York Times best-selling Inheritance Cycle about the dragon rider Eragon has sold more than 35 million copies and is an international fantasy sensation.

Fifteen-year-old Eragon believes he is merely a poor farm boy - until his destiny as a Dragon Rider is revealed. Gifted with only an ancient sword, a loyal dragon, and sage advice from an old storyteller, Eragon is soon swept into a dangerous tapestry of magic, glory, and power. Now, his choices could save - or destroy - the empire.

“An authentic work of great talent.” (The New York Times Book Review)

“Christopher Paolini make[s] literary magic with his precocious debut.” (People) 

“Unusual, powerful, fresh, and fluid.” (Booklist, starred)

“An auspicious beginning to both career and series.” (Publishers Weekly)

A New York Times best seller.

A USA Today best seller.

A Wall Street Journal best seller.

A Book Sense best seller.

©2003 Christopher Paolini (P)2002 Random House, Inc., Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic Reviews

"It's an impressive start to a writing career that's sure to flourish." (Booklist)

"Doyle's range of accents is perfect for the multiple characters of this epic....On paper Eragon is a sprawling fantasy, filled with obvious nods to Tolkien and too many convenient plot devices. But on audio, it fills the ears with vivid characters, witty dialogue, and nail-biting battle scenes set in a magical world where a beautiful blue dragon and her rider are at the noble center of it all." (AudioFile) 

"An impressive epic fantasy." (Publishers Weekly) 

narrator ruined it

I couldn't even finish listening to the first chapter. I have read/listened to this whole series before a nd know that it's excellent...but the narrator simply read it...and too fast...and did not "tell the story"

17 people found this helpful

How to Tell If this Book is For You In 2 Easy Ques

To determine if you should read this series, answer these two questions. (1) Do you like traditional fantasy? The kind that might have a noble death but not the kind full of gang rapes and torture. This kind has farm boys with heroic destinies. (2) Are you bothered by books that borrow strongly off of books written before them? in this case most strongly The Lord of the Rings. That is, will it be unbearably annoying to you that a book that is not LotR has elves who sailed to our shores in silver ships, and powerful silver haired wizards blowing smokes rings, etc. Or can you overlook that and enjoy a different story with similar world building? If you like traditional fantasy and can handle the similarities, then you can enjoy this series. On a side note: I disagree with those who think the dragon's voice should be more feminine. I like it the way it is - after all, even Eragon himself assumed at first that Sapphira was male. The voices are dramatized but I think it is done well.

9 people found this helpful

Saphira's voice sounds like Yoda!

What did you love best about Eragon?

I love this book and how unique the story is. However, the reader's use of a growly voice (which sounds disconcertingly like Yoda from Star Wars) is very jarring. Saphira should have a more feminine and regal-sounding voice, in my opinion. I debated returning the book for that reason alone, but the rest of the reading is quite good.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Saphira is my favorite character. She's very witty.

115 people found this helpful

Delightful and Enjoyable

I don't hate to admit that I'm over 50 and absolutely loved this book. I didn't want to quit listening, I was saddened to hear it end -- and already started looking for the next part. This was, in my mind, not written for any particular age group - it far transcends that. I've already recommended it to several others and even thinking about listening to it again (and again). I'm sure that the second time around I'll pick up something that I missed or didn't find significant the first time around.
I've definitely formed my opinions on who I think the traitors might be - I'm on pins and needles until I find out.
I highly recommend this book to any that enjoy a good book - I don't even think that most would find the characters that unbelievable.

70 people found this helpful

The Narrator ruined it for me.

Ok the story is good! HOWEVER i had a real problem with the way the narrator made the female dragon sound just like Cookie Monster from Sesame Street.

it's a telepathic connection. No vocal cords are being used. The Dragon is not straining her throat to mimic human speach. ITS TELEPATHIC!!! Why on earth would you make her sound like that?
I can only imagine what the author reaction would be listening to this (face palm)!
I continued listening anyway because i like the story but the more i listened the more it grated on my nerves and i started thinking of the dragon as a sumo wrestler with laryngitis. I really hope the rest of the books in the series aren't like this. If so i may have to return them.

26 people found this helpful

Utterly Awesome!

This was one of the rare books that so fully absorbed me that I forgot to worry or think of anything else. No "rewind because I've lost track" throughout the entire story. The author is very descriptive in creating the characters, enabling you to envision the events as they unfold. Equally as important, the narrator was more than excellent! While this type of fiction will never make a classic or provoke mind altering thought, if what you want is entertainment value, this is for you.

171 people found this helpful

The Dragon is a GIRL

this is a great book which is only hurt by the nararator's inablilty to create a female dragon's voice. if you think you can get through this though than you will enjoy the read. I would have given it 4 stars but the naration brought it down a notch IMO

36 people found this helpful

Narrator Ruins Phenomenal Story

This is one of my favorite series of all time. I almost stopped listening in the first chapter due to the terrible voice of Eragon but I powered through that due to my love of this story. However, the voice of Saphira is horrendously inaccurate. Saphira is a regal and female creature and should sound as such, not as a guttural and poor attempt at a powerful masculine voice more fitting of a Kull maybe in this story. I should have sampled before buying but it was the only option for a chance to listen to my favorite series and I was sorely mistaken in making this purchase. If you have read this story do not buy this the disappointment may even be greater than my disappointment in the movie if that gives you any scale to go off of. If you haven’t read this you may be able to stomach the performance. Good luck.

3 people found this helpful

Saphira's Voice is Immersion Breaking

When Gerard Doyle voiced Saphira's first line ("Eragon.") in that deep, masculine, gravely voice, I thought, "oh this is just what baby Saphira sounds like. Strange choice, but I'll go with it. Maybe it'll change as Saphira matures." I was wrong. Doyle sounds like he's drunk doing an impression of the goblin/beast/thing Ludo from the movie Labyrinth (1986). Each time he reads a line for Saphira, I laugh a little, but I also cringe. It's hard to listen to and take seriously. The story overall is well written and has great momentum, but every time Saphira has anything to say, it breaks the immersion completely. I can't describe how disappointed I am.

3 people found this helpful

Story so good reader so bad :/

The way he voices the dragon is god awful if its communicating with telepathy why did he feel its voice so had to be so gruff. I honestly wouldnt have got this if i had known the voice would be like that! Wont be finishing the series :/ wasted my credit for the month

3 people found this helpful

Great story, well written,

Would've rated it 5 stars if it wasn't for the narrators choice of voicing Sapphira as if she had a history of meth abuse. Really? what the hell was that choice of voice for her? killed so many emotional moments and straight up does not fit with her character at all.

1 person found this helpful

Great series, recommend it to anyone

Not a fan of saffiras voice, but thats from hearing another version of the book

1 person found this helpful

Best book ever!

All time favourites! This is far better than HP, LOTR or anything else. Nothing compares with theese books. Read them all like 5 times now and I read them once a year.

1 person found this helpful

An very exciting book!

Bought for my 9 yr old who has been glued to my iPod most evenings listening to it. Thoroughly engaging and brilliantly read. Doyle really brings the book to life and has a great feel for the characters. For this series the monthly credits just don't come around quickly enough. Highly recommended

1 person found this helpful

Outstanding

Fantastically narrated. Thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook version, having read the books in my teenage years.

Amazing start to a fantastic series.

Eragon is a young boy of 15 brought up in the Pilankar valley by his uncle Garro after his mother leaves him there as a baby, he and his cusson Rauren are more like Brothers having been brought up together. However Eragon's life changes when he finds a stone in the Spine on a hunting trip, after being unable to cell the stone he starts his own investigations into the stones value and worth, however one evening the Stone hatches and a dragon appears so now begins the story of Eragon's life changing adventures as he starts with the help of Braum the Storyteller and a man with Secrets of his own to learn his new found skills and prepare for his destiny to save the Empire from the Evil king Galbatorix. Will Eragon triumph or will he die in the attempt. This is the start of a fantastic promising and richly detailed four book series with fantastic Characters and world building. The author was only a teenager when he started writing this series and he's shown an ability for writing way beyond his years. This was exciting enriching and addictive making the reader want to learn more. I had read the abridged Version quite a while a go and had forgotten just how good this story was, however with the extra details of the unabridged version learning more about the world and a more in-depth look at the characters this is an even better piece of writing. I am so much looking forward to getting to the rest of this what promises to be a wonderful series.

Great

I could not stop listening but annoying now I’m done the rest of the series is not on audible so I won’t be able to finish it

Emotions running all over the place.

My teen loved this audible gave him down time during exam study. He has however moved on to the second book elder and is so disappointed that it’s not the same narrator. The main character sapphira had a really deep voice in this book. But now has a squeaky little girls voice in elders. Crazy that narrators were change in a series of books

Saphira's voice...

I loved this series for a long time now and still do.
This narration made me highly appreciate saphira's voice actress from the movie. I have now changed my review for that movie from a 2 to a 3 on IMDB, so nice work here(?)
Other than that, great job from the narrator.

As awesome as it gets

Loved the story, but certainly miss Rachel Weisz as Saphira's voice, loved to read x