# Is "The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm (Tales from Alagaësia 1)" by Christopher Paolini a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm (Tales from Alagaësia 1) by Christopher Paolini (Alfred A. Knopf / Random House, 2018) is identified by: First printing shows the full descending number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page, ending in 1, Alfred A. US Knopf hardcover is the true first, released December 31, 2018, as Tales from Alagaësia, Volume 1 in the Eragon universe.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing shows the full descending number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page, ending in 1, Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2018
- Bound in white paper over boards with brown cloth spine lettered in gilt; the first-state printed price is present on the unclipped pictorial jacket, which depicts a dragon coiled around a mountain with white and gold lettering
- Two glossy color maps precede the title page and black-and-white illustrations appear throughout the text
- 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 | 2018 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | First printing shows the full descending number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page, ending in 1, Alfred A. Knopf Books for… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First printing shows the full descending number line 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page, ending in 1, Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2018. Bound in white paper over boards with brown cloth spine lettered in gilt; the first-state printed price is present on the unclipped pictorial jacket, which depicts a dragon coiled around a mountain with white and gold lettering. Two glossy color maps precede the title page and black-and-white illustrations appear throughout the text.

## Is this the true first?
US Knopf hardcover is the true first, released December 31, 2018, as Tales from Alagaësia, Volume 1 in the Eragon universe. The large first printing (reported at 500,000 copies) means first printings are common.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings advance the number line so it no longer descends to 1.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm (Tales from Alagaësia 1)* by Christopher Paolini a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-fork-the-witch-and-the-worm-tales-from-alaga-sia-1
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.