The Two Towers (Book Two, Lord of the Rings Trilogy)

The Battle against the Uruk-hai is over. Boromir is dead, slain by the Orcs. Merry and Pippin have been captured by the enemy and are taken to Isengard. Sam and Frodo have moved, fled rather, to the east so they may enter Mordor unnoticed and destroy the Ring of Sauron once and for all. All that seems to remain of the Fellowship are Legolas (the Elf), Gimli (the Dwarf) and Aragorn (the Human). However, while escorting their prisoners to Isengard, the surviving Uruk-Hai are attacked by the Rohirrim, the people of Rohan, and Pippin and Merry flee into the surrounding forest. There, they meet the Ents, tree-like creatures that are the 'Shepherds of the Forest'. They tell Treebeard, the Ent leader, of the destruction Saruman has caused. Enraged, the Ents march on Isengard and lay siege to the main tower, leaving Saruman trapped. Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and a surprise character who has been resurrected, arrive on the scene and reunite with the two Hobbits. Sam and Frodo are all alone, save Gollum, the twisted, monstrous, corrupted former owner of the One Ring. The two friends have almost reached Mount Doom, but with Gollum constantly conspiring against them, will they make it there alive?

The Two Towers is my personal favorite of the Trilogy. Between the Ents and Shelob (the giant spider that inhabits the caves of Mordor), the Battle of Helm's Deep and Gollum, this book is jam-packed with content and characters that will keep you up into all hours of the night, craving for more.