***** - Excellent
**** - Good
*** - Okay
** - Bad
* - Terrible
+ - Half-star
The Hobbit
J. R. R. Tolkien
Ballantine Books
Fiction, YA? Fantasy
*****
DESCRIPTION: The little hobbit Bilbo Baggins only wanted what all hobbits want: to live a quiet life of peace and comfort in his tidy hobbit-hole. A visit from the
wizard Gandalf ends his days of idleness, landing him in the middle of a dangerous quest. Soon, he finds himself in the company of Thorin, descendent of a dwarven king, and his
companions, who are intent on reclaiming their lands and treasures from the marauding dragon Smaug. Like it or not, the humble Bilbo is on his way to becoming a hero.
REVIEW: This classic, widely considered the first (and some argue greatest) true epic fantasy, has long been on the "must read" list for fantasy fans. Actually, those
words seem to better describe the Lord of the Rings trilogy which follows this volume, but The Hobbit came first, originally published in 1937. For what it is,
it's a good story. Tolkien doesn't seem too big on characterization, and most of the dwarves remain simply names throughout the book, with minimal notes on personality and
skills. Some of the plot elements had the feel of contrivance and convenience to me. I found the writing style, intended to mimic a storyteller, to be distracting, but
eventually got the feel of it. In reading this book, I saw the foundations for many of today's fantasy tales and role-playing games. All in all, I liked it, even if it pales
in comparison to later works in the genre. It is definitely pitched at a younger audience than the trilogy that follows it, though.
You might also enjoy:
Green Rider (Kristen Britain, Fiction - A girl finds herself on a dangerous journey after agreeing to finish the final mission of a dying royal messenger)
The Sword of Shannara (Terry Brooks, Fiction - A young country man from a backwater town may be the only one able to stop a great evil)
The Magical Worlds of the Lord of the Rings (David Colbert, Nonfiction - The inspirations behind Tolkien's universe)
Pawn of Prophecy (David Eddings, Fiction - A farm boy with an odd birthmark must find his noble destiny before an evil god destroys the world)
Magician: Apprentice (Raymond E. Feist, Fiction - An orphan boy in a frontier castle faces otherworldly armies)
King Solomon's Mines (H. Rider Haggard, Fiction - Three Englishmen seek legendary diamonds in the heart of colonial Africa)
The Tough Guide to Fantasyland (Diana Wynne Jones, Fiction - A humorous tour guide to epic fantasy worlds)
The Eye of the World (Robert Jordan, Fiction - Evil awakes and threatens a peaceful realm in the first book of the popular Wheel of Time series)
The Rover (Mel Odom, Fiction - A halfling librarian finds himself swept away on a grand adventure)
The Tortall quartets (Tamora Pierce, YA Fiction - Tales of adventure in a magical world)
The The Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy (Tad Williams, Fiction - A scullion boy is thrust onto an epic journey to save the realm of Osten Ard)
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The Fellowship of the Ring
(The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Book 1)
J. R. R. Tolkien
Ballantine Books
Fiction, Fantasy
*****
DESCRIPTION: Frodo baggins has always looked up to his eccentric relative Bilbo, whose peculiar love of traveling and propensity for strange company have made him
notorious throughout the Shire. On Bilbo's 111th birthday, the old man disappears - quite literally, in the midst of his own party. In addition to hundreds of bewildered guests,
he leaves behind the magic ring he found during his adventures with the dwarves, the ring that grants him invisibilty. But this is far more than the simple magical trinket Bilbo
always believed it to be. It is the One Ring, forged by the evil Sauron to rule the other Rings of Power. Tainted by the forces that created it, the great powers it contains
inevitable corrupt its Ringbearer, as the creature Gollum himself was corrupted, twisted into evil shape and black thoughts. Now that Sauron wakes, rebuilding his dark forces,
he sends his foul will out across the land in search of his Ring, with which he will become unstoppable. The only hope for the world of Middle-Earth is in the Ring's destruction,
a task that can only be accomplished within the stronghold of Sauron himself! The task falls to Frodo and his companions: timid yet loyal Sam, his friends Merry and Pippin, the
wizard Gandalf, and other mysterious characters they find along the way. Meanwhile, darkness spreads through all races of Middle-Earth as Sauron extends his power from the foul
stronghold of Mordor, searching for the Ring that will ensure his victory.
REVIEW: A classic in the fantasy field, this is considered a "must-read." Personally, I believe I have read better, but I have also definitely read worse. It suffers
mainly from an excess of similar-sounding names and a tendency to stall the narrative for dry, irrelevant tangents about the history of Middle-Earth and the people who live (or
once lived) there. Tolkien didn't do things by halves, inventing whole languages and tracing ethnic lineages back thousands of years across the changing face of his invented
world, but sometimes less is more in worldbuilding: I found my eyes glazing over as the quest kept sidetracking through history lessons. Otherwise, I found it more enjoyable
than its predecessor, The Hobbit. The characters become more than just names, each taking on distinctive traits (unlike the first book.) Here is to be found the roots of
most, if not all, modern epic fantasy works, and certainly the foundations for the genre as a viable writing niche.
You might also enjoy:
The Sword of Shannara (Terry Brooks, Fiction - A young country man from a backwater town may be the only one able to stop a great evil)
The Magical Worlds of the Lord of the Rings (David Colbert, Nonfiction - The inspirations behind Tolkien's universe)
Pawn of Prophecy (David Eddings, Fiction - A farm boy with an odd birthmark must find his noble destiny before an evil god destroys the world)
The Crown of Stars series (Kate Elliot, Fiction - Political unrest and inhuman raiders presage a greater evil)
Magician: Apprentice (Raymond E. Feist, Fiction - An orphan boy in a frontier castle faces otherworldly armies)
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Visual Companion (Jude Fisher, Fiction - Visual guide to the Peter Jackson movie)
The Sword of Truth series (Terry Goodkind, Fiction - A cranky wizard, a woodland guide, and a mysterious woman face terrible dark forces)
Any of Elizabeth Haydon's works (Elizabeth Haydon, YA Fiction and Fiction - Epic fantasy and adventure in a well-realized fantasy world)
Dune (Frank Herbert, Fiction - The interstellar human civilization relies on life-extending spice from desert Arrakis)
Any of Robin Hobb's fantasy series (Robin Hobb, Fiction - Well-crafted fantasy tales in well-crafted worlds)
The Tough Guide to Fantasyland (Diana Wynne Jones, Fiction - A humorous tour guide to epic fantasy worlds)
The Eye of the World (Robert Jordan, Fiction - Evil awakes and threatens a peaceful realm in the first book of the celebrated Wheel of Time series)
A Song of Ice and Fire series (George R. R. Martin, Fiction - World-spanning epic tale of wars and kings, good and evil, and a few dragons for good measure)
The Tortall quartets (Tamora Pierce, YA Fiction - Tales of adventure in a magical world)
The Sword Dancer Saga(Jennifer Roberson, Fiction - A desert swordfighter meets a northern warrior woman and her living blade)
The Kingkiller Chronicle (Patrick Rothfuss, Fiction - A living legend, now hiding behind a pseudonym as a quiet innkeeper, relates the story of a young life gone wrong)
The Lord of the Rings: The Art of the Fellowship of the Ring (Gary Russell, Nonfiction - Concept art for the Peter Jackson movie)
The Death Gate Cycle (Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, Fiction - An epic fantasy spanning seven worlds)
The Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy (Tad Williams, Fiction - A scullion boy is thrust onto an epic journey to save the realm of Osten Ard)
The Lord of the Rings - The Motion Picture Trilogy (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition)
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The Two Towers
(The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Book 2)
J. R. R. Tolkien
Ballantine Books
Fiction, Fantasy
****+
DESCRIPTION: The Fellowship of the Ring, formed of Men, Dwarves, Elves, and Hobbits to ensure the destruction of the tainted One Ring of Power, has been sundered. Frodo
and faithful Sam have gone on their own to Mordor, the dark lands where the evil Sauron resides, while the rest of the company has been beset by Orcs and other fell visitors. It
seems that Saruman, once a wise wizard who has now succumbed to the temptation of the Dark Arts and Sauron's will, has taken an interest in the travelers, and has sent his Orcish
minions to capture the two remaining Hobbits in the party: Merry and Pippin. Meanwhile, the war between the forces of good and Sauron's monstrous armies is drawing nearer.
REVIEW: This is a typical middle book in a trilogy, feeling a bit in-between: it begins and ends in the middle of a much larger story, and doesn't stand up well on its
own. It does carry on with roughly the same pacing as the previous book, however, and much is accomplished in the story. Tolkien's habit of giving everything multiple similar-
sounding names and expounding on their history bogs down the story significantly. I admit to skimming these parts of the narrative. For some reason, the history lessons didn't
seem quite as thick in the half of the book dealing with Frodo and Sam.
You might also enjoy:
The Sword of Shannara (Terry Brooks, Fiction - A young country man from a backwater town may be the only one able to stop a great evil)
The Magical Worlds of the Lord of the Rings (David Colbert, Nonfiction - The inspirations behind Tolkien's universe)
Pawn of Prophecy (David Eddings, Fiction - A farm boy with an odd birthmark must find his noble destiny before an evil god destroys the world)
The Crown of Stars series (Kate Elliot, Fiction - Political unrest and inhuman raiders presage a greater evil)
Magician: Apprentice (Raymond E. Feist, Fiction - An orphan boy in a frontier castle faces otherworldly armies)
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Visual Companion (Jude Fisher, Fiction - Visual guide to the Peter Jackson movie)
The Sword of Truth series (Terry Goodkind, Fiction - A cranky wizard, a woodland guide, and a mysterious woman face terrible dark forces)
Any of Elizabeth Haydon's works (Elizabeth Haydon, YA Fiction and Fiction - Epic fantasy and adventure in a well-realized fantasy world)
Dune (Frank Herbert, Fiction - The interstellar human civilization relies on life-extending spice from desert Arrakis)
Any of Robin Hobb's fantasy series (Robin Hobb, Fiction - Well-crafted fantasy tales in well-crafted worlds)
The Tough Guide to Fantasyland (Diana Wynne Jones, Fiction - A humorous tour guide to epic fantasy worlds)
The Eye of the World (Robert Jordan, Fiction - Evil awakes and threatens a peaceful realm in the first book of the celebrated Wheel of Time series)
A Song of Ice and Fire series (George R. R. Martin, Fiction - World-spanning epic tale of wars and kings, good and evil, and a few dragons for good measure)
The Tortall quartets (Tamora Pierce, YA Fiction - Tales of adventure in a magical world)
The Sword Dancer Saga(Jennifer Roberson, Fiction - A desert swordfighter meets a northern warrior woman and her living blade)
The Kingkiller Chronicle (Patrick Rothfuss, Fiction - A living legend, now hiding behind a pseudonym as a quiet innkeeper, relates the story of a young life gone wrong)
The Lord of the Rings: The Art of the Fellowship of the Ring (Gary Russell, Nonfiction - Concept art for the Peter Jackson movie)
The Death Gate Cycle (Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, Fiction - An epic fantasy spanning seven worlds)
The Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy (Tad Williams, Fiction - A scullion boy is thrust onto an epic journey to save the realm of Osten Ard)
The Lord of the Rings - The Motion Picture Trilogy (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition)
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The Return of the King
(The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Book 3)
J. R. R. Tolkien
Ballantine Books
Fiction, Fantasy
*****
DESCRIPTION: War is imminent, and the good races of Middle-Earth must make a stand at the ancient stronghold of Minas Tirith. Here, numerous prophecies, including the
return of the true heir to the human throne, play out in Middle-Earth's darkest hour, at the climax of the world's Third Age.
As their long-lost companions struggle to maintain their forces and morale, Frodo and Sam - and their unlikely, treacherous ally Gollum, the twisted former bearer of the One
Ring - come at last to the borders of Mordor. The end of the quest is in sight, but the closer they get to Sauron, the greater the risk of failure... and the more irresistible
the dark call of the One Ring's power.
REVIEW: A satisfactory ending to a good story. The many threads and twisted tales come together for an epic climax, with victories and tragedies abounding. On the
whole, the Lord of the Rings trilogy deserves much credit for starting the otherworld/fantasy epic genre. Later writers owe much to him and Middle-Earth. However, this
does not mean that these writers don't match or surpass this tale, in my humble opinion. Tolkien's style and world-building complexity works against the story, and the trilogy
suffers from trying to pack too much history into the narrative. He does a very, very thorough job of world-building, outlining everything from race history and royal lineage to
various written languages and pronunciation guides. I have never seen any other fantasy writer approach Tolkien in this department, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. As I
mentioned, all the names and histories grew tiresome after a time, and it was only by skimming them that I managed to finish. It felt like he wrote the story just so he could
tell people about this wonderful world he created, rather than creating a world to house the wonderful story he created. Still, the trilogy definetly deserves its reptuation as
one of the greatest fantasy epics, and general works of fiction, of all time.
You might also enjoy:
The Sword of Shannara (Terry Brooks, Fiction - A young country man from a backwater town may be the only one able to stop a great evil)
The Magical Worlds of the Lord of the Rings (David Colbert, Nonfiction - The inspirations behind Tolkien's universe)
Pawn of Prophecy (David Eddings, Fiction - A farm boy with an odd birthmark must find his noble destiny before an evil god destroys the world)
The Crown of Stars series (Kate Elliot, Fiction - Political unrest and inhuman raiders presage a greater evil)
Magician: Apprentice (Raymond E. Feist, Fiction - An orphan boy in a frontier castle faces otherworldly armies)
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Visual Companion (Jude Fisher, Fiction - Visual guide to the Peter Jackson movie)
The Sword of Truth series (Terry Goodkind, Fiction - A cranky wizard, a woodland guide, and a mysterious woman face terrible dark forces)
Any of Elizabeth Haydon's works (Elizabeth Haydon, YA Fiction and Fiction - Epic fantasy and adventure in a well-realized fantasy world)
Dune (Frank Herbert, Fiction - The interstellar human civilization relies on life-extending spice from desert Arrakis)
Any of Robin Hobb's fantasy series (Robin Hobb, Fiction - Well-crafted fantasy tales in well-crafted worlds)
The Tough Guide to Fantasyland (Diana Wynne Jones, Fiction - A humorous tour guide to epic fantasy worlds)
The Eye of the World (Robert Jordan, Fiction - Evil awakes and threatens a peaceful realm in the first book of the celebrated Wheel of Time series)
A Song of Ice and Fire series (George R. R. Martin, Fiction - World-spanning epic tale of wars and kings, good and evil, and a few dragons for good measure)
The Tortall quartets (Tamora Pierce, YA Fiction - Tales of adventure in a magical world)
The Sword Dancer Saga(Jennifer Roberson, Fiction - A desert swordfighter meets a northern warrior woman and her living blade)
The Kingkiller Chronicle (Patrick Rothfuss, Fiction - A living legend, now hiding behind a pseudonym as a quiet innkeeper, relates the story of a young life gone wrong)
The Lord of the Rings: The Art of the Fellowship of the Ring (Gary Russell, Nonfiction - Concept art for the Peter Jackson movie)
The Death Gate Cycle (Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, Fiction - An epic fantasy spanning seven worlds)
The Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy (Tad Williams, Fiction - A scullion boy is thrust onto an epic journey to save the realm of Osten Ard)
The Lord of the Rings - The Motion Picture Trilogy (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition)
Return to Top of Page - Return to Book Review List
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