What is the author's style in Eragon: Inheritance Book One by Christopher Paolini?

Written from Eragon's and Saphira's point of view, the story is written in the third person. It is a linear story with only a few sections told in the past tense. Murtagh tells of his past, and living in the palace of Galbatorix, but mainly this story is a present-tense story told by a narrator with Eragon's and Saphira's conversations, feelings, and observations. The reader is not omnipresent, nor omniscient; therefore, it is left to the characters to discover the course of the story.

The conversations between Saphira and Eragon are set in italics, and they show the bond between the two. It grows from the dragon's being dependent on him at first to later when she hunts and flies off on her own for long periods of time. The conversations show the internal point of view of dragon and her Rider, and they make all of their crucial decisions together. They give counsel to each other, with Saphira often warning Eragon about dangers that may lie ahead. Saphira and Eragon's internal conversations and thoughts offer a unique insight throughout the story.

In sum, the story is written in the third person with first-person elements included. The first-person elements add an important insight to the thoughts, fears, and vital decisions made by Eragon and Saphira at the most important points of the story.