Eragon series, by Christopher Paolini

Eragon is the first installment of a four-book series by Christopher Paolini. It takes place in a mythical world called Alagaesia, and follows the journey of a young man named Eragon, who finds a mysterious blue stone while hunting, and discovers that it is a dragon egg. His discovery results in the overturning of his once peaceful life and thrusts the fate of Alagaesia in his hands. He and his dragon, Saphira, may be the only hope of overthrowing King Galbatorix, an evil and corrupt king. An old man, and a former dragon rider himself, named Brom helps him along the way, to find one of the last groups resisting the king's reign. The book was a fantastic read, as the author does a really good job building the plot and making you really invested in the lives of the characters. The rest of the books are about Eragons's fate, as he struggles to bear the weight of Alagaesia on his shoulders, and tries to be the symbol of hope that the people need in such dire times. There are plenty of twists and turns within the story and the books only get better, so I highly recommend reading all four of the books. 

~ Reviewed by Matthew Y., Homestead 9th grader

Review of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkein

If you consider yourself a fan of fictional literature, The Lord of the Rings is an incredible classic read that completely transported me to a different world. I have read many books, and these books by J.R.R. Tolkien are truly special. Tolkien's ability to create a legendary world, with memorable characters is utterly infallible, and still inspires me today. The trilogy conveys the story of how the destiny of a world called Middle Earth falls upon the shoulders of a simple hobbit, named Frodo Baggins of the shire. Hobbits are not known to be adventurous in any way, yet their inner strength can be quite unpredictable. A golden ring that is passed down to him turns out to be a object of incredible strength and evil, sought by Sauron, the epitome of darkness and malice. Sauron created the ring, but he was parted from it in the last war. It is concluded that the only logical way to prevent the ring from ending up in Sauron's hands is to destroy it in the fires whence it was forged, in the land of Mordor, where Sauron himself dwells. The books follow the events of this epic quest to free Middle Earth from Sauron and restore a new age of peace to the lands. The Hobbit shares the adventure of how the ring got so far from Sauron in the first place, and ultimately ended up in the shire.
~ Posted by Matthew Y., Homestead 9th grader

~