The Fantasy Review’s guide to the best reading order for The Lord of the Rings books, including the main novels plus the material edited and published by Christopher Tolkien and others.
NB: The Lord of the Rings is split into three parts by publishers in the following order: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King. In this article I refer to this “trilogy” as “The Lord of the Rings” as they should be read as one book (in the context of a Tolkien reading order).
#1 – The Lord of the Rings / The Hobbit
So, the biggest question for the best reading order for The Lord of the Rings books is whether to read The Hobbit (published first) or The Lord of the Rings first. Like a great many things, it depends.
If you have read a lot of fantasy before (whether the modern Sanderson-like stuff, or more classic authors like Robert Jordan or David Eddings), then dive right into The Lord of the Rings. It’s a bigger, more complex and epic work than The Hobbit, aimed at a more mature audience.
If you want a gentle introduction to the world of Middle-earth or just want to read Tolkien’s work in a slightly more chronological order, then start with The Hobbit and then read The Lord of the Rings.
#2 – The Silmarillion
The Silmarillion is Tolkien’s attempt at collecting the full mythology of his fantasy world into one book. It is a slog for those accustomed to the writing style or not particularly interested in delving deeper into the world he created, but for those persistent enough, it’s a fascinating and inspiring read.
This is the greatest fictional mythology of an entire world that has ever been created. So many of the fantasy books since have attempted to copy and adapt the format of these histories for their own worlds, but it is rare to have a writer so obsessed with worldbuilding that they go as far as Tolkien did.
And for good reason. If he had spent less time worldbuilding, perhaps he would have published more books set in the world. However, that wasn’t really the point of his project; the world was merely a place for his invented languages to reside.
#3 – Unfinished Tales / Tales from the Perilous Realm
As a continuation from The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, edited by Christopher Tolkien, fills in some of the gaps of the mythology. If you want to know every bit of detail from Tolkien’s world, you will want to read this and the rest of the books on this list.
Additionally, Tales from the Perilous Realm includes The Adventures of Tom Bombadil which is worthwhile for fans of Tolkien’s most mysterious character!
#4 – Beren and Lúthien
This book is a collection of multiple versions of the story of the love and adventures of the mortal Man Beren and the immortal Elf-maiden Lúthien.
Taking place during the First Age of Middle-earth, and even mentioned in The Lord of the Rings, it is a beautiful story that will resonate with readers who enjoyed the story of Arwen and Aragorn (not in the main book but in the Appendices of The Return of the King, and brought to life in Peter Jackson’s adaptation).
#4 – The Fall of Gondolin
The Fall of Gondolin also takes place in the First Age and has fascinating creative origins you should definitely explore for yourself. But, you might be interested to know that this story was originally started by Tolkien in 1917 while in an army barracks.
The rise and fall of great cities and civilisations is a core theme in many legends throughout Tolkien’s work, and this story is absolutely epic.
#5 – The Fall of Númenor
Okay, so after The Fall of Gondolin, I would recommend either reading The Children of Húrin (as it is another tale from the First Age given its own expansion in a book), or The Fall of Númenor.
This is down to personal preference. Perhaps you want the content of the First Age to still be in your mind when you read The Children of Húrin, in that case, please swap #5 and #6 of this Tolkien reading order.
My preference, however, would be The Fall of Númenor. Edited by Brian Sibley, this book is a collection of expanded tales of the Second Age from the Appendices of The Lord of the Rings.
The Fall of Númenor covers everything you might want to know when watching Rings of Power, from the foundation of Númenor, the forging of the Rings of Power, and the Last Alliance against Sauron at the end of the Second Age.
It’s an epic tale that I adore, and would have higher on The Lord of the Rings reading order, but I do think some decent First Age knowledge is beneficial to the reading experience.
#6 – The Children of Húrin
As the first First Age tale given its own book by Christopher Tolkien, some might recommend that The Children of Húrin is read straight after Unfinished Tales, but I don’t think it adds as much to the greater mythology of the world as these other books.
This tale is briefly mentioned in chapter 21 of The Silmarillion as the context for the wars of Beleriand. The Children of Húrin is a collection of J.R.R. Tolkien’s manuscripts (edited by Christopher Tolkien to form a complete narrative) that can feel disjointed at times, but is worth reading for those of us who need every scrap of detail we can get our hands on!
Additional Resources
- The Nature of Middle-Earth – for those interested in “Time and Ageing”, “Body, Mind, and Spirit”, and “The World, its Lands, and its Inhabitants” – here is all the extra toppings of information you could possibly want for Tolkien’s Legendarium!
- The Complete Guide to Middle-Earth by Robert Foster – encyclopedia – strongly recommended
- The Complete Tolkien Companion by J.E.A. Tyler – a decent encyclopedia
- Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien Edited by Humphrey Carpenter with Christopher Tolkien – fascinating insights into Tolkien’s thoughts
- The History of Middle-earth – for scholars and super nerds, this series of 12 books is Christopher Tolkien’s epic analysis of his father’s work and creative process.
