The story continues with the quest to destroy the One Ring. Boromir is dead, killed by Orc arrows. Merry and Pippin have been captured by Orcs. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli start tracking Merry and Pippin trail. They hear about the evil wizard Saruman and the battle brewing in the land of Rohan, and join a resurrected Mithrandir to unite and rouse the realm of men.
Meanwhile, Frodo and Sam are on their own journey to bring the Ring to Mount Doom, where it can be destroyed. They meet Gollum, a strange creature who once owned the Ring. Gollum becomes their guide but is also untrustworthy and torn between his desire for the Ring and his promise to help Frodo and Sam. Their journey is filled with danger as they encounter dark creatures and the forces of evil.
Merry and Pippin, on the other hand, escape from the Orcs, and encounter the Ents, a race of tree-like beings, and join them in a charge against Saruman’s lair, Isengard.
The story builds up to epic battles, including the defense of the city of Helm’s Deep and the attack on Isengard. The characters grow stronger in their resolve to defeat evil, and the ties between them deepen as they face great hardships together.
Despite the complex story-line involving several parallel threads, the book is an absolute page turner, with perfect pacing and rising tension; the end comes all too soon, leaving the reader wanting desperately to start the final concluding volume right away.