Darkness falls … despair abounds … evil reigns … Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have just saved the rebel state from destruction by the mighty forces of King Galbatorix, cruel ruler of the Empire. Now Eragon must travel to Ellesmera, land of the elves, for further training in the skills of the Dragon Rider: magic and swordsmanship. But chaos and betrayal plague him at every turn, and nothing is what it seems … Eldest was a No. 1 New York Times bestseller, and a No. 1 Publisher’s Weekly bestseller. This series of popular books was written by Christopher Paolini, a homeschooler born in 1983. The 704-page hardcover Book II of the Inheritance trilogy was published in August 2005.