The Lord of the Rings No. 5 — cryptic crossword

A themed (The Lord of the Rings) toughie puzzle: 42 clues on a 15×15 grid. Solve it online — check your answers as you go, ask for a hint, and read how each clue works once it is solved.

Across

1. Tim's debut novel handed in (9)
6. Demands jobs, time off (4)
9. Request some tusks are returned (3)
10. Leaks from zoo sent back east and south (5)
11. Iron tines forged for embedding (9)
13. Courage holding son in squalls (5)
14. One who caught young Frodo pinching mushrooms: grower with grub (6,6)
15. Still driven back by glacial snow (4)
17. Numbness after swimming the Asian sea (11)
20. Dwarf lost in Moria! (3)
22. Slippery customer turned to shelter (3)
24. Lembas, say, to feed men at the start of the trek (11)
27. Made from honey, fermented! (4)
29. Jokes of fate where Gollum fell for good (6,2,4)
32. Bother over sauce (5)
34. Advise engineers and firm with motorway repair (9)
35. Spy a gentleman (5)
36. Mineral, originally of rich earth (3)
37. Cuts old sayings (4)
38. Relaxed about muscle, highly regarded (9)

Down

1. Wolf snake at play? One in a flurry (9)
2. Strange-sounding fete (5)
3. Offspring matter (5)
4. Win with trump taking one heart initially (7)
5. Ed signs new plans (7)
6. Broken statue is sharp (6)
7. Heavens! No energy for runners (4)
8. Boys, it's said, are stars (4)
9. Oath rang out for two great kings of stone (8)
12. Alternative in Goth era (5)
16. Veto fixed? Have your say (4)
18. Competent at hiding a blemish (4)
19. Condition of my drones, wrecked (8)
21. Suggested I'm tainted, wrongly (9)
23. Man of letters introducing the acts? (5)
25. Obscure relative, a Republican (7)
26. Home teams show guts (7)
28. Elements losing force become players (6)
30. Stitch up king in glory (5)
31. Finished time — out in the open (5)
32. Plus points for experts (4)
33. Small cow is lighter (4)

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