3.86k reviews for:

The Tombs of Atuan

Ursula K. Le Guin

4.15 AVERAGE

annarichey's review against another edition

4.0

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I may need to take a breather from the Earthsea universe for a bit. This one was intense.

kaos127's review against another edition

3.0

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Tenar is taken from her home at the age of 5 and made Arha--The Eaten One--reborn priestess of the Nameless Ones. Her domain is darkness, Then Ged comes to Atuan to search for the lost half of the Ring of Erreth-Akbe--a powerful talisman. When Arha finds him in her domain, she imprisons Ged, but she can't bring herself to kill him. Ged discovers her true name and gives her his. Eventually, they escape and the Temple is destroyed in the process. They flee to the Inner Lands and freedom. Ged promises to take Tenar to Ogion to discover who she is.

raphael_rocha's review against another edition

3.25

adventurous lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

laura_de_leon's review against another edition

5.0

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This book was even better than I remember from many years ago.

anyberg's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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I think this is actually my favorite of the original trilogy. Tenar’s discovery that those who raised her have been using her as a pawn to preserve a harmful, fundamentalist religion of the Old Ones (who *are* real and have real power but but but) is genuine, painful, halting. Beautiful moment in the mountains with Ged after they escape. Ged is not the hero, they need each other

hildreth80's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

elliott_barrington's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

brosaleigh's review against another edition

5.0

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I think this is a new favorite book ever. Riveting and beautiful and full of hope. Aghh I loved it.

timgarris's review against another edition

3.0

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This is a much more straightforward story than the first book. It focuses mainly on being an introduction for a new character instead of establishing a new world. However, it's very short, and doesn't really have a significant conclusion. It almost feels like this should have been a short side story to this series instead of a full entry. I suppose short length and simplicity are part of what make this series aimed at younger readers, so I can't really take issue with it. Still, all things considered, I enjoyed this.

kaora4's review against another edition

3.0

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And at the year's end she is taken to the Hall of the Throne and he name is given back to those who are her Masters, the Nameless Ones: for she is the nameless one, the Priestess Ever Reborn.

Tenar is selected as a young child as the Priestess Reborn and taken from her family at the young age of 5 to become the guardian of the Tombs of Atuan. However, one day while walking the labyrinth of her domain, she comes across a young wizard, Sparrowhawk, searching for the treasure hidden there, the Ring of Erreth-Akbe. He brings with him magic, and makes her question everything she's been taught.

This was a relatively quick read, and while it seems that it did take a while for the story to pick up the pace, Le Guin does a great job of setting up the story and the characters.

It isn't exactly action packed, but the writing is beautiful and it makes me wonder what is to come in the books following in the series.