The Newbery Honor-winning second novel in the renowned Earthsea series from Ursula K. LeGuin. In this second novel in the Earthsea series, Tenar is chosen as high priestess to the ancient and nameless Powers of the Earth, and everything is taken from her–home, family, possessions, even her name. She is now known only as Arha, the Eaten One, and guards the shadowy, labyrinthine Tombs of Atuan. … Tombs of Atuan.
Then a wizard, Ged Sparrowhawk, comes to steal the Tombs’ greatest hidden treasure, the Ring of Erreth-Akbe. Tenar’s duty is to protect the Ring, but Ged possesses the light of magic and tales of a world that Tenar has never known. Will Tenar risk everything to escape from the darkness that has become her domain?
With millions of copies sold worldwide, Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea Cycle has earned a treasured place on the shelves of fantasy lovers everywhere, alongside the works of such beloved authors as J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis.
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What’s a book that you didn’t expect to like, but surprised you in the end?
After totally disliking A Wizard of Earthsea , I figured I would also dislike it’s sequel (which I only read because it was a Newbery Honor Book). However, it was actually not bad. The tie between the books is not evident until the middle though.
One of my early inspirations. I later learned Ms Le Guin was an anthropologists and my guess is the the Tombs are based on the Maltese megaliths…
Holy moly. We do not see much of Sparrowhawk in this book, he doesn’t come until a little over halfway through, and while I guess you could call the first half of the book mostly exposition, it doesn’t feel belabored or like it’s dragging. We learn a lot about the Tombs of Atuan and the High Priestess of the Nameless Ones, and the atmosphere is tense and forboding and dark (honestly, not a bad read for someone looking to ease their way into the spooky fall vibes). Arha is filled with faults- she can be cruel if she is frightened, and she can be impetuous and entitled, but her story still makes you want to know how it ends, and despite all her flaws there is something so wonderful about her at the core. So, we have good characters, good setting, and that leaves us with the plot.
I repeat: holy moly.
It has been a long time since I first read this book, so I had forgotten pretty much all of it and was basically like a new reader. I could not put it down! This book is a shining example that you can have naunced characters and plot without going into several hundreds of pages of writing! Le Guin does it again, and I look forward to picking up the next in the Earthsea Cycle.
The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin – This one is slightly morbid, but a phenomenal piece of fantasy! Happy Reading!
Part of her Earthsea series. Lyrical writing and world-building coupled with action and tension. A classical series for those who love fantasy.
This is one of my all time favorite books. Read it – you won’t be sorry.
Excellent writer.
Next to Lord of the Rings, the Earthsea Trilogy (the later books weren’t so great) is one of the all time great fantasy trilogies.
Second book of the Earthsea Trilogy is a change from the first, as Ged doesn’t appear until later in the book, but the characters are compelling and the world building is wonderful.
Anything Ursula K. LeGuin has written is brilliant. I’ve read the EarthSea trilogy; wonderful reading for true fans of sci-fi fiction. She had an utterly amazing ability to create cultures, mythologies, and languages across the Universe!
This sequel to A Wizard of Earthsea has much to recommend it. Granted it is slower paced to begin, and has a darker story than the first book. Due to a rather claustrophobic ambience, i didn’t enjoy the read as much, but it became quite exciting once choices were made. Ms. LeGuin took a gamble creating a female protagonist (seems strange to say so now) for which i’m duly grateful. A good second book in the series, i am happily reading book 3 now.