# Is "Words of Radiance (Stormlight Archive 2)" by Brandon Sanderson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Words of Radiance (Stormlight Archive 2) by Brandon Sanderson (Tor Books, 2014) is identified by: US Tor hardcover, published March 4, 2014; 'First Edition: March 2014' stated with number line ending in 1. US Tor true first; UK Gollancz follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Tor hardcover, published March 4, 2014; 'First Edition: March 2014' stated with number line ending in 1
- Text point: the first printing carries the original ending in which Kaladin kills Szeth
- Sanderson revised the scene for later printings so that the storm kills Szeth instead
- Publisher imprint reads Tor Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Brandon Sanderson |
| Publisher | Tor Books |
| Year | 2014 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Tor hardcover, published March 4, 2014; 'First Edition: March 2014' stated with number line ending in 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
US Tor hardcover, published March 4, 2014; 'First Edition: March 2014' stated with number line ending in 1. Text point: the first printing carries the original ending in which Kaladin kills Szeth; Sanderson revised the scene for later printings so that the storm kills Szeth instead.

## Is this the true first?
US Tor true first; UK Gollancz follows. First printings with the original Szeth ending are the first state of the text.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings carry the revised Szeth ending; leatherbound and anniversary editions are separate.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Words of Radiance (Stormlight Archive 2)* by Brandon Sanderson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/words-of-radiance-stormlight-archive-2
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.