Fandoms LOTR Short

Best Short LOTR Fanfics

LOTR novellas — 10k to 50k words, polished and contained. Curated from AO3 and ranked by kudos.

Books & Literature 25 short fics Avg 25,750 words 10,000–50,000 words

Top 25 Short LOTR Fanfics

Ranked by AO3 kudos. Mid-length LOTR fics — 10,000–50,000 words.

1

From One Age to Another

by determamfidd

Upon their return to Eryn Lasgalen and Erebor respectively, Legolas and Gimli each have a new adornment. Their fathers would like an explanation.  (They're not going to like it.)L/G, mostly bookverse, some movie elements.

14,607 kudos 12,118 words 1/1 chapters General Audiences
2

Oh

by sunday_morning

“I hope you don’t mind, it's simply elven way to be proud of your marriage” then he continued as if he hadn’t just dropped a bomb shell “however I endeavor to respect your cultural and personal preferences as best as possible”The moment between them sizzled, Gimli felt himself as a kettle, quickly r

9,398 kudos 14,835 words 4/4 chapters Not Rated Complete
3

On the Cold Hill Side

by marycrawford

In the end, Gimli thinks, Legolas will steal his heart and sail away with it, and even the wonders of the Glittering Caves are not enough consolation for that loss. But when Aragorn calls for Gimli’s help in dismantling the hidden traps of Orthanc, everything changes.

7,142 kudos 24,937 words 1/1 chapters Teen And Up Audiences
4

Just Wandering not Lost

by WanderingScout

Harry dies fighting Voldemort and is transported to Middle Earth as an elfling! He is found on the edge of the Mirkwood and taken to Thranduil.

6,815 kudos 21,126 words 10/? chapters Teen And Up Audiences
5

Love's Death and Life

by Scififan33

AU. Extended version of Loves Death. Stranded in Middle Earth after the war Harry is content living a boring life in Bree. That is till a small company of hobbits arrive one night and turn everything upside down.

6,741 kudos 37,731 words 20/20 chapters Teen And Up Audiences Complete
6

Heartbeat of the Mountain

by chrystal896

Bilbo adjusts to caring for a nephew and realizes that the Shire holds no future for him anymore. It is time to return to the mountain. With Frodo in tow, he sets off to find out if Thorin regrets his decisions and to discover if the mountain can handle not one, not two, but three troublemakers.

5,270 kudos 21,515 words 12/12 chapters Not Rated
7

Finding Family

by thatdamnuchiha

Middle-earth is a strange new territory, with strange new threats, overprotective elves, and four little elflings who just want to find their way home… wherever that home might be, because like it or not, they’re stuck there with no chance of return. Death tends to be final like that, especially whe

5,036 kudos 13,830 words 11/11 chapters Teen And Up Audiences
8

The Days Were Made For Running (And The Nights Were Made For Love)

by Eastmava

'Surely if ever there was a time to tell Gimli it was then, flush with an impossible victory.Except he had said nothing, for there was ever more to do and never time, never time to pull Gimli aside and taste the mouth hidden beneath the fall of his moustache, to fit his slim, Eleven hands into ones

4,665 kudos 24,830 words 1/1 chapters Explicit
9

Waiting for Dawn

by ScribeofArda

Maedhros Fëanorion died as the First Age died, falling with his Silmaril into a chasm of fire rent within the earth, forever lost. That is the tale that has always been told. That is what everyone has always known.Two ages of the world later, on the plains of the Pelennor Fields as the battle slowly

1,881 kudos 21,629 words 6/6 chapters Mature Complete
10

hiatt baker hoes

by stripyscarves

merrychristmas: maybe he can tell me what all my fossils on animal crossing are i’m fucking sick of blathers making me feel guilty every time i tell him i don’t want to know about idk pterodactyl tails   arwening: OMG ADD ME ON ANIMAL CROSSING I’LL GIVE YOU PEARS   merrychristmas: i have peaches i’m

541 kudos 40,476 words 22/? chapters Teen And Up Audiences
11

The Carrock Hare

by Nadmi

Left to die in the woods by Uncle Vernon, seven year old Harry Potter looks for shelter and stumbles on a path between worlds. He appears in the Halls of Mandos where the Valar decide he deserves better than what fate had planned for him.Beorn is the last Skin-Changer until Vaire the Weaver brings h

369 kudos 36,063 words 5/? chapters General Audiences
12

Quite the chatter

by Meteor752

I wanted to write a lotr chat fic, so I'm writing a lotr chat fic, because fuck you I do what I want which includes not updating After WarBut yeah, enjoy I guess

284 kudos 19,900 words 19/? chapters Teen And Up Audiences
13

A Love Never Forgotten

by HanaHeart

After the War of the Ring, Aragorn and Legolas marry and rule together in Gondor. Their love is deep, and they are excitedly expecting their first child. However, tragedy strikes when Legolas dies during childbirth.

269 kudos 46,064 words 10/? chapters Explicit
14

Because I Could Not Stop for Death

by Foxlover11

Aragorn and Legolas's relationship through the years. This is an Aralas fic but it's pretty slowburn.

249 kudos 37,623 words 32/? chapters Teen And Up Audiences
15

Travel Hopefully, if We Are to Arrive

by ScribeofArda

I look forward to hearing from you. Let me know how Dior is getting on; he does write to Lómion and Tyelpë, but I would like to hear your thoughts as well, as someone who understands what it is to rule. And Tyelpë gets annoyed if I ask to read his letters. Maedhros   Also, whilst I am writing this a

240 kudos 27,431 words 7/? chapters General Audiences
16

Part of your world

by Dragonlina

For three years now the prince of Gondor has been feeling down, almost like there's been something missing in his life, like a part of his memory has been taken from him, but he's sure that whatever he has forgotten was very important. For if it wasn't then why does he miss it. Maybe the new gardene

203 kudos 30,194 words 14/20 chapters Not Rated
17

The Stars that Crest on Wilder Plains

by socks_of_mithril

An arrow was released. It would have pierced him through the throat had the elf not slighted the bow down at the last second. “Forgive me,” the elf murmured, “I thought you were an orc, for your breathing was so ragged.”  “No,” said Aragorn, with his hands raised in some passive form of surrender, “

201 kudos 10,854 words 6/? chapters Not Rated
18

Sevenfold

by lavenderlover

"I say this not to shame you, nor frighten you," Aragorn implored, "I come to you for aid, might this be an affliction born of my own treacherous heart's desire." "But that tale about the honey-stars..." you breathed, "it is merely myth, my Lord!" "It appears not. Please understand, I would never su

127 kudos 35,778 words 6/? chapters Explicit
19

A Farce of Shieldmaidens and Dinosaurs

by TeamGwenee

The MTU Theatrical Society is putting on the epic tale of Lúthien and Beren. Merry and Pippin play with puppets, Legolas takes method acting too far, and Arwen is not jealous at all that Éowyn has been cast as Lúthien.

86 kudos 10,993 words 11/11 chapters Not Rated Complete
20

Short One Shot

by Ire1ia

No summary provided.

82 kudos 45,635 words 17/? chapters Explicit
21

Platonic Divorces and Romantic Weddings

by TheGayManatee

Bilbo Took-Baggins and Nori of the Ri clan were married---platonically as they'd tell you---out of convenience many moons ago. Now, happily divorced and still best friends with his ex-husband, Bilbo decides he wants to help Nori on the quest to Erebor. Bilbo is an ex-bounder, Nori spends half his ti

81 kudos 11,195 words 4/? chapters Teen And Up Audiences
22

King Thorin's Hospitable Husband

by Youbetyourbuttons

Free use Consort Bilbo. That’s it, that’s the fic.From there things only became more public. Bilbo grew less shameful, hazy from Thorin's praise and drunk from his cock. He wore less layers and always made sure his cunt was easily accessible for his husband. Some evenings, Thorin dressed him only in

80 kudos 12,654 words 3/? chapters Explicit
23

When you wish upon a star

by LadyMarmalade25

Mis resúmenes son espantosos.

73 kudos 48,784 words 39/? chapters Mature
24

Hide and Seek

by Somnis

Five times Mairon feels loved while wearing another's fana, and one time he is loved for himself. A psychological dive into Mairon’s shifting masks across the Ages, trading his shapeshifting mastery for a few stolen moments of tenderness. 1. Maedhros/"Fingon"2. Melkor/"Lúthien"3. Maeglin/"Idril"4. C

69 kudos 11,743 words 5/6 chapters Mature
25

When I've Got You

by Laavu

Just a short sequel/longer finish to Can't Help Falling in Love (I could not stop myself)

67 kudos 25,815 words 5/6 chapters Mature

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About This List

24,830
median words
16%
complete
14,607
top kudos
~1.6 hours
median read time

This list of 25short LOTR fanfics spans 643,753 total words. Kudos range from 67 on the newest entries to 14,607 on the most established. Most entries are ongoing works, so subscribe on AO3 for update notifications. The most common rating is Teen And Up Audiences (8 of 25 fics).

Recurring tags across this list: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting · Hurt/Comfort · Angst · Miscommunication · Pining.

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