The world of Middle-earth is far more expansive than the tales of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. While Frodo, Gandalf, Samwise, Bilbo, and Gollum might be some of the most familiar faces to Middle-earth fans, J.R.R. Tolkien masterfully built his fantasy world with a staggering level of detail and lore–all of which can explored in The History of Middle-earth series. Compiled and edited from Tolkien’s manuscripts and notes by his son Christopher Tolkien, The History of Middle-earth was originally published in the 1980s and ’90s. The best-known entry in the series is The Silmarillion, which is one of the source materials for Prime Video’s The Rings of Power. Like all Tolkien books, it has received multiple reissues, including gorgeous new 2024 editions and a staggeringly massive three-book set containing all 12 volumes.
If you want to read The Complete History of Middle-earth, the best option right now is the 2020 hardcover set. Originally $250, the weighty collection is on sale for $111.62 as part of Amazon’s early Prime Big Deal Days sale. This understated set, shown below, will likely become the biggest box set in your home library. The three premium hardcovers total 5,440 pages, an average of 1,813 pages per book. For comparison, The Lord of the Rings Deluxe Edition, which is on sale for 50% off, is “only” 1,216 pages.
If the prospect of reading an 1,800-page book sounds a bit too unwieldy, but you still want hardcovers, the 2024 editions are also on sale. Split across four slipcased box sets, the design of the new editions takes the exact opposite approach, trading the “serious” look for beautifully illustrated cover art that really stands out compared to many of the minimalist editions of Tolkien’s work. For this set, publisher William Morrow split the series into 15 volumes.
Though all four of the sets are discounted, the first two are substantially cheaper than the more recent third and fourth sets, which released in August and September. As shown in the image below, each book has a reversible dust jacket if you’d prefer a more uniform look.
The History of Middle-earth Box Sets (2024)
The History of Middle-earth Box Set 1 contains The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, Book of Lost Tales Part One, and Book of Lost Tales Part Two. All told, that’s over 1,500 pages of Tolkien goodness. The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales may be of particular interest to Tolkien aficionados, as these new special editions contain the first-edition text from each book’s original printing.
The History of Middle-earth Box Set 2 includes The Lays of Beleriand, The Shaping of Middle-earth, and The Lost Road. Amazon has discounted this one to a new all-time low price of only $50, but since it only comes with three books, the price per book is similar to the first set.
The third box set has four books: The Return of the Shadow, The Treason of Isengard, The Tar of the Ring, and Sauron Defeated. The fourth and final set comes with Morgoth’s Ring, The War of the Jewels, The Peoples of Middle-earth, and The History of Middle-earth Index. The Index is an invaluable reference book covering the entire series. If you decide to read the whole series, it’s a good idea to keep it close. The History of Middle-earth is a time-consuming endeavor with an incredibly ambitious scope and many different types of writing.
The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit are considered timeless classics in the fantasy genre for numerous reasons, including Tolkien’s brilliant worldbuilding. And these books show fans how Middle-earth came to be.
As mentioned, The Silmarillion is the best-known and first volume in the series. If you’d prefer to by The Silmarillion on its own before investing in a box set, you have numerous great options, including the budget-friendly hardcover Collector’s Edition published in August.
The Silmarillion Collector’s Edition is on sale for $24.50 (was $35) ahead of Prime Big Deal Days. It’s the cheapest of the five new Tolkien Collector’s Editions. Matching hardcover volumes of The Hobbit, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King are also available for discounted prices. These hardcover editions have stained edges and foil-stamped covers–they look pricier than they cost.
Side note: The Lord of the Rings Deluxe Illustrated Box Set released on October 1, and Amazon has dropped the price down to $245 (was $325). For more details on this stunning, three-volume set, check out our story here.
New Editions of The Silmarillion, The Lord of the Rings, and The Hobbit
The Silmarillion – Tolkien Illustrated Series
Over the past few years, unique new editions of Tolkien’s three most popular books have been added to the ever-growing list of options for Tolkien fans. The Tolkien Illustrated Series includes the illustrations Tolkien drew while drafting The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and The Silmarillion.
It’s worth mentioning that one of Amazon’s other Prime Big Deal Days book box set deals offers a cheap way to start reading The History of Middle-earth. Tolkien Fantasy Tales Box Set is a four-book set containing The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and The Tolkien Reader. Only The Silmarillion is part of the 12-volume series, but this is a great sampler platter of Tolkien’s works not named The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit. You can get the four-book set for only $15.33. It’s so cheap that the discount would pay the entire cost of The Lord of the Rings Deluxe Edition or the four-book set with LOTR and The Hobbit (both of which are discounted, too).
Check out more J.R.R. Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings deals:
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