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Title: Tolkien one more time . . . or
Review: Before you pick up Tolkien and read it for the tenth time, give this series a chance! If the Iron Tower was a stand alone novel it would certainly lack enough depth to warrant a second glance. But it is not a stand alone novel. McKiernan has developed a depth and richness to Mithgar that goes beyond the bounds of being just a Tolkien rip-off.I can see how anyone who comes to this book comparing it to Tolkien would be disappointed, but why not read it for the enjoyment of fantasy. I have every book about Mithgar that McKiernan has written, and I have been greatly engrossed in the world he has developed.In some ways, Mithgar is what I wish Middle Earth could have been. If only Tolkien had been around long enough to complete some of the other tales of history . . .McKiernan has developed Mithgar and his writing has grown over time (like Tolkien's did). I wouldn't judge the LOTR by the Hobbit, anymore than I would judge all the tales of Mithgar by the IRON TOWER.
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