News of a fresh attempt to bring the Eragon series to screens is renewing interest in Christopher Paolini’s fantasy series.
The four-part book series gained a new addition in the form of a collection of short stories, released nearly a decade after the original series ended. News of the upcoming Disney Plus show, paired with knowledge that the Inheritance Cycle didn’t finish at four books, is breathing fresh air into Paolini’s mid-2000s saga. If you’ve yet to catch up on the Inheritance Cycle, here’s how to enjoy every book in the series, in order.
Eragon (2003)
Christopher Paolini’s debut novel was technically self-released in 2001, but it was re-released by an official publishing house a few years later. The young author’s premier novel introduced readers to the fantastical world of Alagaësia, where an ancient order called the Dragon Riders bond with, and maintain peace alongside, dragons. Centuries after a powerful Rider turned against the order and created the Thirteen Forsworn, the young child of a former Dragon Rider bonds with a dragon of his own and sets out on a quest to restore peace in Alagaësia.
Eldest (2005)
The second book in the Inheritance Cycle dives even deeper into Paolini’s fantastical world, as Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, finally begin the training process to become an official part of the Dragon Riders. Romances build, wars brew, and new alliances are cemented as Eragon and Saphira face down a new dragon and its Rider. This book takes place three days following the events of Eragon, picking up the action right where the first book left off.
Brisingr (2008)
Initially intended as the final book in the Inheritance Trilogy, Brisingr ended up as three of four after Paolini realized his saga could not conclude in a single book. He relabeled the series as a “cycle,” instead of a trilogy, and broke the ending of his tale into two books. Brisingr was the first of these, and follows Eragon, Saphira, and their friends on their continued fight for the soul of Alagaësia. Like Eldest, it takes place approximately three days following the conclusion of its predecessor, coming in hot on the tails of Eragon’s last journey.
Inheritance (2011)
The final book in the original Inheritance Cycle was released a full decade after Eragon‘s first self-publishing. By the time it hit shelves, hype around the book was sky-high. Despite critiques of being derivative, the Inheritance Cycle was one of the most popular fantasy series of its time. The final book sees Eragon and Saphira’s story, as well as the war for Alagaësia, come to an end. It takes place directly after the events of Brisingr, and was intially thought to be the conclusion of the Inheritance Cycle. A handful of years after it was released, however, Paolini announced another entry into the saga.
Tales from Alagaësia: The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm (2018)
Tales from Alagaësia deviates from Paolini’s other work, providing a deeper look at Alagaësian lore through a series of short stories, rather than an ongoing series. It serves as the first book in what is intended to be a series, and compiles three short stories set in Paolini’s magical world. The second of these stories was written by Paolini’s sister, Angela, and all three follow Eragon and Saphira in the years following the war. It takes place after all of the other books in the Inheritance Cycle — so far, at least.