The LEGO The Lord of the Rings set you overlooked in 2025

A LEGO The Lord of the Rings set released six months ago has gone oddly under the radar, but it now deserves a second chance in the spotlight.

The return of LEGO The Lord of the Rings has been predominantly focused on more expensive models, but the license's most affordable Icons build yet has seemingly been more unpopular than the rest. The first LEGO The Lord of the Rings set released in 2025, following two prior releases of at least £399.99 / $459.99 / €459.99, was the 2,017-piece 10354 The Lord of the Rings: The Shire in April for £229.99 / $269.99 / €269.99.

This 2,000-piece model has not received many discounts since its launch in April and is still holding strong at its RRP at major retailers worldwide. This suggests a strong reception to the model, similar to both 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell and 10333 The Lord of the Rings: Barad-dûr.

Whether you remember or not, there was a second LEGO The Lord of the Rings set released just two months later, which is already subject to some deep discounts. However, it deserves a second chance, especially at a reduced cost. 10367 The Lord of the Rings: Balrog Book Nook was launched in June 2025 for £109.99 / $129.99 / €119.99 with 1,201 pieces. Though it has just one minifigure, it finally fulfils fans' desires for a proper Balrog figure, even bringing back some rare GWP material wing elements.

Judging by the fact that 10367 The Lord of the Rings: Balrog Book Nook is nearly a third off on Amazon UK after just six months on shelves, it would appear that many LEGO enthusiasts overlooked this model throughout the second half of 2025. That could be attributed to the many exciting releases in the latter half of the year, including the first Star Trek model, but the initially lukewarm reception from fans has certainly contributed to the build being understandably overlooked since its release.

Early reactions to the set this past summer saw many enthusiasts underwhelmed by the LEGO book nook, particularly when comparing it to the other nook builds launched in a similar timeframe. Criticisms focus less on the Balrog figure and more on the empty Moria model that is used as the foundation for the book nook.

It's certainly not as full as 76450 Book Nook: Hogwarts Express and 10351 Sherlock Holmes: Book Nook, but I still wholeheartedly believe that this is a model that needs to be built to be believed. That's not to say my thoughts on the build haven't changed whatsoever since June, though.

As I stated in my written and video review of the set earlier this year, the open concept at the sides, top and back allows light to more easily enter the build from all angles, naturally illuminating the interior, where the majority of the build is dark and harder to see when on a full shelf. These gaps let even a bit of light shine in from the sides with books on each side. This consequently makes it easier to admire the Balrog figure than it is to peer down Baker Street in 10351 Sherlock Holmes: Book Nook, for instance.

There's also the seamless integration of the unfolding wings to consider, for which any walls in the sides of the model would have made aligning them with the gaps in the columns at the front much more challenging. This effect, seen when unfolding the book nook, makes the lack of full walls to the sides of the build more worthwhile, though I can't escape the fact that the model is ultimately emptier than other LEGO book nooks.

Since sharing my initial thoughts on the model, I have come to appreciate the many opinions online stating that this model is too expensive. As impressive and accurate as the Balrog is, and as much as I love the way the warm lighting has been captured with different colours, some aspects of this build are lacking for the price. Namely, the fact that the wings and minifigure are reused (as rare as they might be), combined with the open nature of the model and the inherent lack of value that comes with it. That's not to mention the wisps of flames, using a minimal selection of pieces.

It hasn't helped that since the release of 10367 The Lord of the Rings: Balrog Book Nook, and my review of the set, 75691 Glinda & Elphaba Bookends has been revealed with numerous exclusive minifigures and nearly 150 more elements for the same price of £109.99 / $129.99 / €119.99. It undoubtedly looks much fuller than the 2025 The Lord of the Rings model and is still based on a licensed property.

I still believe that 10367 The Lord of the Rings: Balrog Book Nook should be given a fair chance, but it needs a decent discount to be worth the consideration of many enthusiasts.

Thankfully, the set has been largely overlooked for six months, and it can now be found at several UK retailers for 32% off, including Amazon. At £74.99, or around $80 / €80 when discounts in other regions become available, 10367 The Lord of the Rings: Balrog Book Nook is a standout LEGO The Lord of the Rings set. This is the perfect time to catch up on the set and the Balrog figure you probably overlooked earlier this year, now for a more reasonable asking price.

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