A lot of the charm of Eragon has been lost on me over the years since I read it, especially as my exposure to more and more fantasy has made me realize a lot of the pretty generic nature of the story. But as a kid, that kind of thing wasn't very important to me, and Paolini was able to excellently cater to the young-adult audience. He recognizes the specific elements that make young people excited, and sometimes that's just riding a magical dragon under the pretense of being a unique and special hero who saves the world. Eragon is a bit too verbose for a first time young adult novel, but it is definitely a major part of the gateway drug process for high fantasy.