A new door to the immense universe of JRR Tolkien

Thirty years after the Silmarillion, Christopher Tolkien reconstructs the story of Hurin and his children and Turin Nienor from fragments left by his father. Thus, The Children of Hurin takes you into the fantastic and tragic history of their destiny.

Hurin is captured by Morgoth curses and condemns her offspring to watch his downfall. So his son Túrin, despite heroic acts that make her famous, especially against the dragon Glaurung, is pursued by a curse that will lead to his downfall and that of his sister Nienor.

This new work may seem warmed to some, since his story was already told us briefly in the Silmarillion and the Unfinished Tales longer. Nevertheless this new form, purified of any note (almost) by Christopher Tolkien, allows us to discover or rediscover the history of the Children of Hurin as any novel and regain a sense of fun as reading Lord of the Rings.

Moreover, translation, performed by Delphine Martin in collaboration with Vincent Ferré and Daniel Lauzon, this book gives a new dimension of his fidelity, fluidity and consistency. It is no longer there as a rough translation for the Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales. The passion and talent of Delphine Martin offers us a nice story to read and discover.

Finally, the illustrations by Alan Lee, in color on full pages and black and white at the beginning and end of chapters, sublimate all come and bring a visual that facilitates immersion in history. Add to that, a geographical map easily fold (or detachable without damaging the book) as well as a glossary that let you not to get lost on the roads of Beleriand.

I recommend this book especially to readers of The Lord of the Rings that had not managed to read The Silmarillion, they now have an alternative that will allow them to find the world of Middle-earth during the First Age, several thousand years before the War of the Ring.

We would love to be able to have the same type of book telling the story of Beren and Lúthien or the history of Tuor, unfortunately according to FAQ Tolkien Estate, it is apparently impossible.