“The Fall of Gondolin”, edited by Christopher Tolkien from a story by J.R.R. Tolkien, continues the pre-history of LOTR.  Gondolin is a hidden stronghold sought by Morgoth (a pre-cursor to LOTS’s Sauron) in his war against Elves and Men.  The story was developed from sketches that originally appeared in “The Book of Lost Tales” and “The Silmarillion“.  If  this appeals,   “Beren and Lúthien” is Tolkien’s most heartfelt love story, while “The Children of Hurin” is  tragic tale about a family cursed by Morgoth .  Also new in fantasy, “Starless” by Jacqueline Carey is a “rich, evocative fantasy epic” about prohesied princeess and her compromised guard, while “Spinning Silver” by Naomi Novik, meanwhile, is a “fresh and imaginative retelling of the Rumpelstiltskin story.