"The Last Ringbearer"

[browngirl]

Has anyone read this? From Wikipedia:

The Last Ringbearer (Russian: Последний кольценосец) is a 1999 fantasy book by Russian author Kirill Eskov. It is an alternative account of and an informal sequel to the events of J.R.R. Tolkien's trilogy, The Lord of the Rings. The summary sounds... mindblowing.

Comments

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

...that amazing city of alchemists and poets, mechanics and astronomers, philosophers and physicians, the heart of the only civilization in Middle-earth to bet on rational knowledge and bravely pitch its barely adolescent technology against ancient magic. The shining tower of the Barad-dûr citadel rose over the plains of Mordor almost as high as Orodruin like a monument to Man – free Man who had politely but firmly declined the guardianship of the Dwellers on High and started living by his own reason. It was a challenge to the bone-headed aggressive West, which was still picking lice in its log ‘castles’ to the monotonous chanting of scalds extolling the wonders of never-existing Númenor.

Sounds like an Ayn Rand wank fantasy.

[rubynye.livejournal.com]

*snerk*

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

I'm not kidding, that's almost her exact writing style, and a close approximation of a lot of the themes in her work. I don't know whether it's because both writers' first language is Russian, or there's something else at work.