There's a thread for the entire series here:
Got the swine-flu shot today. - KH-Vids.Net Forum
Basically, it's got dragons and their riders, the plot of Star Wars and the setting of Lord of the Rings.
If you can look past the flaws (unoriginality, purple prosy narration, a huge part of the characters could be considered Mary-Sues/Gary Stus, at times questionable morals etc.) it's a very enjoyable read.
The movie... Unless you want a good laugh, don't bother with it. The only things remotely good are the CGI-effects on Saphira, Jeremy Irons', Garrett Hedlund's, (and if you like Hammyness and over-acting) Robert Carlyle's and John Malcovich's acting. The rest is just defiling the source material.