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The Return of the King

The Lord of the Rings, Book 3

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The Return of the King

By: J. R. R. Tolkien
Narrated by: Andy Serkis
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About this listen

This brand-new unabridged audio book of The Return of the King, the third and final part of J. R. R. Tolkien’s epic adventure, The Lord of the Rings, is read by the BAFTA award-winning actor, director and author, Andy Serkis.

The armies of the Dark Lord are massing as his evil shadow spreads even wider. Men, Dwarves, Elves and Ents unite forces to battle against the Dark. Meanwhile, Frodo and Sam struggle further into Mordor in their heroic quest to destroy the One Ring.

The devastating conclusion of J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic tale of adventure, begun in The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers.

©1954, 1966 The Tolkien Estate Limited (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers Limited
Action & Adventure Classics Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Fiction Adventure Celebrity Funny Feel-Good Bedtime Story
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Critic reviews

"The story moves on with a tremendous narrative rush to its climax...extraordinary imaginative work, part saga, part allegory, and wholly exciting." (The Times)

"A triumphant close...a grand piece of work, grand in both conception and execution. An astonishing imaginative tour de force." (Sunday Telegraph)

"His astonishing inventiveness remains to the end and is continued in a series of appendices" (The Guardian)

Featured article: Aragorn - a Lord of the Rings character guide


From his time as the ranger Strider to his ascension to King of Gondor, this guide has everything you need to know about the hero Aragorn. Perhaps one of the most mysterious and intriguing characters in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Aragorn is known by many names: Strider, Elessar, Estel, and finally Aragorn II, heir to the throne of Gondor and Arnor. From a shadowy tracker who mysteriously comes to Frodo's aid to an essential member of the Fellowship of the Ring to the long-awaited king who restores harmony and peace to Middle-earth, Aragorn plays many important roles in the fantasy epic. And he has quite an interesting history.

What listeners say about The Return of the King

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Excellent

Could almost listen to the Silmarillion if it were read by Andy. The book flew by perfect

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And now it's over..

I think I have managed to paint the entire house whilst listening to LOTR and enjoyed almost every second. Andi Serkis certainly adds hugely to the telling of the story although I think he was running short of accents by the 3rd book as I heard Geordie, Irish, Brummie and Cornish to name a few. Given this is a worldwide platform I'm sure there will be people out there that haven't a clue what I have just said!
Only problem now is finding a replacement of equal magnitude.

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That had me choked up at the end

Superb story and wonderful narration. I found some of the tying up at the end laborious but the stuff in the village is great.

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A bittersweet end to an incredible journey

Amazing, feel like I've lost great friends, truly sad it's over. Andy serkis' performance is brilliant.

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An absolute joy

Awesome all around. Andy Serkis makes this a must listen. An absolute classic story too.

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The Grandest of stories

My favourite of the LOTR books, a culmination of everything. Good Vs evil.

Théoden is fantastic and Aragon is the mighty King.

Read the other two first though.

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Incredible!

Loved every second of this. The narrator absolutely nails every single delivery. What's going on with you if you haven't downloaded this yet?

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Absolutely brilliant!

Disliked the Liverpool accents, they didn't fit the characters. However, excellent narration and singing. Best fantasy world ever created.

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A comforting read of a well-known story

Beautifully read by Serkis. A charming tale that hooks you in and before you know it, you’re done.

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Saying goodbye is the hardest thing

I had not realised how much of the story of the Shire was left after the destruction of the ring. I felt as if Tolkien found it hard to let go of his beautiful creation as it lingered into a golden fade out.

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