Christopher Paolini’s upcoming Murtagh standalone novel has us excited, to say the least!
Pre-order: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million
Today we’re exploring Murtagh’s short story from the first Tales From Alagaësia book, The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm, which was released in 2018 (learn more about F.W.W. here). The book is a collection of short stories intertwined with post-Cycle narrative from Eragon, including appearances by Saphira, Angela, Elva, Murtagh, and more! (If you haven’t read it yet, we highly recommend doing so, as it is an official part of Cycle canon and available for just $12 on Amazon.)
Here’s a breakdown of the contents of F.W.W.:
- Eragon and Saphira: The new leaders begin the challenging task of establishing a home for the Riders and dragons on Mount Arngor. We witness some of Eragon’s difficulties in managing the logistics of their new home and a surprising addition to their growing community in the Hall of Colors.
- The Fork: This short story revolves around Murtagh and Thorn, along with a new character, and takes place shortly after the events of Inheritance. More details on this story can be found below!
- The Witch: Angela shares several intriguing tales through excerpts from her in-progress autobiography, which she presents as a gift to Eragon. The chapters recount her past – or future? – and explain how she came to travel with Elva.
- The Worm: This Urgal legend narrates the story of Vêrmund the Grim, a black dragon, and the repercussions of his attack on an Urgal village. We follow the journey of a young Urgal named Ilgra after her village is destroyed.
What we know from The Fork (spoilers ahead!):
Murtagh, using the alias Tornac as a tribute to his old friend, mentor, and trainer, encounters Essie, the young daughter of a tavern owner in Ceunon. Murtagh is in search of information about a mysterious presence in northern Alagaësia and waits for his contacts to arrive with the desired intel. In the meantime, he trades stories with Essie, who, like him, is an outsider.
During his stay, Murtagh is unexpectedly attacked by the mercenaries he had hired. Even though he is unarmed and reluctant to resort to magic, he finds a different way to defend himself by enchanting a fork from his table, transforming it into a lethal weapon. With this makeshift weapon, he defeats the men who betrayed him.
Before leaving the tavern, Murtagh presents the enchanted fork to Essie as a gift and sets off to meet Thorn on the outskirts of town.
What we know from the Murtagh synopsis:
The world is no longer safe for the Dragon Rider Murtagh and his dragon, Thorn. An evil king has been toppled, and they are left to face the consequences of the reluctant role they played in his reign of terror.
Now they are hated and alone, exiled to the outskirts of society. But when Murtagh discovers something wicked lurking in the shadows of Alagaësia, so begins an epic journey into lands both familiar and untraveled, where he and Thorn must use every weapon in their arsenal, from brains to brawn, to find and outwit a mysterious witch. A witch who is much more than she seems…
It seems that The Fork perfectly sets us up for what’s to come – something wicked lurking in the shadows!
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Murtagh is set to release on November 7, 2023 in North America and the United Kingdom. Other international release dates will be announced in the future.
Pre-order: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million
Order: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million
