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One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkeness bind them
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.
Literal, for the longest time, I’ve been meaning to read The Lord of the Rings. It was one of my blogging goals for last year, but I just didn’t get around to it. So I can finally mark the first part off my list, because I have at last read The Fellowship of the Ring.
Going into this one, it was exactly like I thought it was going to be, yet it managed to exceed my expectations anyway. That’s partly because it’s been so long since I watched the movie trilogy, and I didn’t remember much of what happened in them—I’m planning to buy the DVDs so I can rewatch them later, probably after I’ve finished reading the last two parts. And it’s also due to the changes the movies made, which tuned out to be an interesting reading experience.
Generally speaking, The Fellowship of the Ring was a good story. There was a lot of walking and camping across long distances—and some really long conversations—yet the story still had a sense of urgency. The lore was much clearer than I remembered from the movies (take that with a grain of salt, because it’s been years). Still, I had a better appreciation for the attention to detail that went into developing this world.
One of the best aspects about the story was the characters. There were so many different people spread out in Middle Earth, and each one had their own rich history that often had interactions with others—which explained some of the deep grudges or friendships. Frodo and crew were great too. The friendship and comradeship between the hobbits was one of my favorite parts of the story. It came in handy too, considering the scope of the perilous journey they were undertaking.
I have the anniversary edition of The Lord of the Rings, so I will definitely read The Two Towers soon.
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The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkeness bind them
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.
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Synopsis from Goodreads...
Chloe is ready to begin her revenge plot and get what she has always wanted - that is, until Vanitas and the Chasseurs showed up. But without his book, Vanitas can do little to help, so it's up to Noé and his vampire hunter allies to buy some time, so Vanitas can work a little magic...
Chloe is ready to begin her revenge plot and get what she has always wanted - that is, until Vanitas and the Chasseurs showed up. But without his book, Vanitas can do little to help, so it's up to Noé and his vampire hunter allies to buy some time, so Vanitas can work a little magic...
One artist I’ve wanted more music by was Laura Mvula. Phenomenal Women is still on my playlist, and one of the catchiest songs I’ve listened to. Laura Mvula has returned in 2021 with an EP titled 1/f, in which she reworks three of her previously released songs—Sing To The Moon, Show Me Love, and Green Garden—which were accompanied by a cover of Diana Ross’s hit, I’m Still Waiting.
This was a great EP. The sound of the songs was completely reworked, giving a fresh update to tracks that were already lovely to listen to. The original versions of Sing To The Moon, Show Me Love, and Green Garden had a mellow, instrumental sound—like the live performances Mvula’s did with the Metrapole Orkest. They were already powerful songs to begin with and some of my favorites from Mvula. The new versions recorded for 1/f had a much more pop and synth sound, which also suited the lyrics perfectly too. I can’t say that I like one version more than the other though, because they’re equally good and I can’t recommend them enough.
I also enjoyed the cover of I’m Still Waiting. It’s a great song no matter which way you look at it, and Laura Mvula’s cover was excellent.
Overall, this EP was a pleasant surprise, and it leaves a great impression and a need for more. Laura Mvula’s third studio album has been announced, and I can’t wait to give it a listen.
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