The best Tolkien-themed gifts for Christmas 2022.
It’s that time of year again. Christmas is almost upon us and if you’re anything like me, you probably don’t have your holiday shopping done yet. Slacker!
Don’t worry. I’m here to help—at least if you know some fans of J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings. Tolkien’s exploration of Middle-earth extended past his most famous stories. His works have been adapted into film, television, video games, board games and more. The Lord Of The Rings and its mythology and characters have inspired artists, musicians, poets, game designers, and countless legions of fans.
And all-things Tolkien make for some very nice, and often quite appropriate, gifts for the Tolkien lover in your life. So without further adieu, a Tolkien Lover’s Gift Guide, just in the nick of time.
A Tolkien Lover’s Gift Guide Part I: Books
What better place to start than with the Professor’s own books. While Tolkien passed away on September 2, 1973, his writing has been sorted through and compiled and turned into numerous other best-selling works. Two Tolkien books have recently been published, in fact, and both would make fantastic gifts.
The Fall Of Númenor
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The Fall Of Númenor — $27 at Amazon
Edited by Brian Sibley, this gorgeous new hardcover tells the story of Middle-earth’s Second Age, drawing together many of Tolkien’s writings and ordering them in a way that helps make sense of the thousands of years between the fall of Morgoth and the rise of Sauron. If you were a little letdown by The Rings Of Power, or just want to know more about this age and its larger-than-life characters and civilizations, this is a great place to start.
Sibley, adhering to the timeline of ‘The Tale Of Years’ found in the Appendices to The Lord Of The Rings, has done a remarkable job making this both comprehensive and accessible. The gorgeous artwork from Alan Lee—one of my favorite Tolkien artists—makes the tome even more wonderful. It’s also available on Kindle, but I recommend the actual physical book, as it’s a lovely, sturdy creation that will go nicely on any book-lover’s shelf.
The Silmarillion illustrated by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Silmarillion, Illustrated By The Author — $39 at Amazon
Next up, we have The Silmarillion, newly published late this year in a brand new format with absolutely stunning artwork by none other than J.R.R. Tolkien himself. The professor wasn’t just a linguist and wordsmith, but a rather wonderful artist as well!
This is one of the most beautiful books I’ve come into possession of in a very long time. It’s a true work of art. As lovely as the previous entry in this list is, this one is lovelier still. The hardcover itself is beautiful with or without the jacket. The dark blue is a perfect backdrop for the elvish script, which comes in both silver and green. The book’s fore edge is also a light, grassy green, replete with more elvish writing, like so:
The Silmarillion
What a sterling new addition to any Tolkien fan’s collection!
Father Christmas
Letters From Father Christmas — $14 on Amazon
There is perhaps no better Tolkien gift I can conjure than Letters From Father Christmas. Tolkien wrote these letters to his children over the years and included his own illustrations with them, including the one you see here in this post. He even illustrated the stamps with postage from the North Pole.
His first letter, to his firstborn John, was “delivered” over a century ago, in 1920. He would continue penning the letters for over twenty years. Some of the letters are brief and more hastily scrawled; others are written with precise, gorgeous calligraphy. One that looks particularly wobbly blames the handwriting on the chill in Santa’s home. This is a real treasure—a glimpse into Tolkien as a loving father and another sterling example of his profound creativity and love of life, family and storytelling. There is some truly marvelous artwork in these pages.
The Lord Of The Rings Deluxe Pocket Set
The Lord Of The Rings Deluxe Pocket Boxed Set — $28 at Amazon
Ah, speaking of beautiful books, I absolutely adore my The Lord Of The Rings Deluxe Pocket Boxed Set. I have it away from the other books on my main bookshelf, up on top where you can’t miss it, with the book spines facing out.
These little copies of Tolkien’s Magnum Opus include The Hobbit and are small enough to fit in your pocketses, my precious. They’re leather-bound and the covers are soft to the touch and pliable rather than stiff. You can bend them without fear of ripping or breaking the covers.
Yes, the type is small and if you have trouble reading small text these may be more ornamental than functional, but I have no problem making out the words. A perfect gift for any Tolkien lover, but especially those who like to set off on grand adventures—the diminutive tomes make perfect travel companions.
The Hobbit
The Hobbit Graphic Novel — $22 on Amazon
I love The Hobbit. It’s such a quirky little novel, and it’s so clearly the beginning of something much bigger that Tolkien had only brushed up against when he wrote it as a story for his children. That it eventually became not just The Lord Of The Rings, but the seed to such a massive mythos so rich with lore and history is still rather remarkable to me.
This graphic novel, illustrated by David Wenzel and adapted by Charles Dixon, is a wonderful way to dive back into the story of Bilbo Baggins and Thorin and Gandalf and Smaug, this time with lovely illustrations in a comic book format. Great for old fans and new and a really terrific gift for kids.
A Tolkien Lover’s Gift Guide Part II: Games & Toys
The One Ring 2e
The One Ring, Second Edition — $51 at the publisher’s website
The second edition of The One Ring tabletop RPG is a gorgeous rulebook with beautiful illustrations, clear and refined rules from the first edition, and the perfect game to play with your gaming group when you get tired of D&D (though a Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition version of the game is set to release early next year).
The game is set 20 years after Baggins returns from his adventure to The Lonely Mountain, and decades before Frodo sets off on his own dire journey to Mount Doom. Play as Dwarves, Elves, Rangers and other adventurers in the lands of Eriador. Battle Cave-Trolls and Barrow-Wights. And best of all, use your imagination to bring these stories to life with your friends. Purchasing directly from Free League means you’ll get the PDF as well.
The Lord Of The Rings Journeys In Middle Earth
Lord of the Rings – Journeys in Middle Earth Board Game — $106 at Amazon
If you’re not looking for a tabletop RPG and would prefer something less imagination-based and narrative-driven, Journeys In Middle Earth is a great, cooperative card-based boardgame that let’s you and some friends head off into Middle-earth with your own Fellowship and go on some daring adventures. This one requires strategic thinking and teamwork and no two adventures will be the same.
Along with the heaps of tiles, tokens, cards and minis, the game uses an app to enrich the gaming experience. Unlike The One Ring, which has you create your own character, you’ll play here as well-known characters like Legolas, Aragorn and Gimli.
Gandalf the Grey
Lord Of The Rings Sixth Scale Figures — Prices Vary
There are toys and then there are toys. The Sixth Scale figures at Sideshow—which range across all kinds of IP from Star Wars to Lord of the Rings—are stunning, detailed replicas of these beloved characters. These are more along the lines of collectibles rather than ‘give your kid this toy to go ruin outside’ given the hefty price-tag (ranging in the hundreds of dollars!) but they definitely make for a wonderful Tolkien-inspired gift.
Visit Sideshow’s website to see other figures including Bilbo, Legolas, Boromir, Gollum, and more.
Gimli Funko Pop
Lord Of The Rings Funko Pop Figures — Gimli $28 at Amazon
Don’t feel like dropping $350 on Gandalf this Christmas? Consider the adorable Funko Pop figurines with their giant heads and tiny bodies. I have so many Funko Pop toys which I really need to get set up in my office, ranging from The Witcher to Star Wars to Overwatch 2 and Lord of the Rings.
I really love this Gimli figure (and he gets 5 stars with nearly 2,500 reviews!) but there are plenty of other great options like Aragorn, Frodo, Sauron and Gandalf.
A Tolkien Lover’s Gift Guide Part III: Movies, Calendars And More
Tolkien 2023 Calendar
Tolkien 2023 Calendar — $15 on Amazon
In some ways, the old Lord Of The Rings calendar I got as a kid has stuck with me almost as much as the books. It was the 1991 Tolkien Calendar illustrated by John Howe, one of the all-time great Tolkien artists, and included many of my favorite pieces of Tolkien art including “Sam and Shelob,” “At The Ford,” “Gandalf” and “Glorfindel and the Balrog.”
Now, 32 years later I’ll be hanging the 2023 Tolkien Calendar on my wall. It’s a great gift idea, as well, with art from a bunch of different Tolkien artists like Emily Austin and Jenny Dolfen. What I love about this edition is the variety. The art spans Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion and more and is lovely from January to December.
The Lord Of The Rings
The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy Extended & Theatrical 4K Ultra HD — $70 at Amazon
You may have old copies of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy laying around. Maybe they’re DVDs or Blu-Rays. They’re probably not Ultra HD 4K, though, which means you’re not watching these in the highest definition possible. And while streaming may be a solution, having the physical media can be a boon—especially for collector’s and avid Tolkien lovers.
These modern classics still can’t be rivaled. The respect for the source material. The scope of the production. The wonderful casting and gorgeous score. In 4K, these films have never looked better.
Short Leaf Blade
A Leaf Blade Sword Fit For A Hobbit — $1,295 at Kult of Athena
Sure, there are Lord of the Rings branded custom battle ready swords out there, but are any of them as gorgeous as this Short Leaf Blade from Valiant Armory? Do they come with such beautiful leather sheaths? Maybe, but personally—as an owner of one of Valiant’s other swords—I’d look no further.
This looks like how I pictured Sting when reading The Hobbit and The Fellowship Of The Ring, despite not being a replica of the film version of the blade. If you choose to purchase directly from Valiant Armory (much longer turn-around) you can make a bunch of customizations, but each blade is forged using 6150 Carbon spring steel and each one is a work of art. I have to resist buying another sword quite ferociously when I look at this one . . . and its price-tag. Feel free to send me money for Christmas, though!
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