‘The Two Towers’ is the second volume of the six-part novel ‘The Lord of the Rings’. Given my harsh review of Fellowship, now I’ve finished Two Towers I thought I’d share some things I enjoyed about the novel instead of a full review.

– Samwise Gamgee is my favourite character. He’s funny, wise and loyal. A literal G. 

– The dialogue was really good and funny in places, particularly between Gollum and Sam.

– Faramir is a King. One day we will marry. I will invite you all to the wedding.

– Once the story is established in Fellowship, the pace quickens and generally feels more engaging.

– Tolkein knows when to end a chapter. Although I tired of Sam and Frodo journeying after they left Faramir, the ending at Shelob’s lair made me want to read more asap.

– I ship Legolas and Gimli. Their friendship is so pure and good. Helm’s Deep felt a little anticlimactic but these two characters were the highlights.

– Treebeard and everything with Saruman was chef’s kiss. At first, I was wary that it was told in reported speech from Merry and Pippin but it worked well for the dual timeline and the palantir scene hit.

Overall I’m definitely enjoying the trilogy more and I’m excited to read the final installment.