"The Return of the King" by JRR Tolkien

In middle school I got half way through the Two Towers. I stopped because I found it depressing and the elven was unintelligible, but now that I am an adult nerd, I feel like I should have all four of them under my belt, and not just the movies. At the library I saw all four in audiobook format and decided I could finally finish the series. 

Summary: This story begins right where The Two Towers leaves off. Most of the original fellowship has set to work in defending the lands of Gondor while Frodo and Sam are on their own adventure. Minas Tirith is assaulted by a massive army of orcs from Mordor. The long battle is the balancing point to determine of the evil Saruon will be able to steamroll over Middle Earth or not. Every resource is thrown into the fight on both sides, with several close calls saved at the last minute.

While nearly the whole world is distracted by the battle, Frodo and Sam are able to work their way through many challenges in the lands of Mordor, with Gollum behind them all the while. The power of the ring to corrupt is a constant threat to the mission and to their own survival.

At the end of the book, the hobbits return home to find they don't recognize it anymore. It has been marked by the war and by a new evil leader who has only just taken power in the Shire. Our hobbits are now veterans of a great war, something rare among hobbits, and decide to take on this leader themselves.

What I Liked: I like that it concludes the story. I also really like the way the war is handled in the Shire and when the hobbits come home they get to be the main heroes with no tall folk stealing the spotlight.

What I Didn't Like: This book took me the longest to get through. The grand pronouncements of doom combined with the pining for a lost age makes for a really depressing read. I'm also somewhat sick the idea that heroes must let villains go free so that the heroes aren't turned into villains. There are some villains so dangerous that to let them free is a terrible, terrible idea and this book has a nice example of what happens when that dangerous villain is also a powerful wizard.

Rating: Read it as part of the series.

Also Read by this Author: The Hobbit. The Fellowship of the Ring. The Two Towers.

Reviewed by: Nick

"The Two Towers" By JRR Tolkien

I read this book in middle school, and got half way through the Two Towers. I stopped because I found it depressing and the elven was unintelligible, but now that I am an adult nerd, I feel like I should have all four of them under my belt, and not just the movies. At the library I saw all four in audiobook format and decided I could finally finish the series. 

Summary: This story begins right where The Fellowship of the Ring leaves off. At this point in the story, the fellowship is broken. Frodo and Sam go off one way, Merry and Pippin are kidnapped by the enemy and the the rest of the party ends up plotting a rescue. Merry and Pippin get free and hide in the forest, only to discover it is the home of the Ents, treelike beings that care for the woods. The Ents are not fond of hurrying and take their time in all things, but the growning danger from Saruman is enough to mobilize them under the leadership of Treebeard. They go to Isengard assault the walls.

Aragorn and company meanwhile search for the two hobbits and eventually find Gandalf, which they had thought dead. Together they go to the king of Rohan and argue with him, trying to make him see the looming dangers.

The other two hobbits, Frodo and Sam, are now alone as they march toward Mordor. They are intensely aware that no one is going to help them through the hardest part of their journey, but they are able to manipulate Gollum into working for them at times, as Gollum respects the Ring and fears what might happen to it if he does not cooperate.

What I Liked: I like that it continues the story and gives more depth to the world of Tolkien. There is a feel of greatness in the comings and goings of Frodo, Aragorn, Gandalf and the others. 

What I Didn't Like: When I was in middle school I read this book halfway. It just became too hard to get excited about it, the whole story felt bogged down. Listening to it as an audiobook is the only way I got through. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what stopped me, but there is a certain sort of depression that feels overly reaching when it is proclaimed by kings and wizards mourning the passing of an age. It feels a little forced.

Rating: Read it as part of the series.

Also Read by this Author: The Hobbit. The Fellowship of the Ring

Reviewed by: Nick

"The Fellowship of the Ring" by JRR Tolkien

I read this book in middle school, and got half way through the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I stopped because I found it depressing and the elven was unintelligible, but now that I am an adult nerd, I feel like I should have all four of them under my belt, and not just the movies. At the library I saw all four in audiobook format and decided I could finally finish the series. 

Summary: This story takes place several decades after The Hobbit in which Bilbo goes on an adventure and happens to find a very useful ring. It is The Ring. Centuries ago, Sauron gave out rings of power to various factions hoping to win their trust and loyalty. And he had a special secret because he made one more ring that was designed to control the others. Sauron lost the ring in battle and it changed many hands until finally reaching Bilbo, a small hobbit in the Shire. Young Frodo inherited the ring when Biblo decided to leave the Shire right around the time Gandalf began to understand the true power of the thing.

As Sauron grows in power and threatens the lives of every race, Gandalf the Grey thought on the fate of the ring for some time, finally deciding that any plan which did not include destroying was too dangerous. Unfortunately, the only way the ring could be destroyed was to drop it in the pits of Mordor where it was forged. The rest of the book is assembling a team to bring the ring to Mordor and destroy it before the wraiths of Sauron can seize it.

What I Liked: Since I liked The Hobbit I appreciate any book in the same universe. Also, this is quintessential fantasy with elves, dwarves, wizards and brave knights. This first book in the trilogy is very hopeful and eager. The characters are worried, but motivated to complete their mission. 

What I Didn't Like: Some of the decisions made by the wise folk are a bit confounding. One option they have is to send the ring to the opposite side of the world, and they figure that Sauron will catch up with it some day, so that's not good enough. It seems to me, that if it delays the problem several generations, its still a win, whereas bringing the ring straight into Sauron's fortress hoping to destroy it seems more dangerous. Also, while I am complaining, Tom Bombadil is older than the world, and bends the world to his will, yet he can't be bothered to help destroy the ring. I mean, he could have totally saved the day without breaking a sweat!

Rating: Recommended.

Also Read by this Author: The Hobbit.

Reviewed by: Nick

"The Hobbit" By JRR Tolkien

I read this book in middle school, and got half way through the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I stopped because I found it depressing and the elven was unintelligible, but now that I am an adult nerd, I feel like I should have all four of them under my belt, and not just the movies. At the library I saw all four in audiobook format and decided I could finally finish the series. 

Summary: This book takes place several decades before the Lord of the Rings series and is not technically part of the series, though it does introduce a few characters and provides a context for the trilogy that comes later.

In this book, Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit living by himself in a nice hole safely placed in the Shire. He is tricked by Gandalf, a mysterious old man known for his amazing fireworks and said to be a wizard, who invites a thirteen dwarves to his hobbit hole. Eventually, Bilbo figures out that he is hosting the planning meeting for an expedition to the Lonely Mountain so that it might be reclaimed for the dwarves.

Bilbo joins Thorin Oakenshield and his dwarves on a dangerous adventure eastward. They meet elves, trolls, goblins and eagles as they navigate through the Mirkwood. At one critical juncture, Biblo finds the Ring which eventually sparks the events in the trilogy.

What I Liked: I am a gamer, mostly Dungeons and Dragons style games. When you are playing D&D there is a certain sort of banter where players egg each other on and make all sorts of comments that make fun or make light of the situation no matter how seriously it is supposed to be. I found it very comforting that the characters in The Hobbit sound like D&D gamers! They stumble around the puzzle built for them by Tolkien, then say and act in ways that are a combination of stupid and wise. It's clear Tolkien was having fun with the story.

What I Didn't Like: Frankly, of the four books, this is my favorite one. The ending is a bit weird, since the hero sort of pops in at the last moment, but whatever. I must say one thing, though. Gandalf is not particularly awesome in this book. He can make fireworks and smoke rings, and shows up then disappears at random times, but there isn't much wizardry yet.

Rating: Must Read.

Also Read by this Author: To come later, since I am rereading them.

Reviewed by: Nick

"Fool Moon" by Jim Butcher

I'm not going to lie.... I've been putting off book #2 of the Dresden Files for over a year.  I think it's because I don't want to like the series.  My husband and his band of merry gamers love the Dresden Files and I feel like if I add them to the list of books I enjoy it'll push me over the edge from somewhat cranky loner to full on geek myself.  And I really don't want to fall into that category.  I watch too much reality TV for that.

But pick up "Fool Moon" I did, and I fear there's no going back.

image via goodreads

Summary:   When a series of gruesome unexplained murders occurs in Chicago, Lt. Karrin Murphy knows there's only one wizard to call:  Harry Dresden.  And not just because he's the only self-acknowledged wizard in the United States.  Dresden is pulled onto the scene of a brutal and bloody murder with almost no evidence, except a large wolf paw by the body.  Harry uses his knowledge of the arcane, his talking skull Bob and information from an overly friendly demon to learn who the likely culprit may be...and where they may strike next.

My Thoughts:  The reason I read the Dresden series isn't to think all that much about what I'm reading.  It read them to be entertained, pure and simple, and Fool Moon does the trick.

Fool Moon begins with Harry dining with a younger colleague in the local wizard bar.  She asks him for help on something complex and dangerous, and his inner white knight refuses to help her--what she's asking is dangerous and above her skill level.  Harry's choice ends up in her dismemberment and sets Harry on a path to his inevitable near doom.  (Don't worry, reader, this seems to happen every book and to my knowledge the series is still going strong.)  What follows next is the epitome of entertainment - gruesome murders, hilarious encounters with Bob the skull, more insight into Dresden's own past, and an action packed who-dunnit that keeps the reader guessing til the end.

Rating:  A nice installment in the series.

Also Read By:
     Tami:  Storm Front 
     Nick:  Skin Game

Reviewed By:  Tami