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Omega Ace -> Omega Ace Reads the Inheritance Cycle: Eragon (9/25/2010 2:19:38)
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Read along, if you can.
This is how it is supposed to work. I will read each book in the Inheritance cycle chapter by chapter and review them chapter buy chapter. Unlike normal reviews, I am reviewing what I feel about the events as opposed to how well I think the author conveys a story. Your comment should basically compose of what you thought of the events in the chapter as well. Also, what you thing of my findings, do you agree, have something to point out, have an alternative interpretation of events? The only thing forbidden is to not spoil me with knowledge of the future. Spoilers are not at all allowed, as I will read every comment I can. Discuss only the chapter(s) in the review and those which have passed.
This idea came from another site. Just so you know.
Also, have fun, be silly, I know I will.
Let's get started.
Shade of Fear
So, we begin in a windy forest at night. The first characters are an unnamed Shade and his Urgal companions. The shade has red hair, maroon eyes, night vision, and super smell. The Urgals are muscular brutes with horns and the smell bad. Obviously bad. Anyway, they're here for something. The Shade has the Urgals hide themselves, a task that is challenging for them, where they wait noisily for hours until the ones that bear the scent arrive.
I. Don't. Like. Elves.
The elves are regal and beautiful and perfect. Especially the female, who even though is not in fancy dress like her guards(male), is still described as being very pretty. Now, clothes don't make the lady, but still. This is a bias, I admit. None-the-less, my reaction to her is; Marsha! Marsha! Marsha! The elves, by the way, are also unnamed. However, the added attention to the Shade and Lady lead me to believe that the two will appear later on.
Marsha is carrying something important, and by the way she speaks to her escorts, is important herself.As the go through the forest, they stepinto the area where the Shade and the Urgals are hiding. A little bit in, the wind change. The horse the elves ride sense the Urgals(by their smell) and bolt in two different directions. The Urgals jump out and start shooting arrows. The Shade jumps out and shoots a spell, hitting the horse of Marsha. The horse falls and Marsha "leapt off the animal with inhuman speed, landed lightly, then glanced back at her guards."
Let me reiterate an earlier expression. Marsha! Marsha! Marsha!
Her guards are not so lucky(definately a sign of her main characterness). The Urgals shoot them full of arrows. When they go to the dead elves, the Shade yells at them to go for Marsha. Marsha gives a cry upon seeing her dead homies. She takes a step toward them, curses her enemies, then runs off into the forest.
The Urgals chase her. The Shade, on the other hand, does something cool. What? It is cool. Johnny Cash The Shade get on top of a rock and makes a ring of fire. It burns, burns, burns, the ring of fire, the ring of fire. JC(temp name for the Shade, I like the name) watches it to make sure nothing retarded happens.
Marsha takes out three Urgals and runs "with tremendous speed" towards Johnny Cash. Johnny Cash jumps of the rock and lands in front of her. She turns arond, but the other Urgals arrive and box her in. Seeing no way out, Marsha opens the pouch and pulls out a blue stone. She then starts lip synching.
Really, they guard a stone? It better be worth it.(do not hint, much less tell, me anything).
Apparently, it is. JC shoots a spell at her. Unfortunately for him, Marsha is done stealing beats and an emerald light takes the stone away. I assume it is off to see the Wizard. Unfortunately for Marsha, the bolt hits her, and she collapses. JC then does what all bad guys do. He kills the Urgals, presumably because the know too much. Can't see how that is since they seem to be stupid.
JC makes vengeful threats in "a wretched language only he knew"(German? Naw, the red hair say no) before turning back to Marsha, who is unconscious. He ties her to the saddle of his horse(?) and rides off, only quenching the fire in his path.
And so ends this chapter.
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Discovery
And now we meet the book's namesake. Eragon is hunting now. His prey is an injured animal, the very same prey any natural predator would choose. Well, any hunter worth his salt anyway. Not that I know what I'm talking about. At any rate, we learn that at 15, Eragon is a year away from manhood. We also learn that he has intense eyes, a detail I find to be a given. Every fantasy main character who is male has intense eyes. Unless they're Japanese. In that case, they tend toward brash and slightly above idiotic, and just shy of almost incopetent(sp).
Anyway, we also learn that he is brave. How? Well, he's in this area known as the Spine, where strange things and people come from pretty frequently. All the other men in his village, called Carvahall, stayed far away from the Spine. Wimps. So, Eragon needs to kill this der because he and his family are poor and will need food for the winter. He takes out his bow and is ready to shoot the doe when there is an explosion. Naturally, the herd takes off and Eragon chases them. He shoots at his prey but missed by, like, half an inch. He spins around behind him and we see the culprit. In the center of the blast area, Eragon sees a polished blue stone.
Wow. Thanks a lot Marsha, now Eragon's family will starve because you stole beats. Also, the stone can't see the Wizard now. Way to drop the ball.
Eragon walks over to the stone and pokes it with an arrow before jumping back. Is Mr. Paolini trying to make him look like some backwoods idiot? That is the very action I would expect to see from the portrayal of tribal cultures. At any rate, Eragon notes several points. 1- It is not a natutal stone(duh?). 2- It's smooth, oval, a foot long, and it feels light even thought it is several pounds. OK, the blue dragon on the cover and the title is a give away. This is an egg, and I would imagine that anyone with half a brain could see that "stone" is an egg. It seems as is Eragon has a quarter of a brain. Or is just sleepy. I dunno.
It turns out he does have a whole brain after all, as he has several logical concerns. Where did it come from? Does it have a purpose? Was it sent by accident, or was I(he) meant to have it? He notes that everything he has been taught dictates that he be careful around magic. Interestingly, this happens to be the very reason for why the other stay away from this place. I retract my insult earlier. After some thought, he decides that it could pay for food. It better, it cost him the doe.
The chapter ends with him going to sleep.
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