π Treasures #022: New LOTR Books, Board Games, Blu-rays, and more!
February '25 Tolkien Treasures
Hello all! Mae govannen!
In todayβs newsletter Iβve got a roundup of recent Tolkien Treasures,1 or Tolkien-related content that Iβm currently enjoying and want to share with you all. Let's get right to it!
Tolkien Treasures #022βFebruary '25
1. New Middle-Earth 6-film Collection of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Trilogies Coming March 18!
Next month a new collection of all six Peter Jackson films is set to release. According to IGN, this set features βthe extended and theatrical cuts of all three The Hobbit films and all three Lord of the Rings films on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and digital.β
(And no, this is a separate release from the Lord of the Rings gift box set that includes a replica of the One Ring and released this past December).
You can preorder the new six-film collection on Amazon.
2. βFate of the Fellowshipβ brings Lord of the Rings themes and gameplay to the Pandemic System
This June, a new board game from the designer of Pandemic is releasing that will allow players to cooperatively play as the Heroes defending Middle-earth and helping Frodo on his quest.
βThree years in the making, the game will include 13 playable characters, 14 event cards, and 24 objectives, providing an enormous variety of play experiences. The game will also come with an 11-inch constructible Barad-dΓ»r Dice Tower, NazgΓ»l miniatures, original artwork of iconic characters, and more.β
Read more on Matt Leackockβs Substack,
:3. The High Hallow: Tolkienβs Liturgical Imagination
A few weeks ago I came across a new book on Tolkien that piqued my interest: The High Hallow: Tolkienβs Liturgical Imagination.
In The High Hallow, βBen Reinhard examines the liturgical pieties that governed Tolkienβs life from childhood to old age, the ways in which the liturgy colored Tolkienβs theory of myth and fantasy, and the alleged absence of religion in Middle-earth. Most importantly, he shows how the plots, themes, and characters of Tolkienβs beloved works can be traced to the patterns of the Churchβs liturgical year.β
I immediately knew when I read this description that it was a book I needed to get my hands on! The publisher has graciously provided me a review copy, so look for more thoughts in the coming weeks!
But if you donβt want to wait, you can order it at the publisherβs website:
Order βThe High Hallowβ at St. Paul Center
4. War of the Rohirrim SteelBook
War of the Rohirrim is coming to Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K on Feb 18th, and the SteelBook version (containing the movie in 4K, Blu-ray, and on digital) is simply gorgeous.
You can find all the versions Iβve just mentioned on Amazon.
5. The Two Towers audiobook narrated by Andy Serkis
I just finished Andy Serkisβ version of The Fellowship of the Ring last month and am continuing on with his version of The Two Towers. Itβs a wonderful way to spend my commutes and I highly recommend his version. Iβve just finished some of the first chapters with Treebeard and Andyβs take on him is simply delightful.
There we have it: my Tolkien Treasures for February!
What have you been enjoying lately (or will enjoy soon) that is Tolkien-related? Let me know in the comments!
NamΓ‘riΓ«, friends. Go towards goodness!
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There and Back Again
Wherein I share highlights from previous years of Jokien with Tolkien
This time last year in the newsletter I shared a humorous sketch involving Merry, Pippin, Treebeard, and lots of puns on email, podcasts, etc:
And two years ago I shared an article on finding the Five Love Languages in The Lord of the Rings, which I updated last year:
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My newest Tolkien Treasure I've been enjoying is my Idril pin from PookaWorks! Waiting on a necklace after the next restock, too.
I've also been eyeing this kickstarter with pins for the Valar - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lucigianart/tolkien-valar-heraldic-devices-enamel-pin-collection-pt-1
I love Andy Serkisβs narration! As an avid audiobook listener, I think heβs the best narrator Iβve ever heard.