The new gang: Michelle Frey, who not only loved the story enough to take a chance on an epic fantasy written by a teenager but also managed to streamline Eragon’s pacing through her insightful editing; my agent, Simon Lipskar, who helped find the best home for Eragon; Chip Gibson and Beverly Horowitz for the wonderful offer; Lawrence Levy for his good humor and legal advice; Judith Haut, publicity whiz of the first degree; Daisy Kline for the awe-inspiring marketing campaign; Isabel Warren-Lynch, who designed the lovely book jacket, interior, and map; John Jude Palencar, who painted the jacket art (I actually named Palancar Valley for him long before he ever worked on Eragon); Artie Bennett, the doyen of copyediting and the only man alive who understood the difference between to scry it and to scry on it; and the entire team at Knopf who have made this adventure possible.
Lastly, a very special thanks to my characters, who bravely face the dangers I force them to confront, and without whom I wouldn’t have a story.
May your swords stay sharp!
Christopher Paolini