Stephen Landale

I’ve read LOTR 6 times, and I like this a lot so far. First off: visually stunning. Love to see these kingdoms. I’m excited to see Numenor. Of course a movie or TV adaptation will make changes. Elves maintaining outposts in area where men turned to Morgoth/ Sauron: great detail. The kind of thing I would make up as a D&D adventure for this era. The men are resentful at being on parole, the elves are tired of it (except one…). Adding interracial relationships using people of color: good move. Maybe overdone, but let’s face it, Tolkien’s brillian creation was also racist. White skin is good, dark skin bad. Awful. White nationalists actually use LOTR to bring people in. Let’s knock that out right now. The Stranger brought in via asteroid? Gutsy choice, but it works… especially to establish a great origin story for one of the most important relationships in The Hobbit and LOTR. ;-) And young Galadriel is great. Aaand… Sauron the Deceiver. Have me met him yet? Possibly. I think the series will rise or fall based on his character: believable, or just another Wormtongue, writ large?

Not a thriller, but drew me in. Original.