Last year marked the tenth anniversary of Eragon’s publication by Random House. Since then, the Inheritance Cycle has sold over 35 million copies worldwide and has been published in 125 countries in 49 different languages. With the book’s eleventh anniversary recently passed, we wanted to highlight one of the many editions of the Inheritance Cycle that may interest readers.
To commemorate Eragon‘s incredible milestone, Christopher and Random House worked together to create the 10th Anniversary Collector’s Edition of Eragon, a stunning and unique edition of the series’ first book. The book is markedly different in appearance from any of its previous Random House editions, sporting new cover art for the first time in the book’s North American history. The book is bound in blue faux-leather and features a gold foil line art cover by artist Ciruelo Cabral.
The book’s cover and binding aren’t the only new features of this collector’s item. Six beautiful, never-before-seen glossy, full-color illustrations from world-renowned and award-winning artists can be found throughout the book’s pages. John Jude Palencar (original artist of the Inheritance Cycle book covers), Michael Hague, Donato Giancola, Ciruelo Cabral, and Raoule Vitale, as well as Christopher himself, all contributed illustrations. Each brought to life a different memorable scene from Eragon:
John Jude Palencar – Beloved by Inheritance Cycle readers for his iconic cover artwork, Palencar is also known for his work in the fantasy, science fiction, and horror genres. He illustrated a piece depicting the Ra’zac in Dras Leona.
Michael Hague – Hague is best known for his work illustrating The Hobbit, in addition to scores of children’s fantasy books. He illustrated King Hrothgar and the dwarves fighting a massive Kull in the Battle Under Farthen Dûr.
Donato Giancola – Giancola is an award-winning fantasy and science fiction artist well known for his Middle Earth illustrations. He illustrated the iconic prologue scene in a piece titled Ambush in Du Weldenvarden.
Ciruelo Cabral – Cabral is revered as one of fantasy’s best dragon illustrators. He illustrated Eragon and Saphira overlooking Palancar Valley.
Raoule Vitale – Vitale’s unique style is easily identifiable throughout the fantasy and children’s book industries. He illustrated one of the most memorable scenes in Eragon in a piece titled The Breaking of the Star Sapphire, featuring Eragon, Durza, Arya, and Saphira.
Christopher Paolini – Christopher chose to illustrate Brom in a stunning full color piece.
You can view more work by these artists by clicking on their respective icons below. Please note: the links will bring you to the artists’ personal websites, where some of their portfolios may contain content considered mature.
All of this content is exclusive to the Collector’s Edition of Eragon, which remains on sale on websites such as Amazon and in many national and independent book stores.
