Brisingr - Abridged

Christopher Paolini was born in Southern California and lived most of his life in Paradise Valley, Montana. The tall, jagged Beartooth Mountains that rise on one side of Paradise Valley inspired the fantastic scenery in Eragon, the first novel in his Inheritance Cycle.

Christopher's journey to becoming a globally beloved publishing phenomenon is as magical as the fantasy novels he writes. Christopher was homeschooled by his parents and often wrote short stories and poems, made frequent trips to the library, and read widely. He was fifteen when he wrote the first draft of Eragon and his family self-published the book in 2001.

In August 2003, Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers published Eragon and it was an instant success, reaching a worldwide audience. Christopher's second novel Eldest was published in 2005, followed by Brisingr in 2008. Inheritance, the fourth and final book in the cycle released in November 2011. Additional titles in The World of Eragon include Eragon's Guide to Alagaesia and The Fork, The Witch, and the Worm.

Today, the Inheritance Cycle is available in more than 50 countries, and together the four books in the series (Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr, Inheritance) have sold more than 40 million copies worldwide.

Christopher Paolini was educated at home by his parents. His abiding love of fantasy and science fiction inspired him to begin writing his debut novel, Eragon, when he graduated from high school at fifteen. He became a New York Times bestselling author at nineteen. Christopher lives in Montana, USA, where the dramatic landscape fed his vision of Alagaesia. Inheritance, the final book in the sequence, will be published in November 2011.

Kerry Shale's theatre credits include the West End hit Frost/Nixon. Recent TV: 10 Days To War. Films include Genova. Kerry has recorded countless audiobooks, including Christopher Paolini's Eragon and Eldest. He has won three Sony Awards for radio acting and writing.