Okay, so Eldest—book two in the Inheritance Cycle—is where this world starts to really emerge. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed Eragon, but it was basically farm-boy-meets-destiny straight out of the fantasy starter pack and follows Wheel of Time. But here? We actually start to see Eragon develop into a character with some depth. He’s learning, he’s struggling, and becoming a half-elf (that is new). He’s still a little too shiny for my taste, but progress is progress.
Once again, Roran steals the spotlight for me. While Eragon’s off having magic adventures, Roran is back home turning into the gritty, determined leader every good story needs. He’s pure human grit—no magic (of his own), no dragon—just sheer willpower. Honestly, he’s the MVP of this book.
Then there’s Elva. At first, she’s nightmare fuel. Creepy kid with cursed powers? Yikes. But the more you see her, the more she becomes this fascinating symbol of Eragon’s hubris—because, yeah, that blessing-turned-curse was all him (oops). And now? She might be one of the most powerful wild cards in the entire world.
Oh, and Murtagh. Spoiler-free promise here: but he becomes one of my favorites in the long-run.
Eldest keeps the momentum going and, for me, this is where the series really breaks away from that “Wheel of Time Lite” vibe and starts carving its own path. The ending? Total chaos in the best way. Loose ends everywhere, so go get Brisingr.
