Middle-earth Books in Order
J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth runs from the creation myths of The Silmarillion through The Hobbit to The Lord of the Rings, the great quest to destroy the One Ring. The foundation of modern fantasy.
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Series facts
- Books
- 7
- Published
- 1937 to 2007
- First book
- The Hobbit
- Latest
- The Children of Húrin (2007)
- Setting
- Set in Middle-earth
- Order
- Story order differs from publication order
The reading order
Every Middle-earth book in publication order, with the story order a switch away. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
- 1The Hobbit1937With Bilbo BagginsBilbo Baggins, a comfortable hobbit, is swept off by the wizard Gandalf and thirteen dwarves on a quest to win back their treasure from the dragon Smaug, and finds a magic ring along the way.Buy on Amazon
- 2The Fellowship of the Ring1954With Frodo BagginsFrodo Baggins inherits a ring from his uncle Bilbo, and learns that it is the One Ring of the Dark Lord Sauron.Buy on Amazon
- 3The Two Towers1954With Frodo BagginsThe Fellowship is broken.Buy on Amazon
- 4The Return of the King1955With Frodo Baggins and Samwise GamgeeThe war for Middle-earth reaches its climax, as Frodo and Sam struggle on towards the heart of Mordor.Buy on Amazon
- 5The Silmarillion1977The myths and history of the Elder Days of Middle-earth, from the creation of the world to the long war over the Silmarils, three jewels of great power.Buy on Amazon
- 6Unfinished Tales1980Stories and histories of Middle-earth, edited by Christopher Tolkien from his father’s papers.Buy on Amazon
- 7The Children of Húrin2007With Túrin TurambarThe tragic tale of Túrin Turambar, whose family is cursed by the Dark Lord Morgoth.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read The Hobbit first, then The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King. The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales and The Children of Húrin tell the earlier history of Middle-earth.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Frodo Baggins | Bilbo Baggins | Samwise Gamgee | Túrin Turambar | Gandalf | Gollum | Elrond | Aragorn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 The Hobbit | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | ||||
| 2 The Fellowship of the Ring | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | MMajor | |
| 3 The Two Towers | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | MMajor | |||
| 4 The Return of the King | LLead | ·Minor | LLead | MMajor | MMajor | ·Minor | MMajor | |
| 5 The Silmarillion | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |||||
| 6 Unfinished Tales | MMajor | ·Minor | ·Minor | |||||
| 7 The Children of Húrin | LLead |
Characters in the Middle-earth books
13 characters from J. R. R. Tolkien’s chart, with the number of Middle-earth books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Frodo BagginsBilbo's heir, the Ring-bearer | 3 | The Fellowship of the Ring 1954 |
| Bilbo BagginsHobbit who finds the One Ring | 3 | The Hobbit 1937 |
| Samwise GamgeeFrodo's gardener and companion | 3 | The Fellowship of the Ring 1954 |
| Túrin TurambarTragic hero of the First Age | 3 | The Silmarillion 1977 |
| GandalfWizard | 6 | The Hobbit 1937 |
| GollumCorrupted former Ring-bearer | 4 | The Hobbit 1937 |
| ElrondHalf-elven lord of Rivendell | 4 | The Hobbit 1937 |
| AragornRanger and heir of Isildur | 4 | The Fellowship of the Ring 1954 |
| LegolasElf of the Fellowship | 3 | The Fellowship of the Ring 1954 |
| GimliDwarf of the Fellowship | 3 | The Fellowship of the Ring 1954 |
| Merry and PippinFrodo's hobbit cousins | 3 | The Fellowship of the Ring 1954 |
| GaladrielElf queen of Lothlórien | 3 | The Fellowship of the Ring 1954 |
| Thorin OakenshieldDwarf king leading the quest for Erebor | 1 | The Hobbit 1937 |