Just Finished, The Return of the King

I’m sitting here listening to Lord of the Rings lofi as I write my review for the final book in the trilogy. The Return of the King felt like a storm I had to walk straight into. It was dark and grim in the beginning, just like you all warned me, and there were moments where I genuinely felt like I had to push myself through it. But I’m so glad I did.
And as I mentioned in a previous review, I prefer Aragorn to Thorin as a king and this book absolutely confirmed that for me. The man radiates strength without the ego. I also walked away from this one with a new respect and love for Pippin and Merry. They were definitely more than I expected, not just the comedy duo anymore, but real heroes in their own right.
And I might get hate for this one, but as much as I love Frodo, I think Sam is the real hero of this tale. I might get kicked out or Middle Earth for that, but oh well. Sam was loyal, determined, faithful to the point of breaking,and he never left his master’s side no matter how bad things got. I even caught myself wondering if Sam was harboring some deeper, maybe even romantic feelings for Frodo. But I know the culture was different when Tolkien wrote this, and that it was a lot more acceptable for men to be openly affectionate platonically. 🤷‍♂️ Still, the thought was there. And having never seen the movie adaptation of this part of the story, I actually had no clue how it would end. I fully expected Frodo to complete his quest himself… so when I read who actually completed the mission, my jaw dropped.
RIP Golem
(Btw I’m going to do a movie marathon and watch all of the Hobbit and Lotr movies now.)

I also thought the story would end right after the war was over and the Ring destroyed, in the typical “climactic finish.” But I was pleasantly surprised that it didn’t just fade to black. The final chapters made me feel warm and oddly fulfilled. Tolkien really took the time to tie up loose ends and bring everything full circle, and I actually loved that. The promises kept by Legolas and Gimli were fun to see, the coronation was beautiful of course, but what really stuck with me was the cleanup and rebuilding of the Shire. Knowing some of Tolkien’s work was written during the war, it made so much sense. The restoration, the healing, it meant more.

My heart ached for Frodo, seeing how he never fully recovered, and for Bilbo too. But I’m really glad Sam got his happily ever after because he truly earned it. All in all, the story was fantastic. “A truly 1420 experience 😌.”
I even read some of the lore attached to the back of the book, and it connected a few dots for me. Definitely one of my favorite series now.

P.S. Gandalf is still my favorite character. 🧙‍♂️