Lords of Middle-Earth Volume III is concerned with everybody that wasn’t in the first two books – dwarves, orcs, hobbits, trolls and ents. Its…a weird mix, but it still manages to have more energy than the first book. And you have to admire the determination of the writers when you get the orcs section, statting out orcs that last about a page and a half in Tolkien’s stories.

Which brings me to a point about these books. Fun reads! Almost entirely useless game aids. Most of the characters the books break down have pretty firm arcs and meeting them in game threatens to either derail established events or to turn your MERP game into Forrest Gump (which is a good justification for most MERP supplements being set 1000 years before the War of the Rings).

Another fantastic Angus McBride cover here, depicting the battle in Balin’s Tomb. Kudos for managing to squeeze all nine members of the Fellowship in the frame. Liz Danforth is on illustration duties and she is on fire. I love her take on orcs and trolls.