Average Rating: 
Rating: - Only 4 stars because of BALROG
Despite the excellent visual imagery and quality of this book and the companion to the first movie both books lacked one extremely important and somewhat pivotal villain from the first movie, The Balrog. The Balrog also makes an appearance in the second movie and should have been given more detailed treatment. Jude Fisher are you listening. Hey why not add the Balrog in the third book.
Rating: - Acquaint yourself with Middle-Earth
Last year's "Fellowship of the Ring Visual Companion" was a must-have for newbies to Middle-Earth, who previously didn't know what a hobbit was or what the big deal was about an elf/human romance. Jude Fisher follows up with the "Two Towers Visual Companion," to give readers little bits and pieces that aren't quite in the movies.Fisher goes over the various people, places, and occasionally new races that are introduced in "Two Towers." She doesn't recap much stuff from the previous movie, so if you want to fully understand this book, pick up the "Fellowship" guide first. It's sprinkled with plenty of bright pictures, usually several for each character, and background information that will be new to some who've only watched the movie. (For example, the tale of Beren and Luthien is contrasted to Aragorn and Arwen's involvement, and Gollum's history is spelled out in greater detail). Fans will definitely want to check out the pictures of Treebeard, Grima Wormtongue, and the battle of Helm's Deep. It's sort of a guidebook to Middle-Earth, and so mainly the areas of greatest activity are shown. That means not a lot of hobbit stuff. However, there's a great fold-out map of the Helm's Deep Battle, and a very poetic foreword by actor Viggo Mortenson in which he praises Jude Fisher and briefly analyzes the depths of "Lord of the Rings." (Mortenson's literary skill is never more evident than it is here) This book is primarily intended for people who haven't read the books, but longtime fans may enjoy it as well.
Rating: - Another Beautiful Book
The Two Towers Visual Companion is a beautifully done book that die hard Tolkien fans and those new to Tolkien's world will appreciate. Most of the oversize book is filled with gorgeous full color photographs to give you little teasers regarding the film, but also to help define the different races and introduce new characters. For those who are not as familiar with The Fellowship of the Ring, it gives you a little background on those events that spill over into The Two Towers and then moves forward with the story. This makes it a great book for those who are not very familiar with Tolkien's world as it clearly explains who everyone is as far as races and cultures go. There are sections on Gollum, The Dead Marshes, Ithilien, Faramir, Fangorn Forest, Ents, Saruman, Gandalf the White, The Rohirrim, and many more. I am a big Tolkien fan so it was all review for me, but Jude Fisher does a fine job of summarizing the story and preparing the reader for the film. My main interest in reading this book was to see where the book by Tolkien and the movie by Jackson differed and, in that respect, it was very helpful. At the cheap price available now, it is a worthy addition to any fantasy or Tolkien fan's library.
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