Upon surviving Galbatorix's attack on Farthen Dur in the dwarven city of Tronjheim Eragon must recover from the injuries inflicted by the Shade Durza. Saphira and Arya destroyed the great rose sapphire to save Eragon's life and allow him to kill the Shade. King Hrothgar adopts Eragon into his house and the young man becomes a prince in the Dwarven kingdom. When the Varden's leader is murdered in the tunnels below Farthen Dur Lady Nasuada is elected to replace her father.
Amid the turmoil and reorganization Arya suggests Eragon and Saphira return to the elven capital Ellesmere when she returns home. The pair join Arya and her party as they travel to Du Weldenvarden. In the Elves' city Arya introduces Eragon to Oromis, an ancient Elf Dragon Rider.
Oromis and his dragon Glaedr are crippled and so must hide from the King lest Galbatorix and his enslaved dragon, Shruikan, murder them. The pair teach Eragon and Saphira the classics: logic, strategy, magic theory, and scholarship.
During his time of scholarship Eragon's cousin Roran marries the butcher's daughter Katrina. When the Ra'zac return along with Galbatorix's soldiers and attack the village Roran and the men are armed by the Metalsmith Horst. At first the men are successful, but on the second attack Katrina's father betrays them all to the king's forces. The attack spurs Roran and the men from the village to join against the king and his forces.
In the south of Alagaesia the Varden is no longer welcome in Tronjheim and travel to Surda. The neighboring country is at first welcoming - and becomes more so when Nasuada learns to make a special and expensive lace by magic. The lace becomes a way for the Varden to fund their activities.
Eragon continues his education and his crush on Arya. Saphira attempts to catch Glaedr's eye; as the last female dragon it is her duty to continue the race, but Eragon is disconcerted by the attention his dragon pays the older dragon. Failure helps Eragon and Saphira bond even more. With their training comes the Blood-Oath Ceremony, in which Eragon becomes faster, stronger, and his abilities are enhanced even further than his dragon-bond instigates.
When Eragon discovers that King Galbatorix plans to attack the Varden the different strains of the story begin to meet. Roran searches for Katrina and believes his best hope is to seek the Varden's assistance. With royal forces chasing them, Roran and the village survivors make it to the Southern border to join the rebel forces. A massive battle is building along Alagaesia's southern border and the clash promises to be epic.
In the same vein as Eragon's great fantasy Eldest builds on Paolini's foundation to bring the major forces of Alagaesia back together. While the nation hasn't quite come to civil war conflict abounds and new forces are introduced. Eldest is a good read for young adult readers who need a bit more substance on their plate.
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