Whether you read Eragon as a child and want to return to Alagaësia or you’re discovering it for the first time, this guide lists the Eragon books in order across the original Inheritance Cycle and the wider World of Eragon. Christopher Paolini’s fantasy saga follows farm boy Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, as they become caught in the struggle against King Galbatorix.
The naming can be confusing because the Inheritance Cycle is the original four-novel series, while later books continue the same world. I recommend following the six-book order below, which places the story collection The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm and the sequel Murtagh where they belong for a first read or a reread.
Jump to:
- Eragon Books in Order
- Companion and Reference Books
- Future World of Eragon Books
- Eragon Movie and TV Adaptations
- About Christopher Paolini
Eragon Books in Order
The simplest Eragon reading order is publication order. It also follows the story chronologically for the published narrative books.
- Eragon (2002)
- Eldest (2005)
- Brisingr (2008)
- Inheritance (2011)
- The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm (2018)
- Murtagh (2023)
The original Inheritance Cycle ends with Inheritance and contains four novels. Adding Murtagh makes five published novels in the World of Eragon, while The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm brings the complete narrative reading order to six books. That’s why retailers and reading guides sometimes give different totals.
Eragon was first self-published in 2002, and Alfred A. Knopf released its edition on August 26, 2003. Some lists therefore use 2003, but the 2002 edition came first.
I recommend reading The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm before Murtagh. The collection is set after Inheritance, and Murtagh is a direct sequel to both the original cycle and the collection. Although Murtagh can be approached on its own, the earlier books provide the relationships and history that give its story more weight.
Stories in The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm
- “The Fork” (Short Story)
- “The Witch” (Short Story)
- “The Worm” (Short Story)
The collection uses new Eragon scenes to connect the three stories. The Angela memoir excerpt “On the Nature of Stars,” which appears within “The Witch,” was written by Angela Paolini in the voice of Angela the herbalist.
Companion and Reference Books
These books add background, artwork, and reference material, but none is required to understand the main story.
- Eragon’s Guide to Alagaësia (2009)
- The Inheritance Almanac by Michael Macauley, edited by Mark Vaz (2010)
- Murtagh: Deluxe Edition (2024)
Eragon’s Guide to Alagaësia is an illustrated, in-world tour, while The Inheritance Almanac is an A-to-Z reference guide. I recommend saving both until after Inheritance rather than interrupting the main series.
The deluxe edition of Murtagh contains the same novel, so it should replace rather than follow the regular edition in your reading order. In my view, it’s worth considering if you want the added Eragon-and-Murtagh scene, a letter from Jeod, maps, and new artwork.
Future World of Eragon Books
Paolini has confirmed more material set in Alagaësia. These works remain outside the published reading order until they are released:
- The Book of Remembrance (2026)
- Tales from Alagaësia, Volume 2
- Untitled Murtagh sequel
The Book of Remembrance is an in-world historical archive built around seven battles from Alagaësia’s history. It contains new canon material, but it is not a full-length sequel novel, so I would keep it separate from the six-book reading order above.
The stories from The Book of Remembrance are planned to be combined with additional material in Tales from Alagaësia, Volume 2. Paolini has also shared an excerpt from a sequel to Murtagh and said that novel takes place directly after the second Tales from Alagaësia volume. No publication year has been announced for either book.
Eragon Movie and TV Adaptations
Eragon Movie
The Inheritance Cycle received its first screen adaptation with Eragon in 2006. The film adapts the first novel and stars Ed Speleers as Eragon, Jeremy Irons as Brom, and Rachel Weisz as the voice of Saphira. No film sequels followed.
Disney+ TV Series
Disney+ announced in February 2026 that an Eragon television series had entered development. Christopher Paolini is attached to write and produce alongside Todd Harthan and Todd Helbing. Disney did not announce a cast or release date with the development update.
About Christopher Paolini
Christopher Paolini began writing the first draft of Eragon at 15. He and his family first published the novel through Paolini International before Alfred A. Knopf acquired it. Guinness World Records recognizes him as the youngest author of a bestselling book series.
After completing the four-book Inheritance Cycle, Paolini returned to Alagaësia with The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm and Murtagh. His Fractalverse science-fiction novels take place in a separate setting and are not part of this reading order.
Looking for more books in order?
If you want more fantasy authors and reading-order guides like this one, start with my Fantasy Books in Order index.
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Have you continued to the Alagaësia books?