The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings, Book 3): Illustrated edition
The Return of the King is the third part of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic adventure, The Lord of the Rings.
The Companions of the Ring have become involved in separate adventures as the quest continues. Aragorn, revealed as the hidden heir of the ancient Kings of the West, joined with the Riders of Rohan against the forces of Isengard, and took part in the desperate victory of the Hornburg. Merry and Pippin, captured by orcs, escaped into Fangorn Forest and there encountered the Ents.
Gandalf returned, miraculously, and defeated the evil wizard, Saruman. Meanwhile, Sam and Frodo progressed towards Mordor to destroy the Ring, accompanied by Sméagol–Gollum, still obsessed by his ‘preciouss’. After a battle with the giant spider, Shelob, Sam left his master for dead; but Frodo is still alive – in the hands of the orcs. And all the time the armies of the Dark Lord are massing.
The text of this edition has been fully corrected and revised in collaboration with Christopher Tolkien and is accompanied by fifteen watercolour paintings from Alan Lee.
‘The story moves on with a tremendous narrative rush to its climax… extraordinary imaginative work, part saga, part allegory, and wholly exciting.’The Times -
‘A triumphant close… a grand piece of work, grand in both conception and execution. An astonishing imaginative tour de force.’Sunday Telegraph -
‘His astonishing inventiveness remains to the end and is continued in a series of appendices.;The Guardian -