I am about 140 pages into The Return of the King and if possible, I'm enjoying it even more than the movie. I have read nothing of Frodo and Sam, as they have a different story than the rest of the fellowship, who are now divided: one gone forever, two within the walls of Gondor, two marching hopelessly towards Mordor, and four facing the armies of the Enemy in the bloodstained fields of Gondor. The King Ringwraith is slain by Eowen, neice of the now deceased Theoden King of Rohan, yet the armies of the Enemy are far from defeated, and hope dims until the arrival of King Ellesar, Aragorn son of Arathorn, and his companions, Gimli and Legolas in the black-sailed ships of the Enemy rekindles it. Together Aragorn and Eomer, now King of Rohan through Theoden King's death, cross paths in battle, and the fight to free Gondor from the clutches of the Emeny continues. Meanwhile in the heart of the city, Lord Denethor, Steward of Gondor, prepares to burn himself with his son Faramir, who lives yet, in a funeral fit for "heathen kings of old." The one chance Captain Faramir has of escaping the flames is Pippin, who searches the city endlessly for Gandalf, the only one he believes can end the madness of Denethor.
UPDATE! I finished the story portion of The Return of the King and am now working on the Appendix, which illustrates the history of Middle Earth before and after the War of the Ring.
