# Is "Abarat: Days of Magic, Nights of War" by Clive Barker a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Abarat: Days of Magic, Nights of War by Clive Barker (HarperCollins / Joanna Cotler Books, 2004) is identified by: US first edition: Joanna Cotler Books / HarperCollins, New York, 2004, with First Edition stated and a full number line ending in 1; illustrated throughout with Barker's color paintings. US Joanna Cotler Books and UK HarperCollins editions both appeared in 2004, effectively simultaneous; no firm precedence is established, and both are collected as firsts.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US first edition: Joanna Cotler Books / HarperCollins, New York, 2004, with First Edition stated and a full number line ending in 1; illustrated throughout with Barker's color paintings
- Second book of the Abarat series
- Publisher imprint reads HarperCollins / Joanna Cotler Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Clive Barker |
| Publisher | HarperCollins / Joanna Cotler Books |
| Year | 2004 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US first edition: Joanna Cotler Books / HarperCollins, New York, 2004, with First Edition stated and a full number line ending in 1… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US first edition: Joanna Cotler Books / HarperCollins, New York, 2004, with First Edition stated and a full number line ending in 1; illustrated throughout with Barker's color paintings. Second book of the Abarat series.

## Is this the true first?
US Joanna Cotler Books and UK HarperCollins editions both appeared in 2004, effectively simultaneous; no firm precedence is established, and both are collected as firsts.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club copies lack the printed jacket price and the number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Abarat: Days of Magic, Nights of War* by Clive Barker a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/abarat-days-of-magic-nights-of-war
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.