Frankly it's a really good book when you consider the fact that a 15 year old wrote it. And that's even an advantage, when the main character is the same demographic as the author - Eragons thoughts, choices, and actions really make sense for his character. There are some parts where you can see Paolinis influences very clearly, but he holds his own pretty well too, there are some unique ideas here! I look forward to rereading the rest of the series.