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Petrik's Reviews > The Return of the King
The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings, #3)
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4.5/5 stars
It’s over. I have finally finished reading The Return of the King, the third and final part of The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien; This means that I am officially done with Tolkien’s main novels in The Middle-Earth universe, and I’m proud of myself for it. I’ve read plenty of epic fantasy series more difficult and lengthy than this trilogy, you might be confused why I’m so proud of this. However, as I’ve mentioned in detail in my review for The Fellowship of the Ring, after continuously putting the first book into my DNF pile, completing this trilogy felt immensely satisfying. Plus, no more gatekeepers—despite how many fantasy books I’ve read—would be able to accuse me of “you’re not a fantasy fans unless you’ve read The Lord of the Rings� anymore. And to be honest, if someone said this to you, you should just ignore them. That being said, now that I’ve finished this series, I will have to admit that Tolkien certainly earned his fame. The writing may not hold up too well for modern fantasy readers reading this for the first time now, but this being published more than sixty years ago? Truly amazing.
Picture: Road to Mount Doom by Donato Giancola
There’s something magical and timeless in the themes told in The Lord of the Rings, and The Return of the King is the conclusion of it all. It is keeping the fire of hope burning even in the persisting and overwhelming darkness. Often we see underdogs and farmboys story as a cliché now, but as I repeatedly say, they became a cliché because they worked a LOT of times. In the end, it always depends on the execution of the narrative to make us care about the journey and characters of the story, but themes of hope and friendships—among many others—are extremely strong. I think we occassionally forget one very important thing about Frodo and Sam, and that is the fact that they are underdogs and unlikely heroes.
Really ponder about it again; these Hobbits are unlikely heroes—small and bereft of any physical abilities except to eat so many times in a day—trying to do their best in the name of good, friendship, loyalty. Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Theoden, Eowyn, and all the other warriors, too—despite being separated from the Ring-bearers—believed with all their hearts that they will do what’s right. Everything about it is so inspiring, and honestly, the friendship between Frodo and Samwise Gamgee is still one of the best friendships portrayed in a fantasy series. In addition to these, The Return of the King also put Eowyn into the spotlight of the narrative, and I LOVED it; Tolkien has created one of the most iconic scenes in fantasy with what Eowyn achieved in this book.
I also think that both The Towers and The Return of the King were far easier and engaging to read than The Fellowship of the Ring. The dialogues—excluding their constant use of odd “Good-bye!� and outdated words—between characters were compelling, filled with unforgettable passages, and the songs were much fewer, too. Most importantly, though, there’s no more Tom Bombadil; despite many fans� love for this character which I don’t think I’ll ever understand, I seriously found Bombadil to be so out of place in this trilogy. There’s one thing in this book that I wish more newly released fantasy books would still include in their final installment: long epilogue. I love reading long epilogue or “after the battle� chapters. Obviously, I don’t mean for an epilogue chapter to be as long—the Scouring chapter near the end was so bizarre—as the one featured in this book, but I’m actually surprised that many people hate long epilogues. Personally, after so many battles and destructions, I would love to know about the characters� fate after the conflict ended rather than just saying bye-bye then immediately in one or two short chapters. Sometimes, it feels like the story ended before I even got to say goodbye to the characters.
In my opinion, the most disappointing elements from this trilogy were the action sequences. I’ve said this before in my review of The Two Towers, Tolkien really didn’t focus his writing on the action sequences. As someone who utterly loved the movies and the epic battles, the battle scenes in these books were inferior and too short to my liking. I enjoyed reading the build-up and preparations for the battles, but I didn’t get the explosive impact from reading the war scenes themselves. The battle sequences in the films and the official/fan-arts conjured out of the movies/text are by far superior to the prose version, in my opinion. In the movie adaptation, the Battle of Helm’s Deep in The Two Towers and the Battle of the Pelennor Fields in The Return of the King were stunningly incredible and jaw-dropping. I can’t say the same about the books; I’ve read a LOT of fantasy books that have better battle/war scenes.
Picture: The Witch King by Chris Rahn
After all said and done, I think the answer to whether I love the books or the films more is crystal clear. The Return of the King is a classic and wonderful conclusion to Tolkien’s legendary series. I will not deny the importance of Tolkien and this series in shaping and popularizing the fantasy genre, that would be insane. The Lord of the Rings is a great trilogy, but I think the writing is a bit outdated now for modern fantasy readers reading this for the first time. I definitely loved the movies more, and I do believe that The Children of Hurin is Tolkien’s best—and darkest—story. But who knows? I have a feeling I'll reread this trilogy someday, and I might end up loving The Lord of the Rings more on reread.
Series review:
The Fellowship of the Ring: 4/5 stars
The Two Towers: 4.5/5 stars
The Return of the King: 4.5/5 stars
The Lord of the Rings: 13/15 stars
You can order the book from:
You can find and the rest of my reviews at
Special thanks to my Patrons on for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Alya, Annabeth, Devin, Hamad, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas, Zoe.
“For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.�
It’s over. I have finally finished reading The Return of the King, the third and final part of The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien; This means that I am officially done with Tolkien’s main novels in The Middle-Earth universe, and I’m proud of myself for it. I’ve read plenty of epic fantasy series more difficult and lengthy than this trilogy, you might be confused why I’m so proud of this. However, as I’ve mentioned in detail in my review for The Fellowship of the Ring, after continuously putting the first book into my DNF pile, completing this trilogy felt immensely satisfying. Plus, no more gatekeepers—despite how many fantasy books I’ve read—would be able to accuse me of “you’re not a fantasy fans unless you’ve read The Lord of the Rings� anymore. And to be honest, if someone said this to you, you should just ignore them. That being said, now that I’ve finished this series, I will have to admit that Tolkien certainly earned his fame. The writing may not hold up too well for modern fantasy readers reading this for the first time now, but this being published more than sixty years ago? Truly amazing.
Picture: Road to Mount Doom by Donato Giancola
There’s something magical and timeless in the themes told in The Lord of the Rings, and The Return of the King is the conclusion of it all. It is keeping the fire of hope burning even in the persisting and overwhelming darkness. Often we see underdogs and farmboys story as a cliché now, but as I repeatedly say, they became a cliché because they worked a LOT of times. In the end, it always depends on the execution of the narrative to make us care about the journey and characters of the story, but themes of hope and friendships—among many others—are extremely strong. I think we occassionally forget one very important thing about Frodo and Sam, and that is the fact that they are underdogs and unlikely heroes.
“I am glad you are here with me. Here at the end of all things, Sam.�
Really ponder about it again; these Hobbits are unlikely heroes—small and bereft of any physical abilities except to eat so many times in a day—trying to do their best in the name of good, friendship, loyalty. Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Theoden, Eowyn, and all the other warriors, too—despite being separated from the Ring-bearers—believed with all their hearts that they will do what’s right. Everything about it is so inspiring, and honestly, the friendship between Frodo and Samwise Gamgee is still one of the best friendships portrayed in a fantasy series. In addition to these, The Return of the King also put Eowyn into the spotlight of the narrative, and I LOVED it; Tolkien has created one of the most iconic scenes in fantasy with what Eowyn achieved in this book.
“But no living man am I! You look upon a woman. Éowyn I am, Éomund's daughter. You stand between me and my lord and kin. Begone, if you be not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him.�
I also think that both The Towers and The Return of the King were far easier and engaging to read than The Fellowship of the Ring. The dialogues—excluding their constant use of odd “Good-bye!� and outdated words—between characters were compelling, filled with unforgettable passages, and the songs were much fewer, too. Most importantly, though, there’s no more Tom Bombadil; despite many fans� love for this character which I don’t think I’ll ever understand, I seriously found Bombadil to be so out of place in this trilogy. There’s one thing in this book that I wish more newly released fantasy books would still include in their final installment: long epilogue. I love reading long epilogue or “after the battle� chapters. Obviously, I don’t mean for an epilogue chapter to be as long—the Scouring chapter near the end was so bizarre—as the one featured in this book, but I’m actually surprised that many people hate long epilogues. Personally, after so many battles and destructions, I would love to know about the characters� fate after the conflict ended rather than just saying bye-bye then immediately in one or two short chapters. Sometimes, it feels like the story ended before I even got to say goodbye to the characters.
“It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succour of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till. What weather they shall have is not ours to rule.�
In my opinion, the most disappointing elements from this trilogy were the action sequences. I’ve said this before in my review of The Two Towers, Tolkien really didn’t focus his writing on the action sequences. As someone who utterly loved the movies and the epic battles, the battle scenes in these books were inferior and too short to my liking. I enjoyed reading the build-up and preparations for the battles, but I didn’t get the explosive impact from reading the war scenes themselves. The battle sequences in the films and the official/fan-arts conjured out of the movies/text are by far superior to the prose version, in my opinion. In the movie adaptation, the Battle of Helm’s Deep in The Two Towers and the Battle of the Pelennor Fields in The Return of the King were stunningly incredible and jaw-dropping. I can’t say the same about the books; I’ve read a LOT of fantasy books that have better battle/war scenes.
Picture: The Witch King by Chris Rahn
After all said and done, I think the answer to whether I love the books or the films more is crystal clear. The Return of the King is a classic and wonderful conclusion to Tolkien’s legendary series. I will not deny the importance of Tolkien and this series in shaping and popularizing the fantasy genre, that would be insane. The Lord of the Rings is a great trilogy, but I think the writing is a bit outdated now for modern fantasy readers reading this for the first time. I definitely loved the movies more, and I do believe that The Children of Hurin is Tolkien’s best—and darkest—story. But who knows? I have a feeling I'll reread this trilogy someday, and I might end up loving The Lord of the Rings more on reread.
“I will not say: do not weep; for not all tears are an evil.�
Series review:
The Fellowship of the Ring: 4/5 stars
The Two Towers: 4.5/5 stars
The Return of the King: 4.5/5 stars
The Lord of the Rings: 13/15 stars
You can order the book from:
You can find and the rest of my reviews at
Special thanks to my Patrons on for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Alya, Annabeth, Devin, Hamad, Jimmy Nutts, Joie, Mike, Miracle, Nicholas, Zoe.
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Quotes Petrik Liked
“What do you fear, lady?" [Aragorn] asked.
"A cage," [Éowyn] said. "To stay behind bars, until use and old age accept them, and all chance of doing great deeds is gone beyond recall or desire.”
― The Return of the King
"A cage," [Éowyn] said. "To stay behind bars, until use and old age accept them, and all chance of doing great deeds is gone beyond recall or desire.”
― The Return of the King
Reading Progress
March 13, 2019
– Shelved
August 24, 2020
–
Started Reading
August 25, 2020
–
Finished Reading
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Manisha
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rated it 5 stars
Aug 28, 2020 03:29AM
Congrats on completing Tolkien! Useless Gatekeepers aside (seriously, who died and made them the reps of fantasy fiction???), it's a worthwhile read. I will always be in awe of his world-building.
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Manisha wrote: "Congrats on completing Tolkien! Useless Gatekeepers aside (seriously, who died and made them the reps of fantasy fiction???), it's a worthwhile read. I will always be in awe of his world-building."Thank you, Manisha! Finally!!! And I know right? Freaking trollocs (wrong series, but can be applied to them) thinking there's a gate or something. Tolkien's world-building is incredible, that's something that I didn't get from the movies. Only by reading the books that I've come to realize just how awesome his world-building is! :O
Petrik wrote: "Thank you, Manisha! Finally!!! And I know right? Freaking trollocs (wrong series, but can be applied to them) thinking there's a gate or something. Tolkien's world-building is incredible, that's something that I didn't get from the movies. Only by reading the books that I've come to realize just how awesome his world-building is! :O "Haha. Trollocs is right. Boo Gatekeeping Trollocs! ;)
The way he describes every little detail is insane. He had such a clear image in his mind and he managed to convey it. That's admirable.
Manisha wrote: "Petrik wrote: "Thank you, Manisha! Finally!!! And I know right? Freaking trollocs (wrong series, but can be applied to them) thinking there's a gate or something. Tolkien's world-building is incred..."Exactly. If only he didn't pass away that soon. There's still so much stories to tell in this world... :/
Ahh, awesome review and I’m happy for you that you’ve finished LOTR!
Zitong wrote: "Ahh, awesome review and I’m happy for you that you’ve finished LOTR!"Thank you, man! Feels so satisfying because I DNFed the first book so many times through many years! xD
Glad you finally finished! Honestly, my love for this series may be due in part in how I read them in Middle School and fell in love with the series. Sure, the language is outdated (though to me that old English feel is what fantasy IS. A vehicle to take us to a magical past that could have been. Sure, its hard to read today, but it just feels fantasy to me), the songs are long and kinda annoying, and Tolkien will spend more time pondering about the historical importance of a random hill than on the action. But the characters are some of the most iconic in fantasy, and Sam has gone from being a character I disliked as a kid to one of my favorite fantasy characters of all time as an adult. The friendship he has with Frodo is probably the best written relationship in fantasy that I know of. While I personally feel LotR is the bedrock that the rest of modern fantasy stands on, you are right. If anyone calls you "not a real fantasy fan" for not reading or liking this series, tell them to go away. This is undeniably a classic, but there is no required reading list to enjoy fantasy. Particularly today, with such a varied and great many fantasy stories as entry points to great adventure.
Two points I do want to mention though. Fellowship is the hardest of the books to get into, with 3/4 of the book feeling like a slow drag. Bombadil feels out of place, so much to that Tolkien even said the character was a mystery even to him.
Finally, the Scouring may feel weird to you but I think it was meant as a strong rebuke of industrialization. Interesting little side adventure at the end, but yeah feels a bit out of place.
P.S just a fun side note, LotR can be considered low fantasy technically. Tolkien always said it is set thousands of years ago on Earth, not a made up land.
A.R wrote: "Glad you finally finished! Honestly, my love for this series may be due in part in how I read them in Middle School and fell in love with the series. Sure, the language is outdated (though to me th..."Thank you, A.R! I must say, I'm pleased myself. And i think if I were able to read them when I was younger (I was sooo bored, never made it past Bombadil) I would've loved it more. I think for Tolkien's books, it's hard not to put the publication year into account when we're reading it. It may be outdated to me reading it for the first time now, but my god I can't even imagine the face of fantasy back then with this at its helm. Samwise Gamgee is such an inspiring role model for goodness, determination, loyalty, and friendship.
Exactly that. I think it's extremely ridiculous that with unlimited options of amazing fantasy books being published now, some people think that this series is a required reading in order for people to be called a fantasy reader. It's beyond stupid.
And I agree so much, Fellowship was sooo tough to get through. That's why I couldn't finish it a long time ago! Bombadil... Well, I don't think I have anything left to say regarding how much I dislike him. If Tolkien himself said that, who am I to disagree!? xD
Oh interesting, I didn't know that. Though I guess I should've seen that coming because it uses our calendar to mark the passing of time.
Andrey wrote: "Congratulations!"Thank you, Andrey! :)
The Scouring of Shire may seem bizarre on the first read, but it makes a lot of sense. The fall of beautiful cities and the marring of perfection are recurring themes in Tolkien's body of work (like how Melkor Marred Arda, the Fall of Gondolin, the Ruin of Doriath, the Downfall of Numenor). Shire was a perfect picture of innocence and safety for the Hobbits, shielded from the Enemy from centuries. The aftermaths of the War of the Ring rippled to Shire was a logical consequence. Saruman had been envious to Gandalf's relationship with the Hobbits so he established his own contact and influences there years ago. The Scouring of Shire also worked as the final showcase of the Hobbits' character arcs. Merry, Pippin, and Sam returned like heroes and princes, but Frodo was too wounded and exhausted, and he was only truly healed when he departed to the West.Anyway, I'm just rambling here. I congratulate you for finishing this trilogy.
I think the Scouring is meant to show how the Hobbits have become real heroes able to stand on their own now. But it feels weird after the big climax. It doesn't fit with the pacing.
now that you're done with that, let's marathon the movies. i'm not talking the theatrical version. lol
Rinaldo wrote: "The Scouring of Shire may seem bizarre on the first read, but it makes a lot of sense. The fall of beautiful cities and the marring of perfection are recurring themes in Tolkien's body of work (lik..."I don't know, I can't agree with you on this, unfortunately. The themes and development of the Hobbits being displayed may make sense, but it doesn't change how bizarre and out of place it was that after the big baddies and evil was destroyed, we have to read one long ass chapter about the Hobbits fighting a random conflict who turned out to be Saruman who then killed by Worm. It was soooo damn weird. It would've worked better if it was put on a novella or something.
Audrey wrote: "I think the Scouring is meant to show how the Hobbits have become real heroes able to stand on their own now. But it feels weird after the big climax. It doesn't fit with the pacing."EXACTLY this, Audrey. I do enjoy seeing the Hobbits being able to stand on their own now, but it was so weird to see that after the big climax. Totally out of place, imo.
Sandee wrote: "now that you're done with that, let's marathon the movies. i'm not talking the theatrical version. lol"Ah you're speaking my language. Let's do it. Extended!? I just rewatched it last year, and I don't mind rewatching it again! :D
Petrik wrote: "Sandee wrote: "now that you're done with that, let's marathon the movies. i'm not talking the theatrical version. lol"Ah you're speaking my language. Let's do it. Extended!? I just rewatched it l..."
Yep! The extended one! Did you watch it in one sitting? :) You know where to find me where you're ready! Haha
Petrik wrote: "Rinaldo wrote: "The Scouring of Shire may seem bizarre on the first read, but it makes a lot of sense. The fall of beautiful cities and the marring of perfection are recurring themes in Tolkien's b..."The Scouring wasn't random as it had been brewing for years. Saruman had always had his contacts and underlings in Shire (as proven by Shire supplies found in Isengard), and it only took his talent of coaxing people to throw Shire inside out. The point here isn't the scale of conflict or spectacle, but how the war our protagonists fought still reached their homeland despite their victory.
There's also a closure for Saruman's character arc. Starting as a Maia, he fell so far that even his ashes was blown to the East, a symbol that Valinor rejected him.
I do agree that the whole extra arc doesn't fit the usual epic fantasy narrative pattern and I do respect your opinion bruh 🙏🏼
Rinaldo wrote: "Petrik wrote: "Rinaldo wrote: "The Scouring of Shire may seem bizarre on the first read, but it makes a lot of sense. The fall of beautiful cities and the marring of perfection are recurring themes..."Maybe random isn't the right word, but out of place/pacing and out of tone in the narrative. tTis is almost just like Game of Thrones final season. After the huge battle with the Nightwalkers, the fight with Cersei (though it make sense, Daenarys has to take the throne!) just felt... meh. This was pretty much like that, FOR ME.
Haha no worries. I just think that the entire chapter, as several fans of the series told me, would've been better if it was put in other short story rather than in the book. It made the closing chapters longer than I preferred, and this is coming from me who actually love long epilogue! :D
Sandee wrote: "Petrik wrote: "Sandee wrote: "now that you're done with that, let's marathon the movies. i'm not talking the theatrical version. lol"Ah you're speaking my language. Let's do it. Extended!? I just..."
Not in one sitting! I've never done that before! xD
I'll text you soon! We really should catch up! And for the love of god I'll give you the anime list!
The movies are great, yes... But the books remain better. More depth, more themes, more mystery and as someone that loves languages... MORE of that too!! lol.
I respect you and I'm glad you finally got around to reading this.
Maybe one day you will again return to the text itself over the movies because it contains that much more...
Cheruv wrote: "The movies are great, yes... But the books remain better. More depth, more themes, more mystery and as someone that loves languages... MORE of that too!! lol.
I respect you and I'm glad you fina..."
I disagree, Cheruv. I loved the movies more, but hey, I have a bais towards the movies because I've watched them so many times. Who knows, maybe in the future if I DO return to these books again, I would love them more. I'm glad you loved the books more, though! :D
Hahahaha we should challenge ourselves and do that. Lol. 😂 isnt that about 12 hours long? Haha. I forgot about that! Thanks for reminding me lol.
Sandee wrote: "Hahahaha we should challenge ourselves and do that. Lol. 😂 isnt that about 12 hours long? Haha. I forgot about that! Thanks for reminding me lol."Hahhaa we should! let's find the time to do it! 12 hours long. Real life would feels weird after that! xD
So we'll get together on Zoom and watch the Extended Edition together on our own TVs, synced together?
Audrey wrote: "So we'll get together on Zoom and watch the Extended Edition together on our own TVs, synced together?"hahaha! Wouldn't that be amazing. I hope one day I can arrange something like that! xD
Petrik wrote: "Rinaldo wrote: "The Scouring of Shire may seem bizarre on the first read, but it makes a lot of sense. The fall of beautiful cities and the marring of perfection are recurring themes in Tolkien's b..."I think it's because Tolkien was a war veteran in WW1. It fits because his writing of LotR is a sort of reflection from the horror he saw there. The Scouring of the Shire was thematic for "The war comes back home to you, as war is destructive, hateful and evil". JRR Tolkien came home to England and saw his peaceful corner affected after the treaty of Versailles and the final conclusion of the war.
Steven wrote: "Petrik wrote: "Rinaldo wrote: "The Scouring of Shire may seem bizarre on the first read, but it makes a lot of sense. The fall of beautiful cities and the marring of perfection are recurring themes..."Oh wait, that actually makes sense. I didn't think of that! Thanks for letting me know! :D
Tolkien also used a lot of war archetypes and old folklore like Beowulf. I felt the Scouring was mainly to show that the Hobbits had become heroic enough to fix the problem on their own.
Audrey wrote: "Tolkien also used a lot of war archetypes and old folklore like Beowulf. I felt the Scouring was mainly to show that the Hobbits had become heroic enough to fix the problem on their own."That's what I thought when i was reading it, Audrey! :)
Congratulations on finishing! I think this series is a cornerstone to fantasy, but that is ridiculous to tell someone that they aren't a fantasy reader for having not read it. I once read that the central themes of this novel per Tolkien are death and immortality. I think that's why the battle scenes are so short, but the build up is so long. Also, I think Tolkien himself was a soldier. I think we often see battles as these long epic contests and that's not to say they aren't, but they can from the perspective of a fighter feel short because you're just going. That might be presumptuous of me to assume as someone who has never served, but I wonder if that's possible.
The Scourge of the Shire feels out of place, but I think it serves an importance. Showing how even thr most peaceful of places can be touched by war. Also, it helps finalize the growth of the Hobbits.
Ariel wrote: "Congratulations on finishing! I think this series is a cornerstone to fantasy, but that is ridiculous to tell someone that they aren't a fantasy reader for having not read it. I once read that th..."
Thank you so much! Yeah, no doubt this is one of the most prominent pillars of fantasy, but I don't think anyone MUST read it in order to become a fantasy reader.
What you said about the battle scene actually do make sense. It is plausible. And although I felt the Scourge of the Shire felt bizarre, I think after years have passed, I do feel the Scourge left an impact on me!
