Review: The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Riveting conclusion of epic proportions...

Return of the King begins with the Gondor story line where The Two Towers leaves off. Sauron's eye is focused on the city and his forces are gathering for a final strike. Ringwraiths, men, ogres, orcs and trolls are on the move. In Gondor, Faramir struggles to gain the acceptance of his father, Denethor. The young hobbit, Pippin, swears fealty to Denethor on a whim and soon finds himself garbed as a soldier of Minus Tirith. As Denethor loses his grasp on reality, Pippin must decide whether to stay true to his oath or true to his conscious.

Likewise, Merry has sworn his services to the King of Rohan. But the King, unlike Denethor, does not want his small vassal in harms way and decides to leave him behind. His plight is noticed by another who would also fight, despite being told to stay behind, and the two join up and follow together, a decision that just might mean the difference between victory and defeat in the final battle.

Review: The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Two Towers is the second book in J.R.R. Tolkien's epic fantasy, The Lord of the Rings. The story picks up right after the Fellowship tasked with destroying Sauron's One Ring parts ways for good.

First up, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli set out to rescue Merry and Pippin, who were taken by the orcs of Saruman at the end of the previous book. Running for three days, they encounter Eomer of the Rohirim (or Riders of Rohan) who inform them that the orcs have been slain and no hobbits spotted. In return for a promise to return them, the three companions borrow three riderless horses to complete their journey to Fangorn Forrest hoping against all odds that Merry and Pippen live.

Review: Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Fellowship of the Ring is an epic fantasy set in Middle Earth starring hobbits, dwarves, elves and even a few men.

I love this story. I remember the first time I read it, at twelve. It took me three days to get through the Hobbit and the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy. All I did was eat, sleep, and read.

I remember the chills that ran down my spine as Frodo and Sam first hid from the mysterious black riders (Ringwraiths) as they raced through the Shire and later on the road to Rivendell. The simple ring of invisibility (from The Hobbit) having taken on a dark purpose and the formation of the fellowship of the ring to take it into the very heart of Mordor captured my mind and drew me on.

The characters, the places and the enemies are what make the story so memorable to me. So I wanted to list each below with a brief description (most are spoilers if you haven't read this before, but probably not that bad if you've seen the movie).