About the Author

Christopher Paolini's abiding love of fantasy inspired him to write the Inheritance Cycle, which quickly became an internationally bestselling series. He began the first draft of the introductory book in the series, Eragon, at age fifteen. Christopher draws inspiration for the world of Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, from the natural beauty that surrounds his home in Montana: the tumultuous weather, the roaring Yellowstone River, and the soaring Beartooth Mountains. Find out more about Christopher and the Inheritance Cycle at paolini.net.

Reviews

Praise for The Inheritance Cycle:

A #1 New York Times Bestseller
A #1 Publishers Weekly Bestseller
A #1 USA Today Bestseller
A Wall Street Journal Bestseller

"An authentic work of great talent." –New York Times Book Review

"Paolini is a spellbinding fantasy writer." –The Boston Globe

"A breathtaking and unheard of success." –USA Today

“Christopher Paolini make[s] literary magic.” –People

“Will appeal to legions of readers who have been captivated by the Lord of the Rings trilogy.” –School Library Journal

Praise for Eragon:

“The new ‘It’ book of children’s lit.” –U.S. News & World Report

“Unusual, powerful, fresh, and fluid.” –Booklist, Starred

"The author takes the near-archetypes of fantasy fiction and makes them fresh and enjoyable, chiefly through a crisp narrative and a likable hero." –Publisher's Weekly

Gr 5 Up-Eragon, 15, is hunting for wild game when he witnesses a mysterious explosion. At the center of the blast radius he finds a polished blue stone marked with white veins. Brom, the village storyteller, has shown interest in it, so it is to him that Eragon turns when it starts squeaking, then wobbling, and then hatches into a majestic sapphire blue dragon. His decision to keep and raise Saphira starts him on an epic journey of Tolkienesque proportions that is only partially told in the 500 pages of this book. Eragon learns that the Empire's cruel and oppressive king will stop at nothing to get Eragon and Saphira to serve him. Training and traveling with Brom, the teen and dragon learn to work together in war and peace, using a combination of traditional fighting arts and magic. They encounter massive humanoid warriors with savage intentions and are befriended by Murtagh, a human warrior with mysterious ties to the Varden and the Empire. Eventually, they seek refuge with dwarves who harbor the Varden, who exist to free the Empire. Eragon does not approach the depth, uniqueness, or mastery of J. R. R. Tolkien's works, and sometimes the magic solutions are just too convenient for getting out of difficult situations. However, the empathetic characters and interesting plot twists will appeal to the legions of readers who have been captivated by the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy and are looking for more books like it.-Susan L. Rogers, Chestnut Hill Academy, PA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Praise for The Inheritance Cycle:

A #1 New York Times Bestseller
A #1 Publishers Weekly Bestseller
A #1 USA Today Bestseller
A Wall Street Journal Bestseller

"An authentic work of great talent." -New York Times Book Review

"Paolini is a spellbinding fantasy writer." -The Boston Globe

"A breathtaking and unheard of success." -USA Today

"Christopher Paolini make[s] literary magic." -People

"Will appeal to legions of readers who have been captivated by the Lord of the Rings trilogy." -School Library Journal

Praise for Eragon:

"The new 'It' book of children's lit." -U.S. News & World Report

"Unusual, powerful, fresh, and fluid." -Booklist, Starred

"The author takes the near-archetypes of fantasy fiction and makes them fresh and enjoyable, chiefly through a crisp narrative and a likable hero." -Publisher's Weekly