A Wizard of Earthsea: The First Book of Earthsea

Name: A Wizard of Earthsea: The First Book of Earthsea
Rating: 4.531914710998535 (141 reviews)

Ursula K. Le Guin

Apr 2015 · Hachette UK

4.5

141 reviews

Ebook

320

Pages

Eligible

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About this ebook

'Drink this magic up. Drown in it. Dream it' David Mitchell

Ged, the greatest sorcerer in all Earthsea, was called Sparrowhawk in his reckless youth.

Hungry for power and knowledge, Sparrowhawk tampered with long-held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon the world. This is the 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.

'The Earthsea trilogy . . . is a memorable exploration of the relationship between life and death. . . Ged, its hero, must face his shadow self before it devours him. Only then will he become whole. In the process, he must contend with the wisdom of dragons: ambiguous and not our wisdom, but wisdom nonetheless' Magaret Atwood

Ratings and reviews

4.5

141 reviews

Adele Horn (PO1)

March 10, 2024

I'm 75% into this book. and not a single female character of consequence. any woman referred to directly is evil, useless or derided. all witches' magic is belittled. it's just a sausage fest. the protagonist is a whiny dude as well. and this is from a woman author? girly no. I kept on waiting for some kind reveal that the witches are important. but nothing. not going to bother finishing this.

Virginia Hanley

June 8, 2018

An amazing book, not just because of the great writing. A fabulous set of characters. The book is only 90 pages long which normally I wouldn't buy. It seemed like a full novel. Not in a bad way. I was well satisfied even at that length. Perhaps that is just a piece of magic. The story finished with a complete ending which is becoming more and more rare. I will certainly read more of the authors work.

11 people found this review helpful

Adam Storrow

January 16, 2020

An absolute joy. Le Guin effortlessly draws you into the world of Earthsea, this first story is an engaging tale that feels well-worn but still fresh and new and gives a tantalising peek into a wider world. I can't wait to read the rest.

4 people found this review helpful

About the author

Ursula K. Le Guin is one of the finest writers of our time. Her books have attracted millions of devoted readers and won many awards, including the National Book Award, the Hugo and Nebula Awards and a Newbery Honor. Among her novels, The Left Hand of Darkness, The Dispossessed and the six books of Earthsea have attained undisputed classic status; and her recent series, the Annals of the Western Shore, has won her the PEN Center USA Children's literature award and the Nebula Award for best novel. In 2014 Ursula Le Guin was awarded the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. She lived in Portland, Oregon, until she passed away in January 2018.

Read more at http://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/le_guin_ursula_k

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