Please note: I took a break partway through this book because I'd gotten acutely bored (and coursework got overwhelming).
The characters are compelling, and Paolini's revelation as to why the elves (and riders) don't eat meat (unless absolutely necessary) was well-written, portraying Eragon's internal dilemma up to the realization. While Eragon's training (which was about 1/3 of the book, I think...) was well thought-through, it was a little dull at times, focusing on explaing the mechanisms of magic and histories.