#The ten Greatest Books to Learn After You’ve Completed Lord of the Rings – Destructoid

Simply completed studying Return of the King, however unsure what e-book it is best to decide up subsequent? Fortunately, there are a number of wonderful works of fantasy literature on the market ready for you, each inside the world of Center-Earth and past it. Let’s take a look at ten books that Lord of the Rings followers will love.

1. The Silmarillion (J. R. R. Tolkien)

If you happen to love Tolkien’s world and wish to uncover extra about its origins, then the epic myths and histories of The Silmarillion will certainly draw you in. In contrast to The Lord of the Rings, which tells its story from the direct viewpoint of its characters, The Silmarillion takes place over the course of a number of thousand years. The story begins with the creation of Arda, of which Center-Earth is only a small half. It additionally particulars the rise of the darkish lord Morgoth, to whom Sauron was however a servant, and explains how the heroes of the First Age rose to cease him. You’ll study in regards to the hidden metropolis of Gondolin and the misplaced realm of Beleriand. You’ll additionally discover out extra about characters like Eärendil, Beren, and Luthien, who’re all talked about in The Fellowship of the Ring.

2. Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Center-Earth (J. R. R. Tolkien)

When you’ve completed The Silmarillion, think about diving into Tolkien’s Unfinished Tales subsequent. This e-book primarily provides additional scenes to the prevailing narratives, together with The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and The Silmarillion. You’ll study extra in regards to the travels of Tuor throughout the First Age, get an in depth description of Númenor, and discover out what actually occurred when Isildur misplaced the One Ring throughout the catastrophe of the Gladden Fields. You’ll additionally get to learn in regards to the origins of Rohan, uncover why Gandalf was so inquisitive about reclaiming Erebor, and study extra about how the Black Riders discovered The Shire of their quest to find the one generally known as Baggins.

3. The Atlas of Center-Earth (Karen Wynn Fonstad)

Karen Wynn Fonstad’s Atlas of Center-Earth is a must have reference e-book for any Tolkien fanatic. Inside, you’ll discover detailed maps drawn by knowledgeable cartographer that denote the place particular moments from the books occurred. A number of strains present you the place the members of Thorin’s firm and the Fellowship had been on particular dates inside the narrative. There are additionally drawings of essentially the most iconic monuments and cities, together with the whole lot from Lothlórien and Minas Tirith to the within of Moria and Mount Doom. Different maps provide you with a more in-depth take a look at the place everybody was throughout particular conflicts, such because the battle of Helm’s Deep.

4. Beowulf  (Tolkien Translation)

Beowulf is an epic poem from Viking Age England that helped encourage most of the foundational parts of Center-Earth. It was initially written in Previous English by an unknown Christian creator and has been translated by quite a few students, not least of which was Tolkien himself. The tradition and language of Rohan has a direct tie to the traditional poem. Frodo’s valor in marching to Mount Doom, regardless of the assumed lethal nature of his quest, is a component of Tolkien’s story that’s additionally thematically just like Beowulf. The model of the story printed beneath Tolkien’s title was launched after the professor’s passing with the assistance of his son Christopher.

5. J. R. R. Tolkien: Writer of the Century (Tom Shippey)

Tom Shippey’s Writer of the Century provides its readers a more in-depth take a look at simply how a lot care and a focus to element went into the making of Center-Earth. Although the title may recommend that it’s a Tolkien biography, Shippey’s e-book is definitely extra centered on analyzing the themes and literary influences which are current in The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion. The place did Tolkien’s languages come from, and the way are the acclaimed creator’s tales tied to Nordic and Saxon mythology? Writer of the Century seems to be not simply at Tolkien’s hottest works however the unpublished manuscripts and letters that he wrote about his world to reply these sorts of questions.

6. Tolkien and the Nice Conflict (John Garth)

Readers who’re as a substitute inquisitive about taking a more in-depth take a look at Tolkien’s life will certainly take pleasure in John Garth’s Tolkien and the Nice Conflict. In his formative years, the creator of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings fought in World Conflict I. This formative expertise had a fantastic affect on his works and helped form a few of their most well-known scenes, such because the Battle of Pelennor Fields and Frodo’s passage by the Useless Marshes. The biographical aspect of Garth’s e-book backs the neatly written literary evaluation that follows it and speaks to the facility of fantasy escapism in instances of disaster.

7. The Chronicles of Narnia (C. S. Lewis)

When Tolkien lived in Oxford, he grew to become shut associates with C.S. Lewis, the creator of the Chronicles of Narnia collection. Like Tolkien, Lewis’s writing has additionally had a significant affect on the panorama of contemporary fantasy and has continued to function a gateway to the style for a lot of youthful readers. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was the primary printed piece of Lewis’s Narnia collection and is, due to this fact, the most effective identified. The Pevensie kids are iconic characters in their very own proper, however the much less typically mentioned protagonists from the later books, reminiscent of Shasta and Eustace, make it price diving deep into Narnia if you happen to haven’t already.

8. The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún (J. R. R. Tolkien)

Tolkien’s love for poetry and songs performs a significant function in all his books. Aragorn’s story of Tinuviel on the foot of Weathertop and Gimli’s verses in regards to the darkness of Khazad-dûm are two examples of how Tolkien makes use of this medium to assist construct the historical past of his fantasy world. Two of Tolkien’s most spectacular poems are literally outdoors the Legendarium, in The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún. This publication attracts from Norse mythology and weaves collectively new legends about basic heroes and villains like Odin, Loki, and Sigmund. It’s simply nearly as good a learn for Lord of the Rings fanatics as it’s for followers of the Vikings TV collection.

9. The Approach of Kings (Brandon Sanderson)

Able to step away from Tolkien’s works for a bit and check out one thing utterly new? Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive collection has a wealthy fantasy setting, strong characters, and an engrossing plot that’s positive to maintain any Lord of the Rings fan hooked. The story begins in The Approach of Kings, which establishes the world of Roshar, particulars the historical past of the Knights Radiant orders, and units readers down in the course of an infinite battle. It’s a surprise how nobody has turned this one right into a film but.

10. The Damaged Sword (Poul Anderson)

If you happen to take pleasure in the best way that The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion draw from real-world mythology, then you definately’ll additionally love The Damaged Sword by Poul Anderson. The e-book takes place in the course of a warfare between trolls and elves. It tells the story of the human Skafloc and his quest to reforge the well-known sword Tyrfing. In keeping with legend, Thor broke the weapon to be able to save the World Tree, Yggdrasil. However to be able to put Tyrfing again collectively, Skafloc should cope with a darkish model of himself. In contrast to different fantasy books, The Damaged Sword is just not part of a collection. As a substitute, it tells a whole narrative of its personal.