The second edition of Eragon was published by Knopf in August 2003. Knopf subsequently made an offer to publish Eragon and the rest of The Inheritance Cycle. In mid-2002, the stepson of author Carl Hiaasen found Eragon in a bookstore and loved it this led to Hiaasen bringing it to the attention of his publisher, Alfred A. To promote the book, Paolini toured over 135 schools and libraries, discussing reading and writing, all the while dressed in 'a medieval costume of red shirt, billowy black pants, lace-up boots, and a jaunty black cap.' He drew the cover art for the first edition of Eragon, which featured Saphira's eye, along with the maps on the inside covers of his books.

In 2002, Eragon was published for the first time by Paolini International LLC, Paolini's parents' publishing company.

This novel would become the first of a four-book series set in the mythical land of Alagaësia. He started his work on his first novel, Eragon, at the age of 15. 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 of Correspondence in Lansing, Illinois. His family members include his parents, Kenneth Paolini and Talita Hodgkinson, and his younger sister, Angela Paolini. Paolini was born in Los Angeles, California, and raised in the area of Paradise Valley, Montana. He lives in Paradise Valley, Montana, where he wrote his first book. His first science fiction novel, To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, was published on September 15, 2020. He is best known for The Inheritance Cycle, which consists of the books Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr, Inheritance, and the follow up short story collection The Fork, the Witch and the Worm. Christopher James Paolini (born November 17, 1983) is an American author and screenwriter.

The inheritance cycle series