# Is "Dragon Keeper (The Rain Wild Chronicles 1)" by Robin Hobb a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Dragon Keeper (The Rain Wild Chronicles 1) by Robin Hobb (Voyager / HarperCollins, 2009) is identified by: The true first is the UK HarperCollins/Voyager hardcover of 2009, bound in blue boards with gilt titling to the spine and issued in a dust jacket with cover art by Jackie Morris. UK Voyager (HarperCollins) hardcover, 2009, is the true first edition, preceding the US Eos/Harper Voyager hardcover of 2010; identify it by the full number line to 1, the blue boards with gilt spine titling, and the Jackie Morris jacket art.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The true first is the UK HarperCollins/Voyager hardcover of 2009, bound in blue boards with gilt titling to the spine and issued in a dust jacket with cover art by Jackie Morris
- A true first printing shows a complete descending number line ending in 1 on the copyright page
- The jacket should be unclipped with the printed price intact; no remainder marks on a true first
- Publisher imprint reads Voyager / HarperCollins
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robin Hobb |
| Publisher | Voyager / HarperCollins |
| Year | 2009 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The true first is the UK HarperCollins/Voyager hardcover of 2009, bound in blue boards with gilt titling to the spine and issued in a dust… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
The true first is the UK HarperCollins/Voyager hardcover of 2009, bound in blue boards with gilt titling to the spine and issued in a dust jacket with cover art by Jackie Morris. A true first printing shows a complete descending number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. The jacket should be unclipped with the printed price intact; no remainder marks on a true first.

## Is this the true first?
UK Voyager (HarperCollins) hardcover, 2009, is the true first edition, preceding the US Eos/Harper Voyager hardcover of 2010; identify it by the full number line to 1, the blue boards with gilt spine titling, and the Jackie Morris jacket art.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings are distinguished by a number line that no longer reaches 1. The US edition (2010) is a separate later first for its market, not the global precedent.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Dragon Keeper (The Rain Wild Chronicles 1)* by Robin Hobb a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/dragon-keeper-the-rain-wild-chronicles-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.