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The Lord of the Rings books in order A series by J. R. R. Tolkien

The Lord of the Rings series by J. R. R. Tolkien has 4 books, from The Fellowship of the Ring (Jul 1954) to Appendices of The Lord of the Rings (Jul 1954). Read it in order, starting with The Fellowship of the Ring.

Reading order: 1 The Fellowship of the Ring (1954) · 2 The Two Towers (1954) · 3 The Return of the King (1955) · Appendices of The Lord of the Rings (1954)

Updated September 2026

All 4 The Lord of the Rings books in order

  1. 1.

    The Fellowship of the Ring (Jul 1954)

    Adapted for film

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  2. 2.

    The Two Towers (Nov 1954)

    Adapted for film

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  3. 3.

    The Return of the King (Oct 1955)

    434 pages★ 4.3 (233 ratings)Adapted for TV

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  4. Appendices of The Lord of the Rings (Jul 1954)

    180 pagesAdapted for film

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The Lord of the Rings on screen

The Lord of the Rings FAQ

How many The Lord of the Rings books are there?
There are 4 The Lord of the Rings books, as of September 2026.
What order should I read the The Lord of the Rings books in?
In publication order, starting with The Fellowship of the Ring (Jul 1954): 1 The Fellowship of the Ring (1954) · 2 The Two Towers (1954) · 3 The Return of the King (1955) · Appendices of The Lord of the Rings (1954).
What is the first The Lord of the Rings book?
The Fellowship of the Ring (Jul 1954).
What is the latest The Lord of the Rings book?
Appendices of The Lord of the Rings (Jul 1954).
Is the Lord of the Rings series finished?
There have been no new The Lord of the Rings books since 1954; J. R. R. Tolkien died in 1973.
Did J. R. R. Tolkien write other series?
Yes: The History of Middle-earth.

More series by J. R. R. Tolkien

All J. R. R. Tolkien books

Sources: series order and dates from Wikidata and Open Library. Last updated September 2026.