A review by fox_at_the_circus
The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

A great final book for a great epic. It has all I expected from Tolkien's writing, amazing descriptions of scenery, big fights, long discussions, ... But it also has a lot of shorter scenes, where characters have conversations that don't necessarily push the story along, but are so important to get to know the characters even more. And they are really entertaining, too. I especially loved Iorath in the houses of healing.
The books themes and it's focus on hope are really so timeless and especially important today. When Denethor says "Why do fools fly?", it's in direct oppostion to Gandalf's "Fly you fools!", really showing their different mindsets towards hope. Gandalf being 'correct' within the story just shows, that it's correct to hope (and fight).
I can say, after finally reading all the books (having known and loved the movies for years), I now appreciate and love the story with its setting and characters even more. 
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