# Is "Ship of Destiny (Liveship Traders 3)" by Robin Hobb a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Ship of Destiny (Liveship Traders 3) by Robin Hobb (Voyager / HarperCollins, 2000) is identified by: UK Voyager / HarperCollins hardcover, London, March 2000, with the cover art illustrated by John Howe. UK Voyager hardcover is the true first (March 2000); the US Bantam Spectra hardcover followed in August 2000.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK Voyager / HarperCollins hardcover, London, March 2000, with the cover art illustrated by John Howe
- First printing carries the odd-then-even number line 1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2 (including the 1) on the copyright page
- The US Bantam Spectra hardcover followed in August 2000
- Publisher imprint reads Voyager / HarperCollins
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robin Hobb |
| Publisher | Voyager / HarperCollins |
| Year | 2000 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | UK Voyager / HarperCollins hardcover, London, March 2000, with the cover art illustrated by John Howe |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
UK Voyager / HarperCollins hardcover, London, March 2000, with the cover art illustrated by John Howe. First printing carries the odd-then-even number line 1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2 (including the 1) on the copyright page. The US Bantam Spectra hardcover followed in August 2000.

## Is this the true first?
UK Voyager hardcover is the true first (March 2000); the US Bantam Spectra hardcover followed in August 2000.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings drop the 1 from the number line; a first printing shows the complete line 1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Ship of Destiny (Liveship Traders 3)* by Robin Hobb a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/ship-of-destiny-liveship-traders-3
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.