The Hobbit Encyclopedia Preorders Discounted At Amazon Ahead Of September 3 Release

If you’re an avid Tolkien fan and have a particular fondness for The Hobbit, the upcoming Hobbit Encyclopedia should be on your radar. The 336-page book takes a deep dive into the lore of Middle-earth, covering everything from iconic characters and places to sacred objects and other essential lore. The Hobbit Encyclopedia releases September 3, and preorders are currently seeing a nice discount.

$31 (was $40)

This hardcover volume is pitched as the ultimate source for all things related to J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic novel. Whether you’re a newcomer to The Hobbit or you’ve read it a thousand times, you can probably find something here that’ll help you better appreciate Bilbo’s journey. Here’s a short sampling of topics covered in the book:

• The Arkenstone
• Azog and Bolg
• Dragons
• Elvish
• Faërie
• Girion
• Lake-town
• Pipes and pipe-weed
• The Quest of Erebor
• Wasterlands

Scattered throughout the text are a variety of premium illustrations that help bring different subjects to life. It’s been designed to be read either front to back or skimmed through as a reference book.

You also might be interested to learn The Hobbit has multiple new and upcoming editions. The Hobbit Collector’s Edition, a beautiful new hardcover version of the classic tale, released earlier this month and is on sale for $29 (was $35). Meanwhile, The Hobbit Deluxe Tolkien Illustrated Edition is set to launch on October 22, and preorders are available for $151 (was $195). This lavish edition of The Hobbit is part of the Tolkien Illustrated Editions collection. The standard Tolkien Illustrated Edition of The Hobbit is still a gorgeous book in its own right–plus, it’s only $39 (was $75).

The Hobbit Collector’s Edition is part of a new series of hardcovers featuring Tolkien’s five best-known works. The Silmarillion Collector’s Edition also released earlier this month, and it’s available for only $24.50. Meanwhile, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy–The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King–will receive their collector’s editions on September 17. These beautiful editions only cost $35 each–pretty much the norm for new hardcover fiction–and will be collected in The Lord of the Rings Collector’s Edition Box Set with a foldout map on November 5.

Each of the five collector’s editions has eye-catching foil-stamped cover art, a ribbon bookmark, and sprayed edges. Similar editions previously released in the UK, but this is the first time the designs will be published in the US.

The Lord of the Rings Collector’s Edition Series

Deluxe Collections + Tolkien Illustrated Series

There are several other Tolkien books to check out if you’re interested in adding more to your collection, including The Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien–which takes a look at real-world places that inspired fictional places like Hobbiton and Rivendell. It’s currently on sale for $22 (was $30). You should also check out the new editions of the 12 volumes in The History of Middle-earth, which have been collected in four colorful box sets with truly stunning designs.

The History of Middle-earth

Then there’s the upcoming The Lord of the Rings Deluxe Illustrated Box Set (Hardcover)–which carries an eye-watering $325 price tag (though it’s currently discounted to $292.50). Dedicated Tolkien fans will want to give this a closer look, however, as it includes exclusive illustrations from popular artist Alan Lee, three removable art cards, and two foldout maps. The three-volume set features premium binding and a protective slipcase to keep it safe on your bookshelf. This is without a doubt the coolest version of The Lord of the Rings we’ve seen, and it certainly has the price to match.

Heads up: If you still use wall calendars, there’s a 2025 Lord of the Rings calendar releasing later this month that contains a few neat flourishes.