J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Silmarillion was published after his death and edited by his son Christopher Tolkien. For Lord of the Rings fans and Tolkien enthusiasts, The Silmarillion is a must-read. This work combines fairy tale, epic histories, rich language, myth and detailed geography to create the quintessential history of the Middle-Earth. For me, this work was a very enjoyable read. It was great to finally gain a deeper understanding of the intriguing world of Middle-Earth and its inhabitants.

Although The Silmarillion primarily deals with the time prior to that of The Lord of the Rings (the end of the Third Age), it would make a horrible introduction to the saga (So don’t read it first!). It is definitely best read after you have devoured The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings once or twice. It will give you a better context while you read.

My only complaint about The Silmarillion is that it needs more maps. Maybe there are some sweet versions out there will plenty of maps, but my copy only has a map in the front and another somewhere in the middle, both of a small region of Middle-Earth. With Tolkien’s intricately detailed geographical descriptions and constant reference to geographic locations, its nice to have a map to reference while reading. You’ll find that maps of Aman, Numenor, and the whole of Middle-Earth would be handy.

I haven’t read any more of the histories of Middle-Earth, but I think that I will have to now. I find that Tolkien’s fantasy realm is one of my favorite places to escape to. It just makes a great release from reality.