Hail friends and well met! It sure has been awhile since I ventured back into the world of blogging and social media, but what better way to jump back in than with a review of one of the coolest pieces I have had the joy of adding to my collection? I was on Instagram one afternoon several months ago and was intrigued by an advertisement I saw for "Lord of Maps", an account run by Isaac Dushku featuring various maps in the style of JRR Tolkien. As the algorithm would have it, the map that caught my eye was none other than a map of my own home state - New Hampshire. Of course I had to grab ..read more

Hi everyone! It's been awhile. What better way to return from a wee hiatus than by writing about my favorite people/products?! THE WISDOM OF GANDALF PENDANT The fine folks at Badali Jewelry have done it again. Following the success of their Eowyn Shieldmaiden pendant, they have just released another piece inspired by a character quote - this time by Gandalf, whose wisdom is unmatched. This pendant, available with either a chain or a choker, features what is perhaps his most famous line from The Fellowship of the Ring: "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us ..read more

Last night on Instagram and Facebook, the folks at Badali Jewelry finally announced one piece I had long been waiting for: Aragorn's ring, the Ring of Barahir, available with either silver or gold crown. We can almost envision the moment in the Middle-earth™ year of 2980, when a young Aragorn entered Lórien to meet his beloved Arwen Undómiel™.  Among the majestic trees of Lothlórien, Aragorn™ presented Arwen™ with his family ring, the ring of Barahir, and he pledged to her his love and life.  There, together they swore their loyalty upon the hill of C ..read more

A recent short film by CGMeetup, simply titled 'Mice', pays homage to the Lord of the Rings films using subway mice who find a golden soda cap ring. It's a cute film and well worth the watch. How many references to Peter Jackson's films can you spot ..read more

According to a recent press release from Leyou Technolgies Holdings Limited (best known as the parent company of Warframe's publisher), a new project is underway in Middle-earth: Athlon Games is partnering with Middle-earth Enterprises, to develop and publish a free-to- play massively multiplayer online video game based on The Lord of the Rings , the landmark fantasy literary work of J.R.R. Tolkien. Set in the world of Middle-earthTM during the years leading to the events of The Lord of the Rings, the game will provide Middle-earth fans throughout the world with a new, immersive game exp ..read more

After plenty of rumours and speculation, it was finally announced back in November that Amazon had won the $250 million rights to Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings novels and would be adapting the story into a five-season "prequel" series. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Amazon plans to spend $1 billion on the series (including casting, producers, and visual effects), which would make it the most expensive series in TV history. There's no word yet on the content of the series, but given that it's been labelled a "prequel" to The Lord of the Rings and Amazon is working with The Tolkie ..read more

The Tolkien Trust 2018; Smithsonian.com A new Tolkien exhibit at Oxford's Bodleian Library will open this summer and feature a variety of manuscripts, letters, maps, and artwork by the author, including three previously unseen works (including Linquë Súrissë (1960s), which from the Elvish language Quenya translates to "grass in the wind"). The library will also release a catalog of more than 300 Tolkien materials which will become available in the US in July. "The vivid abstract paintings entitled There and Here show Tolkien as a young student at Oxford finding his own artistic ..read more

Tolkien's classic The Hobbit has been translated into two new versions: TolkienGuide.com has shared on their webpage that Sushi Books has published a deluxe edition of The Hobbit (O Hobbit) in the minority language of Galician. Check out their post for more information and some neat photos! Additionally, Keao NeSmith has translated it into Hawaiian (Ka Hopita) in an attempt to repopularize the language. You can buy it on Amazon or read more about it on Aljazeera America ..read more

Another new Middle-earth publication is coming out this year! A Middle-earth Traveller: Sketches from Bag End to Mordor will be released on 4 October 2018 by HarperCollins and will feature the artwork of John Howe - who, like Alan Lee, also provided conceptual designs for The Lord of the Rings films.  The book is available for pre-order on Amazon UK. From the publisher: Let acclaimed Tolkien artist John Howe take you on an unforgettable journey across Middle-earth, from Bag End to Mordor, in this richly illustrated sketchbook fully of previously unseen artwork, anecdotes and meditation ..read more

What initially began making the rounds on social media as a suspected April Fool's prank earlier this month has now been confirmed as an official release by HarperCollins: once again edited by Christopher Tolkien and illustrated by Alan Lee, The Fall of Gondolin will be published on 30 August 2018 and follow in the same format as the previously released Beren and Luthien. The book will run about 304 pages and will be available in hardcover, deluxe hardcover, large print, and e-book. In the US it will be published under Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. In addition to the book's release, the offici ..read more