The story of Eragon began as the daydreams of a teen. Christopher's love for the magic of stories led him to craft a novel that he would enjoy reading. The project began as a hobby; he never intended to be published. He took a month to plot out the entire trilogy, then sat on the sofa and began writing in a notebook. When he reached sixty pages, he gained enough confidence to transfer his work to his Macintosh computer, where most of Eragon was written, although he sometimes found that the story flowed better when he wrote by hand. All the characters in Eragon are from Christopher's imagination except Angela the herbalist, who is loosely based on his sister.

Christopher Paolini was born on November 17, 1983 in Southern California. Aside from a few years in Anchorage, Alaska, he spent his entire life in Paradise Valley, Montana, where he still lives with his parents and younger sister, Angela. They have two pets, Otis, a black and white cat, and Annie, a frisky cocker/Australian shepherd mix. Tall, jagged Beartooth Mountains rise on one side of the Paradise Valley. Snowcapped most of the year, they inspired the fantastic scenery in Eragon. A few years ago, Christopher hiked to the top of one peak and could see the Grand Teton mountain range, 100 miles to the south. Christopher was homeschooled by his parents. He often wrote short stories and poems in attempt to put his thoughts into words. He made frequent trips to the library and read widely. Some of his favorite books were Bruce Coville's Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher, Frank Herbert's Dune, Raymond E. Feist's Magician, and Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials, as well as books by Anne McCaffrey, Jane Yolen, Brian Jacques, E. R. Eddison, David Eddings, and Ursula Le Guin. Christopher grew up listening to a variety of music, but classical music fired his imagination and helped him write. He often listened to Mahler, Beethoven, and Wagner while writing Eragon. The final battle of Eragon was written while listening to “Carmina Burana,” by Carl Orff. The story of Eragon began as the daydreams of a teen.

Synopsis of Eragon

A 11Win Disaster

The CounciI of Eiders

Truth Among Friends

Roran

The Hunted Hunters

Saphira’S Promise

Requiem

Fealty

A S0rceress．a Snake，and a Scroll

Hrothgar’s Gift

Hammer and Tongs

Retaliation

Az SweIdn rak Anhfiin

Celbedell

Diamonds in the Night

Under a Darkling Sky

Down the Rushing Mere-Wash

Drifting

Arya Svit-kona

Ceris

Wounds of the Past

Wounds of the Present

His Enemy's Face

Arrow to the Heart

The Dagshe[gr Invocation

The Pinewood City

Queen Islanzadi

Out of the Past

Conviction

Repercussions

Exodus

On the Crags of Tel'naeir

The Secret Lives of Ants

Under the Menoa Tree

A Maze of Opposition

Hanging by a Thread

Elva

Resurgence

Why Do You Fight?

Black Morning Glory

The Nature of Evil

Image of Perfection

The Obliterator

Narda

The Hammer Falls

The Beginning of Wisdom

Broken Egg and Scattered Nest

The Girl of Dragons

In a Starry Glade

Landfall

Teirm

deod Longshanks

An Unexpected Ally

Escape

Child's Play

Premonition of War

Red Blade, White Blade

Visions Near and Far

Gifts

The Maw of the Ocean

Running the Boar's Eye

To Aberon

The Burning Plains

The Clouds of War

Nar Garzhvog

Witch's Brew

The Storm Breaks

Convergence

Eldest

Inheritance

Reunion

Pronunciation Guide and Glossary

Acknowledgments