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Cover of Eragon by Christopher PaoliniEragon
Modern · Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult

Eragon

by Christopher Paolini
2002 · 518 pages · Fiction
68.4Must-Read
Score Modern
Lifetime bestseller · Buzzing now
≈ 13 hours to read · about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

When fifteen-year-old Eragon, a poor farm boy, finds a polished blue stone in the forest, it turns out to be a dragon's egg. When the dragon Saphira hatches, Eragon is drawn into a legacy as old as the Empire itself, and the struggle against its tyrant king.

Why it's worth reading

Christopher Paolini began writing it as a teenager, and it became a huge bestseller and a favorite introduction to fantasy for young readers.

You'll love it if you liked

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The Eye of the WorldRobert Jordan
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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's StoneJ. K. Rowling

Good to know

It's the first of the Inheritance Cycle. It borrows heavily from classic fantasy.

By the numbers

68.4Must-Read Score
  • Readers18 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Bestseller84 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Buzz30 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Reads as

Adventurous, Epic

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

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Explore the best-of lists

All 36 best-of lists →
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 459 rankedYoung adult booksTop 25 · 219 rankedModern booksTop 25 · 1,573 rankedBooks of the 2000sTop 25 · 490 rankedMysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 rankedLiterary novelsTop 25 · 309 rankedMemoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 rankedScience fiction booksTop 25 · 313 ranked

Quick answers

Is Eragon worth reading?

Yes. Christopher Paolini began writing it as a teenager, and it became a huge bestseller and a favorite introduction to fantasy for young readers. It ranks #1,484 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 68.4 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is Eragon about?

When fifteen-year-old Eragon, a poor farm boy, finds a polished blue stone in the forest, it turns out to be a dragon's egg. When the dragon Saphira hatches, Eragon is drawn into a legacy as old as the Empire itself, and the struggle against its tyrant king.

How long does it take to read Eragon?

About 13 hours (518 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after Eragon?

If you liked it, try The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien, The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan or Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling.