# Is "Forest Mage (Soldier Son 2)" by Robin Hobb a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Forest Mage (Soldier Son 2) by Robin Hobb (Voyager / HarperCollins, 2006) is identified by: UK Voyager (HarperCollins) hardcover, published 3 July 2006, ISBN 0007196156, with a full number line descending to 1 and the priced Voyager jacket present on a first-state copy. UK Voyager hardcover of 3 July 2006 is the true first, preceding the US Eos edition by about two months.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK Voyager (HarperCollins) hardcover, published 3 July 2006, ISBN 0007196156, with a full number line descending to 1 and the priced Voyager jacket present on a first-state copy
- The US Eos (HarperCollins) hardcover followed on 1 September 2006 (ISBN 0060757639) with a different jacket carrying cover art by Christophe Vacher
- Publisher imprint reads Voyager / HarperCollins
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robin Hobb |
| Publisher | Voyager / HarperCollins |
| Year | 2006 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | UK Voyager (HarperCollins) hardcover, published 3 July 2006, ISBN 0007196156, with a full number line descending to 1 and the priced… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
UK Voyager (HarperCollins) hardcover, published 3 July 2006, ISBN 0007196156, with a full number line descending to 1 and the priced Voyager jacket present on a first-state copy. The US Eos (HarperCollins) hardcover followed on 1 September 2006 (ISBN 0060757639) with a different jacket carrying cover art by Christophe Vacher.

## Is this the true first?
UK Voyager hardcover of 3 July 2006 is the true first, preceding the US Eos edition by about two months.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings are distinguished by a shortened number line; the US Eos edition is a separate later first-appearance-in-the-US, not the true first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Forest Mage (Soldier Son 2)* by Robin Hobb a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/forest-mage-soldier-son-2
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.