# Is "The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive 1)" by Brandon Sanderson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive 1) by Brandon Sanderson (Tor Books, 2010) is identified by: US Tor hardcover, published August 31, 2010. US Tor is the true first; the UK Gollancz edition followed in late 2010.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Tor hardcover, published August 31, 2010
- Copyright page states 'First Edition: August 2010' with a number line ending in 1
- Michael Whelan jacket art; interior maps and illustrations by Isaac Stewart and Ben McSweeney
- Publisher imprint reads Tor Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Brandon Sanderson |
| Publisher | Tor Books |
| Year | 2010 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Tor hardcover, published August 31, 2010 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
US Tor hardcover, published August 31, 2010. Copyright page states 'First Edition: August 2010' with a number line ending in 1. Michael Whelan jacket art; interior maps and illustrations by Isaac Stewart and Ben McSweeney.

## Is this the true first?
US Tor is the true first; the UK Gollancz edition followed in late 2010. The flagship Stormlight collectible.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Tor printings keep the 'First Edition: August 2010' line but the number line no longer reaches 1 — the number line, not the edition statement, identifies the printing. Leatherbound anniversary editions are separate.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive 1)* by Brandon Sanderson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-way-of-kings-the-stormlight-archive-1
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.