# Is "Blood Canticle" by Anne Rice a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Blood Canticle by Anne Rice (Alfred A. Knopf, 2003) is identified by: The US Knopf first states "First Edition" on the copyright page with the Borzoi colophon and no additional printing numbers (Knopf uses the stated words rather than a descending number line for these titles). The US Knopf hardcover, stated first edition, is the true first edition; this is the final novel in the Vampire Chronicles.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The US Knopf first states "First Edition" on the copyright page with the Borzoi colophon and no additional printing numbers (Knopf uses the stated words rather than a descending number line for these titles)
- Issued in a dust jacket that should retain its printed cover price on the front flap; an unclipped jacket confirms the price is intact, while a clipped jacket does not by itself demote a first
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Anne Rice |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 2003 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The US Knopf first states "First Edition" on the copyright page with the Borzoi colophon… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The US Knopf first states "First Edition" on the copyright page with the Borzoi colophon and no additional printing numbers (Knopf uses the stated words rather than a descending number line for these titles). Issued in a dust jacket that should retain its printed cover price on the front flap; an unclipped jacket confirms the price is intact, while a clipped jacket does not by itself demote a first.

## Is this the true first?
The US Knopf hardcover, stated first edition, is the true first edition; this is the final novel in the Vampire Chronicles. ISBN 037541200X.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings drop the "First Edition" statement. Book-club editions are physically smaller, printed on lighter stock, and lack the printed price on the jacket flap; the book-club tell is a blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board, distinct from Knopf's own Borzoi colophon on the true first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Blood Canticle* by Anne Rice a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/blood-canticle
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.