This week, we’re highlighting Inheritance Cycle artwork and guest interviews on Paolini.net in honor of our one year anniversary!
Art
Have you ever wondered how Christopher envisioned characters, creatures, and places while writing? Our galleries and Art Desk series offer a glimpse into his imagination, bringing burrow grubs, dragon eyes, Rider swords, and more to life.
And, for a limited time, you can purchase autographed fine-art prints of A Dream of Dragons (portrait of Brom) and Aren (still-life of Brom’s ring)!
Interested in learning how to draw? Christopher shared some of his favorite tools for sketching to help get you started.
How did you first discover Eragon? Was it by spotting Saphira perched on a bookshelf? The iconic illustration, as well as those adorning Eldest, Brisingr, and Inheritance, were created by renowned artist John Jude Palencar. You may be less familiar with his other Alagaësia-inspired works, including Shruikan and the Lethrblaka, which were created for foreign editions.
Palencar’s portrait of the Ra’zac in Dras-Leona was one of six pieces included in the 10th anniversary edition of Eragon. Michael Hague, Donato Giancola, Ciruelo Cabral, Raoule Vitale, and Christopher also contributed.
Guests
It’s been our pleasure to host guests to discuss music, editing, and finding inspiration. Artie Bennett, a copyeditor at Random House Children’s Books, chronicled his adventures wrangling the Cycle’s invented languages alongside Christopher.
Eleanor Glewwe, whose debut novel Sparkers arrived earlier this year, spoke on the impact music has on her creative process.
During our Music Month celebration, other familiar faces stopped by: Rachel Hartman, Eleanor Glewwe, Stefan Bachmann, Brandon Sanderson, and Karen Bao shared playlists that helped inspire their stories. Maybe you’ll find some new tunes!
And come read what fans have shared, describing how Eragon touched their lives in a meaningful way. When Christopher began writing his adventure, he never dreamed it would reach so many people. He is amazed by these inspiring stories, which you can read here.
Interviews
What happens when you hand two authors a recording device and ask them to gab? Epic conversations, that’s what! Some of your favorite writers have visited with Christopher to discuss everything from their latest projects to writing tips to amusing anecdotes.
The interviews are packed full of stories you’re sure to enjoy: Bradley Trevor Greive chatted about his military career and Russian space training; Christopher and Tony DiTerlizzi relived childhood dreams and Dungeons and Dragons adventures; John Stephens explained his transition from television producer to fantasy author; Karen Bao showed that it’s possible to find success as an author while still in school.
View our collection of video conversations here!
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