As with "Ramayana" by William Buck, we find that every creature has its function and that there is not black and white in this purpose. Frodo alludes to this when he thinks of Gandalf, Aragorn, and Gollum in the part they play.
I HIGHLY recommend The Price of Immortality by C.M. Whitlock, it is a must read.
Here is where "The Two Towers" story begins. Boromir is killed while trying to protect hobbits Merry and Pippin from the evil orcs. The three other members of the Company, Aragorn the Ranger, Legolas the Elf, and Gimli the Dwarf, set out to rescue them. They realize that the orcs are not of the forces of Sauron, but someone else. Then a member of the Fellowship Gandalf the wizard, whom they thought was killed, tells them that the orcs are working under the wizard Saruman. Before Saruman had been good but had turned to evil and wants the powers of the Ring. Gandalf tells them that Merry and Pippin have escaped are in the capable hands of Treebeard and the Ents. Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli to instead go to the lands of Rohan to help King Theoden in the upcoming war from the forces of Saruman. Here ends part one of the book. The second part tells about Frodo and Sam's quest to the land of Mordor with the unexpected help of... Gollum!
J.R.R. Tolkien is certainly a genius, "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy have such a depth to it! Middle-Earth is so believable with all the legends, history, geography, language, and races so thought out. Reading the books, I was captivated and couldn't put the books down. Probably one of the best books I've ever read, or will ever read.
One of my favorite characters is Legolas the Elf. Elves are so fascinating to me. They're so mysterious, so a part of nature, and a good companion to have. It's so funny how though Elves and Dwarves don't get along too well, Legolas and Gimli are the best of companions and inseparable. Another favorite character is Pippin the hobbit. He's so cheerful, brave, and seems to always get into trouble!
I can't honestly say which of the books if my favorite since they're all fantastic. My suggestion to you is that if you are planning to read the books, you should have the whole trilogy on hand, "The Fellowship of the Rings", "The Two Towers", and "The Return of the King". Also I think it will be a good idea to read "The Hobbit", which is a prelude to the trilogy and it tells how Frodo's uncle, Bilbo Baggins, go a hold of the Ring. Most enjoyable I think for ages 12 and up since I think the books will be a little complicated for younger kids.