A comparison of dragon riders
You'll have to forgive me since it has been a while since I have done an essay like this, but with my sporking coming up I really wanted some practice, so I thought I would do something that has really been on my mind lately. I hope you all enjoy.
Dragon riders are a trope of themselves these days. Ever since Anne Mcaffrey started this whole rotten business It seem like the concept is everywhere. Okay maybe it's not as pervasive as I make it out to be, but it is common enough that I actually grew tired of the concept. The Inheritance series is what really killed it for me. Everything about the poorly made concept behind the riders made me wonder Why would a dragon even want to be bonded to a human? This question led me to explore other problems with the concept of riders. It got to the point that if dragon riders were a thing in a series I would immediately turn away. Which is what happened when I first came across the Temeraire series.
To be perfectly fair Paolini actually almost killed me on fantasy altogether. It took the mastery of Brandon Sanderson to rekindle my interest in the genre, and give me the confidence to move on to other fantasy series. That brings us back to Temeraire.
I'll admit what immediately lured me back to considering the series was the fact that it is only part fantasy. It is also historical fiction which I love the fuck out of. A series set during the Napoleonic wars, but just so happens to have dragons? Yes please! Anyways I've rambled enough.
Also probably some minor, or even major spoilers for the first book in the Temeraire series.
I realized not even halfway through the first book how much better the whole dragon rider concept is handled. This first part will be about the actual characterization of the two main characters from each series
One of the biggest difference between the two is that Temeraire and his rider Laurence seem to actually like each other. There are some stupid scenes where Pao Pao tries to make it seem like Eragon and Saphira care for one another, but throughout the series their treatment of each other comes across more like an emotionally abusive relationship than a deep bond. They constantly argue, and Eragon usually gets away with telling her what to do.
Laurence and Temeraire actually have a deep bond, and the first book is basically all about them becoming close. Laurence actually loves Temeraire even though in the beginning he believes that the dragon has ruined his life. By bonding with Laurence Temeraire has caused his father to basically disown him, the woman he wants to marry leaves him, and it tears Laurence away from a life in the navy which he loved. Despite all of this Laurence almost never begrudges Temeraire. While he hates the position he is in he never blames the dragon. In fact he even begins to sleep curled up with the dragon on the deck of his former ship not long after Temeraire hatches.
Laurence begins reading to Temeraire, teaching him about science, art, and politics. He bathes Temeraire every day, and takes excellent care of him. In a way the dragon is something like a son to Laurence. We get a feel that the two really care for each other. At one point Temeraire gets jealous because Laurence begins to clean off another dragons scales and acts out.
We also get a good sense that Temeraire is growing and developing. Saphira just transitions from infant to adult with little to no in between. Temeraire starts out very childlike and eventually grows and develops into a quite intelligent individual. He even grasps some concepts better than Laurence such as mathematics.
The relationship between Saphira and Eragon just feels so forced. There are no memorable moments between the two, no sweet bonding moments, no times of learning, no embarrassing incidents. Their relationship is never built up. It just exists.
Temeraire and Laurence grow together. There are some very touching moments between the two such as after Temeraire's first battle. The dragon had been looking forward to it more than anything else, but afterwords he is bothered because one of the other dragons in his formation is badly injured, and he worries that if he has to go into battle again other friends of his will be hurt. Laurence has to explain that in battles his friends will be hurt and killed, but that he has to still do his duty.
Granted it has been years since I have read the inheritance series, and I have only recently read His Majesty's Dragon, but the relationship between Temeraire and Laurence is the focus of the book. In Eragon, Eldest, and the rest of the series it is an afterthought.
Well I hope you enjoyed this little comparison. Like I said in the beginning It's a while since I have written a piece like this. If you all like it I would be more than happy to continue. The next subject would be the tactical use of dragons in the two series.
Dragon riders are a trope of themselves these days. Ever since Anne Mcaffrey started this whole rotten business It seem like the concept is everywhere. Okay maybe it's not as pervasive as I make it out to be, but it is common enough that I actually grew tired of the concept. The Inheritance series is what really killed it for me. Everything about the poorly made concept behind the riders made me wonder Why would a dragon even want to be bonded to a human? This question led me to explore other problems with the concept of riders. It got to the point that if dragon riders were a thing in a series I would immediately turn away. Which is what happened when I first came across the Temeraire series.
To be perfectly fair Paolini actually almost killed me on fantasy altogether. It took the mastery of Brandon Sanderson to rekindle my interest in the genre, and give me the confidence to move on to other fantasy series. That brings us back to Temeraire.
I'll admit what immediately lured me back to considering the series was the fact that it is only part fantasy. It is also historical fiction which I love the fuck out of. A series set during the Napoleonic wars, but just so happens to have dragons? Yes please! Anyways I've rambled enough.
Also probably some minor, or even major spoilers for the first book in the Temeraire series.
I realized not even halfway through the first book how much better the whole dragon rider concept is handled. This first part will be about the actual characterization of the two main characters from each series
One of the biggest difference between the two is that Temeraire and his rider Laurence seem to actually like each other. There are some stupid scenes where Pao Pao tries to make it seem like Eragon and Saphira care for one another, but throughout the series their treatment of each other comes across more like an emotionally abusive relationship than a deep bond. They constantly argue, and Eragon usually gets away with telling her what to do.
Laurence and Temeraire actually have a deep bond, and the first book is basically all about them becoming close. Laurence actually loves Temeraire even though in the beginning he believes that the dragon has ruined his life. By bonding with Laurence Temeraire has caused his father to basically disown him, the woman he wants to marry leaves him, and it tears Laurence away from a life in the navy which he loved. Despite all of this Laurence almost never begrudges Temeraire. While he hates the position he is in he never blames the dragon. In fact he even begins to sleep curled up with the dragon on the deck of his former ship not long after Temeraire hatches.
Laurence begins reading to Temeraire, teaching him about science, art, and politics. He bathes Temeraire every day, and takes excellent care of him. In a way the dragon is something like a son to Laurence. We get a feel that the two really care for each other. At one point Temeraire gets jealous because Laurence begins to clean off another dragons scales and acts out.
We also get a good sense that Temeraire is growing and developing. Saphira just transitions from infant to adult with little to no in between. Temeraire starts out very childlike and eventually grows and develops into a quite intelligent individual. He even grasps some concepts better than Laurence such as mathematics.
The relationship between Saphira and Eragon just feels so forced. There are no memorable moments between the two, no sweet bonding moments, no times of learning, no embarrassing incidents. Their relationship is never built up. It just exists.
Temeraire and Laurence grow together. There are some very touching moments between the two such as after Temeraire's first battle. The dragon had been looking forward to it more than anything else, but afterwords he is bothered because one of the other dragons in his formation is badly injured, and he worries that if he has to go into battle again other friends of his will be hurt. Laurence has to explain that in battles his friends will be hurt and killed, but that he has to still do his duty.
Granted it has been years since I have read the inheritance series, and I have only recently read His Majesty's Dragon, but the relationship between Temeraire and Laurence is the focus of the book. In Eragon, Eldest, and the rest of the series it is an afterthought.
Well I hope you enjoyed this little comparison. Like I said in the beginning It's a while since I have written a piece like this. If you all like it I would be more than happy to continue. The next subject would be the tactical use of dragons in the two series.