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Nicholas Kotar

Fantasy inspired by Russian fairy tales

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Fantasy For Our Time: There Is a Tempest in Me . . .

Once again I’m joined by Richard Rohlin for a lively discussion about the Rings of Power! Together we discuss . . . well, many things; but, perhaps most peculiarly, whether elves are more like rechargeable batteries or glow-in-the-dark frisbees. 

While the series is wrought with problematic elements, we do manage to find genuine moments of delight. Design, art, music, and story – all give us some consolation. Seeing the writers allow an active god to be the motivation for a character is a huge deal!

The ultimate question we must ask ourselves throughout this show is, would this authentically fit in the Tolkien legendarium? There are many issues within each episode where it seems that the writers are trying to build a tower with no foundation, reducing the mythos to the bare minimum and making tone-deaf statements about current politics. 

While we may be hyper-critical of the show, we hope you find some encouraging material to enhance your reading of Tolkien. 

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Of Wolves and Men

My conversation with Christian Cameron

Please Don’t Make a Tolkien Cinematic Universe

The Age of Concentration by Eugene Vodolazkin

The New Middle Ages by Eugene Vodolazkin

The War of the Worlds Series

How To Read J.R.R. Tolkien

Speaking of fantasy, are you a fan of my Raven Son series? If so, I have a fun giveaway for you! Let me send you a high-resolution fantasy map that highlights important destinations my characters traverse. Simply add your email address below!

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Written by:
Nicholas
Published on:
September 27, 2022

Categories: PodcastsTags: epic fantasy, epic fantasy series, fairy tales, fantasy fiction, J.R.R Tolkien, Nicholas Kotar, Rings of Power, The Lord of the Rings

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