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"Maps of Middle-Earth" is a boxed set of six high-quality, beautifully illustrated maps that depict J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth from The Shire in the west to Mordor in the east. The box also contains a 32-page booklet that gives a brief overview of each region. The maps were produced for Decipher's "The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game" (LOTR:RPG), although they would also be of interest to Tolkien fans who want a more close-up view of Middle-earth. Many gamers, however, will find the set's price a bit much at $30 (US). Those who've purchased other products in this gameline will be used to that since many of its supplements seem pricey for their size and content. It is hoped that this brief review will help them determine whether this product is worth the premium.
The Maps
The maps each measure 17" x 22". They are printed on sturdy paper with a slightly textured matte finish. Although the paper is of good quality, it's still paper and may not hold up well to frequent handling at the gaming table. The ad copy on the box calls them "archival quality collector's maps." They would certainly not look out of place framed and hanging on a wall, if one were so inclined (unlike the maps for, say, The Forgotten Realms). For heavy use the maps could be laminated, but that would ruin the tactile and visual qualities that give the maps a sense of authenticity.
The illustrations are by Daniel Reeve, the artist who did the maps for the recent Lord of the Rings movie trilogy (along with much of the calligraphy and elvish writing that appears in the movies). They reproduce the sepia-toned look of those maps, with dark-red lettering for place names. The map features retain a stylized, hand-drawn look with trees and mountains shown in profile and clusters of little buildings to depict cities. Along the borders of each map is elvish script and the edges are darkened much as an old map might be (though not scalloped or frayed).
Each map contains a measure of scale, ranging from 20 miles per inch on some maps to 30 miles per inch on others.
There are six maps altogether: The Shire, West Gondor, East Gondor, Rohan, Eregion, and Mordor. The maps do not show the whole of Middle-earth; rather, they show the areas that Frodo and the Fellowship traversed in their journeys as described in the books and the films. There are, for instance, no maps showing Mirkwood, The Iron Hills, or locations farther west that The Shire. Furthermore, they do not "fit together" to make one big map. The maps are well detailed and show lots of locations that are not mentioned directly in the movies or the books (but are typically on other maps of Middle-earth).
These maps are not going to contain information that isn't already available in any of the countless other maps of Middle-earth published in books and atlases over the years. If players of the LOTR:RPG simply need to know where something is, where they're going, or where they've been, those sources will suffice. What these maps have to offer is a little extra realism, a feeling of "being there," that can only come from holding them, unfolding them, and running one's fingers across their textured surface. Add a little dust and they are the ultimate handout.
The Booklet
The booklet that accompanies the maps is largely a word-for-word reproduction of the text in the LOTR:RPG Core Book. This can be a bit disappointing for someone who's looking for information on the many places and features that appear on the maps but aren't described elsewhere. At the same time, the text provides descriptions of areas that don't appear on these maps, but only on the map printed on the back cover which depicts all of Middle-earth. Furthermore, the descriptions of locations are arranged in an order that corresponds to the geography section in the Core Book, not, as might be expected, by the map on which they appear (because, as mentioned, the text was taken word-for-word from the Core Book). The rest of the booklet consists of reproductions of the six maps with a grid overlay and an index for finding places and features on the gridded maps. The interior of the booklet is black and white (or sepia and white, as it were), including the reproduced maps. The front and back covers are full color, such as it is.
Conclusion
The maps included in this set are attractive and of good physical quality. The accompanying booklet offers no new information, although it can be a handy guide or digest of the geographical information included in the LOTR:RPG Core Book. These maps would be useful in playing the game or, for a fan of the books or the movies, simply as nice art work to enjoy pouring over or hanging on a wall. At $30 (US), the price is high for a gaming supplement. The advantage these maps have is the extra sense of authenticity they bring to the gaming table.
