The Return of the King

J.R.R. Tolkien

Frodo Baggins, a hobbit, is nearing the end of his quest. His faithful friend, Samwise Gamgee, is at his side, even as Frodo appears to be dying. The Ranger, Strider, now known as Aragorn, is preparing for the final battles with Sauron, the evil wizard. He hopes that by keeping Sauron's attention focused on himself, Frodo will be able to complete his task.

The others from the Fellowship are in battle conditions. Merry stays with King Theodon as the Riders of Rohan are gathered. Pippin goes forward and becomes a squire for Boromir's father, the Steward of Gondor. The others stay with Aragorn, ready to fight with him until the end. Of course Legolas and Gimli are also keeping score of the number of enemies they kill, trying to outdo the other.

Those two paragraphs are only an overview of the last book in the trilogy. So much happens that were I to say much more, I would be revealing too much of the novel that is best discovered by the reader. This is not a book to read on its own. It has to have the first two books read in order first, The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers. The Return of the King is an excellent crowning ending to Frodo Baggins' saga. It is deep and full of action. Not only do we see what is happening to Frodo, but also know what is happening inside him as well. Aragorn still has much to prove in this book, and their two stories intertwined makes The Lord of the Rings an outstanding novel.