It’s been more than two decades since a very young Chrisopher Paolini appeared on the YA fantasy scene with Eragon, the story of a boy and his dragon. The book kicked off the Inheritance Cycle, which ended (for now?) with Inheritance in 2011.
But Paolini isn’t done with the world of Alagaësia. Entertainment Weekly revealed the cover (with art by John Jude Palencar) for a new standalone set in the same fantastical world: Murtagh, which arrives this fall.
Murtagh focuses on the titular character, a rival of Eragon’s, and is set a year after the end of the previous series. Here’s the publisher’s summary:
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.
Throughout the land, hushed voices whisper of brittle ground and a faint scent of brimstone in the air—and Murtagh senses that something wicked lurks in the shadows of Alagaësia. So begins an epic journey into lands both familiar and untraveled, where Murtagh 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.
On Reddit, Paolini clarified a few details about this book and its relation to the Inheritance Cycle:
To be clear, Murtagh isn’t a spin-off. It isn’t a retelling. And it isn’t a one-off that won’t connect to later events. It’s a direct-line sequel to the Inheritance Cycle and an essential and necessary part of what I’m doing in Alagaësia. Also, some of the questions I left unanswered at the end of Inheritance are answered in Murtagh, so don’t think I’m just letting all of you hang. That would be mean.
Along with a new illustrated edition of Eragon, Murtagh will hit shelves November 7th.
