Introduction:
The Hobbit is a stirring tale 13 dwarves, a wizard, an unfortunate hobbit, and the adventure of a lifetime (or several).
Description and summary of content:
The book itself remains what could be considered PG-13 throughout, offering action, story, and occasional comedy. The party of heroes encounters many foes along the way, and the events within often foreshadow and reference the continuation of the middle-earth trilogy, The Lord of The Rings.
Evaluation:
I find it to be quite outstanding, but not perfect. I rank it at the same degree (4.5) as Evil Genius and Living Hell, both by Catherine Jinks, my favorite author.
Conclusion:
Smaug is defeated, the goblins driven back, and the dwarves made peace with the men of dale and elves of the greenwood, now mirkwood. However, all is not well. Sauron has been revived, and the evils seeping back to the now peaceful lands of Mordor and beyond are only the beginning of the war of the one ring.