J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings saga is a seminal work of fantasy that spawned one of the best film trilogies ever created. Tolkien's story of good vs. evil is built around timeless themes of friendship and heroism, and now, with Rings of Power released and new Lord of the Rings movies in the works, there's no better time to explore the rich history of Middle-earth.
For those who’ve yet to read J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth saga (and its companion books), we’ve put together this guide on how to read them in order, chronologically or by release date.
How Many The Lord of the Rings Books Are There in the Series?
There are four books in Tolkien’s main Middle-earth saga: The Hobbit and the three volumes of The Lord of the Rings (Fellowship of the Ring, Two Towers, Return of the King).
Several other collections and companion books have been published since the author's death in 1973, and we’ve included the seven most relevant on the list below.
How to Read The Lord of the Rings Books in Chronological Order
Below we’ve split Tolkien’s Middle-earth works into two sections: The Lord of the Rings saga and additional reading. The Hobbit and LotR books chronicle the stories of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins and are listed by their narrative chronology; the additional reading section contains Middle-earth-related works published after the death of Tolkien and is ordered by publication date.
With potential series newcomers in mind, these brief plot synopses contain only mild spoilers such as broad plot points and character introductions.
1. The Hobbit
The Hobbit is Tolkien’s first Middle-earth book by in-universe chronology and real-world release date. The tale of Bilbo Baggins was first published in 1937, 17 years before the first volume of The Lord of the Rings.
The Hobbit follows Thorin and Company — Bilbo, Gandalf, and 13 dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield — as they set off to reclaim the dwarves’ ancestral home beneath Lonely Mountain from the dragon Smaug. Along the way, we’re introduced to Gollum and discover how Bilbo came into possession of the One Ring. The adventure culminates in the Battle of Five Armies, which lent its name to the final Hobbit film.
2. The Fellowship of the Ring
Nearly two decades after The Hobbit, Tolkien published the first volume of The Lord of the Rings. The saga was conceived as a single story and written across 9,250 pages between 1938 and 1955. It was edited down and separated into three volumes for publication, with each volume containing two books.
Fellowship kicks off in earnest during Bilbo’s 111th birthday, when the hobbit bequeaths the One Ring to his cousin Frodo Baggins. Unlike in the movie, there’s a 17-year gap between Bilbo’s birthday and the beginning of Frodo’s adventure when Gandalf urges him to take the ring away from the Shire.
Frodo is joined by various companions along the way, leading to the formation of The Fellowship of the Ring. The members of the Fellowship — Frodo, Samwise Gamgee, Pippin Took, Merry Brandybuck, Legolas, Gimli, Aragorn, Boromir, and Gandalf — are tasked with destroying the One Ring in the same place it was forged: the fires of Mount Doom in Mordor.
By the end of Fellowship, Frodo faces a betrayal and decides to set off toward Mordor on his own, though he’s joined by a stubbornly loyal Samwise.
3. The Two Towers
The Two Towers, the second volume of The Lord of the Rings, continues the journey of the Fellowship, which is now split into two parties: Frodo and Sam in one, the remaining members in the other. Part of the Fellowship fends off orcs and confronts the corrupted wizard Saruman, while Frodo and Sam encounter Gollum and continue their perilous quest toward Mordor.
4. The Return of the King
The final volume of The Lord of the Rings concludes the Fellowship’s journey to Mordor. Our heroes battle with the dark armies of Sauron, while Sam and Frodo see their mission through. Following the climax, the hobbits face one last adversary back at the Shire — a sequence omitted from the film adaptation.
We learn the fates of each character and bid them farewell as Frodo's journey reaches its end.
Additional LotR Reading
5. The Silmarillion
The Silmarillion is the first Middle-earth work published after Tolkien’s death in 1973. The five-part collection of stories is described as a legendarium of Arda, the world in which Middle-earth exists. The vast collection of works was edited by Tolkien’s son, Christopher, and published in 1977.
The myths and stories within The Silmarillion cover the history of Arda from its creation through the Third Age (when The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place).
6. Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth
Unfinished Tales is a collection of over a dozen stories and Middle-earth histories edited and published by Christopher Tolkien. The book is separated into four parts and includes stories about the origins of Middle-earth’s five wizards, the alliance between Gondor and Rohan, why Gandalf orchestrated the events of The Hobbit, and Sauron’s search for the One Ring preceding The Lord of the Rings.
7. The History of Middle-earth
The History of Middle-earth is a twelve-volume series published between 1983 and 1996. The 5,400-page collection, again edited by Christopher Tolkien, compiles and analyzes The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and other Middle-earth writings.
The younger Tolkien chose not to include analyses of The Hobbit in The History of Middle-earth; that can be found in The History of The Hobbit, a similar work edited by Tolkien scholar John D. Rateliff and published in 2007.
8. The Children of Húrin
The Children of Húrin is the complete version of Of Túrin Turambar, one of the stories published in The Silmarillion. Set during The First Age, The Children of Húrin tells the story of Húrin Thalion and his children, Túrin and Nienor. It’s a tragic tale that explores the fallout of Húrin’s defiance of Morgoth, the main villain of Middle-earth before Sauron rose to power.
9. Beren and Lúthien
Beren and Lúthien, which first appeared in a reduced form within The Silmarillion, is a love story set during the First Age. Christopher Tolkien compiled various versions of the story to create a single narrative following the adventures of the mortal man Beren and the immortal Elf Lúthien.
Beren and Lúthien are said to be inspired by Tolkien’s real-life romance with his wife Edith; the characters’ names are etched into the couple’s gravestone beneath their birth names.
10. The Fall of Gondolin
The Fall of Gondolin is the complete version of a tale found within both The Silmarillion (Of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin) and Unfinished Tales (Of Tuor and his Coming to Gondolin). It tells the story of Tuor, a man sent to Gondolin on a divine quest. The subsequent series of events, orchestrated by the god Ulmo, would lead to the defeat of Morgoth.
The Fall of Gondolin connects to The Lord of the Rings through Tuor's son Eärendil, who’d go on to father Elrond, the half-elf Lord of Rivendell who selects the nine members of Frodo’s party in Fellowship of the Ring.
The Fall of Gondolin is the last Middle-earth novel edited by Christopher Tolkien.
11. The Fall of Númenor
The Fall of Númenor, published in November 2022, is a collection of Tolkien’s works related to the Second Age of Middle-earth. The stories within have appeared in The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, and The History of Middle-earth, though here they are assembled in a single volume by Brian Sibley, co-writer of the 1981 radio adaptation of The Lord of the Rings and author of over a dozen Middle-earth-related works. (Christopher Tolkien, long the steward of his father’s work, died in 2020.)
Like other post-Lord of the Rings publications, The Fall of Númenor is a collection of writings rather than a single narrative. The stories cover the rise and fall of Númenor, the forging of the Rings of Power, the rise of Sauron, the building of Barad-dûr (Sauron's tower), and the Last Alliance of Elves and Men.
How to Read The Lord of the Rings By Release Date
- The Hobbit* (1937)
- The Fellowship of the Ring* (1954)
- The Two Towers* (1954)
- The Return of the King* (1955)
- The Silmarillion (1977)
- Unfinished Tales (1980)
- The History of Middle-earth (1983–1996)
- The Children of Húrin (2007)
- Beren and Lúthien (2017)
- The Fall of Gondolin (2018)
- The Fall of Númenor (2022)
*Part of the main four-book Lord of the Rings saga
Jordan covers games, shows, and movies as a freelance writer for IGN.
source https://www.ign.com/articles/the-lord-of-the-rings-books-reading-order