I still can't fully decide whether Paolini is an incredible writer or just a good copy of Tolkien. Undoubtedly, Paolini is very heavily reliant upon the mythology of Middle-earth which Tolkien created. The elves, dwarves, and humans of Alageisia are mostly parallel to their counterparts in Middle-earth. Urgals are basically equal to Orcs. Paolini relies on Tolkien's conception of honor as well. Overall, Paolini's trilogy doesn't have the depth or brilliance of The Lord of the Rings. Literary classes won't be taught on this trilogy. Truly, because Paolini relies so heavily on the template set forth by Tolkien, it's inevitable that he would place a very distant second. All that said, Paolini is a wonderful story-teller and varies enogh from LOTR to make it an entirely new read and story. His addition of Dragon's into the landscape as well as the further clarification and use of magic to fill out his characters are well done. Both Eragon and Eldest have been enjoyable books that are hard to put down. Paolini really lets you know his characters and you feel disappointed to finish and sever that connection with their story. For anyone who loved the story of LOTR, I would recommend this book highly for its narrative value.