Prime Big Deal Days has offered significant discounts on various editions of J.R.R. Tolkien's cherished fantasy novels, including the enchanting Tolkien Illustrated Series. Unlike other Tolkien book deals, the special 'Prime Big Deal' tag is not visible above the price for these editions, but all three—The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and The Silmarillion—are part of Amazon's buy two, get one free books promotion. If you haven't yet acquired these stunning hardcovers, you'll receive The Hobbit for free when you add all three to your cart. This means you'll only pay $29 per book, totaling $87, which is a fantastic deal considering they typically sell for $40-$50 each.
The Tolkien Illustrated Series stands out because all the full-color illustrations and sketches in each book were drawn by Tolkien himself as he wrote the manuscripts that would become The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. The illustrations in The Silmarillion were created by Tolkien while he was drafting the extensive backstory and lore for Middle-earth. Published posthumously, The Silmarillion is now the first in a 12-part series, The History of Middle-earth, compiled by his son Christopher Tolkien.
These editions are not just notable for their illustrations. Each hardcover features a beautiful dust jacket, sprayed edges with Elvish script, the complete text printed in black and red, and a pair of removable fold-out maps. The Lord of the Rings also includes a ribbon bookmark. With 1,248 pages, it's the largest of the three, while The Hobbit and The Silmarillion each have 432 pages.
It's also worth mentioning that The Lord of the Rings Deluxe Tolkien Illustrated Edition is eligible for the B2G1 free promotion. This slipcased edition resembles a book you might find in a library in Middle-earth. Although it costs $140 (originally $250), it's a breathtaking piece of art that matches the Deluxe versions of The Silmarillion and The Hobbit. However, the other two Deluxe editions are not eligible for B2G1 free, so if you're interested in the more luxurious edition of The Lord of the Rings, you might want to pair it with two other high-priced Tolkien books to maximize your value.
Several The Lord of the Rings and Middle-earth box sets are part of Amazon's B2G1 promotion, including two collections released in the past few weeks. The Lord of the Rings Deluxe Illustrated Box Set is a three-volume, enhanced remaster of the 1992 edition illustrated by the renowned artist Alan Lee. This premium hardcover set, published on October 1, includes new paintings and over 50 previously unseen pencil drawings. Also on sale is The Collected Poems of J.R.R. Tolkien, a three-volume hardcover collection containing many unpublished poems Tolkien composed throughout his life. The 1,728-page set includes over 60 years of poems and commentary by two leading Tolkien scholars.
We've compiled notable Tolkien box sets and special-edition books that are eligible for Amazon's B2G1 free sale below. You'll also find a list at the end with limited-time discounts that, while not part of the promotion, offer great deals on their own. Additionally, if you're interested in owning the film adaptations of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, both 4K box sets are currently discounted to the lowest prices of the year. These editions include both the theatrical and extended cuts of Peter Jackson's adaptations.
