A Wizard of Earthsea
Books | Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / General
3.9
(1.6K)
Ursula K. Le Guin
The first novel of Ursula K. Le Guin's must-read Books of Earthsea. Ged was the greatest sorcerer in Earthsea, but in his youth he was the reckless Sparrowhawk. In his hunger for power and knowledge, he tampered with long-held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon the world.This is the tumultuous tale of his testing, how he mastered the mighty words of power, tamed an ancient dragon, and crossed death's threshold to restore the balance.With stories as perennial and universally beloved as The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings—but also unlike anything but themselves—Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea novels are some of the most acclaimed and awarded works in literature. They have received accolades such as the National Book Award, a Newbery Honor, the Nebula Award, and many more honors, commemorating their enduring place in the hearts and minds of readers and the literary world alike.Join the millions of fantasy readers who have explored these lands. As The Guardian put it: "Ursula Le Guin's world of Earthsea is a tangled skein of tiny islands cast on a vast sea. The islands' names pull at my heart like no others: Roke, Perilane, Osskil . . ."The Books of Earthsea include:A Wizard of EarthseaThe Tombs of AtuanThe Farthest ShoreTehanuTales from EarthseaThe Other Wind
Fantasy
High Fantasy
Epic Fantasy
AD
Buy now:
More Details:
Author
Ursula K. Le Guin
Pages
272
Publisher
HarperCollins
Published Date
2012-09-11
ISBN
0544084373 9780544084377
Ratings
Google: 5
Community ReviewsSee all
"A great introduction to the world, characters and cultures as one boy begins to train to be a wizard in the land of Earthsea, being taken under the wind of an experienced wizard to learn about the arts. Worth reading as this young man goes through a trail of his own making to come out a man of understanding!"
"I’m embarrassed to admit that this is the first time I’ve read this classic series. It did not disappoint: LeGuin’s lyrical prose style creates a mood of high medieval romance with an underlying note of menace. My only quibble is its pervasive…maleness. Given that the author was a pioneering female voice in fantasy writing, it’s disappointing that one of her most famous works has only 2 named female characters, one an untrustworthy schemer, and the second an idealized teen love object who only appears in the last few chapters. I know this was written in 1968, yet so was Dragonflight, the first in Anne McCaffrey’s Dragon Riders of Pern series, which features numerous fully developed women and girls in a similar fantasy world. It’s puzzling given what a feminist icon LeGuin became after writing The Left Hand of Darkness, which posits an “ambisexual” society."
"Don’t read this if you don’t love extensive world building and struggle with prose! It’s a beautiful story, but not everyone will enjoy it!"
R B
Rachel Balsinger