# Is "Captain Vorpatril's Alliance" by Lois McMaster Bujold a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Captain Vorpatril's Alliance by Lois McMaster Bujold (Baen Books, 2012) is identified by: Baen trade hardcover, November 2012, with the copyright page stating the first printing and a full number line descending to 1; the printed-price first-issue dust jacket bears David Seeley's cover art. US Baen trade hardcover (November 2012) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Baen trade hardcover, November 2012, with the copyright page stating the first printing and a full number line descending to 1; the printed-price first-issue dust jacket bears David Seeley's cover art
- Confirm the first printing by the presence of the '1' in the number line together with the retained printed jacket price
- Publisher imprint reads Baen Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lois McMaster Bujold |
| Publisher | Baen Books |
| Year | 2012 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Baen trade hardcover, November 2012, with the copyright page stating the first printing and a full number line descending to 1; the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Baen trade hardcover, November 2012, with the copyright page stating the first printing and a full number line descending to 1; the printed-price first-issue dust jacket bears David Seeley's cover art. Confirm the first printing by the presence of the '1' in the number line together with the retained printed jacket price.

## Is this the true first?
US Baen trade hardcover (November 2012) is the true first. Baen also issued a separate signed limited edition at publication (November 6, 2012) under its own ISBN, with the author's signature on a publisher's tipped-in leaf; that special edition is a distinct issue from the trade first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A book-club edition exists; it lacks the full number line and the printed jacket price of the Baen trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Captain Vorpatril's Alliance* by Lois McMaster Bujold a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/captain-vorpatrils-alliance
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.