# Is "The Gathering Storm (WoT 12, with Brandon Sanderson)" by Robert Jordan a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Gathering Storm (WoT 12, with Brandon Sanderson) by Robert Jordan (Tor Books, 2009) is identified by: US Tor hardcover, published October 27, 2009. US Tor is the true first; UK Orbit follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Tor hardcover, published October 27, 2009
- First printing states 'First Edition' with the number line reading 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page
- Bound in blue cloth lettered in gilt on the spine, with decorated endpapers and pastedowns, a double-page map, and in-text designs; a facsimile of Robert Jordan's signature is printed on the title page
- First-issue dust jacket (Darrell K. Sweet art) should retain the printed front-flap price on unclipped copies
- Completed by Brandon Sanderson from Jordan's notes
- Publisher imprint reads Tor Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert Jordan |
| Publisher | Tor Books |
| Year | 2009 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Tor hardcover, published October 27, 2009 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Tor hardcover, published October 27, 2009. First printing states 'First Edition' with the number line reading 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 on the copyright page. Bound in blue cloth lettered in gilt on the spine, with decorated endpapers and pastedowns, a double-page map, and in-text designs; a facsimile of Robert Jordan's signature is printed on the title page. First-issue dust jacket (Darrell K. Sweet art) should retain the printed front-flap price on unclipped copies. Completed by Brandon Sanderson from Jordan's notes.

## Is this the true first?
US Tor is the true first; UK Orbit follows. Both Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson are credited. The announced first printing was very large (about one million copies), so first-printing copies are common.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Science Fiction Book Club and later printings differ: the SFBC edition is a smaller, lighter volume, typically carries a blind-stamp to the rear board, and lacks the stated 'First Edition' with the number line to 1.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Gathering Storm (WoT 12, with Brandon Sanderson)* by Robert Jordan a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-gathering-storm-wot-12-with-brandon-sanderson
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.