Eragon is the first book in Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Cycle series. It tells the story of Eragon, a young boy in a fantasy universe who happens upon a blue stone while traveling through a mountain range near his home. He eventually discovers the stone to be a dragon egg when it. Eragon / Christopher Paolini. — (Inheritance; bk. 1) Summary: In Alagaesia, a fifteen-year-old boy of unknown lineage called Eragon finds a mysterious stone that weaves his life into an intricate tapestry of destiny, magic, and power, peopled with dragons, elves, and monsters. EISBN: 978-0-375-89036-9.
My name is Eragon. I am an orphan, I don't know who my father is and my mother dropped me off at my uncle's house when I was a baby. No has seen her since. My uncle and my cousin are my family now, we are farmers trying to make a living off the land and whatever I can catch during a hunt. One day I go deep into the mountains to track a deer. I loose the deer, but find a beautiful blue stone. It is dark blue, with thin white veins that look like a spider web across it. It is perfectly smooth and feels cool to the touch. It is a foot long but is amazingly light. No I ask myself:
Where did this stone come from?
Does it have a purpose?
Was it sent here by accident or I am meant to have it?
Is it magic?
What should I do with the stone?
For answers to these questions read Eragon by Christopher Paolini (Nora Douglas, ndouglas@tuscaloosa-library.org, Tuscaloosa Public Library)
Booktalk #2
Eragon was the first of the Dragon Riders. It was an honor for me to bear his name. Even though the Dragon Riders were no more. Galbatirox had seen to that. Even though it had cost him his great black dragon. Along with all the other Riders' dragons. Now he rules as King of Alagaesia by cruelty and sorcery.
I was hunting in the Spine, the great range of mountains to the West of Carvahall where I lived with my uncle and cousin. My bow was drawn and I took my last steadying breath before loosing my arrow when--an explosion shattered the night, scattering the herd. My shot missed, and where the deer had been there was a large smoldering circle with a wisp of smoke and a burnt smell. In the center lay an oval dark-blue stone with thin veins of white spider webbed across it about a foot long. When I picked it up, it seemed lighter than it should have.
I took it home with me with the hope that it would bring enough to pay for the meat, which its arrival had taken from me. But, nobody was interested in the stone, not even the traders when they arrived for their annual visit. It proved impenetrable; harder than a diamond. I kept it under my bed.
Until the night I was roused from my sleep by squeaking. I soon realized that it came from the stone. Finally it fell silent and I returned to sleep, only to waken later to see the stone rocking back and forth in the moonlight. Then, it rolled onto the floor and a crack appeared, followed by more. A piece wobbled and toppled to the floor followed by a series of squeaks and a small dark head. Soon the creature emerged completely from the stone that was now obviously an egg. It moved into the moonlight and I saw it clearly for the first time.
It was a dragon. They weren't extinct after all. And perhaps I was given my name for a reason.
Sam Marsh for The Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award
Booktalk #3
Certainly you’ve heard of this book: written when the author was 15, following in the footsteps of many of the current popular fantasy stories in print and on the screen, it has been favorably contrasted with Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series, Anne McCaffrey’s Pern series, and others. So, why read it? Well, because it is really fresh, a true page-turner of a tale, and will charm you with the enchanted world it describes. Eragon is a poor farmer boy, out hunting in the mystical mountains above his home town, who finds a brilliant blue oval stone. Hoping he can trade it for food for his family, he takes it home, only to find it is in reality a dragon egg. It hatches into a gorgeous sapphire blue dragon, a dragon hatched when all dragons were thought to be extinct! He names her Saphira, and bonds with her, to become the first free Dragon Rider in 100 years. Enter the evil minions of King Galbatorix, bent on destroying all freedom in the empire, and Eragon must learn fast how to survive in a politically complex world far beyond his mountain valley home. This book is a marvelous read! Read it and enjoy the wonderful relationship between boy and dragon, in this first book of a fascinating trilogy. (Jean B. Bellavance for Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Awards, 2004-2005)
Booktalk #4
A young man finding his true purpose, a dragon, elves, dwarves, an evil king, and magic, all are a part of the book Eragon. Finding a mysterious blue stone, Eragon is not prepared to become bonded to its contents. But he does just that when a majestic sapphire blue dragon hatches, thrusting Eragon into the role of the first Dragon Rider in a hundred years who is not controlled by the evil ruler of the Empire. Gifted with only an ancient sword, the loyal dragon, and sage advice from an old storyteller, Eragon begins a quest for his uncle’s killers initially for revenge. He soon learns, however, that the cruel king will do anything to get Saphira, the dragon, and himself to serve him. He must quickly learn to fight and just as quickly understand his own new powers and ability with magic. Eragon is a sprawling fantasy, filled with vivid characters, witty dialogue, and nail-biting battle scenes set in a magical world where a wondrous blue dragon and her rider are at the center of it all. Once read, you will be eagerly awaiting Eragon’s next adventure which is entitled Eldest. (Rose W. Grayson, South Carolina Book Awards, 2006)
Booktalk #5
What’s that? Eragon, abruptly roused from sleep, listened carefully. All was quiet. Uneasy, he slid his hand under his mattress to grab his knife. There it was again! A squeak! He rolled out of bed yanking his knife from its sheath. Quickly lighting a candle, he noted that his door was still closed. The sound was too loud for a mouse or rat. Another squeak! This time his eyes settled on the smooth blue stone on his shelf. About a foot long, the stone had appeared suddenly in front of him while he was hunting in the forested Spine. He glared at it furiously. He had not been able to sell the stone or trade it for food, and now it would not even let him sleep! Now the stone was rocking rapidly on the shelf, knocking against the wall. Quickly, Eragon jumped from his bed, knife in hand and began dressing. The stone quivered, rolled forward and dropped to the floor with a loud thump. Eragon inched toward the door, ready to make a run for it as cracks appeared in the surface of the stone. More squeaks and a small dark head appeared, followed by an angular body. The small creature skittered into the moonlight and Eragon recoiled in shock. The creature was a dragon. Thus begins Eragon’s adventures as a Dragon Rider. These legendary men with telepathic links to their dragon partners ruled the land of Alagaesia before the evil Galbatorix seized power and killed them all. Eragon and Saphira must learn to distinguish friend from foe, gaining magical knowledge and allies before Galbatorix can find and destroy them. Oklahoma Sequoyah Young Adult Book Award nominee, 2005-2006
Christopher Paolini has consistently kept fans up to date on his current and future projects. Shortly after completing the Inheritance Cycle in 2011, the author announced that a fifth book, referred to by fans as “Book 5,” will someday be written. The author sees the book as a continuation of the same story, heavily influenced by the events of the Cycle, but featuring new main characters.
“The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm” – Tales from Alagaësia (Volume 1: Eragon)is notBook 5. This new book is a standalone story narrated by Eragon and featuring three original short stories. Familiar faces, such as Eragon, Saphira, and Murtagh will make a return!
Looking to immediately jump to the topic that interests you the most?
- Jump to: What exactly is Book 5?
- Jump to: What will Book 5 include?
- Jump to: An official title
- Jump to: The mysterious clues
- Jump to: Confirmed plot details
- Jump to: Teased plotlines
WHEN WILL BOOK 5 BE WRITTEN?
Before Christopher tackles Book 5, he’s working on finishing his sci-fi novel, code-named “TSiaSoS”. The author hasn’t definitively stated that Book 5 will be the next project after the sci-fi novel’s completion, but has repeatedly expressed interest in returning to the world of Alagaësia.
WHAT EXACTLY IS BOOK 5?
Book 5 will be a standalone novel set in Alagaësia. Eragon, Saphira, and Nasuada will not return as main characters. Instead, the series will follow new/unnamed characters. However, Christopher still sees the book as a continuation of the same story, being heavily influenced by the events of the Cycle. [S1, S2]
The entire book is already plotted out and has been since the conclusion of the Cycle. The fifth book isn’t the only story has planned for the world of Alagaësia! In addition to “The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm,” Christopher has shared a desire to write prequels, sequels, and stand-alone books, all found on on a dedicated page here.
WHAT WILL BOOK 5 INCLUDE?
Fans of the Cycle will know that Christopher deliberately hid clues and left loose ends in Inheritance which set the stage for events in Book 5 and beyond. Many of the community’s most burning questions are set to be addressed. We’ve compiled a list of confirmed plot details to be found in the fifth book below.
Christopher has revealed that some of the hidden groundwork laid for Book 5 in Brisingr and Inheritance has been discovered by fans, while even more remains hidden. [S]
AN OFFICIAL TITLE
Eragon Books In Order
The book has no official title and likely won’t until just a few months before its release. Fans have affectionately referred to the book as Book 5 since the beginning. However, other fans stick to more “complete” titles, such as Inheritance Cycle Book 5 and Eragon Book 5. The big question: will Christopher stick with his one-word-title scheme or break free of that constraint to mark a new chapter in the series?
THE MYSTERIOUS CLUES
When asked to reveal any new detail about Book 5, Christopher delivered two cryptic messages:
Eragon Book 3
“Everyone in Alagaësia has overlooked something really, really important with regard to the new peace they hope to establish.” [S]
“Light and shadow shall meet in an epic battle. Bwahahaha! #ineverjokeaboutstories” [S]
CONFIRMED PLOT DETAILS
Dive into this topic in further detail on our Confirmed Book 5 Plotlines page (COMING SOON)!
Timeline: Book 5 won’t pick up immediately after the ending of Inheritance. [S]
Main characters: Eragon and Saphira will not be main characters in the book. [S1] We have, however, met the new main character. [S2] Never fear, though: many old characters will return in the fifth installment. [S3] The strangers who had their fortunes read by Angela in Brisingr are not the subjects of Book 5 but rather a different future story. [S4]
New villain(s): The Unnamed Shadow (from Eragon’s Guide to Alagaësia) and Nameless One (Jeod’s Letter from the Deluxe Edition of Inheritance) are very real. “Beware of shadows that seek to use mirrors.” [S1] As for who or what these are – we’ve already met “him/her/it/they/what-the-heck-is-that?” [S2] Christopher has revealed that they are separate entities, and that some characters (including Jeod and the man he was writing to in his letter) know more about the Nameless One than Christopher has revealed in canon materials and interviews. [S3]
Eragon Books Reviews
Future of the dragons and Riders: Book 5 will reveal the outcome of Saphira and Firnen’s mating at the end of Inheritance. Little baby dragons? We’ll find out! [S] We’ll see the beginning of the new generation of dragons and Riders, and it’s a very real possibility we’ll see dwarf and Urgal Riders. [S1, S2]
Angela the Herbalist: Angela’s origin story and other mysterious details will be addressed. [S1] Christopher also has an entire book about Angela planned. [S2]
Eragon and Arya: Eragon and Arya’s confusing and open-ended relationship will be addressed – but not necessarily in the ways we expect. [S]
Eragon Book Summary
Murtagh and Roran: Fans looking to see more of the two warriors will be happy with Book 5. [S1] It’s possible that Murtagh (and Thorn’s) appearance will include further developments on the fan-wished Murtagh/Nasuada relationship. [S2]
Tenga: Tenga’s mysterious inclusion in Brisingr and disappearance in Inheritance (also addressed in Jeod’s letter, an epilogue to the Inheritance Cycle) is likely to be explored in Book 5 – all but confirmed by the author with a “no comment” answer in a Q&A. [S1] If not in Book 5, he’ll definitely appear in other stand-alone books. [S2]
TEASED PLOTLINES
Eragon Book 1
New lands: It’s likely we’ll see an extended map of Alagaësia, further cementing the idea that we’ll explore lands beyond what we saw in the first four books. [S1] Whether in Book 5 or beyond, we will see the lands Eragon sailed off to. [S2] Could this include the lands the humans and Ra’zac migrated from? Yes – someday. [S3]
It’s worth exploring other teased plotlines that Christopher has confirmed will be explored and included in future books, but did not specifically state they would be in Book 5. These include topics such as the Grey Folk, what the Menoa tree took, Tenga’s whereabouts, Oromis’ missing sword, and more! All of these confirmed plots can be found on our “Beyond Book 5: Standalone books, prequels, and more” page.
You may also enjoy: How the Inheritance Cycle was originally going to end