THIS IS A BORZOI BOOK PUBLISHED BY ALFRED A. KNOPF

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Text copyright © 2005 by Christopher Paolini
Cover art copyright © 2005 by John Jude Palencar
Illustrations on this page and this page copyright © 2002 by Christopher Paolini
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York. Originally published in hardcover in the United States by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, New York, in 2005.

Knopf, Borzoi Books, and the colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

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The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition of this work as follows:
Paolini, Christopher.
Eldest / Christopher Paolini.
p. cm. — (Inheritance ; bk. 2)
Summary: After successfully evading an Urgal ambush, Eragon is adopted into the Ingeitum clan and sent to finish his training so he can further help the Varden in their struggle against the Empire.
eISBN: 978-0-375-83753-1
[1. Fantasy. 2. Dragons—Fiction. 3. Youths’ writings.] I. Title.
II. Series: Paolini, Christopher. Inheritance; bk. 2.
PZ7.P19535El 2005
[Fic]—dc22    2005009325

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