A review by loki
The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin

adventurous dark hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

The thing I have loved about the Earthsea books so far is the emotion is conveyed in a book written from a somewhat detached, third-person perspective. Although we see very little of the character's interiority, their internal life shines through clearly via their actions and their speech. Le Guin creates vidid characters who live through and respond to problems that would be familiar to an audience of children and preteens, even dressed as they are in a fantasy setting. 

The only reason this isn't rated higher is because I struggle to read middle grade/YA/etc. and so a lot about it wasn't for me, personally. Also worth mentioning I enjoyed this more than A Wizard of Earthsea - primarily because I felt like the pacing was a lot better in Tombs of Atuan. 
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