# Is "Artemis Fowl and the Opal Deception" by Eoin Colfer a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Artemis Fowl and the Opal Deception by Eoin Colfer (Puffin, 2005) is identified by: UK Puffin hardcover first, 2005; ISBN 978-0-14-138164-0; copyright page 'First published 2005' with a number line ending in 1; illustrated boards with a die-cut/window dust jacket; first-state jacket, price unclipped. UK Puffin hardcover is the true first (2005).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK Puffin hardcover first, 2005
- ISBN 978-0-14-138164-0; copyright page 'First published 2005' with a number line ending in 1; illustrated boards with a die-cut/window dust jacket; first-state jacket, price unclipped
- Publisher imprint reads Puffin
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Eoin Colfer |
| Publisher | Puffin |
| Year | 2005 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | UK Puffin hardcover first, 2005 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
UK Puffin hardcover first, 2005; ISBN 978-0-14-138164-0; copyright page 'First published 2005' with a number line ending in 1; illustrated boards with a die-cut/window dust jacket; first-state jacket, price unclipped.

## Is this the true first?
UK Puffin hardcover is the true first (2005). By this point in the series Penguin issued the hardcovers under the Puffin imprint (Puffin ISBN prefix 0-14-138xxxx).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
US edition (Miramax/Hyperion) is a separate issue; later UK printings advance the number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Artemis Fowl and the Opal Deception* by Eoin Colfer a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/artemis-fowl-and-the-opal-deception
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.