The Journey Sets Off Soon; Getting Caught Up, Plus a Schedule Reminder

Setting the stage for our read-through!

Greetings, Fellowship! I write to this to you on the day of my 32nd birthday; that’s really odd to type out, but here we are. And as I relax on my day off, I wanted to remind you all that in ONE WEEK we start our read-through of The Return of the King.

A few things: you can absolutely join late, even after we’ve started. We’re going at a slow pace—2 chapters per week. This is easily digestible and allows for readers to really consider the events, themes and application of the story. It also allows for people to join at different times! That said, I want to make sure anyone wanting their name handwritten on the promo poster is included. Here’s what we have (and a few more are being added as well):

It’s just a little personal touch I wanted to add this read-through; and remember, at the end of our journey, I’m going to mail the poster to one of you!

Here’s our schedule, as a reminder:

Now, let’s get caught up.

Recapping The Two Towers

The events of The Two Towers pick up in the aftermath of the breaking of the Fellowship, with the quest to destroy the Ring now splintered into several desperate paths, all of which are void of contact and entirely built on hope that each other survive the peril they encounter:

• Frodo and Sam press eastward toward Mordor, guided—uneasily—by the creature Gollum, whose divided nature mirrors the peril of the Ring itself.

• Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli pursue the captured Merry and Pippin, only to find their mission transformed as they are drawn into the war against Saruman. What emerges is a story no longer centered on a single company, but on a world unraveling in multiple places at once.

In Rohan, the threat becomes immediate and tangible. Saruman’s forces march against King Théoden, whose restoration from despair signals a turning tide. The battle at Helm’s Deep stands as one of the great defenses against overwhelming darkness—where courage and unity, and a little supernatural power lead them against insurmountable odds. Yet even in victory, the cost is clear: the war is not ended, only begun. The Ents’ assault on Isengard echoes this theme too. The world is rising up to defeat the powers that be, some of which have been on the sidelines for eras.

All the while, Frodo and Sam’s journey grows heavier and more inward. Their passage through Ithilien and toward Mordor is marked by the slow erosion of strength and hope. Gollum’s influence deepens, and the Ring’s burden becomes increasingly isolating and daunting. By the book’s end, Frodo is captured, Sam is left believing him dead—only to find out he’s alive, but barely, yet bound by orcs—and he picks up the Ring and charges toward evil to rescue his master. The quest appears on the brink of utter failure.

The Two Towers closes with tension—threads stretched to their breaking point—setting the stage for The Return of the King, where every hope will be tested, and every sacrifice brought to its end.

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I love doing read-through’s with you all, and I expect this one will be the best one yet. A special shoutout is due for Noah Nevils, The Brothers Krynn and Kaleb Hammond for being co-guides. They’re all tremendous writers in their respective ways. Noah is the oldest veteran here, and Kaleb is joining us for the first time. I hope you all are as pumped as I am. Get ready to crack open your copy of The Return of the King, and we’ll set off April 20th!