# Is "The Spirit Ring" by Lois McMaster Bujold a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Spirit Ring by Lois McMaster Bujold (Baen Books, 1992) is identified by: First edition, Baen Books, Riverdale, New York, published November 1992; the copyright page states First printing, November 1992 with a full number line. US Baen hardcover (November 1992) is the true first; her first standalone fantasy novel and her first trade hardcover.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, Baen Books, Riverdale, New York, published November 1992; the copyright page states First printing, November 1992 with a full number line
- Her first standalone fantasy novel and her first trade hardcover, issued in a dust jacket that should retain the original printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Baen Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lois McMaster Bujold |
| Publisher | Baen Books |
| Year | 1992 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, Baen Books, Riverdale, New York, published November 1992; the copyright page states First printing, November 1992 with a… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, Baen Books, Riverdale, New York, published November 1992; the copyright page states First printing, November 1992 with a full number line. Her first standalone fantasy novel and her first trade hardcover, issued in a dust jacket that should retain the original printed price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
US Baen hardcover (November 1992) is the true first; her first standalone fantasy novel and her first trade hardcover. A mass-market paperback followed in 1993.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A book-club hardcover exists; identify it by the absence of a printed price on the jacket flap and, on club printings generally, the blindstamp to the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Spirit Ring* by Lois McMaster Bujold a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-spirit-ring
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.