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4.17 AVERAGE
4.17 AVERAGE
Ursula LeGuin had to grow older to write this book, and I, I had to be closing in on sixty to read it. I am glad I lived long enough to return to Earthsea, whose very name teaches us that seeming opposites depend on each other—like the heroism of finding a way to go on living each day.
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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:
No
“Who dares ask questions of the dark? Who’ll ask the dark it’s name?”
“I will. I lived long enough in the dark,” she said.
“I will. I lived long enough in the dark,” she said.
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I would not suggest this as a stand-alone read or an entry point for Le Guin. It is a further exploration of the original Earthsea trilogy and a lot of the weight of the story (which is significant, I think) relies on knowledge of the previously established world
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual assault
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-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
BOOKS 1-4:
Earthsea is an established world we are thrust into to follow Ged’s adventures. We don’t need the entire history of the realm at the start, but it’s given to us as needed; this allows us to meet and know the characters as people first and then as fantasy characters (mages, priestesses, etc).
Ursula K Le Guin was one of the greats in fantasy in the 20th century and her writing still stands above many of the books that followed and tried to reach what she made.
Earthsea is an established world we are thrust into to follow Ged’s adventures. We don’t need the entire history of the realm at the start, but it’s given to us as needed; this allows us to meet and know the characters as people first and then as fantasy characters (mages, priestesses, etc).
Ursula K Le Guin was one of the greats in fantasy in the 20th century and her writing still stands above many of the books that followed and tried to reach what she made.
Up until the last two chapters, I had been considering giving this only 3 stars. It was certainly a nice story, learning about what happens with Ged and Tenar later in life. But much of the story didn't feel like it was building toward any kind of climax, and so I didn't find it particularly compelling until the end. Reading the afterword by Ursula Le Guin helped improve my opinion of it as well.
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
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
Tehanu! What a journey, a beautifully woven story grounded in Earthsea. Dragons, the impacts of language, power differences and exploration of gender.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
far and away the best earthsea book. beautiful & horrifying