# Is "The Rithmatist" by Brandon Sanderson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson (Tor Teen, 2013) is identified by: YA fantasy, US Tor Teen hardcover published May 14, 2013 (ISBN 9780765320322). The US Tor Teen edition (May 14, 2013) is the true first; the UK Orion Children's Books edition followed within days later in May 2013.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- YA fantasy, US Tor Teen hardcover published May 14, 2013 (ISBN 9780765320322)
- The first printing states First Edition on the copyright page with a full number line ending in 1 (the sequence descends to "1")
- The book is a 304-page illustrated hardcover with numerous interior illustrations by Ben McSweeney
- The first-issue dust jacket should retain its printed cover price and carries the McSweeney-styled chalk-line art; the jacket is not price-clipped in the first state
- Publisher imprint reads Tor Teen
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Brandon Sanderson |
| Publisher | Tor Teen |
| Year | 2013 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | YA fantasy, US Tor Teen hardcover published May 14, 2013 (ISBN 9780765320322) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
YA fantasy, US Tor Teen hardcover published May 14, 2013 (ISBN 9780765320322). The first printing states First Edition on the copyright page with a full number line ending in 1 (the sequence descends to "1"). The book is a 304-page illustrated hardcover with numerous interior illustrations by Ben McSweeney. The first-issue dust jacket should retain its printed cover price and carries the McSweeney-styled chalk-line art; the jacket is not price-clipped in the first state.

## Is this the true first?
The US Tor Teen edition (May 14, 2013) is the true first; the UK Orion Children's Books edition followed within days later in May 2013.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings drop the 1 from the number line while retaining the First Edition statement; no book club edition of note.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Rithmatist* by Brandon Sanderson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-rithmatist
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.