Rating: Not for me

Reading Level: High School

A young boy learns to fight for what is right against dark forces and a fierce dictator. Oh, and he is sort of spiritually and mentally connected to a dragon. A few cautions:

  • Lord of the Rings, but NOT as wholesome. Elves, dwarves, and mankind fight against dark forces; and elven maiden love interest, a boy grows up to be a hero, magic, a sense of “why little old me for this big fight…” BUT there are aspects that make it very different, if not dangerous:
    • Polytheism. A couple references to “the gods” or ‘thanked the gods”
    • Fortune Telling. a witch is a positive ally, sorcery from the main character (not simply in an outside hero such as gandolf)
    • Fate, destiny. At one point the main character’s closest friend, the dragon, says, “only your heart is your guide.”. This is in direct conflict with Christian theology.
    • Revenge. Initially revenge is a main motive; admittedly this grows into something better; a duty to protect the innocent
    • Humanistic Moral authority. Throughout the series, a theme develops with a sense of “who is in charge?” The dragon riders end up being viewed as a sort of moral authority, but they don’t acknowledge a higher power. Eragon ends up believing his own moral compass is sufficient. I’d caution against this undertone.
  • Peril. There is war, a town is slaughtered and a baby is impaled on the tip of a spear.
  • Romance. The main character is obsessed with an Elven maiden; sometimes he admires aspects of her body.
  • Sexual Torture. It is referenced and not explicitly shown. In fact, it is referenced in subtle tones that a youngster reader might not even see.
  • Magic. In particular, an elvish language has immense power.
  • Sorcery. What is particularly concerning (I think) is that even the good guys are into sorcery. Some books like Mistmantle Chronicles have sorcery for the bad guys, but here even the heroes use it. It is based largely in drawing from elements of power (water, fire, etc.)

One positive is that throughout the series there is a black female who ends up being an incredible leader. It was very refreshing to see such a positive model for young black women. (I think this character comes into the spotlight in Book 2.)

Overall, this series is not recommended because I see an increasingly unbiblical worldview as the series goes on, particularly with respect to the dangerous view that we can be our own moral compasses. Check out my reviews of the other books:

Eragon, (The Inheritance Cycle Book 1)Paolini, Christopherhttps://jesuslovesthebookworms.wordpress.com/?p=3688
Eldest, (The Inheritance Cycle Book 2)Paolini, Christopherhttps://jesuslovesthebookworms.wordpress.com/2025/03/29/eldest-eragon-the-inheritance-cycle-book-2-by-christopher-paolini/
Brisingr, (The Inheritance Cycle Book 3)Paolini, Christopherhttps://jesuslovesthebookworms.wordpress.com/2025/04/07/brisingr-the-inheritance-cycle-book-3-by-christopher-paolini/
Inheritance (The Inheritance Cycle Book 4)Paolini, Christopherhttps://jesuslovesthebookworms.wordpress.com/2025/04/14/inheritance-the-inheritance-cycle-book-4/