The last ringbearer

[fph]

I'm currently reading The Last Ringbearer, and the recent thread on "should @ be fighting 'good' monsters such as Arien and Radagast" made me want to post a thread here. If the search function doesn't fail me, there is no thread on this book yet.

From Wikipedia:

The Last Ringbearer (Russian: ПоŃ?НодниК кольценоŃ?ец) is a 1999 fantasy book by Russian author Kirill Eskov. It is an alternative account of, and an informal sequel to, the events of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

The novel is based on the premise that the Tolkien account is a "history written by the victors". In Eskov's version of the story, Mordor is described as a peaceful country on the verge of an industrial revolution, that is a threat to the war-mongering and imperialistic faction represented by Gandalf (whose attitude has been described by Saruman as "crafting the Final Solution to the Mordorian problem") and the elves.

I'm currently halfway trough it, but I find it an interesting take on the story. It has a distinct illuministic / rationalist tone, and seems like food for thought in this age of fake news.

[DrWho42]

i've been intrigued by its premise but haven't gotten around to seeking out a copy. is there a recommended edition?