Others: Mostly positive One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them. “A unique, wholly realized other world, evoked from deep in the well of Time, massively detailed, absorbingly entertaining, profound in meaning.”—The New York Times In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell into the hands of Bilbo Baggins, as told in The Hobbit. In a sleepy village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task, as his elderly cousin Bilbo entrusts the Ring to his care. Frodo must leave his home and make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ring and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose.
Genres: fantasy, young adult
Lists: …
J.R.R. Tolkien
1950 · 503 pages · 13 reviews
Others: Mostly positiveTHE RETURN OF THE KING, which brings to a close the great epic of war and adventure begun in The Fellowship of the Ring and continued in The Two Towers, is the third and final part of J. R. R. Tolkien's masterpiece, "The Lord of the Rings." In these three books, which form one continuous narrative, Tolkien created the saga of the Hobbits of Middle-earth and the great War of the Rings. Praised by such writers and poets as W. H. Auden, Richard Hughes and C. S. Lewis, "The Lord of the Rings" - that special world of beauty and terror and meaning - holds a secure place among the books that will live.
What made the match, strongest first
J. K. Rowling
1999 · 435 pages · 8 reviews
Others: Overwhelmingly positiveFor Harry Potter, it’s the start of another far-from-ordinary year at Hogwarts when the Knight Bus crashes through the darkness and comes to an abrupt halt in front of him. It turns out that Sirius Black, mass-murderer and follower of Lord Voldemort, has escaped – and they say he is coming after Harry. In his first Divination class, Professor Trelawney sees an omen of death in Harry’s tea leaves. And perhaps most frightening of all are the Dementors patrolling the school grounds with their soul-sucking kiss – in search of fresh victims.
What made the match, strongest first
J.R.R. Tolkien
1954 · 1168 pages · 21 reviews
Others: Overwhelmingly positiveOriginally published from 1954 through 1956, J.R.R. Tolkien's richly complex series ushered in a new age of epic adventure storytelling. A philologist and illustrator who took inspiration from his work, Tolkien invented the modern heroic quest novel from the ground up, creating not just a world, but a domain, not just a lexicon, but a language, that would spawn countless imitators and lead to the inception of the epic fantasy genre. Today, THE LORD OF THE RINGS is considered "the most influential fantasy novel ever written." (THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FANTASY) During his travels across Middle-earth, the hobbit Bilbo Baggins had found the Ring. But the simple band of gold was far from ordinary; it was in fact the One Ring - the greatest of the ancient Rings of Power. Sauron, the Dark Lord, had infused it with his own evil magic, and when it was lost, he was forced to flee into hiding. But now Sauron's exile has ended and his power is spreading anew, fueled by the knowledge that his treasure has been found. He has gathered all the Great Rings to him, and will stop at nothing to reclaim the One that will complete his dominion. The only way to stop him is to cast the Ruling Ring deep into the Fire-Mountain at the heart of the land of Mordor--Sauron's dark realm. Fate has placed the burden in the hands of Frodo Baggins, Bilbo's heir...and he is resolved to bear it to its end. Or his own. Contains The Fellowship of the Ring The Two Towers The Return of the King The Lord of the Rings [2/2] The Lord of the Rings [1/6] The Lord of the Rings [1/9] The Lord of the Rings [2/9] The Lord of the Rings [3/9]
What made the match, strongest first
C. S. Lewis
1950 · 186 pages · 8 reviews
Others: Mostly positiveFour adventurous siblings—Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie—step through a wardrobe door and into the land of Narnia, a land frozen in eternal winter and enslaved by the power of the White Witch. But when almost all hope is lost, the return of the Great Lion, Aslan, signals a great change . . . and a great sacrifice. Journey into the land beyond the wardrobe! The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is the second book in C. S. Lewis's classic fantasy series, which has been captivating readers of all ages for over sixty years. This is a stand-alone novel, but if you would like journey back to Narnia, read The Horse and His Boy, the third book in The Chronicles of Narnia.
What made the match, strongest first
J.K. Rowling
2015 · 5 reviews
Others: Leaning positiveA new era of Hogwarts begins. The HBO Original Series Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is coming this Christmas to HBO Max. --------- Harry Potter lives hidden away in the cupboard under the stairs at Number Four, Privet Drive. When letters start arriving for him, they are swiftly confiscated by his cruel aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry’s eleventh birthday, a great giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An incredible adventure is about to begin! ------------ Why start the Harry Potter series? • It's an award-winning classic beloved by countless children and adults • Its message of belonging and the power of friendship resonates with everyone • Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger are some of the most memorable figures of modern fiction • It has introduced generations of readers to a lifelong love of books
What made the match, strongest first
Scott Lynch
2001 · 512 pages · 40 reviews
Others: Overwhelmingly positiveBest book ever
What made the match, strongest first
Loved itBut as a whole, I did enjoy this as a thing that is again so foundational, as a world that is so cool, as a world that I've been so familiar with for so many years in the movies. So, it was really cool to kind of compare this to the movies. But this is like a four star.
Loved itI read Fellowship of the Ring. I consider it a classic. I really enjoyed it. I did really, really love listening to the Fellowship of the Ring, the Phil Dragash version on Spotify. Chef's kiss. Easily the best audiobook I have ever listened to.
Loved itI mean, for being the blueprint of modern European fantasy and making me want to run away and become an adventurer hobbit. You will love this if you love fantasy because it makes you disappear into this beautiful magical other world.
Loved itThis is the fellowship of the ring, the lord of the rings by joking ruling rolin talking and it really is an incredible story.
Loved itthe Fellowship of the Ring is an all-timer for me and my favorite by Jr toling
Loved itthe first time that type of reality hit me and understanding hit me it was from Reading Lord of the Rings and I read it in three books Fellowship Two Towers Return of the King and so it always in my mind it's going to be those three books that I brought home from the school library and read when I was a young person
Not a fanI really did not like Fellowship of the Ring it took me literally about well not about it took me 35 years to finally finish it because I found it so incredibly dull
MixedIt's a fun book. I know most people would have it top of the S's. I just didn't like it as much.
Not a fanI said the first Lord of the Rings book was just a bunch of creatures walking. I stand by it.
Mixedthe reason honestly it's not higher on the list is tom bombadil in the first book some of the narrative choices in terms of the structure surprised me the climax in the third and final book happened so early and it really shook me and most of all just the poetry and songs in the book just are not my thing so without those elements this book could easily be in my top three i really loved a lot about it
Loved itit's just a world that I love and I've always loved and I feel so at home in it and I love when I reread those books because it really brings me back to that time
Loved iti love this book and it's funny because i know a lot of people do not like the fellowship they think it's the worst of the three but it is my favorite
Loved itbecause of The Hobbit release and rewatching the Lord of the Rings films I was inspired to finally read the books and if you haven't read them but really enjoy the films then they are well worth a read
