The Lord of the Rings

Synopsis

In Middle-earth the One Ring is a ring forged by the Dark Lord Sauron to hold his dominion — a dangerous object that, if reclaimed, can break the world's balance. The hobbit Frodo Baggins comes to know what the ring is and what it threatens, and concludes that it must be destroyed rather than merely hidden. Leaving the Shire, he gathers companions at Rivendell — people of many different races and backgrounds — who together resolve to carry the ring to the mountain of its origin. The journey is no simple passage. It is a long test of each member's temptations, fears, and responsibilities. The fellowship scatters and breaks apart, while on one front the human kingdoms of Gondor and Rohan hold the line of war, and on another Sauron's power keeps expanding. The story works as a meditation on how 'great wars' and 'the will of small beings' move the world together. In the end, the choice to destroy the ring — and the sacrifice, friendship, and temptations of power that surface along the way — decides Middle-earth's future.

Gallery AI-generated / Free license

Cover image

Middle-earth map