If the Ainulindalë is the most primal story of ""the beginning,"" the Valaquenta is a quaint recap and cast of characters. The Valaquenta touches on the important events of the Ainulindalë, with further description of the four primary characters--Melkor, Manwe, Ulmo, and Aule--followed by the expanded cast of characters in Tolkien's cosmology. And I'll be honest, at first, I found these ""Powers"", the Valar--those of the Ainor who entered into Ea--flat, uninteresting, stereotypical rip-offs. I mean, really. Melkor is your typical evil deity. He loves fire and tries to undo anything good that the others create. Sadly, he's not even...
