New Lego Lord Of The Rings & Harry Potter Sets Are Unique Bookshelf Decorations

Lego couldn’t have picked a better reference to use in the Lord of the Rings: Book Nook. The 1,201-piece set features a buildable Balrog figure with a placard that reads: „You shall not pass.“ This pays homage to the conversation between Gandalf, who is represented as a Lego minifigure, and a Balrog in the movie adaptation of The Fellowship of the Ring. In the J.R.R. Tolkien novel, the exchange is worded „cannot pass“ instead of „shall not pass.“

Lego’s new Book Nook display models can be displayed in multiple different ways. After building the frame that houses Balrog and Gandalf, you can close it like a book, as shown above, and wedge it between two Lord of the Rings books on your bookshelf. Every time you look at it, the Balrog will remind you that you should probably read The Hobbit before The Lord of the Rings.

For big readers who own numerous copies of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, this Lego set looks like a cool way to spice up a shelf filled with collectible editions of Tolkien’s fantasy stories.

That said, it’s also the cheapest Lord of the Rings Lego set in print right now–by a considerable margin. The only other Lord of the Rings Lego sets currently being produced are the 5,471-piece Barad-dur tower for $460, the sprawling 6,167-piece Rivendell replica for $500, and the recently released recreation of The Shire for $270.

For that reason, the Balrog Book Nook could be of interest to fans who read all of their books on Kindle. You can display the Balrog and Gandalf minifigure with the frame unfolded. The base has flames extending upward on both sides of the Balrog. When opened, the Book Nook is 17.5 inches wide, 8.5 inches tall, and 6.5 inches deep. Alternatively, you can remove the Balrog and Gandalf minifigure from the base altogether.

If you need more Lord of the Rings books to keep the Balrog Book Nook company, check out our newly published roundup of new and upcoming Tolkien book box sets and budget-friendly collector’s editions.

Harry Potter’s upcoming Book Nook is an 832-piece recreation of Platform 9 and 3/4 at King’s Cross Station. The scene depicts Harry and Ron pushing their trunks through the hidden entryway to board the Hogwarts Express. The set includes a buildable Hogwarts Express and minifigures of Harry and Ron, who are accompanied by their pets, Hedwig and Scabbers. The build has strategically placed mirrors designed to make the train look larger.

The Hogwarts Express Book Nook functions a bit differently than the Lord of the Rings model, as books can be placed between each side when it’s fully unfolded. When closed like a book, you can move the Harry and Ron minifigures to their cabin with Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans accessories. The closed display model can then be placed on your shelf between your Harry Potter books.

The Hogwarts Express Book Nook is $30 cheaper than the other two, but the piece count is lower and its slightly smaller overall at 6.5 x 15 x 2.5 inches.

You can preorder the Harry Potter Book Nook for $100 at Amazon.

The 1,359-piece Lego Sherlock Holmes Book Nook lets fans of the iconic detective build a a 8 x 14.5-inch model of Baker Street, including Sherlock’s 221B apartment. The set comes with five minifigures:

• Sherlock Holmes
• Professor Moriarty
• Dr. Watson
• Irene Adler
• Paige (new to Sherlock Holmes)

One cool aspect about this build is that the front exterior wall includes a large recreation of the Sherlock Holmes silhouette logo, so you have another way to display this one beyond the open and closed poses.

Along with building the exterior walls of multiple buildings, including the Elementary Bookshop and the apartment complex, you’ll piece together the inside of Sherlock’s home. Fittingly, the model has several interactive secrets, including a fake wall in Sherlock’s apartment and Moriarty’s hideout, which are revealed when turning a dial. Other interactive components include a revolving book display window and a sliding terrace door.

The Sherlock Holmes Book Nook is exclusive to the Lego Store and Barnes & Noble.