Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
Perhaps you’ve watched the films – and now you're ready to read the books! Arguably the most famous and beloved fantasy series of all time, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings ranges across the lands of Middle-Earth as a band of nine brave souls venture on a journey to the Land of Mordor to destroy the One Ring, facing trials and tribulations that force the bravest of souls to waver and shatters the stoutest of hearts. Packed with appendices upon appendices of history, culture, genealogies and languages, the book trilogy provides fine details that show the sheer amount of effort put into the creation of this wondrous world.
Originally told as a bedtime story to his son, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit is a shorter fare compared to its successor – yet it is undoubtedly an essential part of the tale of The One Ring, explaining how it eventually came to the hobbit hole of Bag-End. Follow Bilbo Baggins on an unexpected journey filled with dwarves, elves, and goblins, as he stumbles upon priceless treasures and bandies about riddles in the dark. A note of warning for those only familiar with the movie trilogy: You shall not pass! (In all seriousness, though, the movies are very different from the book. Think of them as a spin-off!)
Who hasn’t heard of the new t.v. series coming out later this year? Before going on a binge of The Rings of Power (coming out this September!), take a step back and read The Silmarillion – which spans eons of creation and destruction as Tolkien delves deep into the history of Middle-Earth and beyond. From the awakening of the Elves, to the downfall of the Numenor and rise of Sauron, The Silmarillion chronicles the history of events across the Three Ages of Middle-Earth, providing a wealth of information sure to delight any fan of the original trilogy.