Reviews

The Earthsea Trilogy: A Wizard of Earthsea; The Tombs of Atuan; The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin

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georginadaw's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

nerwen's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

arcturus_b's review against another edition

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adventurous inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I really liked this book. It's very different from the books I normally read (mostly modern fantasy), which was very refreshing. The pacing us different, too. It feels slow, but very focused. I liked that, too.

Content Warnings

silvergreyleaf's review against another edition

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adventurous reflective 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

3.75

I liked the books in this trilogy in descending order. The first was great, the second good and the last one not too much for me. Still, I adored the exploration of character and personal development through fantasy. It’s a classic alright

myzanm's review against another edition

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5.0

This is one of my long time favorites. I don’t know how many times I’ve re-read it over the years, but there has been plenty...

There’s a lot of nostalgia surrounding this book. It was the first book I bought with my own money and the first book I bought at the annual book sale. I was only 10 at the time and actually had my mind set on something else entirely. What that was, I can’t remember anymore, but next to that was a pile of blue bricks.... I remember wondering why they had put adult books among the children’s / teen’s books. I picked it up, turned to the back... and was hooked...
I still have that exact copy, dust jacket in place. A bit ragged and well used but oh so loved. During my year living in London I wandered in to a bookstore on the hunt for something to read and walked out with my first English copy. It somewhat eased my homesickness.
It was THE book I packed when getting ready for the birth of my first child and it has always been one of the first books to find its way up in the bookcase after a move. (All five copies of it...)
It was the book that opened the door to my passionate love for fantasy books, paving the way for Tolkien...
So yes, there’s a lot of nostalgia and feelings connected to this book. I will not even try to be objective. This is a book always present in my classroom and I try to entice my students to pick it up. It’s one of those books you just wants everyone else to love. I even made my husband read it before we married...

In short;
I love it!!!
Read it!!!

lrpfalz's review against another edition

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5.0

Totally not what I was expecting plot-wise but a definite must-read for any fantasy lover! Sorcerers, dragons, curses, and journeys to far-off places - what's not to love? There are three books in this, and they all center around one character with a really awesome name: Sparrowhawk. It goes through from his earliest beginnings to his most legendary feats as a wizard, and let me tell you, Le Guin packs a whole lot of wisdom in these three books, and on topics of all kinds. It somewhat reminded me of Tolkiens works because of her vivid descriptions of the world and all the places they visit, but it's also wholly new, in a world filled with islands instead of continents, where magic is interwoven into daily life. All in all, while it was published waaaay before tiktok and will probably never make its way there, it's definitely worth your time, unlike some of the books on there.