# Is "House of Chains (Malazan 4)" by Steven Erikson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of House of Chains (Malazan 4) by Steven Erikson (Bantam Press, 2002) is identified by: UK Bantam Press hardcover, published December 2002 — the series' return to hardcover format after two trade paperback originals. UK Bantam Press 2002 hardcover is the true first; the US Tor edition followed in 2006.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK Bantam Press hardcover, published December 2002 — the series' return to hardcover format after two trade paperback originals
- First printing has a full number line including 1; issued with dust jacket alongside a simultaneous trade paperback
- Publisher imprint reads Bantam Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Steven Erikson |
| Publisher | Bantam Press |
| Year | 2002 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | UK Bantam Press hardcover, published December 2002 — the series' return to hardcover format after two trade paperback originals |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
UK Bantam Press hardcover, published December 2002 — the series' return to hardcover format after two trade paperback originals. First printing has a full number line including 1; issued with dust jacket alongside a simultaneous trade paperback.

## Is this the true first?
UK Bantam Press 2002 hardcover is the true first; the US Tor edition followed in 2006.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The simultaneous UK trade paperback, later printings, the US Tor edition (2006), and book-club copies differ from the hardcover first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *House of Chains (Malazan 4)* by Steven Erikson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/house-of-chains-malazan-4
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.