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A review by hodges_wt
The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin
5.0
As of right now, this book is tied for being my favorite fantasy novel of all time, and it is utterly unlike [b:The Way of Kings|7235533|The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, #1)|Brandon Sanderson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388184640s/7235533.jpg|8134945], with which it is tied.
The Tombs of Atuan is short, not even two hundred pages. My copy of The Way of Kings was over a thousand pages. TToA takes place entirely on a small island with a bunch of nuns. TWoK takes place all across a continent and details large-scale political topics and high-profile characters.
The Tombs of Atuan is utterly spectacular. Its focus on social commentary and le Guin's perfect use of description should, in my mind, bring it out of the fantasy genre. This book is not just a romp through a fantasy world with magic and dragons; this book is literature.
(In fact, there's little magic and no dragons in it.)
This books is almost entirely standalone, and I think it could be read even before A Wizard of Eathsea. I'll do a reread once I get around to The Farthest Shore and decide.
This book is amazing. Easily one of my favorites of all time.
The Tombs of Atuan is short, not even two hundred pages. My copy of The Way of Kings was over a thousand pages. TToA takes place entirely on a small island with a bunch of nuns. TWoK takes place all across a continent and details large-scale political topics and high-profile characters.
The Tombs of Atuan is utterly spectacular. Its focus on social commentary and le Guin's perfect use of description should, in my mind, bring it out of the fantasy genre. This book is not just a romp through a fantasy world with magic and dragons; this book is literature.
(In fact, there's little magic and no dragons in it.)
This books is almost entirely standalone, and I think it could be read even before A Wizard of Eathsea. I'll do a reread once I get around to The Farthest Shore and decide.
This book is amazing. Easily one of my favorites of all time.