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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
I loved the way the story continued in a whole new place. Ready for book 3
This was beautiful. I'd read the first Wizard of Earthsea years ago but had never followed up on the series. I read a lot of other Le Guin books, particularly the Hainish cycle stuff, but I wasn't into a lot of fantasy. I remembered thinking the first book was great but thought the series was going to be more, "lad growing up and finding himself" business. I refreshed myself on the original, read the Wiki and it all came back. But I didn't even need to.
A young high priestess of a mysterious religious kingdom. Her world is very isolated and strict and she is starting to doubt that there is no more to the world outside. But then she catches Sparrowhawk trying to rob a powerful amulet and traps him in the ancient, mazelike catacombs beneath the temple. What follows is a very touching story as the characters proceed to have a conversation about the world outside, magic, and her role in religion. Soon she's planning on joining Sparrowhawk to escape the cult-like kingdom. Le Guin's prose is beautiful and the experience is very philosophical and magical. It's a book for teens, but the experience is universal. It's not as complex as her other stuff but anyone can read it and appreciate its elegance and inspiring message.
A young high priestess of a mysterious religious kingdom. Her world is very isolated and strict and she is starting to doubt that there is no more to the world outside. But then she catches Sparrowhawk trying to rob a powerful amulet and traps him in the ancient, mazelike catacombs beneath the temple. What follows is a very touching story as the characters proceed to have a conversation about the world outside, magic, and her role in religion. Soon she's planning on joining Sparrowhawk to escape the cult-like kingdom. Le Guin's prose is beautiful and the experience is very philosophical and magical. It's a book for teens, but the experience is universal. It's not as complex as her other stuff but anyone can read it and appreciate its elegance and inspiring message.
Wanted to like this book but it was too dark for me. Priestess girl child who serves dead gods in a labyrinth tomb? No thanks. Honestly surprised I finished
I just loved this book. Ursula is such an amazing writer and story teller. Her afterward comments in the newly released version of this series is wonderful to read as well.
dark
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Tenar is probably my favorite character of all time. Amazing.
4.65 //
Okay, like the start of this was such a dragggg but I stuck it through and I was delightfully rewarded for the fruits of my labor.
Arha was a bit of a character but she was cool and it was nice to see the story from her point of view. But, when my boy, Ged, came in? It was over, I was sold.
I ate this book up, now I need the next one!
Okay, like the start of this was such a dragggg but I stuck it through and I was delightfully rewarded for the fruits of my labor.
Arha was a bit of a character but she was cool and it was nice to see the story from her point of view. But, when my boy, Ged, came in? It was over, I was sold.
I ate this book up, now I need the next one!
I really enjoyed this book of the Earthsea Cycle, partly because I really liked Tenar and I liked the interactions she and Sparrowhawk have in the tombs. It was good to read that Ged has never forgotten the lessons hard won from the first book and that he gently passed on those lessons to Tenar. I also like his solution as to what to do with her at the end and hope that I will see more of her in the future. Looking forward to the next book!
A great followup to [b:A Wizard of Earthsea|59920|A Wizard of Earthsea (Earthsea Cycle, #1)|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1170537240l/59920._SY75_.jpg|113603], we follow this time a young girl named Tenar stripped of her name from the age of five, and made to be the reincarnation of the First Priestess of the Dark Ones.
She doesn't understand anything at first, as she is five. She learns the rituals, at first for interest, then she firmly believing believe her to be the ruler of her domain, only answering to her unheard Masters.
She learns everything about her "self" (the Priestess), and her Labyrinth (the drawing of which is included, like the map of Earthsea in the last book). A world of darkness, "where no light ever shone".
And we see the politics of the land, as they are teaching the girl a history she "already knows," how the temples to the male gods were usurped by the erstwhile kings, then Godkings, but her women-only temple remains untouched.
An interesting type of Character that I'd like to see again: though Tenar is an individual herself, just born the same night within searching distance when the previous priestess died, she is raised to be the same woman : "this is your bedroom, don't you remember?" from a young age so that she believes it herself. This has been done for this Priestess title since time immemorial, the same indoctrination by attendants who teach their attendants. In short, while each priestess is individual, the Individual of the High Priestess has a continuance since the beginning of the temple. It sort of reminds me of Doctor Who in that manner, except that the memories of previous incarnations are given to her, taught to her as if they were her own. This has a great implication for plasticity of the mind and the power of religious organizations to manipulate reality, even when they have no clear concept of 'why'.
And then one day she meets the Sparrowhawk.
Though an Archmage of the West, these white folk don't have wizards and Tenar's cloistered life hasn't seen them, or even the sea. When she escapes that world (minor spoiler but it's an inevitable plotline) he reassures her telling her she is now free. Which relates to me for the difficult transition to a world post-religion, leaving the cults of theistic thoughts, dumping all you know, which amounts to nothing more than a map of a crummy labyrinth and some ceremonial dances.
But oh, the Brave new world / That hath such people in't... the fact that she's racially cloistered as well (pretty much only the Kardish lands have white people on this ... planet? world? I'm pretty sure it's at least flat if not non-continuous-- you can't reach east by going west...) more reminders of growing up on the prairies especially in Catholic schools in the 80s-90s..
Anyway, I do like Le Guin's magic, which is even rare in this book, but much more naturalistic than hocus pocus wave a wand. Illusion is easy, especially for the uninitiated, you can make a burlap sack pretend to look like an evening gown (As a church can make mental diversity look like sin). But if you want to change something, you have to change its essence and its relationship to all other things. To know a thing's true name gives you power over a thing. Ged can command a rabbit to come to him, but to use that power to get an easy meal for the night is wrong, simply because it is a breach of trust; not because some cosmic entity or Dark Ones or Magical Ministry will punish him.
Anyway first few chapters are slow ish but it gets good fast in the last couple.
She doesn't understand anything at first, as she is five. She learns the rituals, at first for interest, then she firmly believing believe her to be the ruler of her domain, only answering to her unheard Masters.
She learns everything about her "self" (the Priestess), and her Labyrinth (the drawing of which is included, like the map of Earthsea in the last book). A world of darkness, "where no light ever shone".
And we see the politics of the land, as they are teaching the girl a history she "already knows," how the temples to the male gods were usurped by the erstwhile kings, then Godkings, but her women-only temple remains untouched.
An interesting type of Character that I'd like to see again: though Tenar is an individual herself, just born the same night within searching distance when the previous priestess died, she is raised to be the same woman : "this is your bedroom, don't you remember?" from a young age so that she believes it herself. This has been done for this Priestess title since time immemorial, the same indoctrination by attendants who teach their attendants. In short, while each priestess is individual, the Individual of the High Priestess has a continuance since the beginning of the temple. It sort of reminds me of Doctor Who in that manner, except that the memories of previous incarnations are given to her, taught to her as if they were her own. This has a great implication for plasticity of the mind and the power of religious organizations to manipulate reality, even when they have no clear concept of 'why'.
And then one day she meets the Sparrowhawk.
Though an Archmage of the West, these white folk don't have wizards and Tenar's cloistered life hasn't seen them, or even the sea. When she escapes that world (minor spoiler but it's an inevitable plotline) he reassures her telling her she is now free. Which relates to me for the difficult transition to a world post-religion, leaving the cults of theistic thoughts, dumping all you know, which amounts to nothing more than a map of a crummy labyrinth and some ceremonial dances.
But oh, the Brave new world / That hath such people in't... the fact that she's racially cloistered as well (pretty much only the Kardish lands have white people on this ... planet? world? I'm pretty sure it's at least flat if not non-continuous-- you can't reach east by going west...) more reminders of growing up on the prairies especially in Catholic schools in the 80s-90s..
Anyway, I do like Le Guin's magic, which is even rare in this book, but much more naturalistic than hocus pocus wave a wand. Illusion is easy, especially for the uninitiated, you can make a burlap sack pretend to look like an evening gown (As a church can make mental diversity look like sin). But if you want to change something, you have to change its essence and its relationship to all other things. To know a thing's true name gives you power over a thing. Ged can command a rabbit to come to him, but to use that power to get an easy meal for the night is wrong, simply because it is a breach of trust; not because some cosmic entity or Dark Ones or Magical Ministry will punish him.
Anyway first few chapters are slow ish but it gets good fast in the last couple.