Doomed to Die: An A–Z of Death in Tolkien

by Tom Racine

J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings meets Edward Gorey's The Gashlycrumb Tinies in this darkly satirical illustrated parody of the Tolkien  ‘A is for Arwen broken by sorrows; B is for Boromir punctured by arrows. C is for Celebrimbor hung out to dry; D is for Denethor…'

‘Stories – frankly, human stories are always about one thing – death. The inevitability of death.’  J.R.R. TOLKIEN

A distinguished linguist and scholar, J.R.R. Tolkien is celebrated as the father of the fantasy genre, drawing on his knowledge of legends and folklore to create a new mythology and write the ultimate epic novel. He populated his books with Hobbits, Orcs, Elves, Dragons and Dwarves, but as in all epic tales, there can be only one fate for Mortal Men…

Doomed to Die is a uniquely irreverent glance at the world of Tolkien. It started life as an innocent Inktober project, but somehow grew in the telling to become a book.

Genres: Fantasy, Art, Fiction

96 pages, Hardcover

First published October 23, 2025

Reviews

[Michael Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

My personal favourite couplet:

C is for Celebrimbor hung out to dry
D is for Denethor who elected to fry

Nicely done, wonderful illustrations.

[Queen B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to William Morrow Books for the gifted book.

This is the best book for a Lord of the Rings nerd (of which I am). It’s half interesting art scenes and half Tolkien lore. I’ve read the books (and watched the movies seven million times) but I still learned some new information from Doomed to Die.

And yes, you’d think it would be depressing, focusing on death. But as Gandalf says “Death is just another path, one that we all must take.”

I’ll definitely be buying some gift copies for Christmas!

[WhatShouldIRead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant! I really enjoyed the poem (quite clever) and illustrations which mimic those of Edward Gorey. Also there is a small summary at the end where the characters are explained which I appreciate since I haven't gotten through all the LOTR legendarium books so some names were familiar but I didn't know much about them.

Highly recommend!

[Julia Rachelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is brilliant!
“Irreverent” is the best word to describe it—the author clearly knows his Tolkien lore and summarized it into a catchy rhyme. The first half of the book is in rhyme form and the last half contains an appendices(just like in Tolkien’s books!) that gives you more information on each character and how they died. A short read for sure, but definitely enjoyed it!



Thank you William and Morrow for sending me a copy!

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun. Okay appendices.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

5 stars for committing to the bit but I had to subtract one because my boy Finrod wasn't represented.

[Jason Pippi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved the illustrations in this book! I was giggling all the way through. This would be a great holiday gift for a Tolkien lover!

[Sam Manucy (chsbibliophile) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've loved Tolkien's world since I was first given The Hobbit at the age of 11 and I've never looked back.
LOTR is the fantasy by which I measure all other books, so when I was sent Doomed to Die, I was understandably ecstatic!! This little book knocks a punch with original artwork detailing all the ways to die within Tolkien's world from A to Z, simultaneously being reverent and coy in its delivery. Racine expertly captured the heart, pain, and humor found in LOTR through his evocative artwork and thoughtful words.
Following the A-Z, the appendix details the characters and context of their deaths, pulling directly from the original works. This little book is an homage to all things Tolkien and I firmly believe every lover of the series should add this to their collection!

A big thank you to William Morrow Books and Harper Collins for the gifted copy, I will treasure it; all thoughts are my own.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. It is what I would classify it as a "coffee table" book. One that you keep out displayed on your coffee table all the time. Not only due to the gorgeous book cover but because it is a conversation reading book.

Each illustration is stunning. It made me re-look at Lord of the Rings in a new light. A way that I had not really thought about the various deaths that happened in the stories. Besides each letter of the alphabet capturing a different character; I thoroughly enjoyed the Appendices at the back of the book.

The Appendices featured the inspiration as well as more in depth explanations of each of the characters. This book will be one to give to the LOR fan in your life.

[Monsi A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is perfect for long time fans of the world created by Tolkien, and fans who have watched the films. Tom Racine is really talented in his art, and my favorite part of the book is actually all the explanations at the back of the book. He goes one by one, A through Z, explaining pieces of lore (in case it’s something new to you) and talking about his inspiration/motivation for each piece.

This is a very witty book, and the art is sincerely beautiful. I highly recommend picking this up to be a part of your bookish collection!

Thank you so much to Tom Racine and William Morrow for this gifted copy!

[Kyla Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted this book from the moment I saw it advertised in August, and I was not disappointed.

The Gorey/Tolkien crossover is so unexpected, and so niche, but gosh darnit, it’s MY niche, and I was over the moon. The art is beautiful, the chosen characters were perfect… but by far, my favorite thing about this book is that the author included an Appendices (another little nod to The Professor) that gave context for each piece. So if you have not read beyond The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, fear not! Tom has you in good hands.

Amazing, stunning, and at times utterly heartbreaking, it’s by far one of my favorite things to come out of 2025.

[Kam Yung Soh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun little book that honour J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth by illustrating and rhyming about the deaths that feature in the books. It starts with “A is for Arwen, done in by sorrow.” and ends with Z, one of the more notable deaths in the books.

The A-Z list is followed by a note from the author about how the book got started. Then an appendix is given, showing how each death was illustrated, along with information about the character featured in the death. This is helpful for general readers not familiar with the works of Tolkien, and may persuade them to read the books to find out more about the character themselves.

[Dea Farrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a Tolkien Lord of the Rings fan, then I highly recommend adding this book to your library. The first half is the book is a rhyming ABC of characters and the ways that they met their demise during the story. Each letter is accompanied by beautiful black and white artwork. Some reverent and some whimsical. At the end of the book is an Appendices of Doom that gives full detailed information on each photo and character. This book reminds us that death isn't something bad, it's just a natural part of life.

[Manos (hoarding books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the illustrations in this book. The first 25 pages contain rhymes describing random deaths throughout the Tolkien legendarium. "X is for AXE" (the axe with which Gimli killed 42) didn't convince me. In the appendices the author explains how this book came to be and gives a little backstory for each rhyme. The book doesn't add anything to the reader's knowledge really, but if you are a collector considering getting it since it doesn't occupy much space in your library.

[Bree Steffen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A small book with a big impact!!! Not only is the art so fun and gorgeous, with both hilarious and heart-jerking rhymes, it goes into brief details of each illustration and the stories behind them, which I was not expecting! It was great to learn more about the pieces of the Tolkien legendarium that I don’t know that much about, as well as revisit my favorite parts! Tom really poured his heart and soul and ink into this book, and it was a joy to read!!!

[Ade · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short and interesting book perfect for Lord of The Ring and Tolkien fans. It features funny art and captions.

This packs a punch with its dark humour. Divided into two parts- the first is the A-Z definition and the second part features another A-Z of various characters from Tolkien’s world.

It is depressing, not doubt, but it would make the perfect stocking filler.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the intersection of J. R. R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" and Edward Gorey's "The Gashlycrumb Tinies" is cartoonist Tom Racine's "Doomed to Die: An A-Z of Death in Tolkien".

It starts with, "A is for Arwen broken by sorrows", and continues through the alphabet showing the demise of Legendarium characters, with illustrations and rhyming captions in Gorey's style.

There are appendices à la Tolkien describing the book's creation, and character information for all the illustrations.

A treat for any Tolkien or Gorey fan, and as both, I loved it! 🖤🧙🏻‍♂️🧝🏻💀🖤

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was unlike anything I’ve ever read and I absolutely loved it. The artwork was so incredible, I spent several minutes on each page just admiring the art. I learned so much about J.R.R. and his worlds in such a fun way. Can’t wait for the author’s next book about Shakespeare!

[Michelle Morrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful homage to both Tolkien and Gorey's Ghastlycrumb Tinies. The A-Z poem and illustrations are followed in the back by an explanation of each character and their ultimate demise. Just a wonderful little book for fans of the above.

[Ettelwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Večerní jednohubka!
V podstatě jde o abecedně řazenou sbírku ilustrací, kdy každé písmeno představuje jednu z tragických událostí Středozemě. Má to temně humorný. lehce parodický až satirický nádech s myšlenkou oslavy Tolkiena. Trošku jinak, trošku jinde, a proč vlastně ne?

Pobavilo :)

[Daniel Friedman · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing book. The artwork is spectacular. It’s great to revisit all of the old friends even if most had grisly endings. I bought most of the other copies at Powells books and have been giving them out to the gaming group. Can’t wait to see more.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

ABSOLUTELY ADORED THIS.
This was a lovely little volume full of absolutely brilliant Tolkien riffs in the style of Edward Gorey.

Highly recommend for any Tolkien fan! Makes a GREAT gift!

more to come

[Elizabeth G · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Edward Gorey fan is absolutely delighted!
Flipping hilarious.

👍👍👍

[Jami · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tolkien meets Edward Gorey??? Yes please??? Perfect book.

[Albin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helt underbar liten hyllningsbok till the best to ever do it.

Det är nog dags för en omläsning av Sagan om Ringen snart ändå...

[Ryan T. Guinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creative, funny, beautiful, and an overall precious tribute to the master! Hail the Victorious Dead!

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. Every page made me kind of go “aww” and a little head tilt. There is so much sorrow in the world of Tolkien and Tom captures it perfectly.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Delightful little book

[Brad · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very cool and fun volume to read! I highly recommend.

[Kyrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great combination of Gorey's art style, and writing, done in honor of characters from Tolkien. In addition to the alphabet, there's a complete set of explanations at the end.