Christopher Paolini: Eragon

Reviewed by MARGIE THOMSON

An evil empire in an imagined world — and a poor, illiterate boy, Eragon, who proves to be The One who, with his beautiful blue hatchling dragon and new skills in magic, telepathy and swordsmanship, will undo the sinister forces. A quest to track down the nightmarish Shades (Black Rider types) and a wise old man who is more than he seems puts this book, the first in the Inheritance trilogy, firmly within the tried and true themes of fantasy fiction.

This book was one of the children's publishing sensations of last year in the United States (just released here), where it has pushed Harry Potter out of the top spot on several bestseller lists, including those of the New York Times and Publishers Weekly. And yes, film rights have been sold to Fox.

Adding to the buzz are the extraordinary facts about Eragon's author. Paolini, who never went to school and was taught by his mother, was just 15 when he began Eragon, 17 when he finished. His parents published it, and Paolini marketed it himself by visiting around 150 schools, selling about 10,000 copies, until Carl Hiassen's son read it and some "real" publishers got involved. Knopf printed 250,000, and the rest is history.

But is it really good, or is it just a remarkable achievement for a boy who's still only 19? Well, both. Sure, there are whispers of immaturity in the thinness of some characterisations, and some slightly irritating plot-serving devices, and there's no doubt it's derivative: Tolkein in particular haunts the pages, and there are whispers of C.S. Lewis, Anne McCaffrey, even J.K. Rowling, and Star Wars.

But there's enough of that x-factor — the author's own incredible inventiveness and thoughtful imagination — to make this a genuine page-turner that 11-year-olds and up will find unputdownable. I'm looking forward to No 2.

Knopf, $34.95