The Silmarillion Illustrated Edition includes 50 sketches, maps, and paintings made by Tolkien himself

The Silmarillion's Gorgeous Tolkien Illustrated Edition Is Cheap At Amazon

The Silmarillion Illustrated Edition includes 50 sketches, maps, and paintings made by Tolkien himself

The Silmarillion Illustrated Edition isn't the only great deal on collectible versions of Tolkien's work. After reading about the Tolkien Illustrated Edition Series, you can check out the deals on the 2024 Lord of the Rings Collector's Editions, The History of Middle-earth Box Sets, and more.

Tolkien Illustrated Editions

The Tolkien Illustrated Series is special because all of the full-color illustrations and sketches throughout each book were drawn by the author himself while he penned the manuscripts that would become The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. The illustrations in The Silmarillion were drawn by Tolkien while drafting his exhaustive backstory and lore for the world of Middle-earth. The Silmarillion was published posthumously and is now the first of a 12-part series, The History of Middle-earth, compiled by his son Christopher Tolkien.

• The Silmarillion (Tolkien Illustrated Edition) -- $32 ($75)
• The Hobbit (Tolkien Illustrated Edition) -- $41 ($75)
• The Lord of the Rings (Tolkien Illustrated Edition) -- $47.49 ($90)
• The Lord of the Rings: Tolkien Illustrated Deluxe Special Edition -- $135 ($195)
• The Silmarillion: Tolkien Illustrated Deluxe Special Edition -- $126 ($195)
• The Hobbit: Tolkien Illustrated Deluxe Special Edition -- $126 ($250)

The illustrations aren't the only notable aspects of these editions. Each hardcover comes with a gorgeous dust jacket, sprayed edges with Elvish script, the complete text printed in black and red, a ribbon bookmark, and a pair of removable fold-out maps.

Since it compiles all three volumes--Fellowship of the Ring, Two Towers, and Return of the King--The Lord of the Rings Illustrated is by far the largest of the three at 1,178 pages; These editions of The Hobbit and The Silmarillion are 273 and 358 pages, respectively. Note: Amazon's listings include the wrong page counts for each book. The page counts here represent the numbered pages, though each book is technically a few pages longer due to sections preceding the text that offer context on the illustrations and other notes from the publisher.

Deluxe Special Edition versions of all three Tolkien Illustrated Editions are also available, but each one is priced above $120 at the moment.

New Lord of the Rings & The Hobbit Collector's Editions

The Lord of the Rings Collector's Edition Box Set released last October and is already available for $55.71 (was $105) at Amazon. This set comes with a display box containing hardcover editions of The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King. All of the new Collector's Editions have foil-stamped covers, stained edges, ribbon bookmarks, and maps of Middle-earth on the inside covers. The books released individually last September, just a few weeks after matching Collector's Editions of The Hobbit and The Silmarillion released.

You can also save big on all five of the 2024 Collector's Editions as standalone purchases.

• The Lord of the Rings Collector's Edition Box Set -- $55.71 ($105)
• The Fellow of the Ring Collector’s Edition -- $18.68 ($35)
• The Two Towers Collector's Edition -- $18 ($35)
• The Return of the King Collector’s Edition -- $14.88 ($35)
• The Hobbit Collector’s Edition -- $18.83 ($35)
• The Silmarillion Collector’s Edition -- $20.42 ($35)

The History of Middle-earth Box Sets

As mentioned, The Silmarillion is part of the larger History of Middle-earth series, which was collected and edited by Christopher Tolkien after his father's death. In 2024, publisher William Morrow released new hardcover editions of the complete 12-part series across four box sets totaling 15 books. These books have beautiful reversible covers--one of the sides features colorful artwork, while the other is more subdued.

Each of the box sets are available for steep discounts at Amazon. Two of the sets, including the first one, are over 50% off.

• The History of Middle-earth Hardcover Box Sets (2024)
  • The History of Middle-earth Box Set 1 -- $59 ($125)
  • The History of Middle-earth Box Set 2 -- $66 ($100)
  • The History of Middle-earth Box Set 3 -- $59 ($125)
  • The History of Middle-earth Box Set 4 -- $69 ($125)

• The Complete History of Middle-earth Box Set (3 Hardcover Books) -- Sold out
• The History of Middle-earth 5-Book Box Set (Paperback) -- $28 ($50)

It's currently sold out at Amazon, but one alternative here is a mammoth three-volume set totaling 5,440 pages that collects all 12 parts. There's also a budget-friendly five-book paperback box set containing several parts of The History of Middle-earth is eligible for buy two, get one free, though.

More Tolkien Box Set Deals

The Lord of the Rings Deluxe Illustrated Box Set is a three-volume, enhanced remaster of the 1992 edition illustrated by legendary artist Alan Lee. This premium hardcover set was published last October and includes brand-new paintings and over 50 never-before-seen pencil drawings. Also available for a big discount is The Collected Poems of J.R.R. Tolkien, a three-volume hardcover collection containing many previously unpublished poems Tolkien composed throughout his life. The 1,728-page set contains 60-plus years of poems as well as commentary by two leading Tolkien scholars.

We'd also recommend checking out The Great Tales of Middle-earth Box Set while it's on sale for only $50 (was $100). This three-book, slipcased set includes The Children of Hurin, Beren and Luthien, and The Fall of Gondolin, three posthumously published novels that were edited by his son, Christopher Tolkien.

On June 10, William Morrow will publish a new three-book box set containing four myths and legends that were translated by J.R.R. Tolkien, including Beowulf and The Fall of Arthur. Tolkien Myths and Legends Box Set is up for preorder for $125.

• The Lord of the Rings: Deluxe Illustrated 3-Volume Box Set -- $175 ($325)
• Great Tales of Middle-earth 5-Book Hardcover Box Set -- $50 ($100)
• The Collected Poems of J.R.R. Tolkien: 3-Volume Box Set -- $61 ($125)
• LOTR + The Hobbit Leatherette Pocket Set -- $29.73 ($60)
• The Lord of the Rings Deluxe Edition (Leatherette Omnibus) -- $24.49 ($40)
• LOTR + The Hobbit Trade Paperback Box Set (4 Books) -- $38.50 ($70)
• LOTR + The Hobbit Mass Market Paperback Box Set (4 Books) -- $16.58 ($36)

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This story originally appeared on: GameSpot - Author:UK GAG