Author: Ursula Le Guin (born 1929)
Publisher: Penguin Books (1993 Edition)
Bought: Borders Parkway Parade
Introduction
Ursula K. Le Guin is a multi-award winning American author. She has an extensive body of work but she is probably best known for the Earthsea Cycle, a collection of short stories and novels set in a fictional world called Earthsea. The novels in the canon, year of publication and awards won are:
A Wizard of Earthsea (1968) (Lewis Carroll Shelf Award 1979)
The Tombs of Atuan (1971) (Newbery Honor 1972)
The Farthest Shore (1972) (National Book Award Children’s Books 1973)
Tehanu (1990) (Nebula Award Best Novel 1990, Locus Award Best Fantasy Novel 1991)
Tales from Earthsea (2001)
The Other Wind (2001) (World Fantasy Award 2002)
What is the story about?
In A Wizard of Earthsea , the protoganist Ged was a novice wizard from the island of Gont. He went to a school for wizards to master his powers. In the climax, he battled a malevolent shadow he had foolishly invoked in an arrogant attempt to show off his skill. In The Tombs of Atuan, which took place a few years after the previous book, Ged traveled to the island of Atuan in search of the missing half of a magical ring. There he met Tenar and helped her escape from the island. The third book, The Farthest Shore, began about 20 years after the previous book. Ged, then Archmage, accompanied Arren, a prince, to defeat Cob, a dark wizard who was threatening the entire world in his quest for immortality. The protagonists succeeded in vanquishing Cob (fighting even in the land of the dead) but Ged lost all his magical powers. In Tehanu, which took place almost immediately after the previous book, Ged returned to Gont where Tenar had been living with her adopted child Therru (true name Tehanu). The local mage, a disciple of Cob, sought to destroy the three of them. In their moment of crisis, they learned the true nature of the little girl Tehanu.
How is the book?
The first three novels in the canon are sometimes marketed as The Earthsea Trilogy. This paperback volume from Penguin includes the fourth novel.
Finally …
Good read.
1950 – today 