Review: LEGO ICONS 10354 The Lord of the Rings The Shire

Today we are quickly interested in the content of the LEGO ICONS set 10354 The Lord of the Rings: The Shire, a box of 2017 pieces which will be available via the official online store from April 2, 2025 at a retail price of €269,99. This is already the third set for adult fans inspired by the universe of The Lord of the Rings after the references 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell (2023) et 10333 The Lord of the Rings: Barad-Dûr (2024), LEGO has decided this year to continue its momentum and is therefore tackling The Shire.

This is not the first time that the manufacturer has tried something on the subject, we remember the set 79003 An Unexpected Gathering (652 pieces) released in 2012 which was not without merit given the scale used. The 2025 version is much more ambitious than the playset offered in 2012 but the subject is still just as complicated to manage knowing that it is ultimately only a green hill which houses a hobbit house.

The staging proposed here is content with just one of these dwellings and LEGO preferred to associate the main construction with small modules which are in principle intended to give a little body to the whole.

These modules are, however, disconnected from the central assembly and will have to be displayed around the house without being able to connect them directly to it. These additional constructions linked to Bilbo's birthday are also of little interest and a little sloppy with a tree that is a little too rickety and mini-modules that are barely passable.

An important detail: the green tint present on the official visuals has been retouched to make it less "flashy" and the pieces concerned are indeed classic LEGO green, much more vivid. The manufacturer used an assortment of elements with a matte finish to try to obtain a uniformity of the plant surface without reflections, we can consider that it is a little more realistic like that.

For those wondering why the tree planted on the "roof" of the construction is so small compared to the one seen on screen, LEGO felt that a taller tree could have unbalanced the overall aesthetic of the product and therefore preferred to simulate a forced perspective effect via a more symbolic tree.

The construction is actually only half a hill, with a front face that takes on the attributes of the dwelling perfectly integrated into the surrounding vegetation and an open back face that reveals the interior of the premises. Why not, even if we could have imagined a complete hill that opens in two to reveal the internal fittings instead of this "half-cut" with a roof a little too short to cover the entire playset. Especially for €270.

The finish of the plant side of the place also seems to me to be very below what LEGO has offered us so far since the reboot from The Lord of the Rings range in ICONS version. Here we can clearly see the very large elements which give roundness to the construction and which embody the different layers of vegetation. In my opinion, it is a little too crude for a product of this caliber, especially if we have had the contents of the set 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell one day in the hands.

The children's playset of the set 79003 An Unexpected Gathering didn't do much better in 2012, but at least it had the merit of making an effort on the plant structure of the house with smooth surfaces. Here, we get a whole series of green layers that don't really highlight the pretty attributes of the house visible from the outside, such as the front door or the windows.

On the other side of the construction, it is much more neat with nice interior fittings and very well executed furniture. As I said above, the whole thing lacks a little depth due to the very short cut of the ceiling, LEGO could have better covered the different rooms of the place, it is not really a playset requiring optimal accessibility.

However, we can question the positioning of this product, the model is relatively accomplished and sold at a price that reserves it for a clientele that can afford this type of set but LEGO has still integrated some features that are more of a simple children's toy: a wheel to reveal the Ring in the fireplace, a cog wheel to turn the barrels of one of the independent constructions, it seems that the manufacturer does not want to deprive its customers of a few minutes of fun.

The banner wishing Bilbo a happy birthday and the roof of the supplied marquee are made of the usual soft material which collects dust quite well, I would have preferred plastic elements like for example Sam Wilson's wings in the LEGO Marvel set 76296 New Captain America Construction Figure. There are also a few stickers in this box, but nothing extravagant with a sheet of a few stickers. It's still too much for a product at this price that targets a demanding clientele, but we'll make do.

The figurine assortment is quite comprehensive with nine characters: Gandalf, Bilbo Baggins (Bilbo Baggins), Frodo Baggins (Frodo Baggins), Merry Brandybuck (Meriadoc Brandybuck), Peregrin Took (Peregrin "Pippin" Took), Samwise Gamgee (Samwise Gamgee), Rosie Cotton (Rosie Cotton), Mrs. Proudfoot (Madame Fierpied) and Everard Proudfoot (Everard Fierpied).

The pad printing is generally successful, all the torsos used here are new except that of Gandalf which was logically already delivered in the set 10316 The Lord of the Rings: RivendellThe character benefits from a new head and a small assembly of parts that allows him to actually sit on his cart, as is also the case for Belle in the set. 43263 Beauty and the Beast Castle.

Bilbo and Frodo also had a combination of parts at their disposal that allowed them to sit despite their short, non-articulated legs. Why not? This will allow for a variety of settings.

Upon arrival, this box doesn't give me the same feeling as the two previous sets, with the feeling that the subject matter is handled fairly well but doesn't benefit from the expected finish. It's still a bit crude on the plant part, and the additional constructions seem superfluous to me.

In two years, LEGO had accustomed us to very accomplished high-end proposals, here it is a little less the case with a playset for spoiled children which in my opinion goes a little outside the codes of this reboot from the range intended for an adult clientele who can afford to treat themselves.

This third set doesn't excite me that much, I'll make do because the set 79003 An Unexpected Gathering was not the version I expected from the Shire at the time. One box chases another, but it's without much conviction as far as I'm concerned.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at 7 April 2025 at 23:59 pm. Just post a comment under the article to participate. Your participation is taken into account regardless of your opinion. Avoid "I'm participating" or "I'm trying my luck", we suspect that this is the case.

Update : The winner was drawn and notified by email, his nickname is indicated below.