Lego's New ‘Lord of the Rings' Set Decides What Shall and Shall Not Pass Your Bookshelf
Ever since Lego returned to making annual Lord of the Rings set, the company has gone big, with high price, high-parts-count sets that bring bits of Middle-earth to life on as grand a scale as possible. Its next one, however, is a little different.
We already got our annual big Lord of the Rings set this year with the release of The Shire, but Lego is bringing Lord of the Rings into another of its toy lines with today's announcement of a buildable book nook recreating Gandalf's confrontation with the Balrog in Moria from Fellowship of the Rings.
Following on in the vein of the Sherlock Holmes book nook revealed last month, the $130, 1201-piece Lord of the Rings set can either be displayed entirely unfurled, or folded up into a compacted version of the iconic scene that can be easily slotted into a book shelf (presumably one you've stuffed with plenty of Tolkien tomes).
Lego Lord of the Rings Balrog Book Nook
The Balrog Book Book includes, of course, a minifigure of Gandalf wielding his sword and staff, as well as a brick-built Balrog, which comes with a recreation of its flame whip as well as massive wings that unfurl outwards when the set is folded out, framed by columns of fire. And, of course, on the front of the set whether it's in the folded or unfolded configuration is a brick printed with Gandalf's legendary 'You shall not pass!' quote from the scene, guaranteeing you doing your best Ian McKellen impression whenever you look at it.
It's an unusual move for Lego to bring Lord of the Rings to some of its other product lines after it's spent the past few years exclusively treating it as a yearly one-off, and hopefully a sign that we might see more of Middle-earth than just one massively pricey set each year. An architecture set of Minas Tirith? An buildable art piece replicating the painting in Rivendell of Sauron and Isildur's battle? What about a botanicals set of the White Tree of Gondor, or a bundle of athelas? Hell, I can't be the only one thinking that the fellowship sailing past the Argonath might have made just as good as a book nook idea as Moria, honestly!
It might not be a return to the full-throated Lord of the Rings line that some fans might have wished for, but it lets us hope–even if it's just a fool's hope–that we might start seeing Lord of the Rings pop up on Lego shelves a little more regularly.
The Lego Lord of the Rings Balrog Book Nook is available to pre-order now, ahead of a release on June 1.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Lego discount codes for June 2025 – how to save 20%
Lego is one of the most iconic brands in the world. While its classic sets remain favourites, newness is launching all the time, with some of the latest to look forward to including the Bluey and a Nintendo Gameboy sets to land this year. From the Star Wars enthusiast to the Twilight fanatic, there's a set for every interest and age group. To help you build your collection for less, our expert deal hunters are always on the lookout for the best Lego deals and special offers. We've got top tips on how to save on Lego sets, plus all the perks you can get with a Lego Insiders membership. To shop savvy and spend less on your next purchase, we'd recommend checking out the latest deals in the Lego sale. Right now you can save up to half price on a selection of Lego sets and merchandise. While away the hours tackling a 1,000-piece Lego puzzle, which is now 30 per cent off (was £15.99, now £11.19). If you haven't already signed up, it's a good idea to look into Lego Insiders. The membership is free to join and grants exclusive access to Lego perks. For instance, free gifts are thrown in when you buy a new set, which, at the moment, is the iconic Simpsons living room. Plus, get members-only early access and exclusive rewards, think special discounts and Legoland tickets. Students, there are special Lego student discounts just for you too. Make sure you're set up with a Student Beans account first, and you'll be able to get free delivery when your shopping basket comes to more than £50. What's more, if you spend £180, you'll get a free gift, too. Meanwhile, budding Lego enthusiasts will be able to get their hands on free printed Lego magazines. Delivered four times a year and suitable for ages five to nine, these magazines are filled with Lego activities, comics, posters and more to keep little Lego fans entertained for hours. Have you lost Lego somewhere? A piece or two will inevitably go missing now and again, but Lego has a solution – its piece replacement service means no set needs ever go unfinished. Similarly, you'll be able to request a replacement for any broken pieces. You can also further curate builds by buying a host of extra pieces, from bricks to minifigure parts, so you can really get creative. The Independent has been a trusted consumer champion since 1986, reporting on behalf of our readers to find the best deals and discounts. Whether it's Lego coverage, regular deals coverage or helping you source the top offers during some of the biggest annual shopping events (think Amazon Prime Day, Black Friday and the Boxing Day sales), our team are always looking out for the best ways to save you money on the products worth buying. We only ever select offers on the brands and retailers that we trust.
Tom's Guide
6 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
Father's Day sale — 15 gift ideas I'd shop from Patagonia, Under Armour and more
The first week of June is officially underway and while there are no major retail holidays this month, there's one big event that'll be here before you know it. I'm talking about Father's Day. Father's Day 2025 falls on June 15th and while that's still roughly two weeks out, now is the best time to do your shopping if you want your gift delivered on time. Additionally, there are plenty of Father's Day sales happening this week with gifts for just about any budget. One of my favorite Father's Day sales right now comes courtesy of Amazon. For a limited time, Amazon has Father's Day gifts on sale from $5. The sale include fun gifts like aprons and polo shirts as well as top sellers like Bluetooth speakers and small kitchen appliances. Not to be outdone, the Home Depot Father's Day sale is also live with discounts on power tools, grills, mowers, and more. (You can shop our top deals in this roundup). To help you pick out the best sales and gifts, I've picked out my top 15 picks from today's biggest sales. Make sure you don't hesitate because June 15th will be here before you know it. Under Armour: deals from $5 @ AmazonIt's not the biggest Under Armour sale I've seen at Amazon, but if you're looking for the lowest prices — this is your sale. Amazon has select Under Amour apparel on sale from $5. It includes men's t-shirts, socks, shorts, and more. Adidas sale: deals from $6 @ AmazonFrom t-shirts to sneakers, Amazon is offering a wide variety of Adidas deals on men's apparel. After discount, deals start as low as $6. It's a huge sale with deals for every budget. Lego sale: deals from $8 @ AmazonThe best Lego deals can usually be found in November and December, so I'm a little shocked that so many Lego sets are on sale now for Father's Day. You can get everything from Disney to Star Wars as well as generic sets. We Made Too Much: picks from $9 @ LululemonLululemon has restocked its "We Made Too Much" section with new running shorts, t-shirts, accessories, and more. Prices start as low as $9. Additionally, Lululemon also has a Father's Day gifts section with more picks for dad. Carhartt sale: deals from $9 @ AmazonIf you're looking to upgrade your dad's wardrobe, Carhartt has tons of rugged and stylish pieces he'll want to rock all season long. YETI sale: up to 20% off @ AmazonFor anyone who is always on the go, Amazon has multiple Yeti tumblers, coolers, and ramblers on sale from $17. We rarely see YETI deals so I recommend hopping on this ASAP. If you want dad to wear the Patagonia logo proudly, this is the hat for him. This close-fitting, low-crown trucker hat has an organic cotton front, a recycled polyester mesh back and an adjustable snap closure. Crocs: deals from $20 @ AmazonIf dad needs shoes with some extra traction, Amazon has a large range of Crocs on sale from $20. In addition to their treaded sole, many of them also have an adjustable fabric strap to keep them securely on your feet. These shorts are crafted for runners, thanks to reflective extras, a brief liner, two pockets, and an adjustable drawcord on the waist. But, you don't have to be exercising to enjoy a pair of shorts with added utility — especially when they're on sale. Appliance sale: deals from $59 @ Best BuyBest Buy is taking up to 40% off select small and large appliances. After discount, prices start as low as $59. The sale includes brands such as Ninja, Instant Pot, Samsung, LG and more. The Wonderboom 4 is built for the outdoors with a rugged design and sturdy build. We really liked the speaker in our UE Wonderboom 4 review, especially the surprisingly bassy sound that you might expect from a larger speaker. 16 hours of battery life means you'll be able to get through most of the day on a charge. This Blueair Air Purifier is ideal to handle rooms with a coverage of up to 1,858 sq ft. It includes a HEPASilent, dual filtration technology that can remove at least 99% of airborne particles. I've been using this model for months and also like that it's very quiet and includes an accompanying app, so you can control your settings or check on your filter status from your phone. What's more, with its modern design, it'll suit the decor in any room. The 2025 iPad features a larger 11-inch (2360 x 1640) screen, A16 CPU, 12MP rear/front cameras, USB-C connectivity, and Magic Keyboard Folio ($249) support. The base model features 128GB of storage, which double the capacity of its predecessor. It's available in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB capacities. The new Apple Watch boasts a thinner/lighter design, faster charging, and a new FDA-authorized sleep apnea detection feature. Other new key features include 30% more screen area, rounded corners, and a first-ever wide-angle OLED display. In our Apple Watch 10 review we said the optimized watchOS 11 experience and faster charging are worthwhile and make this the Apple Watch to get for most people. Tools and power equipment: up to $150 off @ Home DepotThere's a large range of savings across Home Depot's vast collection of tools right now. These offers include serious savings on everything from power drills to riding mowers.
CNN
7 hours ago
- CNN
Lego just released a new Red Maple Bonsai Tree set, and I couldn't wait to build it
The Lego Botanical line includes some of the company's most popular building kits. They're exciting for long-time Lego fans like myself thanks to intricate designs, as well as newer builders who are just looking to assemble a cute plant model. To start off June, there are two new sets entering the collection, including a majestic Japanese Red Maple Bonsai Tree and a pack of affordable little Happy Plants figures. I spent the weekend building both kits for myself, and let me tell you, they're some of the best Lego kits of the year. Lego Japanese Red Maple Bonsai Tree The newest life-like plant from Lego is here. This Japanese Red Maple is a more colorful spin on the classic bonsai tree and is comprised of nearly 500 pieces. There's no need to water this plant, either, nor do you need to meticulously prune its branches like with the real thing. Lego Happy Plants On the smaller side, Lego has extended its Botanicals collection to include something a little sillier. This Happy Plants set assembles two characters with swappable plants that rest in their heads. As much as I love Lego Star Wars sets and other creations based on the latest in pop culture, there's no denying the draw of these home decor-style models. The Lego Botanicals line has converted so many of my friends, coworkers and readers into Lego fans, and the two new kits that launched this month certainly look like they'll be continuing that trend. The Lego Japanese Red Maple Bonsai Tree is easily the highlight of this month's new releases. But, I also instantly fell in love with the Happy Plants set. So, I'll talk about both of them down below. Lego first launched its Botanicals line all the way back in 2020. The very first kit in the collection was a bonsai tree, so this month's release of the Red Maple is offering a fresh take on the buildable plant that started it all. The first version was so popular that it sold out right at launch and kept that hard-to-find status for months on end. History may repeat itself with the newest kit, as the Japanese Red Maple Bonsai Tree looks to be every bit as enticing as the original bonsai tree. I've been scouting this set out for months and have been waiting for it to hit store shelves since it was revealed earlier in the year. Over the weekend, I went and picked it up for myself and immediately got to work assembling the 474-piece creation. I love the vibrant colors on this plant, as well as the layered leaf design that gives the model's branches a dense and life-like appearance. The Japanese Red Maple Bonsai Tree is so detailed that you'll have to squint to even see the studs that would identify as a Lego kit. Its building process employs quite a few interesting techniques to achieve its regal final design, taking advantage of the same foliage piece that comes in three warm hues. I also love that the base resembles a dark green pot to really make it feel like the real thing — of course, without any actual soil. This model's $60 price tag is a bit steeper than previous entries in the Botanical collection, but the finished build is also a bit larger. A lot of recent Lego kits have been doing the opposite, scaling down the final product to help keep its price in check. So in this case, I'm thrilled to see Lego branching out to deliver a more impressive plant instead of having shrunk the Red Maple to match the size of the original bonsai tree. Alongside the newest Lego bonsai tree, another kit just launched in the Botanicals collection. The Happy Plants set is a departure from the other models that have been trickling into the lineup over the past few years, but one that I'm quite happy to see. Lego first showed me this kit back at New York Toy Fair, and I've been excited to write about it ever since. While other brick built botanicals aim to recreate like-like versions of the real thing, these Happy Plants figures are a bit more playful. The kit includes two of the adorable characters with interchangeable plants to swap between them. The blue figure sits on your desk or shelf with a baby pilea plant, while their yellow counterpart stands up to show off a baby dracaena plant. Each of the builds aren't quite as detailed as the usual kits in this Lego theme, but that just makes them more accessible. The $23 price tag fits that, as well. After building the kit myself, this launch stands out for younger Lego builders and anyone else just getting into the hobby. Lego only releases a couple of kits like this every year. While hundreds of sets will debut across themes like Star Wars, Marvel and Ninjago, builders are only treated to a handful of builds in the Botanicals collection. And with as popular as these kits have been for CNN Underscored readers, I knew I had to share the latest releases in the realm of Lego kits for adults. The launch of the Japanese Red Maple Bonsai Tree and Happy Plants sets are so good, in fact, that I went out and bought them myself. So, if a new product launch is good enough for a massive Lego fan like myself to spend her own money on, it's worth writing about. Whether you're shopping for yourself or for a Lego gift, these kits are easily worth recommending after building them for myself. Here at CNN Underscored, we make it our job to stay up to date on all the latest products, but we don't just find them; we also rigorously test products from hundreds of brands to make sure every gift you give is a hit. In the case of this shopping guide for the new 2025 Lego sets, you're getting recommendations from a lifelong Lego fan. Senior deals editor Rikka Altland has been building Lego since before she could form full sentences. She has also been writing about Lego professionally for nearly a decade and has been building kits for over twice as long. Altland is constantly buying new models, so when she says she loves a kit and thinks it's worth buying, she's putting her money where her mouth is.
