Late last month, a new LEGO® decor concept was unveiled, dubbed Book Nooks. These unique LEGO creations are inspired by famous literary works. These unique sets have been designed to be displayed and can be nestled between books or opened up to create a familiar scene. Previously revealed sets include Sherlock Holmes on Baker Street and Harry Potter’s Hogwarts Express on Platform 9 3/4. The third set in the Book Nook series is inspired by moments from The Lord of the Rings. In the Mines of Moria, Gandalf confronts the Balrog and that fiery meeting is depicted in the upcoming Book Nook. Here’s a closer look at this new set.
Product Details
Set Name: The Lord of the Rings: Balrog Book Nook | Set Number: 10367 | Pieces: 1201 | Theme: icons
Number of Bags: Bags x 9 | Instructions: Paper booklet + Builder App | Stickers: N/A | Characters: Gandalf the Grey
RRP: £109.99/129.99€/$119.99/199.99AUD/149.99CAD
Availability: LEGO Stores & LEGO Online June 1st
J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings books are famous worldwide wide but many people are more familiar with Middle-Earth through the films. During the first film, a Balrog known as Durin’s Bane is encountered by the Fellowship on the Bridge of Khazad-dûm. Gandalf the Grey sacrifices himself so Frodo and his companions can escape the Mines of Moria. The fiery beast is the focus of this upcoming Book Nook and is encased in a section of the mines.
When comparing this set to its two other fellow Book Nooks, it may appear rather basic. But don’t let appearances fool you, despite the outer section of the nook being a frame, it’s a deceptively detailed build. One which begins with the outer section of the Book Nook. This has a similar configuration to a book with a spine acting as the central point of the set and two panels or ‘covers’ connecting to it. These are styles to look like the rocky ruins of the Dwarven mines. Various coloured elements are layered to define the ornate columns, which become the frame of the exterior shell.
The panels are connected in a way so they can be spread open or enclosed to create a nook. There isn’t any sort of clutch power or even a clip to hold the nook together when enclosed. I did find that it would spring open due to the Balrog figure. So you may need to jiggle things around to keep the shut nook closed. Regardless of how you display the set, the large framed panels of the book are decorated with wisps of flames. These are created from transparent orange elements and give the set a dramatic appearance. They frame the Balrog nicely in both display options.
This is the Balrog’s second LEGO appearance, the first being a BrickHeadz set. But its appearance here is most certainly inspired by the creature from the films. The demonic beast’s gigantic stature may have been downscaled slightly, but it still towers over the Gandalf minifigure. Its construction is complex in places, so I highly recommend paying attention when building it. I was watching Severance whilst building the set and ended up having to start over twice as I placed a piece in the wrong way or used the wrong element. That’s not to say the instructions aren’t clear, but there are some similar pieces, and it’s easy to mix them up. The head section is particularly detailed, featuring two printed slops for the Balrog’s face, and several flame elements surround it.
The Balrog’s large wings are constructed from a frame of Technic elements, skinned with a film element. These clip over a series of ball pins to hold them neatly in place. The wings are also used to anchor the Balrog to the frame of the Book Nook. They simply slot into a couple of pin clips, with the wing tips slotted into a gap inside the inner column. When the Book Nook is opened, the wings automatically spread out and vice versa when closed. It’s a simple method which works well. It’s also the only way for the Balrog to be connected to the frame, despite there being studs on the central platform; there are no means to connect the Balrog’s feet to them. One thing I’m not a fan of it’s the Balrog’s flame whip. It doesn’t connect to anything, so it awkwardly just sits there. It would have been nice for it to at least clip to a point on the Book Nook’s surface.
Which leads nicely on to the set’s lone minifigure, Gandalf the Grey. The wise old wizard decides to face the Balrog, and it’s that moment which is the inspiration for this set. The Gandalf minifigure isn’t unique and is the same as the version found on the Bag End set from earlier this year. Although it ditches the cape for a staff and sword. Gandalf can be placed on the central platform of the nook, facing the Balrog and standing atop a printed tile quoting Gandalf’s iconic statement, “You Shall Not Pass”. As with many sets, it would have been nice to have a unique Gandalf minifigure, but he largely looks the same as previous versions at this point in the film.
Displayable LEGO models have seen a dramatic rise since the Icons theme was introduced. Whilst some still have the feel of a playset, the Book Nooks are purely for display. It’s clear that this set takes some inspiration from the popular Lord of the Rings films, but their stories originate from books. So the book connected still makes sense. As mentioned, the build of the set is surprisingly detailed, so don’t be put off by thinking it’s just a frame with a monster standing within it. It’s certainly not as detailed as the Sherlock Book Nook, and it maybe could have been clad in a rocky cover instead of being left open, I think it would have been better for it. It looks far better opened out which sort of defeats the object of being a Book Nook. Yet it still makes for an interesting display piece and one fans of The Lord of the Rings will want to add to their collection. The LEGO Icons The Lord of the Rings – Balrog Book Nook launches on June 1st and can be pre-ordered now.
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This set was provided to BricksFanz by the LEGO Group for review purposes. The thoughts within this review are those of BricksFanz and do not reflect those of the LEGO Group or Universal. Providing a set for free does not guarantee a favourable opinion of the set.
