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

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Title: The Return of the King

Author: J.R.R. Tolkien

Genre: Fantasy

Length: 512 pages

Published: 1986

Publisher: Ballantine

Brief Synopsis: The final book in the epic Lord of the Rings trilogy, which follows the scattered members of the Fellowship through the dark days of the final battles with Mordor. 

Through grief, sorrow and darkness, the West strives to strike down the evil in the East while Frodo and Sam struggle on their way to Mount Doom to dispose of the One Ring once and for all.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

In The Two Towers, we watched as Pippin left Merry behind with the Riders of Rohan as Gandalf took him far from the palantir to Minas Tirith. The Return of the King picks up where it left off with Pippin and Gandalf riding as fast as Shadowfax could take them to Gondor. And the action never stops throughout this first half of the book. War comes to Gondor in several different forms. I won't elaborate too much on the off chance you have neither read the book nor seen the movie. 

The final half of this last book in the epic trilogy picks up with Sam seeking to find a way to rescue Frodo from the clutches of the orcs. The danger is ever present here in Mordor as the pair attempt to make their way to Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring. 

The story portion of this final book is actually not very long: in the version I read it is about 350 pages of the 500+. That's because after the story ends you can find all of the Appendices and Indices that Tolkien put together with more history on the realm of Middle-Earth. For a first read through, definitely read these. As this was probably my fiftieth time reading the trilogy, I opted to skip them at this time. But they do hold a ton of information that you can even refer to when you re-read the series. If you've managed to make it through the first two books in the trilogy, I highly doubt you're going to skip over the conclusion. Trust me when I say you will know sorrow and joy in this riveting tale.

You can purchase The Return of the King through Amazon in either hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read The Return of the King? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien

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Title: The Two Towers

Author: J.R.R. Tolkien

Genre: Fantasy

Length: 415 pages

Published: 1986

Publisher: Ballentine/Del Ray

Brief Synopsis: The Fellowship was scattered. Some were bracing hopelessly for war against the ancient evil of Sauron. Some were contending with the treachery of the wizard Saruman. Only Frodo and Sam were left to take the accursed Ring of Power to be destroyed in Mordor–the dark Kingdom where Sauron was supreme. Their guide was Gollum, deceitful and lust-filled, slave to the corruption of the Ring. Thus continues the magnificent, bestselling tale of adventure begun in The Fellowship of the Ring, which reaches its soul-stirring climax in The Return of the King.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

This picks up right where The Fellowship of the Ring left off - well at least as far as following what happens to Pippin, Merry and the others. You don't get to read about what happens with Sam and Frodo until the second half of the book. But that also picks up where the first book ended. The two halves of the book take place on the same timeline, Tolkien just separated them out to keep different storylines together. 

The action is fierce in this one and just about every emotion appears: fear, grief, love, hatred, pity, and even joy. Definitely a must read for the fantasy lover out there, especially if you've read both The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring. 

You can purchase The Two Towers through Amazon in either hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read The Two Towers? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

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

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Title: The Fellowship of the Ring

Author: J.R.R. Tolkien

Genre: Fantasy

Length: 479 pages

Published: 1988 (version I read)

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) Frodo Baggins knew the Ringwraiths were searching for him - and the Ring of Power he bore that would enable Sauron to destroy all that was good in Middle-earth. Now it is up to Frodo and his faithful servant Sam to carry the Ring to where it could be detroyed - in the very center of Sauron's dark kingdom.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

This is the epic beginning to the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Falling some 60 years after Bilbo's adventures to the Lonely Mountain, it picks up just as he's preparing for his 111th birthday party. He leaves behind the magic ring he found to his nephew Frodo. Several years later, Gandalf tells Frodo what he has learned about that magic ring and begs him to set off for Rivendell as soon as possible so that it may be decided what to do with it. Frodo is not quite ready to leave the Shire and puts it off until his and Bilbo's birthday in September. This proves almost disastrous.

The first half of the book details Frodo's journey from the Shire to Rivendell with his companions: Sam, Merry and Pippin. Danger comes at them from seemingly every side as they make their way there. They meet some new friends along the way: Tom Bombadil (my favorite character who is only around for a couple of chapters) and Strider, the mysterious Ranger who meets them in Bree and manages to lead the hobbits through the wilderness towards Rivendell. 

The second half of the book details events in Rivendell and what occurs after. I won't speak too much on this in case you have never read the book or watched the amazing movies based off the trilogy. Just know that The Fellowship of the Ring is an epic tale and it is only the beginning.

You can purchase The Fellowship of the Ring through Amazon in either hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read The Fellowship of the Ring? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

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Title: The Hobbit

Author: J.R.R. Tolkien

Genre: Fantasy

Length: 304 pages

Published: 1982

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) The Enchanting Prelude To The Lord Of The Rings.

Bilbo Baggins was a hobbit who wanted to be left alone in quiet comfort. But the wizard Gandalf came along with a band of homeless dwarves. Soon Bilbo was drawn into their quest, facing evil orcs, savage wolves, giant spiders, and worse unknown dangers. Finally, it was Bilbo - alone and unaided - who had to confront the great dragon Smaug, the terror of an entire countryside...

This stirring adventure fantasy begins the tale of the hobbits that was continued by J.R.R. Tolkien in his bestselling epic The Lord of the Rings.

My Review:

I give this book a 5 out of 5. 

I re-read this because I read Sean Astin's memoir There and Back Again: An Actor's Tale and naturally it got my desire to re-read one of my favorite books pumping. I have loved The Hobbit since I first read it when I was 12 (or maybe I was 10? I don't remember for sure, but I've read and re-read this and the Lord of the Rings trilogy over and over again).

It seriously took me a day to read it. I have long loved the adventures Bilbo goes through and even though I've read it at least a dozen times, I still read every single word. I can not wait until my son is a little older that I can start reading him a chapter every night before bed. 

Any fantasy lover will love The Hobbit. While Tolkien can be hit or miss with a lot of people because of how descriptive and prose-y his books can be, The Hobbit is geared more toward a younger audience, as he told this story to his children. I've had people tell me in the past that they could read The Hobbit but not LOTR, because of the difference in writing. Kids as young as 10 would love to read this on their own and kids even younger would probably love to have their mom or dad read it to them or attempt to read it with help. 

You can purchase The Hobbit through Amazon in either hard copy or Kindle format. 

Have you read The Hobbit? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! 

Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.