You shall not pass, at least not until you behold this Lego Lord of the Rings book nook

A man places a piece on the open Lego Balrog Book Nook — (Image credit: Lego)

Go back to the shadow, but not before you get a load of this new Lego Lord of the Rings set.

After weeks of rumors and leaks, the Lego Balrog Book Nook has emerged from the long dark of Moria in all its glory. Depicting the standoff between Gandalf and the demon on the Bridge of Khazad-dum in Fellowship of the Ring, this new kit isn't a display piece in the same way many of the best Lego sets are; as the name would suggest, it's made to go between your books on a bookshelf.

You can pre-order the kit now for $129.99 at Lego / £109.99 at Lego UK ahead of its June 1 release date. If like me you'd like to dig too greedily and too deep into the details, you'll find info and analysis below.

Lego Balrog Book Nook analysis

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Lego Balrog Book Nook nestled between books — (Image credit: Lego)

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Price	$129.99 / $109.99
Ages	18+
Pieces	1,201
Minifigures	1
Product number	10367
Release date	June 1

Lego has been doing a load more book nooks recently (including Sherlock Holmes), but this is the first one from Lord of the Rings. And honestly, you couldn't choose a better moment from the series to immortalize in book nook form than this. The narrow bridge of Khazad-dum, complete with the Balrog looming over Gandalf from the opposite end, is perfect for this format. It's already a scene with lots of depth but not much width, so that makes it a spot-on candidate for the job.

So far as construction goes, this kit is pretty straightforward compared to other sets like Lego Rivendell; it's a lot more modest at just over 1,200 pieces, and isn't overly complex in terms of decoration. Alongside the bridge and the pillars of Moria flanking it, flame pieces are placed on either side to simulate the Balrog's fire.

Speaking of the Balrog, he's a big boy; while we've seen this Gandalf minifigure before (it looks to be the same as previous ones, just without a hat), the monster itself is sizeable with a wide wingspan and a build that reminds me of old Bionicle figures.

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Lego Balrog Book Nook set against a plain background — (Image credit: Lego)

Do I think it does the demon of shadow and flame justice? I mean, sort of. Although I know book fans will come at me for saying so, I think the Balrog loses something when he's not wreathed in fire. With that in mind, I can't help thinking this version is a bit… well, naked. However, the head is brilliantly fearsome and I appreciate the fiery mane running down his neck.

My main criticism? More could have been done here at large, particularly for the price. I think the cost is steep considering what you're getting, and it looks a bit sparse despite those 1.2K pieces. Equally, this is one that really could have done with some lighting. A moody orange glow would truly set it off. That's nothing a quick bodge (or a third-party solution) can't fix, but still.

What do you think? Sound off in the comments.

Want something else fantastical to sink your teeth into? Check out the best tabletop RPGs.

I've been writing about games in one form or another since 2012, and now manage GamesRadar+'s tabletop gaming and toy coverage. You'll find my grubby paws on everything from board game reviews to the latest Lego news.

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