# Is "Inheritance (Inheritance Cycle 4)" by Christopher Paolini a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Inheritance (Inheritance Cycle 4) by Christopher Paolini (Alfred A. Knopf / Random House, 2011) is identified by: First printing has the full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page, Knopf 2011, with the first-state price present on the unclipped jacket flap. US Knopf hardcover is the true first (November 2011); series finale.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing has the full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page, Knopf 2011, with the first-state price present on the unclipped jacket flap
- 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 | 2011 |
| 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 2011… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First printing has the full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page, Knopf 2011, with the first-state price present on the unclipped jacket flap.

## Is this the true first?
US Knopf hardcover is the true first (November 2011); series finale. A UK Doubleday edition 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.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Inheritance (Inheritance Cycle 4)* by Christopher Paolini a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/inheritance-inheritance-cycle-4
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.