One Review to Rule Them All

The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien
Reviewed by Grady

There is a verse sung in the halls of the legions of fans. The stanza which illustrates the power and bloody glory of Mordor. It is written as such, an ever binding oath of power granted to the Rings of Power and the One Ring.

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 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 shadows lie.

And so, it began. The most epic classic trilogy for the entire century began with that fateful forging of the rings. Even as the first nineteen rings were forged, The Dark Lord, Sauron, created his own. The One Ring, destined to be used as the ultimate weapon of control and domination. But during the Elves and Men's final stand, it was lost and Sauron seemingly defeated. But now, as the mysterious One Ring makes its way to unlikely heroes, the first of a series of trials begins. And the fate of Middle-Earth lies on the edge of a knife.

From the edges of Middle-Earth, the inhabitants of Good gather in Rivendell, a city of elves. After the discovery of the One Ring, a council is called. Who shall take the Ring-bearer, to Mordor to destroy the One Ring forever? They must've gazed apprehensively at Frodo, Ring-Bearer, as he was simply a small and ill-fated hobbit. But a Fellowship must be gathered, else forever will Middle-Earth lay under Sauron's control. The Fellowship of the Ring presents their oaths and embark on a journey which it is quite possible none will survive.

But their journey spawns for much longer than one book. It weaves and intertwines, even after the fellowship is broken beyond repair. Frodo and Sam continue on their perilous path to Mordor, and soon find it hard without the diligent guiding of Gandalf. Help is both blessed and cursed to them in the most unlikely ways, as Bilbo's pity returns in spite. Meanwhile, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli are pursuing those who fled with Merry and Pipin, yet they arrive to find most for naught. Sauron's true allegiance deceives everyone and the union of the Two Towers mark an age of desperation as the Kingdoms of Men must unite. Else all is lost as people lose faith and only the heroes and legends themselves can bring Men to the battlefield to fight for the peace of Middle-Earth.

Then, the tides look bleak. After a stunning betrayal and a hope shattering capture, Sam must rally himself in a last ditch attempt to save Frodo and make it to Mount Doom. Frodo confronts the fate of the greed the Ring twists in him, and they are both slowly dying from the pain and weariness of the journey. Sauron is now throwing his entire might onto one of the last strongholds of Men, Minas Tirith, city of Gondor. The armies of Rohan and Gondor must rise together as the wretched Witch King, leader of the Nagzul, rides into battle. Aragorn must reclaim a throne, and the Fellowship, though broken apart physically, is held together by the ties of friendship. The final battle is coming, and whether Frodo succeeds or not bears upon all minds. It is time.

For many decades, The Lord of the Rings has been a trilogy of untold fame and adoration. It presents Middle-Earth's history as the ultimate story. The movie released followed another surge of fans of Middle-Earth. Simply masterful, it is a true legend. To read such a work is almost mind-numbing. This is the stuff of legends and classics.