# Is "Eldest (Inheritance Cycle 2)" by Christopher Paolini a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Eldest (Inheritance Cycle 2) by Christopher Paolini (Alfred A. Knopf / Random House, 2005) is identified by: First printing has the full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page, Knopf 2005, with the first-state price present on the unclipped jacket flap. US Knopf hardcover is the true first (August 2005).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing has the full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page, Knopf 2005, with the first-state price present on the unclipped jacket flap
- A small subset of the first printing was misbound with 32 pages of Cornelia Funke's Inkspell inserted; those defect copies are scarce and distinct
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf / Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Christopher Paolini |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf / Random House |
| Year | 2005 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | First printing has the full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page, Knopf 2005… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing has the full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page, Knopf 2005, with the first-state price present on the unclipped jacket flap. A small subset of the first printing was misbound with 32 pages of Cornelia Funke's Inkspell inserted; those defect copies are scarce and distinct.

## Is this the true first?
US Knopf hardcover is the true first (August 2005). A UK Doubleday edition, including a signed numbered issue, followed in the British market.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings advance the number line so it no longer ends in 1; book-club and film tie-in jackets appear later.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Eldest (Inheritance Cycle 2)* by Christopher Paolini a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/eldest-inheritance-cycle-2
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.