06/05/2017
Editor Christopher Tolkien successfully aims this latest version of Beren and Lúthien’s tale at two distinct audiences. This hybrid volume serves both as an introduction to a moving love story from the First Age of Middle Earth for fans who are not familiar with The Silmarillion and as a scholarly look at how Christopher’s father altered the tale over the years. Those in the first category should skip the spoiler-filled preface and go straight to the original version, which describes the love of the mortal Beren and the royal elf-maiden Lúthien. Lúthien’s father agrees to their marriage, but only if Beren retrieves a Silmaril jewel from the crown of Melko, the dark god who preceded Sauron as the embodiment of evil in Middle Earth. Despite that familiar fairy-tale setup, Lúthien herself plays an active part in the adventure. The prose isn’t always the elder Tolkien’s most polished, but the story works as a stand-alone tale. Those who have encountered it before will find that Christopher enhances their appreciation of it through his accessible illumination of how it evolved over the years. (June)
At the end of each month, we share lists of B&N’s current bestsellers in the genre, from new hardbacks, to trade paperbacks, to mass markets and media tie-ins, to graphic novels and manga. These are the books everyone is talking about—and buying. Hardcovers What books did you buy in March?
At the end of each month, we share lists of B&N’s current bestsellers in the genre, from new hardbacks, to trade paperbacks, to mass markets and media tie-ins, to graphic novels and manga. These are the books everyone is talking about—and buying. Hardcovers What books did you buy in March?
2017 was a great time to be a fan of sci-fi and fantasy. Pop culture has become a veritable geek feast, with comic book adaptations riding high at the box office, prestige SF films getting respect from the Oscars, and, of course, the books, which only seemed to get better with each passing week. Here’s what […]
Despite its reputation as the season of R&R, summer can be as busy and chaotic as any other time of year. Sure, the exotic vacation you’re planning will be a refreshing break from the day-to-day grind, but there’s so much planning to do before the lounging begins. We’re happy to take at least some of […]