One of my favorite aspects of this book is the importance of music. This world is truly something special and I admire that every aspect is treated with equal significance. Each chapter reads like a tale from classical mythology complete with epic battles, noble heroes, and tragic romances. However, as a lover of history and worldbuilding, I was (for the most part) engaged throughout everything.

It’s this dedication to historical events that will no doubt alienate many readers as it’s easy to get lost amongst the seemingly endless family trees and descriptions of natural landscapes. There are dozens of other narratives as well but these are some of the most important. That history begins with the creation of Arda, the rebellion of Melkor, and the eventual crusade of the legendary elven smith, Feanor. Instead, the world takes center stage and the reader is carefully lead through thousands of years of meticulously crafted history. There are major plot threads and characters throughout the work but none are deeply fleshed out as the heroes present in Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit. Unlike most of Tolkien’s other works, The Silmarillion does not tell a conventional narrative. It details major events from the creation of the world all the way through the War for the Ring which takes place in the Third Age.Īlthough Amazon’s adaptation is strictly based on information found in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings, there is some overlap between the two works and the major events remain the same. Edited by Tolkien’s son Christopher, The Silmarillion was originally published in 1977. Released posthumously, The Silmarillion is a collection of myths and historical records concerning the fictional planet of Arda, the world where Middle Earth is located. As a result, I figured a return to the source material would be appropriate and so began my foray back into Tolkien’s world with The Silmarillion. In the wake of Amazon’s disastrous Rings of Power adaptation, I (like many fans) was left feeling extremely disappointed.

The silmarillion reviews