I have posted a few Lego builds before. I was given a voucher as a gift and so went shopping in the big Lego store in Leicester Square when we were in London. There are so many to choose from, but I had several on my wish list. I do not just go for one theme and this time I opted for something from Lord of the Rings. The Balrog Book Nook is aimed at adults with 1201 pieces and over 300 build steps. Book nooks seem to be quite a thing at the moment. They are designed to fit on a shelf amongst your books and I will have to find space for this one.
The kit came in nine bags, which generally had a smaller bag inside with some of the parts. I tend to do them on a baking tray to reduce the risk of losing anything, but this tray does make it hard to see the black parts and there are a lot of those here.
Most of the parts are for the frame that echoes the style of the dwarf mine with added flames.
As you can see the model opens up so you can take in all the detail with the wings attached so that they unfold.
In the book and movie Gandalf the Grey is leading a party of adventurers through the seemingly abandoned Dwarf Mines of Moria. They manage to get the attention of an army of orcs, goblins and trolls who pursue them to the bridge at Khazad-dûm. This is when the huge Balrog, a creature of flame, makes an appearance. It faces off against Gandalf on the bridge whilst the rest of the party flee to safety. I will not reveal how that turns out in case you want to avoid spoilers. I have read the book several times, including once to one of the kids. That took a while.
The Balrog has a flaming whip whilst Gandalf has his staff and sword.
Could this be the only Lego set to include a Hive witness in the form of 
It was a fun build with lots of fiddly bits. The design is clever and seems quite robust. I think I had more spare parts than other kits I have done. There always seem to be extras of the smaller parts, but then they are at risk of being lost. I built it over several days as I see no point in rushing and I enjoy the process.
Lego can be expensive, but I think it is good quality. My parents still have my Lego from when I was a kid. They have some massive sets that cost several hundred pounds, but I do not really have space to display those.