Eldest Book Report

By Gabriel Hilleson

 

 

                Eldest is the second book in the inheritance series.  It begins with Eragon walking on the former battle field in Farthen Dur.  Then he is contacted by Jormunder (Ajihad’s second-in-command) telling him that Ajihad was returning from hunting Urguls in the tunnels bellow Farthen Dur.  When they saw them returning from the hunt they are dismayed to see that they are attacked from the rear by some of the very Urguls they had been pursuing.  Hurrying down to their aid, Eragon is dismayed to see that he is too late.  Later he met with a council to decide on Ajihad’s successor.  When they unanimously decide on Nasuada (Ajihad’s daughter) Eragon swears fealty to Nasuada so as not to end up being a pawn of the council.  Later after Ajihad’s funeral Eragon, Arya, and Orik travel to Du Weldenvarden to complete Eragon’s training.  Once there Eragon is shocked to find that Arya is the daughter of Queen Islandzadi.  Later he is lead to some cliffs and finds to his delight that his new instructor is a rider that escaped the fall.  They begin the very next day.  They first split up Saphira trains with Glaeder (the dragon’s name) and Eragon is to train with Oromis. Next they begin with a routine of poses that are meant to enhance flexibility and balance.  After that they train with the sword.  After a couple of days training Oromis decides that Eragon should sword fight with another student, but since there isn’t any other student he is sent to fight an Elf.  When he fights this Elf he finds that it is more than a mach for him.  And then he strains himself and ends up sprawling on the ground. In class he starts training with magic.  After a couple of weeks of this training comes an Elven celebration.  During this celebration his features are changed and his back is healed in the most remarkable way.  When he goes to spar with his Elf opponent he finds that not only is his appearance altered and his back healed but that his muscles are enhanced.  He is then able to defeat the Elf.  Not long after the celebration Eragon scrys Nasuada to see that all is well and finds that a battle is coming.  Immediately after promising Oromis that he would return to finish his training, he prepares to leave.  The next day after receiving gifts from the Queen and Oromis he and Orik left for Surda.  Upon reaching Surda they find that Nasuada, King Orin, and the combined armies had already started out to the chosen field of battle.  Once they caught up with armies Eragon and Orik prepared for battle.  During the battle Eragon is horrified to find that Galbatorix got one of his dragons to hatch furthermore the rider is Murtag who was lost in the attack on Ajihad.  Finally Eragon is stunned to witness his cousin Roran jump out of a boat that had recently sailed up a nearby river with renforcements.  How did Roran come to be in Surda?  Will Eragon defeat Murtag?  This book is not only telling Eragon’s tale but also Roran’s and even some of Nasuada’s.  This book does have more reference to religion and world view.  For example on his way to Du Weldenvarden Eragon stops at a Dwarfish city were he finds out more about the Dwarfish gods and religion.  And in Du Weldenvarden Eragon asks about the Elves religion and finds that they do not worship anything.  From this display of the different religions and world views the question can be raised, is the author exploring different religions.  On the whole the book Eldest is a really good book.

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