At 15, Christopher Paolini began writing Eragon, a fantasy story about a boy and a dragon in a war-torn world called Alagaesia. To date, Eragon and Eldest--Paolini's second book, published in 2005--have sold more than 8 million copies. In December, Eragon, a 20th...

The dragon was no longer than his forearm, yet it was dignified and noble. Its scales were deep sapphire blue, the same color as the stone. But not a stone, he realized, an egg. The dragon fanned its wings; they were what had...