New Edition of THE FALL OF NUMENOR On the Way

 

Something interesting is on the way. 

A new edition of The Fall of Numenor has been spotted, and it's a.....different edition/format. 

The publisher, HarperCollins, has some terminology that they use for various editions: "Collector's Edition", "Deluxe Edition" and "Special Edition" and the like. 

With most Tolkien hardcovers, you usually have the normal version that features a dustjacket, and then you have a higher-tiered deluxe edition. 

However, this November, a 'Special Edition' is on the way. 

Here is the info:

"A special edition of J.R.R. Tolkien’s writings on the Second Age of Middle-earth collected in one volume, illustrated by Alan Lee.

Guided by the Dark Lord Sauron, the Elves of Eregion forge the Rings of Power. Yet in secret he has begun building the Barad-dûr in Mordor, and here, in the fires of Mount Doom, he makes the One Ring. Seeking to rule Middle-earth, Sauron begins to wage terrible war upon them.

On the island-kingdom of Númenor, the Men of the West become mighty, building great ships to increase their influence throughout Middle-earth. But as their power grows, the seed of their downfall is sown. Only by uniting in alliance with the Elves can they hope to overcome Sauron.

Adhering to ‘The Tale of Years’ timeline in The Lord of the Rings, Brian Sibley assembles a new chronicle of Middle-earth, a tragic tale of pride, envy and downfall told substantially in the words of J.R.R. Tolkien from the various published texts originally edited by Christopher Tolkien, and illustrated with pencil drawings by Alan Lee.

Complementary in style to the series of special edition hardbacks illustrated by the author, this gorgeous edition features sprayed edges and includes a removable art card and foldout map."

ISBN: 9780008848842

Publication Date: Nov 5, 2026

Not counting the author-illustrated (sometimes titled 'special edition') this is the first time a release like this occurred. What I mean is, the price point is between that of the regular hardcover, and the deluxe.  

It will be interesting to see how this actually looks, given that it's meant to 'complement' the special editions illustrated by Tolkien, without actually having his artwork. 

I'll be sure to keep you posted and provide the cover art once it comes out. As it stands, this will (for the moment) go into 'Other Notable Tolkien Editions' on my lists and tracking; as we don't quite yet know how closely it'll match other Tolkien hardcovers: standard, special, or deluxe.