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4.17 AVERAGE
4.17 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
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
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
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
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
I found this way more compelling than the preceding trilogy because much of it is just sitting with these characters in their home and daily life- though it also gave me a greater understanding of what those books were doing
One of my favorites in the Earthsea Cycle series so far! I love when authors tell a quieter, more down to earth story in a broader fantasy world.
dark
emotional
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:
Yes
I just feel like this didn't have to be a full book in the story of Earthsea. Nothing happens and frankly I think it says something that the two female POV books have the MC being saved by a man repeatedly and the two male POV books have the MC saving the world and conquering a powerful evil. Also there were too many passages in here that felt deeply misogynistic while being treated as truth and gospel.
Ursula "gender roles" Le Guin didn't stop there though with a banger of an afterword stating that the female characters are the driving force of the plot and do everything! No! Wrong! That's not in fact the book you wrote! The female characters find the solution to problems presented exactly once, and the solution is so poor its failure becomes a major part of the plot. Every other time a problem occurs either a male character deus ex machinas themselves in and saves the woman or the woman calls on some other non-female force to save them. Bad book.
Ursula "gender roles" Le Guin didn't stop there though with a banger of an afterword stating that the female characters are the driving force of the plot and do everything! No! Wrong! That's not in fact the book you wrote! The female characters find the solution to problems presented exactly once, and the solution is so poor its failure becomes a major part of the plot. Every other time a problem occurs either a male character deus ex machinas themselves in and saves the woman or the woman calls on some other non-female force to save them. Bad book.
I don't know what growing Ursula did as an author from 1972 to 1990, but it was noticeable. I still have the last two Earthsea books to go, but so far this was my favorite. Her descriptions, dialogue, and transitions were all more fluid and vivid.
I think that it helped that the majority of the journey in this novel was of Tenar and not so much Ged. The running themes were plentiful, but not overly so.
I strongly suggest that no one stop the Earthsea Cycle after the first three, because book 4 is fantastic.
I think that it helped that the majority of the journey in this novel was of Tenar and not so much Ged. The running themes were plentiful, but not overly so.
I strongly suggest that no one stop the Earthsea Cycle after the first three, because book 4 is fantastic.
a must-read for anyone vaguely interested in writing OR reading fantasy, i think.