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Title: The Last Ringbearer
Author: Kirill Yeskov
Genre: fantasy, fanfiction
Book Number/Goal: 13/52
My Rating: 5/5
Download: original Russian text | official English translation
Review:
What if LOTR, as we know it, was the "history written by the victors"? This book presents Middle-earth with good and evil sides reversed. Mordor is a young, energetic country populated by 3 proud human races: humans, orks and trolls (none of them vicious monsters as portrayed in the other book), quickly developing science and technology. Wizards keep humans in ignorance and rule them through ancient magic, and technological progress threatens their power. Under the pretext that Mordor is disturbing the balance between humans and nature, Gandalf devises the final solution to the Mordorian problem, even though it involves an alliance with elves, a cruel race which despises humans and aspires to rule the world. Saruman, the only conscientious wizard in the White Council, is unable to stop the madness.
This book is a rich, complex portrayal of Middle-earth from many different angles. The story explores serious philosophical and ethical issues, and feels more "mature" and controversial than the original story. It can stand on its own merit, but its main allure is in mirroring Tolkien's universe and reversing the familiar patterns. For example, Aragorn is a ruthless schemer, while the Nazgul are wise, selfless leaders; and Frodo's quest to destroy the Ring is mirrored by another (non-canon) character's quest to destroy another magical object.
The language is modern and doesn't suffer from Tolkien's verbosity. It's difficult to read at times due to detailed descriptions of battles, strategy and political intrigues, but historical and scientific background is fascinating; and of course, there's a lot of action and emotionally charged scenes. Overall, I've enjoyed this book much more than the original LOTR! A must-read for any LOTR fans who are not offended by revisionism ;)
Author: Kirill Yeskov
Genre: fantasy, fanfiction
Book Number/Goal: 13/52
My Rating: 5/5
Download: original Russian text | official English translation
Review:
What if LOTR, as we know it, was the "history written by the victors"? This book presents Middle-earth with good and evil sides reversed. Mordor is a young, energetic country populated by 3 proud human races: humans, orks and trolls (none of them vicious monsters as portrayed in the other book), quickly developing science and technology. Wizards keep humans in ignorance and rule them through ancient magic, and technological progress threatens their power. Under the pretext that Mordor is disturbing the balance between humans and nature, Gandalf devises the final solution to the Mordorian problem, even though it involves an alliance with elves, a cruel race which despises humans and aspires to rule the world. Saruman, the only conscientious wizard in the White Council, is unable to stop the madness.
This book is a rich, complex portrayal of Middle-earth from many different angles. The story explores serious philosophical and ethical issues, and feels more "mature" and controversial than the original story. It can stand on its own merit, but its main allure is in mirroring Tolkien's universe and reversing the familiar patterns. For example, Aragorn is a ruthless schemer, while the Nazgul are wise, selfless leaders; and Frodo's quest to destroy the Ring is mirrored by another (non-canon) character's quest to destroy another magical object.
The language is modern and doesn't suffer from Tolkien's verbosity. It's difficult to read at times due to detailed descriptions of battles, strategy and political intrigues, but historical and scientific background is fascinating; and of course, there's a lot of action and emotionally charged scenes. Overall, I've enjoyed this book much more than the original LOTR! A must-read for any LOTR fans who are not offended by revisionism ;)