Fans of J.R.R. Tolkien and his Lord of the Rings series were not happy after book publisher Harper Collins announced earlier this month that it would sell new editions of The Lord of the Rings with Prime Video’s Rings of Power covers.
Source: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Harper Collins announced on July 8 that they will be publishing new tie-in editions of The Lord of the Rings.
They tweeted: “A new legend begins… The Rings of Power arrives on Prime Video on September 2nd, and these brand new editions of The Lord of the Rings are available now.
“Add them to your collection and immerse yourself in Middle-earth,” they added.
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This original announcement was mocked by fans.
Twitter user FedeeOnorato wrote, “Un insulto a las portadas originales,” which translates to “An insult to the original covers.”
“These are the ugliest book covers I’ve ever seen,” tweeted Silmarils.
Babymoon23 wrote, “the cover art isn’t actually related to the original Lord of the Rings trilogy (3rd Age) but the Rings of Power (2nd Age) series… what’s the point??”
She added: “No, it doesn’t help and it’s so wrong on so many levels. First time disappointed with Harpercollins.”
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“I hate it,” wrote Thedicemechanic. “Focusing on the swords completely misses the point of the story. The quest is not won with swords, but with mercy and love. Fucking awful.”
Tuuliareads wrote: “Just… No. Honestly, movie and TV show covers on books are tacky. Unless it’s concept art or landscapes. Then MAYBE I might consider it.”
Lothiril wrote: “When book covers are no longer connected to the books they cover… Elrond isn’t even in the Two Towers. Adar isn’t even a character in Tolkien’s universe. And Galadriel is hardly what The Fellowship of the Rings is about.”
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User J_verain tweeted: “I love LOTR. I’m looking forward to the show. These covers are really not good.”
“Next set of books I’ll buy, either Lee again or Johan Egerkrans covers. Unless you get Jenny Dolfen to do a set. Tip tip,” the user added.
On top of these Rings of Power themed covers for the three Lord of the Rings books, Harper Collins also has a Lord of the Rings Omnibus Tie-In edition listed on their website.
The official description says: “Begin your journey to Middle-earth. Inspiration for an upcoming Prime Video original series. This omnibus paperback edition includes the three titles that make up J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King.”
Source: The Lord of the Rings Omnibus Tie-In
They announced this omnibus on Facebook, writing: “Begin your journey to Middle-earth. This new single-volume paperback edition includes the three titles that make up J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King. Available August 16.”
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This tie-in omnibus edition was grilled by Twitter user Stig Kenobi who wrote: “Amazon is at it again. Pasting your fake fanfiction crap onto legitimate Tolkien works.”
He added: “The book actually comes with a s**t-stain on it. This time in paperback, which will be published on August 18.”
In a follow-up tweet, he wrote: “Trying to sneak their travesty onto everything Tolkien now. Just as a bacterium attaches itself to healthy tissue.”
Others echoed his sentiment. Linus_hell tweeted: “These are barely worth the fucking delete I’d like them for.”
GLOptimusPrime also tweeted: “I refuse to buy books that have those s**t stains on the covers, Amazon Prime Video.”
What do you think of Harper Collins and Prime Video’s partnership to create Rings of Power-themed covers for Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings?
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