Fresh off the release of a trio of Collector’s Editions, The Lord of the Rings is now available in a lavish Deluxe Illustrated Box Set. Released October 1, this might be the most premium version of J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved fantasy novel. Amazon is offering a fairly massive discount on The Lord of the Rings Deluxe Illustrated Box Set that drops the price down to $246.41–yes, that’s still quite pricey, but you’re saving 24% off its $325 list price (savings of $78.59).
The three-volume set includes hardcover editions bound in cloth and leather. All three books are illustrated by Alan Lee, a popular artist who has contributed to numerous Tolkien books as well as Peter Jackson’s LOTR and Hobbit adaptations.
If you’d rather not spend close to $250 on three books, check out the upcoming Lord of the Rings Collector’s Edition Box Set releasing next month that you can preorder for a third of the price. It compiles the aforementioned Collector’s Editions of The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King. Plus, you can buy matching collector’s editions of The Hobbit and The Silmarillion to display alongside the trilogy.
$246.41 (was $325)
The Lord of the Rings Deluxe Illustrated Box Set is a revamped version of a gorgeous collection first launched in 1992. It has been “revised and expanded,” with over 50 brand-new pencil drawings and paintings by Alan Lee throughout the three books: All told, the three books–The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King–total 1,332 pages, which appears to be the highest page count of any LOTR edition currently in print.
Each book has a redesigned cover, silver foil typescript accenting the blue spines, and hardcover bindings made with cloth and leather. The gorgeous gray slipcase is stamped with a silver foil emblem.
Inside the decorative slipcase you’ll also find three exclusive removable art cards and a pair of foldout maps of Middle-earth. The maps were drawn by Christopher Tolkien, who edited and turned his father’s extensive writings into numerous supplementary books, including The Silmarillion and 11 more Middle-earth history books.
To be clear, The Lord of the Rings Deluxe Illustrated is not the same as the popular 2021 version illustrated by Tolkien.
$94.50 (was $105) | Releases November 5
If you’re looking for something more affordable, another collector’s edition box set of LOTR is arriving later this year in the US for the first time. The Lord of the Rings Collector’s Edition Box Set releases on November 5 and is currently on sale for $94.50 (was $105). Along with all three books, you’ll get a stylish slipcase to display your hardcover collection.
Each book has foil-stamped cover art, stained edges, and a ribbon bookmark. They are quite different than the average novel you’d find on store shelves. Even compared to some of the other beautiful editions of Tolkien’s work, these editions stand out. The cover art was previously featured in UK editions of LOTR, but now American readers can add them to their personal Tolkien libraries.
While most fans will want all three volumes in the trilogy, each book released separately on September 17, and Amazon is offering early Prime Big Deal Days discounts on all three as well as the matching editions of The Hobbit and The Silmarillion.
$112.50 (was $125)
For a markedly different Tolkien experience, consider picking up The Collected Poems of J.R.R Tolkien. The box set arrived on September 17 and marks the first-ever publication of his full collected poems. Spanning nearly seven decades, three volumes, and over 1,700 pages, this set is for the truly dedicated Tolkien fans (and poetry readers, of course). One cool aspect of this release is that it follows the same design philosophy as the LOTR Deluxe Illustrated Box Set, so these would look great next to each other on a shelf.
The History of Middle-earth Box Sets & Tolkien Illustrated Editions
The aforementioned 12-volume History of Middle-earth series edited and compiled by Christopher Tolkien was released in beautiful new hardcover box sets this year. And if you want to compare the upcoming Deluxe Illustrated Box Set to the Tolkien Illustrated Editions, we’ve included links to both the standard and deluxe versions of The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and The Silmarillion. The Hobbit Deluxe Tolkien Illustrated Edition is set to arrive later this month, so fans who already own deluxe verisons of LOTR and The Silmarillion can complete their set.
The History of Middle-earth New Box Sets
Tolkien Illustrated Editions
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