Product Description

This deluxe edition of the runaway international bestseller includes:
·A sneak peek at Book III
·An exclusive, full-color foldout poster of Glaedr by award-winning artist John Jude Palencar
·A revealing excerpt of the history of Alagaësia
·Never-before-seen art by the author, including an image of Brom’s elf ring
·A complete and comprehensive list of people, places, things, and dwarf clans

Darkness falls. . . . Swords clash. . . . Evil reigns.

Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have just saved the rebel state from destruction by the mighty forces of King Galbatorix, cruel ruler of the Empire. Now Eragon must travel to Ellesméra, land of the elves, for further training in magic and swordsmanship, the vital skills of the Dragon Rider. It is the journey of a lifetime, filled with awe-inspiring new places and people, each day a fresh adventure. But chaos and betrayal plague him at every turn, and Eragon isn’t sure whom he can trust.

Meanwhile, his cousin Roran must fight a new battle back home in Carvahall–one that puts Eragon in even graver danger.

Will the king's dark hand strangle all resistance? Eragon may not escape with even his life. . . .


From the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #282 in eBooks
• Published on: 2006-09-26
• Released on: 2006-09-26
• Format: Kindle Book
• Number of items: 1

Amazon.com Review
Surpassing its popular prequel Eragon, this second volume in the Inheritance trilogy shows growing maturity and skill on the part of its very young author, who was only seventeen when the first volume was published in 2003. The story is solidly in the tradition (some might say derivative) of the classic heroic quest fantasy, with the predictable cast of dwarves, elves, and dragons--but also including some imaginatively creepy creatures of evil.

The land of Alagaesia is suffering under the Empire of the wicked Galbatorix, and Eragon and his dragon Saphira, last of the Riders, are the only hope. But Eragon is young and has much to learn, and so he is sent off to the elven forest city of Ellesmera, where he and Saphira are tutored in magic, battle skills, and the ancient language by the wise former Rider Oromis and his elderly dragon Glaedr. Meanwhile, back at Carvahall, Eragon's home, his cousin Roran is the target of a siege by the hideous Ra'zac, and he must lead the villagers on a desperate escape over the mountains. The two narratives move toward a massive battle with the forces of Galbatorix, where Eragon learns a shocking secret about his parentage and commits himself to saving his people.

The sheer size of the novel, as well as its many characters, places with difficult names, and its use of imaginary languages make this a challenging read, even for experienced fantasy readers. It is essential to have the plot threads of the first volume well in mind before beginning--the publisher has provided not only a map, but a helpful synopsis of the first book and a much-needed Language Guide. But no obstacles will deter the many fans of Eragon from diving headfirst into this highly-awaited fantasy. (Ages 12 and up) --Patty Campbell

Meet Author Christopher Paolini
Christopher Paolini’s abiding love of fantasy and science fiction inspired him to begin writing his debut novel, Eragon, when he graduated from high school at age 15.

"Writing is the heart and soul of my being. It is the means through which I bring my stories to life. There is nothing like putting words on a page and knowing that they will summon certain emotions and reactions from the reader. In my writing, I strive for a lyrical beauty somewhere between Tolkien at his best and Seamus Heaney’s translation of Beowulf." --Christopher Paolini

Paolini talks more about the series, and about what inspires him in this video clip.
Watch the video (high bandwith)
Watch the video (low bandwith)

The Eragon/Eldest Boxed Set


Want to learn more about the series? Check out our review of Eragon: Here's a great big fantasy that you can pull over your head like a comfy old sweater and disappear into for a whole weekend. Christopher Paolini began Eragon when he was just 15, and the book shows the influence of Tolkien, of course, but also Terry Brooks, Anne McCaffrey, and perhaps even Wagner in its traditional quest structure and the generally agreed-upon nature of dwarves, elves, dragons, and heroic warfare with magic swords. Read more

Order your copy of the boxed set today

Learn the Lingo
Our quickie pronunciation guide will help you get to know some of the names and places in the Inheritance series.

Ajihad

AH-zhi-hod

The Leader of the Varden

Argetlam	ARE-jet-lahm	Elven word to describe Dragon Riders meaning "silver hand"
Arya	AR-ee-uh	A powerful elf who is both beautiful and a master swordswoman
Eragon	EHR-uh-gahn	A Dragon Rider from Carvahall
Ra-zac	RAA-zack	Evil creatures
Saphira	suh-FEAR-uh	Eragon’s dragon

*Art copyright © 2004 John Jude Palencar

From School Library Journal
Grade 5 Up–Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have survived the battle at Tronjheim, but their challenges are not over. Galbatorix, the corrupt emperor, still rules Alagaesia and is looking for them. The magically bonded pair must help the rebellious Varden regroup after their leader is slain. Eragon helps deal with the resulting diplomatic complexities and then leaves for Du Weldenvarden, the home of the Elves, in order to finish his training as a Dragon Rider. Meanwhile, his cousin Roran must unite the small town of Carvahall as it is battered by Galbatorix's forces, including the nasty Ra'zac. The story alternates between Eragon and Saphira and their political maneuvering and Roran and his more traditional adventure over land and sea. Paolini provides a worthy companion to Eragon (Knopf, 2003), though it does not stand alone (a summary of the first book will be included in the final edition). The plot–indeed, most of the fantasy conventions–is heavily inspired by Tolkien, McCaffrey, and especially George Lucas. The momentum of the narrative is steady and consistent: a problem presents itself and is neatly (and conveniently) solved before the next one arises, making it appealing to some adventure-quest fantasy fans and runescape.com players. Eragon's journey to maturity is well handled. He wrestles earnestly with definitions for good and evil, and he thoughtfully examines the question of good at what price.While there's nothing particularly original here, the book will find its fan-base.–Sarah Couri, New York Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Bookmarks Magazine
Paolini started his trilogy when he was 15. Now, at the ripe old age of 21, the home-schooled author exhibits literary maturity in the second volume of his heroic-quest fantasy. He still borrows from J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and Anne McCaffrey’s The Dragonriders of Pern. But here, Eragon matures with his author and exhibits more emotional depth. If the pace is inconsistent or the themes formulaic, Paolini has nonetheless created a unified, vivid fantasy world that propelled most reviewers forward. (Don’t even touch it if you don’t like dragons.) Only Entertainment Weekly weighed in with hefty complaints about the novel’s glacial pace and silly plot. Maybe that critic will like the 2006 movie, starring John Malkovich and Jeremy Irons, better.

Copyright © 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Eldest
If you are into this type of ready you enjoy reading the whole series of books. I enjoy the fact that it continues on with what happens after Eragon left off.

Fulfilling second entry in the series ...
Wonderfully fulfilling second entry in this series.

More information and some cool plot turns (which you could foresee from hints in the first book).

From my review of "Eragon" I will say it again ... I don't know HOW the movie company is going to convert the second book into movie form since they strayed so far from the first book's plot points. I am eagerly awaiting the second movie.

I devoured the third book ("Brisingr") in what seemed like seconds.

I have asked for notification from Amazon when the fourth (yes, fourth) book will be released - and I am very pleased CP had the thoughtfulness to expand the series rather than leave any good information out.

To the naysayers I say this:
Enjoy it for what it is - otherwise keep the negative reviews to yourself. BTW, MOST stories happen to parallel "Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back". I'm a huge Star Wars fan (I saw it in the movie theater when it was FIRST released) and when I was reading Eldest I did NOT feel like it imitated that story line. It has its own persona.

It's exciting, curious, breath-holding fun.

CP - your second installment is a joy to read. I can't wait much longer for the fourth. Thanks, and keep up the good work!

Great
My whole family like to listen to books on CD while in the car. This was a great book.