The Fellowship of the Ring

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkein, 1954 George Allen & Unwin

     Several decades after his mysterious and strange Uncle Bilbo returns from his journey to the Lonely Mountain Frodo Baggins is marked by Gandalf the Grey for another quest. This one is to escort the Ring Bilbo lifted from the creature in the goblin's cave to the fires of Mordor. The journey is an overarching plot through the separate books: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King.
     On his eleventy-first birthday, Bilbo disappears on an extended holiday, leaving his heir Frodo with the One Ring that he tricked out of Gollum in The Hobbit. Seventeen years later Gandalf returns and reveals the history of the ring: the Dark Lord Sauron forged it to subdue Middle Earth, but he was defeated in the Last War of Alliance by Gil-galad the Elven king and Elendil High King of Gondor and Arnor. Isildur, son of Elendil, kept the ring rather than destroy it and after much bloodshed it reached Smeagol. Smeagol carried the ring for centuries and became Gollum, from whom Bilbo obtained it and passed it to Frodo. Sauron has returned to Mordor and is searching for his ring to help him rule the world.
     Gandalf suggests the Shire is no longer the safe place for the ring and sends Frodo away. He and his companions, Samwise (Sam) Gamgee, Meriadoc (Merry) Brandybuck, and Peregrin (Pippin) Took prepare to leave the Shire, but Gandalf is called away and they decide to leave without him. The group is pursued by black-clad riders, Nazgul or Ringwraiths who are the servants of the Dark Lord, once great kings themselves. Frodo and his companions evade the Ringwraiths through the help of elves and several hobbits of the Shire. They travel to Bree and meet Strider, a Ranger and companion of Gandalf who will guide them to the Elven Rivendell.
     The companions reach Weathertop, where they are attacked by the Wraiths. Frodo is stabbed by their captain before Strider can drive them away with torches, but a part of the blade remains in the wound and he becomes more and more ill as they venture further toward Rivendell. Strider tells the company that unless they can treat the wound, Frodo will become a wraith himself.
     The group is met by Glorfindel, an Elven Lord and helps them reach the River Bruinen near Rivendell, but all nine of the Wraiths ambush them at the ford. Glorfindel and his horse outrace the nine with Frodo, and as they cross the river to safety a flood controlled by Elrond, Lord of Rivendell, sweeps them downstream.
     When Frodo awakens, he rests in the house of Elrond, has been healed by the Elven Lord, and Bilbo is waiting to see him. Frodo meets several strange, yet interesting, characters including Legolas, Prince of the Silvan Elves of Mirkwood, Gloin who joined Bilbo on his journey to the Lonely Mountain, and Boromir the son of the Steward of Gondor.
     Elrond calls together the Council of Elrond where the gathered travelers share their news. Gloin tells of the dwarves' attempts to find their lost homeland the kingdom of Moria, Balin and his expedition have not been heard from in years. Boromir reveals a dream both he and his brother, Foromir, had sending them to find "the Sword that Was Broken" and "Isildur's Bane" in Rivendell. Elrond has Frodo bring forth the ring, and labels it Isilidur's Bane.  Strider is revealed as Aragorn, the heir of Isildur, True King of Gondor and wielder of the Sword that Was Broken. Gandalf reveals he has been to see Saruman, the chief of Wizards, for advice, but Saruman turned against them and locked Gandalf in his tower Orthanc until he escaped. Saruman is not in Sauron's service and musters his own force of orcs to find the ring and master Middle Earth.
     The Council of Elrond concocts a plan to cast the ring into the fires of Mount Doom in Mordor--the fires from which it was fashioned--to destroy the ring and end Sauron's powers. Boromir argues that the ring be used to fight Sauron, but Elrond explains the ring's inherent evil cannot be turned for good.
     Frodo volunteers for the mission and is chosen as ring-bearer. He is joined by eight companions called the Fellowship of the Ring: Boromir and Aragorn, Legolas, Gandalf, Gimli son of Gloin, and the three hobbits Sam, Merry, and Pippin. Their journey south is foiled by heavy snows in the Misty Mountains, then by Wargs on the hunt for the ring in the West. They must travel under the mountains through the mines of Moria, where they discover Balin and his band have been killed by Orcs and other creatures who then attack the Company. During the ensuing battle Gandalf and the Balrog of Morgoth fall into the abyss of the mines.
     The rest of the troupe escape to the forest of Lothlorien. There they meet Galadriel and Celeborn and they gift the Company with goods that will prove to be useful in their later journeying. As they leave the forest and the elves, Frodo attempts to plan the remainder of their journey, but it attacked by Boromir who hopes to get the ring and use it to save Gondor. Frodo escapes, but while the rest of the Company searches for him he decides to travel to Mordor by himself. Sam insists on following him and the Company is broken.
     The first book of the Lord of the Rings trilogy is the beginning of the journey: Frodo learns to embrace the adventurous spirit his uncle Bilbo also held on to, he goes through trials and tribulations, but comes out the other end. Relationships are built and devolve under the power of the ring, and each character's base nature comes out with the temptation of ultimate power that comes to the ring's bearer. It is a chronicle of the battle between good and evil, and those who get caught along the way.
     The Fellowship of the Ring is more thoroughly enjoyed by an older audience, high school or older, who may catch the nuances of the story. There is significant violence and some suspense sprinkled through the tale; it pushes the story and the characters to their end.