Abbie | ab_reads's Reviews > Earthsea: The First Four Books

A Wizard of Earthsea - 4/5
The Tombs of Atuan - 4/5
The Farthest Shore - 5/5
Tehanu - 5/5

I am SO happy I finally took the plunge and read some Ursula K. Le Guin! All of my fantasy dreams came true with this quartet (I know there is another book and short stories). I think the effect was heightened by reading these four books in one go thanks to my compilation edition - I was completely immersed in her world for almost a week and it was glorious. It also allowed me to see the 'difference' that I'd heard so much about when it came to Tehanu, but honestly? That was my favourite of the four.

Let's get this out of the way - if you don't like fantasy in general, you aren't going to like this. It's a classic of the genre and at the beginning of A Wizard of Earthsea I thought it was showing its age. It was first published in 1968, and I found her style a little hard to adjust to at first. However, I pushed through the first 30 pages or so and that was it. Hooked.

It was amazing to see the inspiration behind JK's Harry Potter (which apparently she doesn't really acknowledge). A young boy, growing up modestly, is gifted with tremendous powers. He goes away to wizard school. Forms a rival. Makes friends. Heightens his powers. It's now a classic formula and hey! It works! If ain't broke, don't fix it, right?

I'm a sucker for a good training montage in a movie, and Ged's time learning at the school on Roke completely delivered on that front. Ged is a typical fantasy protagonist - a tad arrogant and in need of a lesson before he gets too big for his boots. I can definitely see the inspiration behind moody Harry in HP5, ha! But I came to love him, and his brooding ways.

I think some fantasy authors fall down because they try to juggle too many characters, lore, plotlines... Not so with Le Guin. Each instalment of Earthsea has a clear cut plot, a journey. And that's not to say they're overly simple - definitely not! But she presents her stories clearly and that is honestly refreshing in fantasy. I also loved the more philosophical side of A Wizard of Earthsea, as Le Guin's worldbuilding is founded in balance and equilibrium. Ged learns the hard way that his actions have consequences, that every decision has an effect on the balance of the world, one way or another. She takes her time with her storytelling; no detail is left behind, and yet you never feel like the story drags in any way. It unfolds slowly but unfold it does, and it kept me captivated.

From A Wizard of Earthsea, we leave Ged behind for a little while with the Tombs of Atuan - but he comes back, don't worry! When I say this was my 'least favourite' of the four, that doesn't really mean much as I'd still give it a solid 4 stars (4.5 for A Wizard of Earthsea). I think this one is more storytelling, less reflection on philosophy than the first book. Not a bad thing, but when you read them straight after each other, it feels like it's lost a bit of its depth.

But I still loved being introduced to Tenar, and the creepy sect (cult) of the Nameless Ones. Her journey from being hailed as the Priestess reborn from just 5 years old to questioning her faith in her Gods as a young woman was compelling. Then Ged arrives and all hell breaks loose.

Gosh it's really hard to talk about all of these without giving too much away! And I wanted to be fairly brief but I guess that's out the window. But without a doubt the last two books in this collection were my favourites.

The Farthest Shore sees a grim threat to the magical realm, with people losing their powers all over the place. Ged and Arren, a young prince, set off to, you guessed it, The Farthest Shore to find out what is going on. Dragons ensue. Who doesn't love dragons?! This was just the perfectly paced adventure, We get more of Le Guin's beautifully written wisdom as Ged passes on his worldly knowledge to Arren on their dangerous journey. It just felt like perfect fantasy. Like I was sitting by a fire with a huge mug of tea while Le Guim spun a yarn while a storm raged outside. I was transported.

And then we have Tehanu. Tehanu which apparently caused a bit of a stir for being an 'outlier' of the series. On the one hand I can see why people didn't like but on the other hand ?? How could you not like this? In Tehanu, Le Guin places the magic on the back burner for this one and we get to see a more human side to the characters we've met so far. Le Guin addresses much more real topics here. Abuse. Family. The role of women. Power dynamics between men and women. Love. I can imagine while a 15 year old boy might be disappointed, but honestly there's just such heart in this story that I hope other people can see too.

This book made me love Tenar even more than I did in Tombs of Atuan. Her compassion, her tenacity, her generosity. And Therru. Oh, Therru. This book made me unbearably sad in parts, incredibly angry in others, but also hold out for a glimmer of hope. The harsh mistreatment of women in this world reflects real issues in our world. And if you can't stomach that with your fantasy then I don't know what to tell ya. I think that issue lies with you.

This wasn't the concise review for the four books I had in mind but it's nice to just get your feelings down sometimes. If you're a fantasy fan and you haven't picked up Le Guin yet, then sort it out! You won't regret it!