We saw a bunch of stellar deals on J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth novels and stories in the lead-up to Prime Big Deal Days, but Amazon fittingly saved the biggest discount for the big day (well, the first of two big days). The Lord of the Rings Deluxe Illustrated Box Set is on sale for only $108.30 at Amazon and Walmart. That’s a $216.70 discount from the lavish box set’s $325 launch price last October. Amazon’s deal is exclusive to Prime members , but Walmart is matching the offer–no membership required. The $108.30 price is over $20 cheaper than the previous all-time low price of $132.
The Deluxe Illustrated Box Set is an absolutely stunning three-volume edition of LOTR’s Centenary Edition illustrated by Alan Lee. As someone who personally owns this edition of The Lord of the Rings–sadly, I paid considerably more for my copy–I think all big Tolkien fans would love to have this in their collection. So if you have a Lord of the Rings fan on your shopping list, the Deluxe Illustrated Box Set would make for a wonderful gift this holiday.
You can read all about The Lord of the Rings Deluxe Illustrated Box Set below. The store pages at Amazon and Walmart only include one image of the books inside the display case, so I also included some of the gorgeous promotional images from Barnes & Noble’s store page.
We also included a look at the upcoming 2025 edition of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Illustrated Box Set–because it too is illustrated by Alan Lee–and a list of deals on other collectible editions of The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and Tolkien’s various Middle-earth tales. There are some terrific deals, including the 5,440-page Complete History of Middle-earth for only $80.65 (was $250).
$108.30 (was $325)
The Lord of the Rings Deluxe Illustrated Box Set is a revamped version of the gorgeous Centenary Edition from 1992. Across the three hardcover volumes–The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King–there are more than 50 new pencil sketches and full-color paintings by beloved Lord of the Rings artist Alan Lee. All told, the box set has 1,332 pages, which makes it longer than most, if not all, editions of LOTR currently in print.
The top and bottom page edges are sprayed dark blue, while the side edges were designed to resemble billowing smoke from Mount Doom’s eruption. Lee created new artwork for the covers, too. Each cover has a framed rectangular drawing in the center. The illustrations are inset on gray cloth board and surrounded by an elegant, silver foil-stamped border. Each book is quarterbound in blue leather, and the pages are sewn into the spine. You can mark your spot using the attached ribbon bookmark.
The silver-foil text along the spine and on the covers was stamped onto each book. The custom display case was constructed from cloth board and features stamped circular emblems designed by Lee. The case has rounded front edges to make it easy to remove each book. With all three books removed, you can peer inside the fully illustrated interior of the case. Lee’s depiction of Mount Doom’s eruption covers every surface inside the lovingly crafted slipcase.
Inside each book, you’ll find a large art card that can be removed and displayed separately. Along with three art cards, you get a pair of foldout maps of Middle-earth drawn by Christopher Tolkien, the author’s literary executor who edited, expanded, and organized many supplementary writings about Middle-earth, including The Silmarillion and Tolkien’s Legendarium, which became the foundation for the massive 12-part series now known as The History of Middle-earth.
$106.66 (was $150) | Releases October 14
William Morrow is publishing another Lord of the Rings box set illustrated by Alan Lee on October 14. It’s not nearly as fancy as the three-volume Deluxe Illustrated Box Set, but it comes with a notable addition: The Hobbit, also illustrated by Lee. This four-volume hardcover set features the Centenary Edition of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit’s 60th Anniversary Edition. Preorders were $139.50 up until this week, but now you can get it for roughly the same price as the Deluxe Illustrated Box Set.
The dust jackets and display box have fully illustrated artwork by Alan Lee. Overall, the exterior design aesthetic is similar to the 2024 History of Middle-earth Box Sets and the recently released pair of box sets: Tolkien Myths and Legends and The Great Tales of Middle-earth.
You’d miss out on the exclusive paintings and sketches from the Deluxe Illustrated Box Set as well as premium features like quarterbound blue leather, cloth board covers, the custom case, etc. In return, you’d get The Hobbit with Lee’s wonderful illustrations.
It’s worth noting this box set was originally published in the UK in 2020. The upcoming US edition appears to be the same as the old one. The 2020 version is available to buy from resellers at Amazon and Walmart for lower prices. Your order would ship from Amazon’s warehouse.
2025 Edition
2020 Edition
Tolkien Illustrated Edition Deals
Amazon also has deals on the Tolkien Illustrated Editions, which feature sketches, paintings, and maps by the author himself. The Hobbit Illustrated is the cheapest at $30.39, but The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion are eligible for Amazon’s Buy Two, Get One Free Sale.
All three Deluxe Special Editions have received limited-time discounts for Prime Big Deal Days. The Deluxe Special Editions have quarterbound leather spines and cloth board cases. These editions also come with custom slipcases and additional collectible inserts. Check out our story on the Tolkien Illustrated Editions for more details.
The Lord of the Rings Collector’s Editions (2024)
If you don’t want to spend $100 on a book, there are budget-friendly collectible editions of Tolkien’s work, too. Most notably, the 2024 Collector’s Editions of all three parts of LOTR as well as The Hobbit and The Silmarillion are super cheap.
William Morrow’s ongoing series of hardcover box sets with decorative slipcases and reversible dust jackets kicked off last year with the publication of four box sets compiling The History of Middle-earth. Although originally a 12-volume series, the new box set series has 15 books and starts with The Silmarillion, which isn’t technically part of The History of Middle-earth–though you should read it before diving into the wide-ranging collection that further demonstrates Tolkien’s mastery of building fantasy worlds. All four History of Middle-earth Box Sets are on sale for huge discounts. Alternatively, The Complete History of Middle-earth collects the original 12-volume series in a slipcased, three-book box set.
The most recent Tolkien box set edition is a new hardcover collection of The Great Tales of Middle-earth, which are considered the author’s final three novels and were published posthumously from 2007-2018. Released August 19, this new box set is already on sale for 40% off, dropping the price to $75. It’s worth noting there’s a 2018 hardcover box set edition of The Great Tales of Middle-earth for $50 (was $100). You can also save $74 on Tolkien Myths and Legends, which was published in June. This four-book box set includes two myths written by Tolkien as well as his personal translations of four epic poems, including Beowulf. The three box sets below include hardcover books and decorative slipcases.
While you’re browsing Amazon’s deals on Tolkien books, make sure to check out the discounts on Peter Jackson’s adaptations. Amazon has The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and The Hobbit Trilogy on 4K Blu-ray for $50 and $34.49, respectively. Both trilogies include theatrical and extended cuts.