[JeffF.]

Rumil,

Thanks for the link. I did enjoy the story. The concept of using The Three to lure Sauron out of Barad-dur is compelling. I was put off though by the large number of instances the author contradicts Tolkein canon. From my first reading (no doubt I'll find more as a re-read it): From UT Isildur's sons Aratan and Cyrion were holding Minas ithil during the siege of Barad-dur (so it must have been retaken since the Silmarillion states it was lost in Sauron's initial attack); Elendur and Meneldil accompanied their fathers and were at Dagorlad, Meneldil had no brother rather three sisters, Lothlorien was not yet ruled by Galadriel and Celeborn rather Amdir who led his army to Dagorlad. Thranduil was not in Greenwood but had accompanied his father Oropher with the army of Greenwood elves and was at Dagorlad, the author says that Sauron did not bother to sortie yet Tolkien states that he made 'many sorties' during the siege, Hobbits had not yet appeared in Middle Earth, Gil-galad was born in Hithlum so he is NOT older than Galadriel, the Nazgul appear to wear their rings when Sauron holds them (yet the author states later in the book that he does hold them - so what were the objects shining on the Nazgul's hands he described earlier?), Sauron was not last seen by Celembrimbor rather he was last seen by Elendil in Numenor before the downfall, the Numenoreans had few cavalry and few horses mostly non-Numenorean horse archers, the end of Isildur is much different from the version in UT though it is consistent with another contradictory statement made in LOTR.

I found the last combat to be anti-climactic. Fingolfin in his great duel with Morgoth wounded him seven times but the two great kings Gil-galad and Elendil are quickly overwhelmed without making a scratch on Sauron, not until he mistakes Gil-galad for being dead.

The author seems to have ignored the fact that elves who saw the Light of the Trees (Galadriel was one of these) have great power in the unseen world (as Gandalf describes Glorfindel in FotR). In the Third Age the Nazgul were dismayed by Glorfindel at the Ford of Rivendell "an Elf-lord revealed in his wrath." Though Gandalf says the Nazgul are but shadows of the power and terror they would have should Sauron regain the ring such elves, however few there may have been by the Last Combat, should have been a power the Nazgul would be challenged to overcome.

What I find MOST objectionable is the manner in which Isildur gains the ring. I've always envisioned it to be much like shown in the movie version with Isildur wielding the shards in desperation and fury after witnessing the death of Elendil and Gil-galad and cutting off the ring in the heat of battle, instead Isildur, one of the noblest of men cuts the ring finger off of Sauron's corpse after he is killed by Gil-galad acting as would a common orc.

My favorite scene was the battle of the Three vs. the Nine.

The web-site says that the book was corrected in the 2nd Edition to align itself with Tolkien canon so I'm hoping that the Word version I read is the 1st Edition.

Is there a thread where these things have been discussed?