I'll be the first to admit that I own too many books. My shelves are full and I have absolutely no room for anything else. And yet whenever Amazon has one of its buy 2, get 1 free book sales, I can't help but browse the full selection. With the latest sale including all of the deluxe illustrated Lord of the Rings books, I find myself looking to clear some space.
There are actually quite a few different illustrated versions of Tolkien's works, but the ones I'm referring to are the deluxe versions that look like the kind of hefty tomes you'd need to blow dust off of before reading. Amazon usually includes one or two of these in these types of promotions, but this is the first time I've seen all three of them available at once. It's a great time to pick up the full collection for a pretty substantial discount.
Lord of the Rings Deluxe Illustrated Editions Sale
For those who haven't partaken in Amazon's "3 for 2" sales before, I'll give you a quick rundown of how it works. All you need to do is add all three of the items to your cart and the price of the least expensive one will be removed at checkout. So in the case of these illustrated editions, you'd end up saving $107.35 by purchasing them all together as The Hobbit would be what gets the discount. If you don't want to buy all three of these books, you can also choose to mix and match with other items within the sale, but I'd recommend looking for things at a similar price point so you can maximize your savings.
What comes with the deluxe edition
The biggest (and most expensive) special edition of the bunch is The Lord of the Rings: Deluxe Illustrated Edition. This is a single-volume hardbound book that includes all three of The Lord of the Rings books (Fellowship, Two Towers, Return of the King) and comes in a single eye-catching, intricately etched slipcase. It features a striking red-and-black design that’s meant to evoke the novel's first edition. The book itself is 1,248 pages and includes the entire fantasy epic and appendices. The text is “corrected and reset,” and printed in red and black ink. Interspersed throughout this massive tome are 30 illustrations hand-drawn by Tolkien himself. These include maps, color illustrations, and sketches. Also included in the package are two fold-out maps of Middle-earth drawn by Christopher Tolkien.
The Hobbit and Silmarillion Deluxe Illustrated editions aren't nearly as massive, but they too include illustrations and notes from Tolkien himself. They also include the same etched slipcases to match the design of the big red tome.
Should You Wait for Amazon's Black Friday Sale?
It's worth noting that the Amazon Black Friday sale will be kicking off next week and one or more of these deluxe editions will likely get a steeper price cut. Amazon has stated that print books will be up to 65% off during its sale and I have actually seen a bigger discount on The Lord of the Rings Illustrated Edition in the past. However, it's unclear if Amazon will continue its buy 2, get 1 free book sale into Black Friday.
So with that in mind, I'd suggest taking advantage of this deal if you're looking to buy the full collection and waiting for Black Friday if you only want to buy a single volume. I'm guessing the big Lord of the Rings Deluxe Illustrated Edition will drop below $100 during Black Friday sales, which is a much better deal if you're only buying that one.
Jacob Kienlen is a Senior SEO Strategist and Writer for IGN. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, he has considered the Northwest his home for his entire life. With a bachelor's degree in communication and over 8 years of professional writing experience, his expertise is spread across a variety of different topics -- from TV series to indie games and popular book series.
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