Christopher Paolini - Children's Author

Christopher Paolini was born in 1983 in California where he still lives.  Home schooled for the duration of his education, Paolini graduated from high school at the age of 15 through a set of accredited correspondence courses from the American School in Chicago, Illinois. Following graduation, he started his work on what would become the novel Eragon and its sequel Eldest, both set in the kingdom of Alagaësia.

In 2002, Eragon was published in a small way by Paolini International LLC, Paolini's parents' company. However, his big break was to come in Summer 2002, when the stepson of author Carl Hiaasen found Eragon in a bookstore and loved it, and Hiaasen brought it to the attention of his publisher, who subsequently made an offer to publish Eragon and the rest of the Inheritance Cycle. The second edition of Eragon was published in August 2003. At the age of nineteen, Paolini became a New York Times bestselling author. Eragon has since been adapted into a film of the same name.

Eldest, the sequel to Eragon, was published in 2005. The third book in the cycle, Brisingr, was released in autumn 2008.  The fourth and final title in the series will be released before Christmas 2011.

Paolini's literary inspirations include the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, E. R. Eddison and the epic poem Beowulf.  Other literary influences include David Eddings, Brian Jacques, Anne McCaffrey, Raymond E. Feist, Ursula K. Le Guin. Other favourite authors include Philip Pullman and Garth Nix. Paolini notes that in his writing he ‘strives for a lyrical beauty somewhere between Tolkien at his best and Seamus Heaney's translation of Beowulf.’

In this video, Christopher delivers the manuscript for the very last book in the Inheritance sequence to his publisher. Press play to watch:

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Featured Books, with extracts by Christopher Paolini

Inheritance Book Four
Christopher Paolini
Not so very long ago, Eragon was nothing more than a poor farm boy, and his dragon, Saphira, only a blue stone in the forest. Now, the fate of an entire civilisation rests on their shoulders in this stunning book...
Featured in: 14+ readers
Format: Paperback - Released: 25/10/2012
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Inheritance Book Four
Christopher Paolini
Not so very long ago, Eragon was nothing more than a poor farm boy, and his dragon, Saphira, only a blue stone in the forest. Now, the fate of an entire civilisation rests on their shoulders in this stunning book...
Featured in: 14+ readers
Format: Hardback - Released: 20/08/2011
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Brisingr (Deluxe Edition)
Christopher Paolini
Oaths are sworn, loyalties tested and forces collide in this unmissable fantasy epic.   Brisingr means fire and was the first word that came out of the mouth of the dragon. Following the colossal battle against the Empire's warriors on the Burning Plains, Eragon...
Featured in: 11+ readers | 14+ readers | Books of the Month
Format: Hardback - Released: 22/10/2009
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Brisingr
Christopher Paolini
Oaths are sworn, loyalties tested and forces collide in this unmissable fantasy epic. Brisingr means fire and was the first word that came out of the mouth of the dragon. Following the colossal battle against the Empire's warriors on the Burning...
Featured in: 11+ readers | eBooks
Format: Paperback - Released: 27/08/2009
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Brisingr
Christopher Paolini
Oaths are sworn, loyalties tested and forces collide in a fantasy epic that promises to be one of the key publishing sensations of 2008.   Brisingr means fire and was the first word that came out of the mouth of the dragon....
Featured in: 11+ readers | 14+ readers | eBooks
Format: Hardback - Released: 20/09/2008
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Eragon
Christopher Paolini
For those teenagers and adults alike who’ve enjoyed The Lord of the Rings or indeed The Dark Materials trilogy we think you’ll really enjoy the magic, the power and the storytelling of Eragon and its sequels Eldest and
Featured in: 11+ readers | eBooks
Format: Paperback - Released: 02/11/2006
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Eldest
Christopher Paolini
Christopher Paolini can only be described as a precocious find.  He began his debut novel, Eragon, the first in The Inheritance trilogy, at 15 and now at only 21, Eldest, the second in the trilogy has been published and...
Featured in: 11+ readers | 9+ readers | eBooks
Format: Paperback - Released: 07/09/2006
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Eragon
Christopher Paolini
Eragon is the first in Paolini’s Inheritance trilogy.  For those teenagers and adults alike who’ve enjoyed The Lord of the Rings or indeed The Dark Materials trilogy we think you’ll really enjoy the magic, the power and the...
Featured in: 11+ readers | eBooks
Format: Paperback - Released: 06/01/2005
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