Beautiful Slipcased Editions Of J.R.R. Tolkien Classics Get Massive Discounts

The Deluxe Special Edition of The Hobbit has numerous unique features not found in the standard edition published by William Morrow in 2023. The 384-page book has a redesigned, premium binding made of cloth board and quarterbound in ribbed green leather. The custom clothbound slipcase and cover have foil-stamped logos and text. While the standard edition has blue stained page edges, the Special Edition opts for gold edges instead, which adds to its luxurious aesthetic. Like the standard edition, you’ll get built-in ribbon bookmark.

This version also comes with a few unique bonuses: two fold-out, poster-sized maps of Thror’s Map and the Wilderland, an 88-page illustrated booklet, and an art card reproduction of the painting Tolkien made for The Hobbit’s original dust jacket.

Both Tolkien Illustrated Editions of The Hobbit feature 50 sketches, paintings, and other artwork created by Tolkien while he drafted the prelude to The Lord of the Rings.

The Silmarillion’s Deluxe Special Edition is on sale for roughly the same price as The Hobbit, but it’s worth noting that this isn’t an all-time low. It was briefly on sale for $55 during Prime Day earlier this year.

The Tolkien Illustrated Edition of The Silmarillion is 448 pages and includes 50 illustrations, paintings, and sketches by J.R.R. Tolkien. The pricier Deluxe version has a ribbed spine quarterbound in blue leather and a cloth board cover. The custom clothbound slipcase and cover feature foil-stamped symbols and Elvish script. The book has silver page edges, the text is printed in two colors, and you can mark your place with a ribbon bookmark.

Inside the slipcase you’ll also find a Taniquetil art card and a pair of poster-sized maps of Beleriand. One map shows an earlier version of the region, while the second shows a more fully realized setting. In addition to the maps and art card, you’ll get an illustrated booklet detailing the creation of The Silmarillion, as told by Christopher Tolkien.

The Deluxe Illustrated Special Edition of The Lord of the Rings is almost always more expensive than the other two, but it’s a significantly larger book that collects all three parts of Tolkien’s masterwork: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King. It’s on sale for 55% off, dropping the price to $111.55 (was $250).

The 1,248-page Deluxe Illustrated Special Edition was the first of the three to release–William Morrow published it in 2022–so many of the unique features found in the other two were pulled from here. It includes a pair of fold-out maps of Middle-earth created Chrstopher Tolkien, a quarterbound red leather spine and cloth board cover, clothbound slipcase, and foil-stamped images and text on cover and case. It also comes with a few additional inserts, including Thorin’s letter to Bilbo in Elvish.

The pages of the Deluxe Special Edition have gold edges–the standard edition has red edges–and throughout the text you’ll find 30 full-color illustrations by J.R.R. Tolkien. Like the standard edition, this version includes a ribbon bookmark and the complete original text, including the lengthy appendices.