Alright, it was very derivative. It had your rider-dragon link thingy, an undistinguished system of magic, elves, dwarves, and a slight variation on the "evil, stupid hero-fodder bad guy race".
However, it was not without some spark of original thought. The Razaks where a new idea. Insectoid race that is simply filling in the "human's natural enemies" role so many other predators had lost on account of lacking thumbs. I don't think I've ever heard or read about a were-cat before this book.
My main point is, however derivative it was, it was less derivative than the movie. The creators of this film have done the seemingly impossible and managed to suck and pulverize the scraps and grains of independent thought that went into the novel "Eragon", and then filled out the empty space with styrofoam peanuts.
Novel: razaks, scary man-eating bug people with paralyzing breath. More powerful than Urgals, and less likely to be dispatched in a single scene.
Movie: Razaks are just some poorly illuminated sweaty guys. No attempt is made to distinguish them from the "urgals", which were also played by undisguised sweaty guys.
Novel: creator is somewhat original, if not wise, in introducing a serious character who changes into a cat and is named "Solembum".
Movie: Solembum is dropped to make the fortune telling scene even more cryptic and pointless. Opportunities for riffs untold are lost to us.
That is my point.