# Is "Fool's Errand (The Tawny Man 1)" by Robin Hobb a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Fool's Errand (The Tawny Man 1) by Robin Hobb (Voyager / HarperCollins, 2001) is identified by: UK Voyager (HarperCollins) hardcover, published 15 October 2001, 592 pages, ISBN 0-00-224726-9. The UK Voyager hardcover is the true first; the US Bantam Spectra hardcover followed in January 2002.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK Voyager (HarperCollins) hardcover, published 15 October 2001, 592 pages, ISBN 0-00-224726-9
- The first impression carries a complete descending number line reading 1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2 on the copyright page and the John Howe jacket art depicting FitzChivalry Farseer and the Fool
- The US Bantam Spectra hardcover followed on 29 January 2002
- Publisher imprint reads Voyager / HarperCollins
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robin Hobb |
| Publisher | Voyager / HarperCollins |
| Year | 2001 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | UK Voyager (HarperCollins) hardcover, published 15 October 2001, 592 pages, ISBN 0-00-224726-9 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
UK Voyager (HarperCollins) hardcover, published 15 October 2001, 592 pages, ISBN 0-00-224726-9. The first impression carries a complete descending number line reading 1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2 on the copyright page and the John Howe jacket art depicting FitzChivalry Farseer and the Fool. The US Bantam Spectra hardcover followed on 29 January 2002.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Voyager hardcover is the true first; the US Bantam Spectra hardcover followed in January 2002.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings drop the leading 1 from the number line; a true first impression shows the full line 1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2 with the John Howe jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Fool's Errand (The Tawny Man 1)* by Robin Hobb a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/fools-errand-the-tawny-man-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.