New Book Announced: Eragon’s Guide to Alagaesia!

By Mike Macauley May 20, 2009 Christopher Paolini 64 Comments

Random House today announced a new book in the Inheritance Cycle world (but not the series itself) called “Eragon’s Guide to Alagaesia”, a collaboration between Christopher Paolini, Random House, and novelty gift book publisher Templar Publishing. The book marks the first time a Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Cycle will be introduced in a format beyond novels. Continue reading to learn all about the new book, including a brief synopsis, release date, book cover, and price/pre-order information!The announcement of “Eragon’s Guide to Alagaesia”, currently the only book involving the Inheritance Cycle world to be published outside of the novels themselves, was announced in a press release titled “Alfred A. Knopf To Publish Unique Novelty Book By Christopher Paolini Based On Internationally Bestselling Inheritance Cycle”. The entire press release can be viewed here.


“We’re thrilled to be able to offer this spectacular book to fans this fall. Eragon’s Guide to Alagaesia will take readers deeper into the captivating world Christopher created, offering a visual perspective of the novels that millions of readers across the world have come to love.” – Nancy Hinkel, Publishing Director

The book will be framed as a gift from Eragon to the reader—who is, in fact, a new Rider. In fifteen lavishly illustrated spreads, the reader is invited to explore the landscape and cities of Alagaësia and its many races, including dragons, humans, Urgals, dwarves and elves. Each spread is filled with special effects and stunning examples of paper engineering and other elements for which Templar is so well known.

The book will carry a suggested retail price of $24.99 (only $16.49 on Amazon!) and will be released in North America, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand on November 3rd, 2009!

You can pre-order your copy of Eragon’s Guide to Alagaesia today on Amazon for $16.49 ($8.50 savings) to arrive on the book’s release! Don’t miss out on this amazing addition to the Inheritance world. And don’t forget – the Brisingr Deluxe Edition hits stores on October 13th, 2009 and can be pre-ordered now!

We will be covering any and all news and information regarding Eragon’s Guide to Alagaesia here on Shur’tugal in the months to come! If you want to make sure you’re notified about any future announcements relating to this book, Book 4, and more, you can subscribe to our Inheritance News Newsletter!

  • Nicolette

    @Guest (Guest): I wouldn’t want to spoil but to share, there are a lot of lanscape pictures and guides about the races that eragon himself wrote. 🙂 there are also little pop-ups and flip ups that make the book enjoyable to read. It’s a must-have for all Inheritance Cycle readers. I hope one turns up on your bookstores soon 😀

  • Nicolette

    I have a copy of the book- I bough it a few weeks ago. I live in the Philippines and I’ve been eying that book since it came out last year on the bookstore I forgot whose name was. And in the cover of the book is the Az Raoni river in the Beor montains. 🙂

  • =

    when will book 4 be realesed

  • iri5ht4t3rz

    my opinion of the “book” on the water is that it is the boat they take from the beors to the elves in eldest because for one thing, the lines behind the book/ship/boat is probably the wake it is making in the river, and also during that part of the book eragon flies above the boat and meets the fanghur (i think); lastly, in the background you can see mountains, and since the perspective of the picture is about level with eragon and saphira, who are probably 150-300 feet up(which means you can see farther than on the ground, for example when you are in an airplane you can see a long ways) that implies that the mountains are pretty big, like the beors. thats just my opinion. =P

  • Nigiwa

    If Eragon´s guide too Alagaësia and Brisingr delux edition comes out in november, october -in United kingdom, north america, australia.. etc – when wil it come out in Sweden, norway and other “smal” contries??

  • ShrrgRider

    any ideas on when these ooks would make it to Thailnd/Asia?

  • Guest

    Sounds like they’re just trying to get more money out of the cycle… sounds good though.

  • Guest

    I wonder what pictures will be inside.

  • Mike

    W.A.T.N. will continue in future installments. 🙂 Hopefully we’ll also have some interviews with certain cast members as a part of this.

  • Glorfindel

    Are you guys going to continue W.A.T.N.?

  • PadfootUnewraithSlayer

    Aye, I think it is a book too, but I have no idea what it is doing there.

  • Faolins

    various

  • Faolins

    I would say , based on my opinon looking at it from varius angles and studying it in intense detail …

    It is a book 🙂

    That is my conclusion(But I may be wrong)

  • MeghanSwiftSword

    I don’t know. I think it’s a book, and I think that …’s theory is right about Alagaesia supposed to be “coming out of the book” but i’m not sure. I can’t tell.

  • PadfootUnewraithSlayer

    You might be right, mate, but I am not so sure. The lines are going all in one direction, which usually means movement of the object, and if you look, the book has a reflection on the water so if the land was coming from the book, wouldn’t there be nothing there yet? Just a thought.

  • MeghanSwiftSword

    That’s pretty cool.

  • SantiBrisingr

    yeah,that makes sense =)

  • …

    It looks as though from the lines coming from the book that Eragon and Saphira are coming out of the book. To me it seems that what the cover is saying is that when you read the book it will be like you are in Alagaesia. So that is represented by an image of Alagaesia appearing when the book is open. The whole land pours out and you’re there.

  • PadfootUnewraithSlayer

    Do you remember me? ;D

    I saw the lines, but I am not sure it those are the ripples of water or movement lines like the thing is flying.

  • Mike

    Hi. I also may be wrong. I’ve just never seen such an odd looking boat. My “artistic lines” have been pointed out to just be trails of water (thanks Bob). Oops.

  • PadfootUnewraithSlayer

    You might be right, Mike. Hi, by the way! ;D

  • Mike

    Looks like a book to me. There’s a bunch of artistic lines coming out of the book and leading to Eragon and Saphira, leading me to believe it’s an artistic representation of where Eragon and Saphira come from. 😛

  • PadfootUnewraithSlayer

    Well, it DOES look like a book, but it might be the ship of Carvahall. But it does look like a flying book.

  • Tetrahawk

    I’m pretty sure it’s a sailboat. Although it does look like an open oversized book.

  • Mike

    It is not the boat they take to the elves, I can tell you that with certainty.

  • David

    CP stands for Christopher Paolini

  • adamtheant

    As good as it sounds, surely it would be better for CP to finish the series first?

  • roranfan339

    I beleive that is the boat they take to the elves.

  • SantiBrisingr

    Did you noticed that there’s a book flying on the surface of the water? where did that come from?

  • Mike

    Yeah, he never said that.

  • Tetrahawk

    Didn’t CP say he was almost halfway into writing Book 3, and noticed that it was starting to get into the 700 page range, so decided that he would write the rest after he did the tours and stuff? I might be wrong.

  • Evarinya

    WOW!
    That sounds really cool!

  • PadfootUnewraithSlayer

    I like the Dragonology book! ;D

    HI, MIKE!!!!!! ;D

  • whatiscp

    what is CP? and how do they make books and lots of tinkering items and such???

    maybe he is god

  • Mike

    Daniel – As I wrote further down the page: “That’s probably because, as stated in the news post, the book is by the company who made Dragonology, Wizardology, Egypotology, etc. All of their books follow the same look, feel, and organization. (The company behind all of the books, including Eragon’s Guide, is Templar.)”

  • Mtrageregon

    where bok 4!! wheye dont yu right the 4 book is good

  • Daniel

    It reminds me of the Dragonology books.

  • Mike

    I don’t think Palanecar did any art for the book.

  • Faolins

    Think I spelt his last name wrong

  • Faolins

    Mike, are the pictures Goign to be by John Jude Palancar?

  • Bob

    I will read this.

  • PadfootUnewraithSlayer

    WICKED!!!!!!!! I wonder if it is going to delve anymore into the Ancient Language, and I hope that get into werecats!!!!! ;D

  • MeghanSwiftSword

    Yes, but I didn’t say that he had finished it, I just said that he probably planned and finished some of it. Sorry, I didn’t explain my point very well. Thanks Mike.

  • Mike

    @ MeghanSwiftSword – While Brisingr was split into Brisingr and Book 4, that does not necessarily mean the entire book was written before the split. Christopher stated that his decision to make the last book two books was based on the amount of plot that would be needed to resolve the series. He has not stated that he had any of Book 4 written prior to the release of Brisingr. At this point, anyone stating this is purely speculating.

  • DanielW

    That’s really cool I hope that there are pictures of the urgals and of murtagh That would be awesome.

  • MeghanSwiftSword

    Yay! Pictures will be cool! Thanks Mike, I didnt see that.

  • MeghanSwiftSword

    @ Kiki

    Book 4 won’t be as long a wait as the others. Remember, C.P. split Brisingr in half, so some of Book 4 is already done. We just need to wait for them to edit, publish, etc. I’d say Book 4 will come around mid 2010. It won’t be a terribly long wait.

  • Mike

    “Fifteen lavishly illustrated spreads” – Yes, it will have pictures. A lot of them.

  • MeghanSwiftSword

    I wonder if this book will have a history of Alagaesia. Or pictures. That would be cool.

  • Mike

    Kiki – I’m fairly certain that everyone by default is well aware that an 800 page book (my rough guess at how long Book 4 will be) would never have a shot in the world of being written, edited, printed, distributed, and sold within a year. No one was ever expecting Book 4 to release this year. It is impossible.

  • Mike

    Vegtam – That’s probably because, as stated in the news post, the book is by the company who made Dragonology, Wizardology, Egypotology, etc. All of their books follow the same look, feel, and organization. (The company behind all of the books, including Eragon’s Guide, is Templar.)

  • kiki

    Does this mean that the fourth book will be coming out after November? But i will definitely get this! Im very excited1

  • BrittanySeager

    The book comes out on my 17th birthday sweet, also i cant wait for book four to come out

  • Vegtam

    Has nobody noticed the uncanny resemblance of the front cover to that of “Dragonology”? Textured/embossed cover; pictures of corner-protectors; framed image in the center; the dragon flying over a valley dotted with trees, a winding river in the middle, and mountains in the background; embedded glass beads… and “special effects and stunning examples of paper engineering”, a major selling-point of Dragonology.

    I call shenanigans.

  • Kay

    Interesting… I can’t wait to see what the pictures contain! I’m personally hoping for a picture of the elves in Elesmera (and one of the houses or the Hall where Islanzadi lives), dwarved in Trojenhem (excuse my mispellings I don’t have my books handy at the moment), or something from Surda.

  • MeghanSwiftSword

    Thats soo BEAST! I cant wait!!!

  • Micgirl

    i was wondering if something like this would come out. It will be interesting to see someone elses depiction of CP’s characters. Im sure it will be a worthy book to add to my collection.Can’t wait!

  • esv24

    i think the same thing as everyone else.

  • Owl

    Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy that Christopher Paolini is publishing this, but I would be even more pleased if he sat down and wrote the fourth book.

  • saphira92

    wow cool I can’t wait

  • SantiBrisingr

    8D wow,cool! now I dont need to see that horrible movie again! WOO!

  • RuggishBon3

    Wow now i can learn the small details of things we missed out in the books =] ty topher p.

  • Shayzlan2

    I think that this Guide to Alagaesia is a great idea. In fact, I was hoping that Mr. Paolini would make a book like this. I can’t wait until this comes out. I might also go for the Brisingr Delux Edition. I have the Eldest Delux Edition…or did. I lent it to a friend of mine and it pretty much was destroyed. Oh well. Anyway thanks for everything Mr. Paolini!

    Se Van-Yali Skolir Ono!!

  • feanarang

    That sounds awesome! I’d like to take a look at it when it comes out!