Risingshadow
Speculative Fiction Books Database
  • Main
    • Home
    • About Us
    • Articles
    • Terms of Service
    • Staff Members
    • Finnish (FI)
  • Browse
    • Activity Feed
    • New Books
    • Upcoming Books
    • Advanced Search
    • Book Reviews
    • Genres & Tags
  • Wall
    • Community Wall
    • Recent Messages
    • Recent Topics
    • Hot Topics
    • Popular Topics
    • Search
  • Challenge
    • Reading Challenge
    • Book Trivia Quiz
  • Sign In

The Story of Kullervo

by J. R. R. Tolkien
The Story of Kullervo by J. R. R. Tolkien
  ★ 6.00 / 7
1★2★13★14★5★26★17★28★9★10★

Edited by Verlyn Flieger.

The world first publication of a previously unknown work of fantasy by J.R.R. Tolkien, which tells the powerful story of a doomed young man who is sold into slavery and who swears revenge on the magician who killed his father.

Kullervo son of Kalervo is perhaps the darkest and most tragic of all J.R.R. Tolkien’s characters. ‘Hapless Kullervo’, as Tolkien called him, is a luckless orphan boy with supernatural powers and a tragic destiny.

Brought up in the homestead of the dark magician Untamo, who killed his father, kidnapped his mother, and who tries three times to kill him when still a boy, Kullervo is alone save for the love of his twin sister, Wanona, and guarded by the magical powers of the black dog, Musti. When Kullervo is sold into slavery he swears revenge on the magician, but he will learn that even at the point of vengeance there is no escape from the cruellest of fates.

Tolkien himself said that The Story of Kullervo was ‘the germ of my attempt to write legends of my own’, and was ‘a major matter in the legends of the First Age’. Tolkien’s Kullervo is the clear ancestor of Túrin Turambar, tragic incestuous hero of The Silmarillion. In addition to it being a powerful story in its own right, The Story of Kullervo – published here for the first time with the author’s drafts, notes and lecture-essays on its source-work, The Kalevala – is a foundation stone in the structure of Tolkien’s invented world.

Amazon: Check Best Offer

Book Order
Amazon
Kindle
Audible
Amazon CA
Amazon UK
Amazon Europe

Your Rating
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Standard Shelves
Updated 04/07/2025
Category: Fantasy
Release date: August 25, 2015

People Also Read

Seeker (The Sentinel Archives #1)
  ★ 9.80 / 10
Creation's Captive (Broken Souls Trilogy #1)
  ★ 9.42 / 12
Fourth Wing (The Empyrean #1)
  ★ 9.04 / 26
Babel: An Arcane History
  ★ 7.26 / 8
The Will of the Many (The Hierarchy #1)
  ★ 8.28 / 7
Fairy Tale
  ★ 7.58 / 7
Tress of the Emerald Sea (Secret Project #1)
  ★ 9.34 / 6
Join the Ongoing Discussion
Start a New Topic (Visitors Welcome)
Have questions about this book or want to share your thoughts? Join the conversation!
J. R. R. Tolkien

J. R. R. Tolkien

J. R. R. Tolkien, the creator of Middle-earth, was not just a writer; he was a weaver of worlds, a philologist whose deep understanding of language and mythology breathed life into epic landscapes, timeless characters, and legends that still captivate readers around the world. Born in 1892 in Bloemfontein, South Africa, Tolkien’s early years were marked by tragedy—his father’s untimely death and the loss of his mother, both of which shaped the tone of his writing. His roots in the English countryside, where he moved as a child, became the fertile ground for the stories that would define an entire genre.

Read more ...

A professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford, Tolkien’s passion for ancient languages and myths guided his creative journey. It was through his academic work that he cultivated an understanding of storytelling traditions that would later inform The Hobbit (1937) and The Lord of the Rings trilogy (1954-1955). These novels, which began as a simple bedtime story for his children, transformed into a vast, intricate epic that combined linguistics, folklore, and his personal experiences—especially his time as a soldier in World War I. The desolate landscapes of war inspired much of the darkness found in Middle-earth, from the vast, haunted wilderness of Mordor to the sorrowful journeys of characters like Frodo Baggins.

Tolkien's approach to writing was as meticulous as his scholarship. His world-building is legendary, with languages and cultures as fully realized as any character in his books. His characters, from the humble hobbits to the noble elves, embody themes of bravery, friendship, and sacrifice. Yet, beneath the surface of his high fantasy is a deep reflection on the nature of evil and the fragility of power—lessons drawn from his own experiences and the history he so passionately studied.

Beyond his literary genius, Tolkien was a devoted family man. His deep affection for his wife, Edith, inspired much of the romance in his works, particularly the relationship between Beren and Lúthien in The Silmarillion. Tolkien’s children, too, played a part in his creative process, often offering playful suggestions that found their way into his stories.

Though he passed away in 1973, Tolkien's legacy continues to resonate. His works have been translated into dozens of languages, adapted into blockbuster films, and studied for their rich mythological and linguistic elements. Middle-earth has become more than just a fictional world; it is a cultural touchstone, one that generations continue to return to for solace, adventure, and the reminder that even in the darkest times, hope can be found.

As Tolkien once said, “Not all those who wander are lost.” It is this sense of adventure, of exploring worlds beyond our own, that remains at the heart of his enduring appeal. His influence stretches far beyond the pages of his books, making J. R. R. Tolkien not just a cornerstone of fantasy literature, but a creator whose imagination has shaped the way we see the world itself.

More books by J. R. R. Tolkien

The Battle of Maldon
not yet rated
The Fall of Númenor (Tales of Middle-Earth)
  ★ 9.00 / 3
The Nature of Middle-earth
  ★ 9.16 / 6
The Fall of Gondolin (Tales of Middle-Earth)
  ★ 8.60 / 5
Beren and Lúthien (Tales of Middle-Earth)
  ★ 9.00 / 1
The Art of The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
  ★ 8.00 / 3
A Brief History of The Hobbit
  ★ 9.00 / 1
Beowulf: A Translation and Commentary, together with Sellic Spell
not yet rated
The Fall of Arthur
  ★ 8.00 / 1
The Art of the Hobbit
  ★ 7.76 / 4
The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún
  ★ 8.66 / 3
The Children of Húrin (Tales of Middle-Earth)
  ★ 7.80 / 45
The History of Middle-earth: Part One (The History of Middle-earth (omnibus editions) #1)
  ★ 7.00 / 2
The History of Middle-earth: Part Two (The History of Middle-earth (omnibus editions) #2)
  ★ 8.00 / 1
The History of Middle-earth: Part Three (The History of Middle-earth (omnibus editions) #3)
  ★ 8.00 / 1
Roverandom
  ★ 6.82 / 29
The Peoples of Middle-earth (The History of Middle-earth #12)
  ★ 7.50 / 4
The War of the Jewels (The History of Middle-earth #11)
  ★ 8.00 / 1
Morgoth's Ring (The History of Middle-earth #10)
  ★ 8.00 / 2
Sauron Defeated (The History of Middle-earth #9)
  ★ 7.00 / 2
The War of the Ring (The History of Middle-earth #8)
  ★ 7.34 / 3
The Treason of Isengard (The History of Middle-earth #7)
  ★ 7.34 / 3
The Return of the Shadow (The History of Middle-earth #6)
  ★ 7.20 / 5
The Lost Road and Other Writings (The History of Middle-earth #5)
  ★ 7.50 / 4
The Shaping of Middle-earth (The History of Middle-earth #4)
  ★ 7.50 / 4
The Lays of Beleriand (The History of Middle-earth #3)
  ★ 7.50 / 4
The Book of Lost Tales, Part Two (The History of Middle-earth #2)
  ★ 7.34 / 6
The Book of Lost Tales, Part One (The History of Middle-earth #1)
  ★ 7.00 / 9
Mr. Bliss
  ★ 5.82 / 11
The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien
  ★ 7.12 / 9
Unfinished Tales
  ★ 7.94 / 44
The Silmarillion
  ★ 8.36 / 99
The Father Christmas Letters
  ★ 7.20 / 5
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl, and Sir Orfeo
  ★ 9.00 / 2
The Lord of the Rings (The Lord of the Rings)
  ★ 9.10 / 162
Smith of Wootton Major
  ★ 6.70 / 23
Tree and Leaf
  ★ 7.74 / 23
The Adventures of Tom Bombadil
  ★ 6.80 / 20
The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings #3)
  ★ 9.22 / 109
The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings #1)
  ★ 8.80 / 143
The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings #2)
  ★ 9.12 / 113
Farmer Giles of Ham
  ★ 6.84 / 32
The Hobbit
  ★ 8.34 / 178


Back to Top
  • Risingshadow
  • Browse
  • J. R. R. Tolkien
  • The Story of Kullervo
Follow Us: Newsletter | Facebook | X | Mastodon | RSS
Hosted by Planeetta Internet Oy
© 1996 - 2025 Risingshadow. All rights reserved.

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website.

Privacy Policy