Christopher Paolini's abiding love of fantasy and science fiction
inspired him to begin writing his debut novel,
Eragon,
when he graduated from high school at fifteen after being
homeschooled all his life. Both
Eragon and
Eldest, the second book in the Inheritance cycle, became
instant
New York Times bestsellers. Christopher is
currently at work on
Brisingr, the third volume in the
cycle. He lives in Montana, where the dramatic landscape feeds his
visions of Alagaësia.
You can find out more about Christopher and Inheritance at
www.alagaesia.com.
From the Hardcover edition.
1. History and Beliefs
- Compare the different historic traditions of Alagaësia
as they are explained in Eldest. Why do the dwarves, the
elves, and the humans all have such different mythologies? What do
their stories tell us about each of their races?
- What does Saphira tell Eragon about the dragons' beliefs in
Eldest? Compare what the dragons believe with what the
dwarves and elves do.
- After reading Eldest, explain the origins of the
animosity among the races of dragons, elves, dwarves, and humans.
What are the effects of those ancient wars on the present day
situation in Alagaësia?
- Why are the elves vegetarians? Why does Eragon become a
vegetarian after living with them and studying with Oromis in
Eldest?
- Compare the ways the different races live-the elves in the
forest, the dwarves in their caves, the humans in cities and towns.
How does the habitat of each of these peoples affect their way of
life and their connection with their environment?
2. Family and Home
- Discuss who his parents might be. Why is his father's
identity a mystery, and why did his mother bring him to her brother
to raise and then disappear? How does the reader's understanding
change after reading Eldest?
- What was Eragon's life like before he found the dragon's egg in
the Spine in Eragon? How did his discovery of the egg
change his life?
- Why was Eragon comfortable exploring the Spine when everyone else
in his village was afraid of the place? What does the Spine
represent to the other inhabitants of Carvahall? How does Roran
convince them to overcome those fears in Eldest?
- Is it hard for Roran to convince the villagers to leave their
homes in Eldest? What does he hope to find for them when
they do leave? Why do some insist on staying behind?
- Does Nasuada take control of the Varden because she is Ajihad's
daughter or because she has special qualities of leadership?
Compare Nasuada's relationship with her father in Eragon
with Arya's relationship with Islanzadí in Eldest.
- Why does Hrothgar make Eragon a member of his clan before he
leaves Farthen Dûr in Eldest? What does this mean to
Eragon?
- What feelings do Eragon and Roran experience when they meet again
at the end of Eldest? Why is Roran so angry with Eragon?
Can he forgive Eragon for Garrow's death?
- When Murtagh tells Eragon who he really is at the end of
Eldest, what effect does it have on him? Do you think what
Murtagh tells him is true? What does it mean for Eragon's
future?
- In the last chapter of Eldest, Eragon thinks: "Fathers,
mothers, brothers, cousins . . . It all comes down to family." What
does he mean? Who is Eragon's true family? Where has he
found his greatest sense of belonging?
3. Destiny and Responsibility
- The first line of Eragon reads: "Wind howled
through the night, carrying a scent that would change the world."
What does this opening tell you about the meaning of destiny in the
tale? What does the author mean by a "scent that would change the
world"?
- Discuss the importance of names in Christopher Paolini's novels.
How does it affect Eragon to learn that his name was also the name
of the first dragon rider? How does he choose Saphira's name in the
first book? In Eldest, how is Eragon affected by others
calling him "Shadeslayer"? How has Galbatorix gained control over
Murtagh and why is that control so complete?
- What does Saphira mean in Eragon when she says, "It is
our destiny to attempt the impossible, to accomplish great deeds
regardless of fear. It is our responsibility to the future." Is
this true for everyone? What is the responsibility of each of us to
the future?
- In Eragon, Angela the fortuneteller says, "To know one's
fate can be a terrible thing." Would you want to know your future
if someone could tell you? Why does Eragon decide to hear her
predictions? What does she mean when she says, "That freedom [to
choose your fate] is a gift, but it is also a responsibility more
binding than chains"? Which of her predictions (in the chapter
titled "The Witch and the Werecat") actually come true as the story
continues in Eldest?
- How does it affect Roran when people start to call him
"Stronghammer" in Eldest? Why does Roran take most of the
village of Carvahall with him in his quest to rescue Katrina?
- How does Eragon change in the course of his studies with Oromis
in Eldest? Which of his new powers are the result of hard
training and which are the result of learning more about the use of
magic? Is he, indeed, fulfilling a destiny or responding to his
sense of duty and responsibility-or both?
4. Trust and Fear
- In Eragon, how does Eragon know that he can
trust Brom enough to travel with him? Why does he leave his home
and all that is familiar to him?
- Who are the Ra'zac and what do they represent to Eragon when he
first encounters them in Eragon? Why do the Ra'zac return
to Carvahall in Eldest? Why do they take Katrina away with
them? Is it trust or fear that makes the people of Carvahall follow
Roran into the wilderness?
- In the first book, when Eragon realizes that Arya is an elf, does
it change his feelings about her? Why does he rescue her from the
prison even though it puts his own safety in jeopardy? What is it
that keeps Arya from returning Eragon's affection in
Eldest?
- When Eragon finds the stronghold of the Varden in the first book
he is challenged and his mind probed by the Twins. Why did Ajihad
trust the Twins? Are there clues in Eragon to indicate
that the Twins were actually working for Galbatorix, as we discover
in Eldest?
- How does Eragon feel when he learns about Murtagh's parentage in
Eragon? Does the fact that Murtagh's father was Morzan
affect Eragon's trust of him? Does it affect your feelings about
his character? What does Eragon feel when he realizes who he is
fighting at the end of Eldest? Will he ever be able to
trust Murtagh again?
- What is Eragon's greatest fear? What is Roran's greatest fear? Do
their fears affect the way they act and interact with others?
Discuss their reunion in the last chapter of Eldest. Why
does Roran strike Eragon? How do they regain their trust for each
other?
5. Use and Abuse of Power
- In Eldest, Oromis says: "As Galbatorix has
demonstrated, power without moral direction is the most dangerous
force in the world." What does he mean by this? By the end of
Eldest what other characters have "power without moral
direction"?
- Discuss the connection of magic to power in this story. Why does
Eragon have to learn the use of magic so slowly, first from Brom
(in Eragon) and then from Oromis (in Eldest)? Who
are the other characters that can use magic and what are the limits
on their magical powers?
- Why does the use of magic drain the energy of the person
performing the magic? What are the ways that Eragon learns to
control his use of magic and his energy in Eldest?
- In Eldest, is Murtagh able to use magic more effectively
than Eragon? Why do you think this is so?
6. Good and Evil
- Many fantasy novels deal with the struggle between
forces of good and evil. Discuss the ways in which the Inheritance
books explore this theme and which characters represent
good and which represent evil. Are there some characters that you
are still not sure about by the end of Eldest?
- Eragon begins with the Shade and his ruthless ambush of
the elf we later learn is Arya. How did this Prologue affect your
anticipation of the story to come? Why is the Prologue titled
"Shade of Fear"? What do we learn of the Shade's past when he is
killed at the end of Eragon?
- How did Galbatorix establish his rule of Alagaësia? According to
the history Brom shares in Eragon, what experiences turned
Galbatorix into a cruel and feared ruler?
- The Urgals seem to be completely ruthless, yet Eragon is hesitant
to kill them with his magic in Eragon. In the chapter
called "A Costly Mistake," why does he only use his magic to stun
them? Why is he so upset when Murtagh kills Torkenbrand, the slave
trader? By the end of Eldest, Eragon has different
feelings about the Urgals. What has changed his mind?
- In Eldest Roran commits crimes in his efforts to save
the people of Carvahall who have placed their trust in him; he
kills, steals, and uses trickery to get what he needs. Can he
justify what he has done in the name of helping others? How does he
feel about the men he has killed?
- Why is Oromis so angry about the blessing that Eragon gave to the
child in Farthen Dûr? What is the place of Elva in the story by the
end of Eldest? Is her blessing/curse a force for good or
for evil? How can it work both ways?
7. Character Study
- Compare Eragon and his cousin Roran. How do Eragon's and
Roran's journeys in Eldest parallel each other and how are
they different? Describe the changes in each of them from the
beginning of Eragon to the end of Eldest. What
influences are most important on their growth? Which people and
events are most important to their development?
- Compare Brom (in Eragon) and Oromis (in
Eldest). How are they similar and how are they different?
What does each of them contribute to Eragon's training? Which of
them, do you think, has the most influence on Eragon's growth as a
Rider?
- How would you describe Arya? Why does Arya reject Eragon's
romantic feelings in Eldest? What aspects of her
personality contribute to their friendship and what keeps them from
having a romantic relationship? How does Arya feel about being the
daughter of the queen?
- Compare the magical qualities of Angela and Elva as we see them
in Eldest. What do we know about each of them and how do
their magical abilities contribute to the story? How do you feel
about these characters-in terms of their trustworthiness?
- Compare the leadership styles of Nasuada and Orrin, the king of
Surda, in Eldest. Why do the Varden go to Surda, and what
help do they expect from Orrin?
- Describe the character of Saphira. How has she grown from the
time she was a hatchling? What does she learn from Glaedr and how
does she grow during her training? What are some of the difficult
feelings and pain that Saphira and Eragon share? What are some of
the joys that they share?
8. One Step Beyond: Predictions
- Do you think Eragon will ever be able to return to the
Palancar Valley and Carvahall? He longs for his home in the midst
of his adventures, but will he and Roran be able to return to the
farm when their adventures are over?
- At the end of the first book, Eragon hears a voice in his head,
someone helping him to escape the horrors of Durza's memories. In
Eldest, we learn that person is Oromis, who will become
Eragon's trainer. What foreshadowing comes at the end of
Eldest? Predict some of the plot of Book Three of
Inheritance. What do you expect to happen?
- Who are the characters that might play a major role in the next
book? Will Eragon come face-to-face with Galbatorix? Will he fight
Murtagh again? Will Eragon and Roran be able to rescue Katrina? Who
will provide the most assistance to Eragon?
- Why do you think Galbaltorix continues to gain strength, and how
is he able to make Murtagh stronger than Eragon? How do you think
Eragon and Saphira can develop the strength to combat the evil
powers of Galbatorix?
9. Connecting Fantasy to Real Life
- What kinds of good and evil do you hear about in the news of our
world? Discuss examples from news stories that report events
representing the good and evil in our society and in international
news.
- What circumstances can bring people together to become friends
and what can make those friendships grow and develop? What
circumstances can hurt a friendship? What are some of the ways
people have difficulty with family members?
- Do you feel that some people have a destiny to fulfill or a
special reason for living? Name people in history who had a strong
responsibility to a cause for good or evil. (Possibilities might be
Abraham Lincoln, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King for good causes and
Attila the Hun, Adolf Hitler, and Josef Stalin for evil.)
- Name some characters from legend, literature, or film who
represent the causes of good or evil. (Possibilities might be Luke
Skywalker, King Arthur, Frodo for good; Darth Vader, Mordred,
Sauron for evil.)
Guide prepared by Connie Rockman, Children's Literature Consultant,
adjunct professor of literature for youth, and editor of the
Junior Authors and Illustrators series (H.W. Wilson).