The Tombs of Atuan (The Earthsea Cycle Series Book 2)

For the first and second series of the Earthsea, you'll find in this book suddenly Sparrowhawk, the famous Earthsea wizard, is not the protagonist. The main character has pass down to his accompany, a prince, that aids the wizard's voyage in the sea. The islands of Earthsea is losing balance and magic powers from every continent. Wizards are losing their Name and power, dragons are dying, and even Roke (Wizard school) is dying out its faith among their Names. Sparrowhawk begins a journey to seek the origin of the illness.
Overall, I think this book is much more intense and overwhelming than the last book (Tombs of Atuan). Everything is a mystery in the Earthsea, and characters have changed from the last two books. The mage himself is becoming old and tiresome, but he is still able to restore the balance to Earthsea. If you are a Earthsea fan, remember to read this book! You won't regret it!

The most interesting thing about Earthsea, as this great addition to the series shows, is that it is believable and totally alien at the same time. The dying cult that reigns over Atuan's dark temples reads as if it were an actual forgotten culture on the fringes of civilization, and the story of the rebirth of "Arha" is introduced with all the air of a ritual with forgotten roots in superstition.
The characters of /Tombs of Atuan/ don't act like they're reciting a script; Arha, despite being the revered priestess of her temple, has her own character flaws, and even the heroic Ged falls into a trap nearly as soon as we meet him.
If you need a good story for your preteen (or even teen)'s library, without a blatant moral or predictable events, I recommend /The Tombs of Atuan/. It's an excellent contemporary fantasy novel, and draws off of modern philosophy rather than Victorian ideals.

The Earth-Sea is one of my favorite fantasy series; probably my third favorite or so. I liked the first two books. This isn't a trilogy in any real sense, but just 3 novels with the same main character.
The Tombs of Atuan (the second book) was my favorite. This and the first book were quiet, speculative novels that though earthy, had their own sense of wonder. The main problem with these books is that the universe isn't very well fleshed out. You get a few glimpses of an old world, maybe decaying. But there is no sense that the whole universe or even a small part of the world is involved, one of the best parts of fantasy. The stories might as well be Ged's personal adventures.
With the Farthest Shore, Ursula K LeGuin attempts (presumably) to make up for this loss. There is something wrong with the world; its up to Ged to find out what. The problem is a very well thought of one, yet rather enigmatic (if anything, LeGuin is certainly orginal, even fifty years after her works her style is unique.) The best parts of the book were the depictions of the search for immortality.
Nonetheless, although the idea is certainly thought-provoking, this book lacks a lot. The conversations, although philosophical perhaps, grow increasingly inscrutable (not necessarily a good thing, all you arcane-scholar types out there). Her imagery is also confusing; it was never a strong point in the series. Several sequences in the book really were not well written, or were very confusingly written- Hort Town, and the meeting at night; the sea-people; and the long interminable boat rides that seem to fill both this and the first book. An exception is her depictions of that barren dead-world with the great chasm, quite a good bit of imagery.
All in all this book does not live up to the first two books. Each book is too self-contained, also, as Tenar disappears as well. This book had much more promise, but a confusing style makes its ideas very hard to grasp. Its not hard to understand because of the complexity of the ideas; its hard to understand because its not well written.

Having recently re-read all of the volumes of the original trilogy, I feel comfortable in saying that "The Farthest Shore" is the masterwork of the set. After a somewhat disappointing volume 2 ("Tombs of Atuan"), LeGuin writes a fantasy classic about a magical world that is having its magic mysteriously disappear. Like "Tombs," the hero of the trilogy, Sparrowhawk/Ged, is not the main focus of the novel. In this case, though, our focal point is an interesting and heroic character in his own right.
The book is not without weaknesses, however. The villain is never very well defined, and though the threat of losing magic is very real, the figure behind the threat is less compelling. Even with this weakness, though, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to a young reader--or even an adult afficionado--of fantasy literature.

Though the Earthsea trilogy is, at it's core, a the tale of Earthsea itself, it is also the story of the wizard Ged and his travels and trials throughout the magic world that Le Guin created. This second novel takes an interesting turn in the trilogy, regulating Ged to the supporting cast.
The book is admittedly very slow starting, tooling along for sometime before anything of interest steps up. Finally, as Tenar (the young girl who is the main character of this tale) begins exploring the realm that is hers, the tale picks up. As Ged finally makes his first appearance, the magic of the rest of the trilogy shines through, pulling the reader into the struggle with the dark ones, and of Ged and Tenars oddly developing kinship.
A wonderful read that only shows itself at the end, this is a fitting second book to a classic trilogy.

Sparrowhawk, the protagonist of "Wizard of Earthsea," the first book of the triology, is a secondary character here; important but not the focus. This is the story of Tenar, a young priestess at the Tombs of Atuan.
Earthsea has places where there are elder powers present. Readers of "Wizard of Earthsea" encountered one in the Terrenon. Tenar, as an infant, is given to the elder power of the Tombs. Her name is taken from her and she becomes Arha, "the eaten one." She serves as a priestess to a nearly forgotten religion that treats the power of the Tombs as a god. But everything Tenar has been told is twice a lie; her religion is almost forgotten and the Power is anything but a god.
This is the story of how Tenar came to understand that her life, all of what she had been and most of what she believed was a lie. LeGuin makes it utterly convincing, in a spare, terse way that is stark and persuasive. Sparrowhawk plays a crucial role in all this, but he is not the protagonist. Sparrowhawk may have been the catalyst for Tenar's changes, but like a catalyst he is mostly unchanged by the process. It is Tenar who is changed. This is Tenar's tale.
Can you imagine how devastating it must have been for Tenar? How many of us could accept and understand that what we had been taught was evil or, worse still, utterly meaningless? Could you do as well if, say, Christianity were revealed to be an utter fraud? LeGuin makes it vivid. Any thoughtful reader is left in awe of Tenar's strength and resilience. And in awe of LeGuin's writing.
In most trilogies, the middle book is the weakest. Not the Earthsea books. This is a wonderful tale, superbly told. Very highly recommended.

This short fantasy novel, originally written for juveniles (probably ages 10 and up), is the sequel to "A Wizard of Earthsea" (the other two novels in the tetralogy are "The Farthest Shore" and "Tehanu: The Last Book of Earthsea"). It was a 1972 Newbery Honor Book (i.e., a runner-up to the Medal winner) for best contribution to American children's literature. A six-year-old girl, Tenar, is taken from her family and raised to be the head priestess of a sect that has grown old and decrepid. She grows up lonely and intuitively recognizes that she is really a prisoner of the cult she ostensibly heads. The wizard Ged comes searching for a treasure hidden in the labyrinth beneath the tombs on the cults grounds. She traps him in the labyrinth but the two of them set each other free. In addition, the reader learns once again the power of words.

What a nice book! The story of how Tenar/Arha comes to serve the ghastly Nameless Ones and how she is liberated from this by Ged is told with a directness and economy which should be the envy of many writers. I found this story touching, poignant, and moving, and although some might say it is written for young adults it seems to me to be one of those fine books which--like Winnie-the-Pooh--appeals to all ages.
And, in this day of fantasy novels which threaten one with a hernia if one picks them up, and with terminal boredom if one reads them, and which often contain nauseating things, how refreshing to discover a story 146 pages long which is suitable for all ages yet is not merely a children's story, and which deals with important issues like guilt, remorse, forgiveness, and the meaning of freedom.

This is certainly a different read now that I am in my thirties, but I hadn't read it in a while and, even though it did read like a young adult fantasy, I picked up on all kinds of things that I didn't pick up on when I was 14 reading this book. This, to me, is one of those tried and true fantasy classics.

If you are into classic fantasy adventures that are character driven and have a believable, exciting plot, check out this new fantasy adventure A Chance Beginning: Book One of the Shadow's Fire Trilogy

Not as compelling as the first one but still a good, fast and enjoyable reading. Going straight for the third.

Non avvincente come il primo, ma anche stavolta si legge molto velocemente ed é piacevole. Ora si parte direttamente con il terzo!

While I enjoyed the other books of the Earthsea Cycle, I struggled to get through book 2. It is a very dark and slow-moving story. While I am an avid reader and usually enjoy books/story-lines that are descriptive, allowing me to "see" the story unfold, I felt this was far too much description, far too much detail and that parts of it could easily have been cut out without hurting the story. If someone asked if I thought it was worth purchasing, I would say no. If you purchase the first four books in the single book known as the Earthsea Quartet, then it doesn't hurt to try reading book 2, you've not paid extra for it in case you don't want to finish it. The last portion of the book was good and had information that would add to book 4 but none of it is crucial to the other books and the books are written in a way that would allow you to read any of them as a stand-alone story and enjoy it--the information you need is all provided in the individual books as a part of the story.

While not as detailed or as ornate as THE LORD OF THE RINGS, LeGuin's Earthsea Cycle is considered among the finest of the Sword and Sorcery classics. THE TOMBS OF ATUAN is the second book in the Cycle.

In THE TOMBS OF ATUAN, Ged, now in his young manhood, is once again on a quest, seeking to restore the Rune of Peace. He comes to bleak and desolate Atuan, one of the Kargad Lands, and into the lair of the Black Ones, malevolent Old Powers of Earth, worshipped now by a cult headed by Arha, "The Eaten One."

Trapped in an underground maze, he is at first mocked by Arha, a young girl named Tenar, recently elevated to the priestesshood; however, as Tenar/Arha begins to know him she becomes enthralled with his tales of the outside world. In the end, she aids him in evading the Black Ones, escaping from the vindictive senior priestess, recovering the Rune of Peace, and returning to his own country.

THE TOMBS OF ATUAN is a book in which atmosphere is everything. The oppressiveness of Arha's life, the isolation of Atuan, and the enveloping pall of evil and decay in that land pervade this book, making it somewhat difficult to "get into." The story is sad and drear, only relieved at the very end by the success of Ged's quest and the liberation of Tenar.

Le Guin enjoys no press, no fanfare, no fan clubs. She has no movies (until now the mini-series), no trading card games, no computer games. Her writing is not flamboyant: it is thoughtful, considered, and quiet. Her books are generally short and are closer to novelettes. Yet she remains as one of the principle authors of the fantasy genre and her work survives. It will outlive, we suspect, a great deal of those novels that enjoy such extraordinary popularity today. JK Rowlings is the Frank Baum (Wizard of Oz) of our generation. Le Guin is the CS Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia) of our generation. The distinction is in decibels and the scope. Earthsea, we believe, is one of those rare series of books that will quietly fill every library of every parent who has a child who loves to read. Incidentally, we feel that the later books Tehanu and The Other Wind detract from the series rather than add to it (as is the case with many sequels). Those later books are better avoided.

WHO SHOULD READ THIS:

As we mentioned, the series is aimed at grade levels somewhere around 5th to 9th. These are a series of books that are invaluable for this age group. It is mythology--both relevant and exciting--that teaches us not didactically how to live but shows us what it means to be alive. Many critics have said many different things about her books but the (overused) phrase "deeply human" seems just about right. These are books that--if the reader can meet the level that Le Guin sets in--will be revered for many, many years. People who have enjoyed Ender's Game, Tales of the Otori, and The Chronicles of Prydain will find these books very special.

WHO SHOULD PASS:

As we often say about books that are especially good, this is a novel of introspection. There is a bit of death but you won't see blood sprayed across the page. There are no great battles, sieges, or other events of great war. There is no overt sex. The magic is not "Terry Magic" (that is, Terry Goodkind or Terry Brooks type that shoots forth as fire, lightning, and death in the air) but rather a magic of language, of truth, of world harmony. To use a video game analogy, don't start playing Myst expecting to have whatever enjoyment you get out of playing Grand Theft Auto.

READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW AT INCHOATUS.COM

i still have not read tehanu so this review will refer only to the first three books. being a GREAT fan of tolkien, dragonlance and fantasy in general, icame upon the earthsea series with great joy. after reading the wizard of earthsea and the furthest shore i found the tombs of atuan somehow more boring, discussing too much of tenar's dark and uneventfull years and coming too late to the part where her adventures begun. ged, who was the hero of the first book and is as i think the most interesting chracter of this one, is being discussed as a secondary character. the book also leaves too many wide spaces open and the end is left unmended. i thing you can realy call the tombs of atuan "a bold spot" in the flowing spring of the earthsea series.
it could have got another star but because the main storyline begun so late, the book was way too short.

Again, as in A Wizard of Earthsea, we find a book that is a bit dated in its aproach: Lots of exposition and little action. The difference is while Wizard was a coming of age story for a boy -- Ged's rising to both man and wizard -- this second book begins with the coming of age of a girl, Arha the Eaten One, high priestess to the ancient Powers of the Earth.

Raised in an isolated temple complex, Arha has no knoweldge of the outside world. It isn't until Ged arrives to steal from the great treasury supposedly hidden in the underground tunnels, that her life begins to stretch beyond the temples and desert where they are located. When she finds him in the darkness, excitement enters her life. And for the first time, she feels compassion for another human being.

Finding the treasure he has come for, the broken ring of Erreth-Akbe, Ged must escape the tunnels and the only person who can help him is Arha. With the sudden desire to break free, she agrees to lead him out of the darkness and go with him, out of the desert. The only way they can leave, however, is if Ged can overcome the nameless gods she has served all of her life.

LeGuin has woven an intricate story of a life, from girlhood to womanhood, under most peculiar circumstances. Arha not only grows up, she somehow acquires the wisdom to abandon a restrictive life and the courage to leave on an adventure she could not have imagined. At the same time, Ged acquires the coveted ring and return its powers to the world from which it came.

Although these books are often sold in the young adult sections of book stores, and kept in the same sections of the libraries, they do not really seem geared especially toward children. Just like the Lord of the Rings, there is more here than simple story telling. They are geared as much, if not more, toward adults.

This is the third volume in Le Guin's Earthsea tetralogy (the last volume is "Tehanu: The Last Book of Earthsea"). This particular book won the 1973 National Book Award for Children's Books. And, certainly as a book designed for children it deserves five stars (although, I would guess I would award it four stars if I rated it solely as a book for adults). In this story, which takes place years after the events described in "The Tombs of Atuan," the wizard Sparrowhawk, also called Ged, and a young prince, Arren, go on a quest to discover why magic is disappearing from Earthsea and why people are loosing their will and direction. The world has lost its "balance" and the division between life and death has been broken.

In my opnion, this is the best of the four Earthsea books and the only one I really like. The other three were not very intresting or with very imaginative characters and ideas, especially Tehanu, which seemed to have no plot at all. I don't like the Earthsea series very much because women don't play much part in it as they can't be wizards, so it was good in this one to have a main character who's female. It drew me in right away with the descriptions of the strange rituals and religion surrounding Tenar's life. I don't think it was slow to start. It might be best to read 'A Wizard of Earthsea.' first to be introduced to Ged and the world of Earthsea, but don't be put off if you don't like it that much, give this one a try.

Bravo! As a frequent reader of fantasy novels, I was initially skeptical of Ursula Le Guin's "Earthsea" series because it is so much shorter than most books in this genre. How could an author possibly establish characterizations, create worlds, grab readers with such a short book? The answer is, superbly. I have read only this book and the previous one (so far), and find that "The Tombs of Atuan" grabs hold and won't let go: you genuinely care about the characters, become spellbound by the world she creates, and simply are not able to put the book down. Unlike other fantasy authors, Le Guin's characters are neither inivincible nor shallowly "good": they are human, and like us, they are flawed creations whose trials and tribulations are not simply a jump from one outrageous escape to another. Fantasy authors everywhere should take note- wizards and foes alike do not need to possess outrageous, invincible powers to be compelling to a fantasy reader. As Le Guin brilliantly illustrates here, sometimes a simple act of kindness can be as powerful as the most flagrant mystical powers.

While not as detailed or as ornate as THE LORD OF THE RINGS, LeGuin's Earthsea Cycle is considered among the finest of the Sword and Sorcery classics. THE TOMBS OF ATUAN is the second book in the Cycle.

In THE TOMBS OF ATUAN, Ged, now in his young manhood, is once again on a quest, seeking to restore the Rune of Peace. He comes to bleak and desolate Atuan, one of the Kargad Lands, and into the lair of the Black Ones, malevolent Old Powers of Earth, worshipped now by a cult headed by Arha, "The Eaten One."

Trapped in an underground maze, he is at first mocked by Arha, a young girl named Tenar, recently elevated to the priestesshood; however, as Tenar/Arha begins to know him she becomes enthralled with his tales of the outside world. In the end, she aids him in evading the Black Ones, escaping from the vindictive senior priestess, recovering the Rune of Peace, and returning to his own country.

THE TOMBS OF ATUAN is a book in which atmosphere is everything. The oppressiveness of Arha's life, the isolation of Atuan, and the enveloping pall of evil and decay in that land pervade this book, making it somewhat difficult to "get into." The story is sad and drear, only relieved at the very end by the success of Ged's quest and the liberation of Tenar.

Of all the books i've ever read I must say this was one of the best. I never tired to hear even the simplest things about Atuan and the lives of the main characters. Though my friend never returned to me my copy I'll charish the memory of this adventure. Thank you for your creativity Le Guin! And to those of you who haven't read this book: It's a great tale of one gal's life in which she was taken from birth to live a pre-chosen life. Though she was fond of those she grew up with she still felt in her heart the right path. It wasn't until she met the Wizard by the name of Sparrowhawk (one of many names) that she could escape the life of a priestess-servant. A great book to read for creative, open-minds.

I love this book. It reminded me that although we may not see or understand power, entities, or energy, it does not mean they do not exist. This is a book whose main character exhibits a strong will, despite her circumstances, that allows her to rebel enough, to question enough, to begin to think about leaving a life she was assigned without control! Thought provoking.

The story takes place after few more adventures of the mage, Sparrowhawk, who is already known as the greatest wizard and only Dragonlord of all Earthsea. He travels to the north east and enter the scared realm of the Tombs of Atuan, where the Darkness lies and workshipped by the people. Sparrowhawk plans to steal the greatest treasure hidden in the tombs, however, a young priestess called Arha hesistates to stop him... and kill him.
Overall the story is well written and a great ending as the first book of Earthsea, but it is not as exciting and thrilling... Due to the many chapters of long descriptions of the sacred rituals and temples. Everything is very slow until the mage enters the story. But it is still worth reading and complete the Earthsea Trilogy.

In this novel, the 2nd of Le Guin's Earthsea series, readers meet Tenar, the priestess of the "Nameless Ones" who guards the catacombs of the Tombs of Atuan. Sparrowhawk, on his journey to locate and obtain a priceless ring filled with power becomes lost in a tangle of catacombs. Only Tenar who takes pitty on him, knows the passageways, and only she can lead Sparrowhawk out and show him the way to the ring he seeks.

To watch the journey Tenar takes emotionally and to experience the events that change Tenar's outlook on life are just two of the many reasons Mrs. Le Guin can be praised as a writer. This is a unfogetable tale that is just as wonderful as the first in the series.

My favourite part in the book apart from Ged telling Hob that all he can offer him is death, is that we get to meet Erreth-Akbe greatest of the Wizards of Earthsea. Great use by Le guin to demonstrate to Ged and the readers just how powerful his enemy is truly. I found this book to be interesting not only in it's depiction of the key characters but power itself, it's emptiness in it's totality. The enemy has ultimate power yet the truth is he has none because he lost himself to it's unreasoning hunger. A great book with something for eveyone, adventure and a message somewhat deeper than you'd expect yet not pretentitious in it's exercution. Enjoy people, alot of the todays endless epic writing hacks and you know who you are could learn alot from this trilogy especially about getting to the point.

This is the third volume in the Earthsea quartet (following A Wizard of Earthsea and The Tombs of Atuan, and followed by Tehanu).
The Farthest Shore, set some fifteen or twenty years after the events of The Tombs of Atuan, tells the story of Ged, now an Archmage, and Arren, a young prince, and their voyage around the world of Earthsea in search of the Unmaker, who is responsible for the disappearence of magic and of the balance of the world.
Compared to The Tombs of Atuan, I found this third part rather disapointing and lacking in action. Ged and Arren are just travelling from one island to the next, and nothing really happens. The evolution of their friendship is interesting, though, and that's what kept me reading. But as a whole, I found the series rather boring, although well written if you like old-fashioned style, and will only read Tehanu for the sake of it.

The "Earthsea Trilogy is often compared to the "Lord of the Rings " and "The Narnia Chronicles" but is more poignant than the former and more mature than the latter.It leaps from adolescent fantasy to confronting traditional stereotypes. The books first engage the reader in a world of wizards and dragons and then progresses through a young wizards journey through life as he confronts his own greed and mortality. Ursula Le Quin was familiar with challenging readers preconceptions when she wrote "The Left Hand of Darkness". Mainstream fantasy readers will find these books fulfilling and thoughtprovoking and more challenging than traditional fare.

The Earthsea Trilogy is one of the great works of the fantasy cannon. Appropriate for all ages, this series combines magic and adventure with a lyric prose style and a feeling of timelessness and even sorrow. Read it, think about it, and read it again.

I was fortunate enough to discover The Earthsea Trilogy among the holdings of my local library after the weekly "story hour." I was somewhere around the age of 8 or 9 at the time, and I remember sitting on the floor in front of a crooked bookcase and seeing the title, The Tombs of Atuan. I opened the book and marveled at the drawings by Gail Garraty and the addictive text by Mrs. Le Guin. My relationship with TOA deepened as I entered my teenage years, and I consider it to be the foundation of my identity in many ways. Few works of fiction manage to strike such a perfect balance between economy of language and richness of imagery while pollinating even more narrative richness to grow in the reader's mind long after the final page is read. This story has taken me on a 30-year journey from the spiritual to the intellectual to the archaeological, and back again. I have turned to the book in times of joy and sorrow, always to find the precise answer needed. I love you dearly, Mrs. Le Guin. Thank you for being the mother of my imagination.

The Farthest Shore tells the story of how Sparrowhawk, now Archmage, travels with Arran to the absolute end of the world and beyond to defeat a wizard who thinks he has conquered death and in so doing has opened the door to death so that all life and magic are draining out of the world. People have forgotten wizardry and are obsessed with immortality. Woven into the tale of their quest is the idea that the Balance must be preserved and that life and death are just two sides of the same coin. A very fitting and enjoyable end to the Earthsea trilogy, and the tale of the life of Sparrowhawk.

This book contains the elements of writing that have made LeGuin such a popular author--readability, substance, style, etc. However, this book pales in comparison to its predecessor, "A Wizard of Earthsea." My main critique of this particular volume is that the story simply takes too long to get off the ground. Almost the first half of the book is dedicated to setting up the main plot, which begs the reader for more patience than should be required. Once things get moving, it is an enjoyable tale with rich turns and twists. Worth reading for fans of the Earthsea series, but be warned that it is slow going for several chapters.

I'd normally give this book a 3 or 3 1/2, but I have a feeling that it would go up after completing the trilogy (and I intend to do so), so I'm giving the book a 4.

I love the world-creation, which is very creative and persuasive. What keeps this book from a five is superficial character development. I guess it is assumed you already know about the wizard from book one, but because he's not fully drawn in his early scenes, you don't really understand why Tenar would want to rescue him. Also, I was troubled by Manan's demise, and Tenar isn't shocked enough when it happens.

Feels punny to say I like this book better than the first because I felt it had more depth but that's the truth. I connected to it's picture of the battle between light and dark and the need for trust in our lives.

"The Tombs of Atuan," by Ursula K. LeGuin, is the second book in the author's fantasy series set in the world of Earthsea. This volume tells the story of a young girl who is taken as a child to be the priestess of the ancient cult of the Nameless Ones. But her world is shaken up when her underground tunnels are visited by an unexpected intruder: Ged, the wizard-hero of the first Earthsea book.
I didn't think that "Tombs" was as much fun as "A Wizard of Earthsea," the first book in the series; there is less magic, less color, and less adventure. Much of the story is gloomy and dark, like its setting. Still, it's a compelling story. There are a number of significant themes and motifs: imprisonment, enslavement, personal loss, religious faith, supernatural power, and ancient mystery. Particularly intriguing is LeGuin's portrayal of conflict between two strong female characters.

Perhaps the greatest testament to LeGuin's abilities is the fact that I was profoundly moved by this book as a child, and until about 15 minutes ago I never knew it was the second book of a trilogy. A dark and sometimes brooding book, its mood and characters have stuck with me well into adulthood. It's a powerful little story about isolation, loss of self, fear of adulthood. Mythically and metaphorically it addresses the horrible passage from the relative spiritual freedom of childhood to the often overwhelming moral and social burdens of adulthood. It ends with an earned and mature freedom from darkness, and an understanding that all of life is a journey. This book stands alone, but I can't wait to see what the other two parts of the trilogy are like. If you have a child, particularly a daughter, niece, etc., entering into a difficult passage of life, this book would be a great gift.

I had read the first book of this great series and I found myself not being able to put the book down. And when I started reading the second book I only thought there was no way this could be as good, however I had the same great time reading it as I did the first book. I believe that everyone should read this book even if you have not read any others from this series, because in essence this book is really based on people growing up, finding themselves and learning what they want to accomplish in life. This book also shows a great friendship between two people and overall it is just a wonderful book. I suggest everyone to read it.

In A Wizard of Earthsea, we read a coming of age story about a boy who learns to become a wizard and a hero. Though it was a short book, there are really 3 quests that together turn Sparrowhawk/Ged into a great hero. In The Tombs of Atuan, we have a more traditional quest narrative. There is a single quest that our Hero must complete in order to cement his reputation as the greates wizard of Earthsea. The novel doesn't focus on him for much of the first third, however, and I think this is its main weakness, and why I didn't like it as much as the first in the series. Nevertheless, I did enjoy it, and think it's worth reading...but when following a classic (which Wizard of Earthsea definitely is), it's often hard to measure up.

I first read The Farthest Shore when I was 10 or 11 -- considerably too young, I think, because its theme is too dark and difficult for any youngster and in fact it gave me nightmares for weeks. Since then, I've reread it several times and each time I have been more impressed by its horror, its beauty, and its very hard-earned sense of hope. Ironically enough, this is a "fantasy" novel about find meaning and value in the realities of existence -- human friendship, the warmth of the sun, the mastery of a skill -- rather than dreams of mastery and escape like addiction, power, or eternal life. This book doesn't need to be compared with LOTR, Harry Potter, etc, or to be classified as a a "young adult" novel. It belongs with Euripides, Kafka or Dante. Seriously!

In Earthsea, mages, wizards, and sorcerers roam among its many islands. Just by knowing the true name of a certian person or thing, you have the ability to have complete control over it.
Arha is the One Priestess reborn. At the age of five, she is taken from her home and becomes the One Priestess. By fourteen, she has completed her training and now has all the priestesses under her except for a select few.
One day, on a venture into the pitch-black labyrinth Tombs of Atuan, she encounters Sparrohawk, a wizard who has come to steal the treasure in the Tomb. This treasure is almost impossible to steal. It is said that only Arha, the One Priestess, can go in the tomb which holds it.
Even though she should kill Sparrowhawk, Arha lets him live. He is a mystery to her, a figure full of intrigue.
As Arha takes risks to keep Sparrohawk alive, she and he become closer. She learns of the treasure he wants, and how she is a key to getting it...
This book is short in length, no one can argue that. However, I was amazed at the way Ms. Leguin compacted all her ideas into such a small book without ruining it any. Someone could write a thousand pages, and it probably wouldn't hold as much meaning as this one little book.
This is a great book, and I strongly recommend it. It's sequel's are: *The Farthest Shore* and *Tehanu* If you haven't read *The Wizard of Earthsea*, which is the story of Ged's(Sparrowhawk's) early years, I suggest you go read it. It's an amazing prequel.

The idea of focusing on a priestess for the forces of evil is an original one; the book does an excellent job giving over the sinister and cold mood of the temple and its associated parts. I found the geography somewhat hard to follow, though. Ged was very well drawn, and the conversations between him and Tenar were satisfying. I was a little disappointed at the ending--what became of Tenar? And am I the only one who entertained hopes that the two would marry? This is a good book. It has a very unusual haunting quality, and if you don't remember the plot a few years later, you remember the mood.

O.k., I understand that this will be the second half of the Sci-fi Channel mini-series "The Legend of Earthsea". I read "A Wizard of Earthsea" a long time ago, and decided to read this one before the mini premiered.

To be honest, I'm not sure how they're going to make it into two hours. I'm not even sure where most of those 180 pages went. Still, the characters are interesting, the romance works, and everything is well structured and detailed. It definately has what you want, the problem is you find yourself wanting MORE of it. I know the first rule of entertainment is "Always leave 'em wanting more", but this is just too little. And it takes Ged too long to get their. Still, this is a book worthy of much praise (although it might have been better presented as a short story).

Evil is prepared to end life as it is known in Earthsea. The world and its wizards are losing their magic, and it is up to Ged powerful Archmage, wizard, to seek out the only one or the only thing that can help. He must embark on a sailing journey with young prince, Arren, and travel beyond the realm of death to discover the cause of the evil and restore the land's magic.

The story stays exciting all the way through, and will not dissapoint. It is a novel that did not have the all predictable ending that most will expect, and leaves a lot of doors open for yet another book. It truly shows the powerful abilities that Ms. LeGuin posseses.

Rating this book was quite difficult for me. Overall, I would rate this book 3.5/5. Well, I had to round it down to 3 stars since I obviously cannot rate it 3.5 on the rating scale.

For me, this book was difficult to understand at some parts, mostly at the end of the story. The beginning of the book is easy to understand; Le Guin made it flow well. The story is about Arren, a young soon to be prince of Enlad(but at the end of the story he is crowned in Havnor). Ged(Sparrowhawk) is now the Archmage of Earthsea. In this book he is much older, I have to say he's probably in his late 30's or 40's. Nearly have of the book takes place in the South Reach and West Reach, on the islands of Lorbanery, Roke, The Dragons' Run, Selidor, etc. Basically the world is losing it's magic. The Dragons who once spoke the Language of the Making and who were quite intelligent, are no longer capable of speaking, and indeed, all of them turn feral. Even Orm Embar and Kalessin are in danger. The people of the South Reach don't like outsiders, as Ged and Arren found out. Along their sailing in the South Reach they met The Children of the Open Sea, which are people who live on rafts that float on the ocean's waters and they are indeed nomadic. They are very nice to Arren and Ged. However, Arren and Ged were sent to seek the dark force that is endangering Earthsea. Ged and Arren make their way to the Land of the Dead on the island of Selidor, to meet this dark force known as Cob. That is all I will say, as I do not want to spoil the entire book. Unlike the last two books, the Dragons become very important to this journey, mostly Orm Embar and Kalessin.

It's rare, but sometimes a novel will move me deeply. Neil Gaiman's London Underground spoke to me. Some of Paul Park's early works touched me. The Tombs of Atuan was a story that resonated with my life, and was powerful to me because of that.

This, of course, is a book about tombs. We follow the heroine, a girl who has been eaten, whose un-name means, "The Eaten One." Her life was taken from her at an early age, and she is now queen of a cult of meaningless worship, mistress of airless passages, serving gods that unexist as nameless shadows. Her court is a useless appendage to a king who long since consolidated his power and disconnected her court. She has no real memories or life experiences, but she does walk around in dark tombs, looking for treasure or some elusive meaning there.

The book is powerful because it shows the id of a young girl, glowing like a bright star among the depression and death all around her, that were given to her as her social role and her name. It inverts the Western concept of the id, of the individual's deepest desires, as evil, and of society's rule taming and civilizing the individual through the conscious ego. It's inspiring to see a book where a girl can choose to be good, given this situation, due not to any role model, but due to her true nature. And yet, the characters are morally ambiguous, like nature, like real actual people. The heroine does some awful things. The hero of the previous book -- Ged -- arrives as a thief in the night.

In many ways this is a book about the girl who was Arha, the Eaten One, and a study of her character. It isn't a great novel in the sense of portraying character alone, but it is great in how it pulls in elements of muted horror, in the symmetries between Arha, the tombs, her life, and the unspoken depression these evoke, in Le Guin's amazing abilities in pacing, of lending an epic feel, of evoking the whole story like it were a shadow cast on a wall, of indirectly pulling in Jungian archetypes left and right. The whole book has this powerful, visceral urgency to it. But I think what really made this book for me is that Arha's id shines, amidst darkness.

I first read the original Earthsea trilogy over 20 years ago, and it has stood the test of time. If you like your fantasy with action, this will not be your cup of tea…but LeGuin is a master and a unique voice. The best part is that the books keep getting better and more moving. If you read and enjoyed Wizard of Earthsea, you need to read this one to continue Ged’s story. Read this so that you can get to Tehanu, which I think is one of the best books ever written about the nature and meaning of love.

The Farthest Shore is a sublime ending to a memorable trilogy. The only thing I didn't like about the book is that Tenar's disappeared from the scene, so we don't know how she fared in her new life.
My favorite thing about this book is that the hero doesn't wind up being the hero, at least not in the traditional sense. He's not the one who gets to stand proud at the end so that the masses may worship him in all his glory, so to speak. Ged's triumph is much more subtle, and that seems to make it that much more. Arren's victory was also fascinating, but I won't spoil it by telling you what it was.

So often a followup to a great book just can't live up to its predecessor. The Tombs of Atuan does not suffer from this all to common ailment of sequels. As in the first book, storytelling is front and center in this second book of the Earthsea Trilogy. Ms. Le Guin follows up on themes of the first book and expands upon them through the story of Tenar, a young priestess imprisoned by an ancient religion and the customs and responsibilities surrounding it and Ged, the Arch-Mage, who must help her even as she helps him.
Please read this series. You will not be disappointed.

This book was required reading for my "Women in Myth and Fairy Tale" course, and I greatly enjoyed it. Ursula K. Leguin defintely knows how to tell a great story. Tenar/Arha comes across as the typical "confused teenager" trying to figure out who she is and what she wants out of life. Her struggle for freedom is one that any young girl will identify with. Her relationship with Ged is refreshing in that it results in an ending that is not cliche or predictable. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy or a story with a strong female protagonist.

I first read the original Earthsea trilogy over 20 years ago, and it has stood the test of time. If you like your fantasy with action, this will not be your cup of tea…but LeGuin is a master and a unique voice. The best part is that the books keep getting better and more moving. If you read and enjoyed Wizard of Earthsea, you need to read this one to continue Ged’s story. Read this so that you can get to Tehanu, which I think is one of the best books ever written about the nature and meaning of love.

Some reviewers have commented that this work is 'unrealistic' and has little 'meaning'. I think they miss the point. The book can be taken on many levels but can be rewardingly read as a metaphor for the inner journey we all take through our own psychic landscape of fears and emotions. Confronting our shadows in the 'Inner Lands' as Le Guin terms it, following Dunsany, is a large part of what the EarthSea trilogy is about. On that level, it deals with issues as real and universally relevant as any. In this, the last of the trilogy, Ged and Arren, who are perhaps manifestations of one person, combine to confront the great fear, that of death. Like Frodo in Tolkein's Lord of the Rings, Ged at the end understands that it is not for him to enjoy the fruits of victory, and quietly lays down his magic staff, leaving the future for others, having lived a life as full and meaningful as any.

The book The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin was a sequel to the book The Wizard of Earthsea. To me this book had so many great things about it but it also had many bad things. An example of a bad part would have to be the first 60 pages of the book. They were soooo boring! The Words were hard to follow and it wasn't very exciting because nothing happened during those pages. An example of a good part of the book would be that the rest of the book after the first 60 pages was really great. It was very entertaining and made you always wanting to keep on reading it. The story also made you keep thinking to yourself of what might happen next or what was going to become to Ged.
I think the theme of this story was "even though you don't know someone very well doesn't mean you cant trust them." I think this is the theme because when Tenar finds the thief and brings him into the painted room she doesn't trust him at first, but when she talks and talks with him more and more she finds out that she might be able to trust this stranger. Only knowing Ged for a week or so and saying that she would go with him back to Havnor to me shows that she does. "I must lock the door but when I come back I will trust you. You know that you can't leave... that you must not try? I am their vengeance, I do their will but if I fail them... if you fail my trust... then they will avenge themselves..." pg. 115 is a good example of the theme.
I recommend and encourage this book to others that like magic and adventure in a story. This book is a thrilling tale that will leave you wanting to read more and more. For those people that like short books here is your chance to finish it in one day if you really like it. I encourage the readers that haven't read the Wizard of Earthsea to read that book before this one because I don't think it would make much sense when you skip to this book.

I love every book in the Earthsea trilogy but The Tombs of Atuan is my favorite. In The Tombs of Atuan Tenar frees herself from the superstition, hatred and darkness of her religon in order to find freedom and truth. Ged helps her to make this journey from darkness to light. The reviewer who said that it was a dark and brooding book is right but afterwards when Ged and Tenar escape from the tombs there is a feeling of hope and freedom. This is a great book and I fully recommend it.

As a man going through the troubles of growing old, it is easy to see why so many, whether young or old, can relate to this novel. It is filled with symbolism that many readers simply overlook.
While on the surface it seems a simple fantasy story, children flock to the tale of magic and wonder, as well as the challenges that face both the aging Ged as well as the youngster Arren, who must suddenly live up to the responsibilities that come with his position, much like the hardships children today must face of turning off their televisions and starting their homework. The challenges faced by the young today and in this mythical past are synonymous.
The same applies to the struggles of those losing their vitality, adults. Ged and the wizards are losing their magic, much as men lose their potency and ability to function well, as do women in the midst of menopause. Both aging men and women will find this book refreshing and thereapuetic, and one doesn't need to feel alone when suffering from impotency. I know.

Return to Ursula LeGuin's world of Earthsea, a world of wizards, mystic god-like dragons, and strange religions.
The plot follows Tenar, priestess slave of the nameless gods, who has been stripped of her name, which is restored by the wizard Ged in his quest for the other half of a mythical ring.
Good.Not as much eastern philosophical prattling as in TFS, hardly as confusing as WoE.
Overall, four and a half stars would do this book justice.

The Farthest Shore is a story of a young prince name Arren who comes to Ged, the archmage at Roke to tell him of a magic drain in Earthsea. Roke is a magical island in which magic flows fluently and apprentices learn magery. They set out on the Lookfar, a sailing ship, to Hort Town, Lorbannery, and Dragon Run, 3 cities in Earthsea in search of the source of the magical drain. At dragon run they find dragons dying because they have lost their speech and they have become savages. A dragon named Orm Embar leads them to an island where they believe that there is a hole in Earthsea. They meet an evil wizard and are forced to battle him. The new character of Earthsea is named Arren. He is a prince, and a descendent of Morred, a famous king in Earthsea. He has no magical powers unlike his father who is a king. He has a magical sword, which throughout the story seems to be just a sword, but helps Arren out greatly in the end to destroy his enemies and protect Ged. He is very unsure of himself and his concept of betrayal trips him up. He helps Ged to solve the mystery and is a fun twist to the story of Earthsea. I would recommend this book with extreme prejudice because I personally am a fan of knights and magic and dragons. This book really is the best of all of the four Earthsea books.

The second book in the EarthSea trilogy, The Tombs of Atuan is a great book for all those who delve into the world of fantasy. The Author of this book is Ursula K. Le Guin. Le Guin wrote the Earthsea trilogy which became a well known series for all audiances.
Though it would be better understood and probably more forfilling if the first book was read of the series. I believe the theme to have been Man vs. Nature as Sparrowhawk the main character, a wizard from the island of Gount seeks out an ancient treasure in the Tombs of Atuan. He meets the high preistess of Atuan. They must battle against the spirits with the tomb.
In my opion it was a book that forced me to ponder about the morales in my life. It's rather a short book but it has a great ending despite that, that makes you search for the last book in the series. Some people may consider it slow in the beginning but I must say that it's building the plot thick and strong in the begining. Overall Le Guin is a great writer and that the second book is as good and brilliant as the first.

Right after reading A Wizard of Earthsea I immediatly went out and bought Tombs of Atuan. Automaticly I was drawn into the story.At first I expected to read about Ged right off the bat, but then Tenar/Ahra comes into the picture. I was somewhat dissapointed. But after awhile I wanted to know more and more about Tenar and the Tombs. As the story progressed I found myself reading into the late hours ( and I mean LATE, like 3-4 am late!). I couldn't find a way to drag myself away from this fantastic book. As I stopped worrying whether or not Ged was going to make an appearance who should find his way into the tombs? It was none other than Ged. Now it started to get really good! A unseen friendship between Tenar and Ged started to grow. As the book goes on, Tenar finds out who she really is and decides she's had enough of the priestess life and ask Ged to take her with him. The words LeGuin uses in this book make this story even more enjoyable. Now if you haven't read this book yet I suggest you find a copy today, and read this book into the late hours.

Innocence and darkness are mixed so beautifully here that it is truly a haunting story. A 'dalai-lamaistic' faith system as ancient and timeless as the world in which it dwells is the under-pinning premise here - Tenar is the re-incarnated High Priestess of the Tombs with a thousand previous lives. She is taken from her parents as a mere child, loses her name and any real identity and becomes utterly sunken in this dark dry spiritual world. She believes. She becomes. The reader remembers who she really was but she doesn't and the reader is cut to the heart. Le Guin paints something really vivid here and all the more so because her young heroine stumbles literally in complete darkness. She shows you how a life can be swallowed up in absolute ignorance and how tragic that is. When Ged arrives and leads her out of darkness, Tenar is given back her name but realizes that she is left with nothing else. Everything she was taught was a lie. This is how the book ends. It is no wonder that Le Guin wrote a 'follow-up' devoted to Tenar (Tehanu) because I think she felt she owed it to Tenar and to the readers. A real gem of a story.

Of course I liked Ged in the Wizard of Earthsea, but Tenar was a new and exciting way for the books to continue. Even though the beginning had no shouting fights with dragons or shadow-beasts slaying wizards, its setting, and everyday events as Priestess of the tombs were interesting. It was another mystery (only showing how it connects to Ged and Earthsea at the end), but a more solomn and deeper one this time.

I was surprised as I read the other reviews of this book. People thinking it was hard to get into this book. I found it harder to get into the other three books and very quickly I fell into this book. I thought the story of Tenar was very exciting. I loved the dark undergound Labyrinth. It just became better as Gehn made his first appearence. I was completely drawn into this book and was disappointed to see that Tenar was only mentioned vaguely in the third novel. I believe the Tombs of Atuan was the best Earthsea book of them all.

'..Shore' is a simple read. It's not a complex book. It doesn't seem to have a deeper meaning. It's just a story about a guy trying to save the world. As such, it's not that interesting. It takes all the reader's energy to stay focused during the interminable paragraphs.
The only part I truly enjoyed about this book was Le Guin's depiction of the dragons. They came alive. A few sentences of description and I could actually picture them.

A very quick read, but one that I think will stick with me for a long time. As always, Le Guin's writing is fluid and beautiful, understated and sparse, but shockingly powerful. And her afterword about power, power over and power to, is particularly wonderful as well.

Of course I liked The Tombs of Atuan. It is well-constructed and beautifully styled fantasy, comparable to the works of Susan Cooper and Patricia McKillip. (No, Tolkien is in a class by himself.)
Le Guin's Earthsea books are all excellent, but some people feel that The Tombs of Atuan is slow to start, and less eventful than the other three. My opinion, for what it's worth, is quite the opposite. The introspective beginning of Tombs is not unlike the beginning of Wizard, focussing closely on a single character, that character's uniqueness, and the way that character is shaped by life. The reader approaches the threshold of adventure with the protagonist; the reader, too, is drawn into the struggle, shares bewilderment, doubt, and uncertainty; and the reader, too, has made a passage by the end of the book.
Too much of modern fantasy is all long journeys, heated battles, unquestionably terrible villains -- and swordplay, of course. Le Guin recognizes that moral ambiguity creates the greatest obstacle a character can confront...and that if the question is worthwhile, the answer is neither easy nor painless.
Tenar is a strong heroine and I would especially recommend this book for teenage girls, whose plight is sometimes not unlike that of the Eaten One; however, as all the best books are, this is a story which is based on human character and thus speaks to both sexes and all ages.

I first read this book of the Trilogy (pure chance) and I fell in love with it. After reading the first two books, A Wizard of Earthsea and The Tombs of Atuan, I re-read it and enjoyed even more. The book is about the adventures of the archmage, Ged, and a young prince, Arren, in a boat, Lookfar, throughout the islands of Earthsea, trying to find the magical drain. It is not only the non-ending fight between of good and evil what Leguin is telling, nor Ged's story of saving the world (once again). The book is about dragons, magic, and adventure, as well as people and their love and fear. It is about a boy who matures in a magical boat with a stranger on a strange sea. A strong bond forms between Ged and Arren, despite Arren's suspicions and distrust with his companion. Ged's knowledge and sight and Arren's inexperience, faith and fear leads them to the end of their journey, and at the end, it is Arren who saves Ged's life, and brings him back from death. The story flows with the dialogs (even sometimes one might think Ged is talking too much). I recommend all of my friends this book as a "must be read."

I consider the first 4 Earthsea books to be one long story despite the gap in publication years between #s three and four.

I already added my glowing sentiment about this tale on the A WIZARD OF EARTHSEA page so there's no need to do it again. I rank this story as the greatest work of fantasy fiction in the 20th century. No more. No less.

This is, quite frankly, the best book in the whole Earthsea cycle. Its similar to 'A wizard of EarthSea'- but is better for two major reasons: 1. Tenar is a much more fasinating character than Ged was in Book1, and Ged is more rounded-out here too. 2. The setting is much more interesting. in Book1, only Gont was interesting, and the rest of the world a bit dreary (to say the least). The desert is much more interesting here. The book talks a bit (though subtly) about male and female powers. Its insight is rather interesting, and is expanded on Tehanu A farthest shore is the next book, and is easily the most mysterious book in the series. Tehanu had its problems (more about social commentary then fantasy, per se). Leguins powers as a writer come to a height here.

Of the 5 novels + 1 book of short stories set in Earthsea, this is probably my least-favorite book, and I still like it. Reading it is critical for the last sections of the whole story, so I recommend either getting it (if you want to have the full set) or at least reading it in the library to make sure you know what's going on later in the saga.

This series of books is phenomenal. Much like the popular Harry Potter books, they're written at a young-adult level. The difference, though, is that the plot, characters, and magic is much more dark and mature. I recommend the Earthsea books to everyone I can; you won't regret reading them. I think one or more also won the Nebula Award. Go get it!

For my money, Ursula K. Le Guin is the finest writer of fantasy, because she is simply a fine writer who happens to write fantasy. Her prose is elegant and fresh, her characters are believable and well-rounded, and she nevers resorts to fantasy cliches. "The Farthest Shore" is not her most scintillating work, but it's still a pleasure to read.

This series of books is phenomenal. Much like the popular Harry Potter books, they're written at a young-adult level. The difference, though, is that the plot, characters, and magic is much more dark and mature. I recommend the Earthsea books to everyone I can; you won't regret reading them. I think one or more also won the Nebula Award. Go get it!

The combination of a master magician and a young brave prince starts the story. A story wich will discover the power of friendship and the hard choice of Ged: raise the prince as the Gatherer of All Earthsea and restore the magic to Earthsea, but pay the price: lost his wonderful magical power forever or get for him and the prince eternal life (and leave the doors between life and death wide open, so all Earthsea gain inmortality). The book put on me many feelings: I was astonished, scared and driven to tears. This is the best book in the trilogy (after, a 4-logy with "Tehanu"), and it gets value by it self and can be read alone.

The Tombs of Atuan was not as interesting as I expected it to be.I wanted a good, exciting, action-packed book, and the second book of the Earthsea Cycle trilogy didn't do that for me.it was exciting at places, such as in the labrynth maze. but all in all, i wasn't impressed.
the story line was great, fresh, and original, but Ms. Le Guin could've presented it in a better form. the order in which the events happened wasn't exciting. it wasnt like a book that i couldnt put down, such as the Pendragon series kind of realistic fantasy. i read the wrong book.

This book was perfect for me. If I could go back and remove other 5 star reviews I've given, so then this 5 star review might stand without peers, might in some small way do justice to this work, then I would.

But it is a bit slow to get going. Just stick with it.

I haven't read anything better!This is the only fantasy book that I have read that doesn't contain a struggle of good vs. evil.Perfectly written with a lot of expression.I've read the other three parts of the Earthsea quartet, and I must admit this one is the best:). annage10

An amazing sequel to Wizard Of Earthsea. However this book is admittedly hard to get into, but once you do, it is unputdownable. It is interesting to see the focus off Ged and the main character Tenar is brilliantly drawn, brave, fiery yet often scared and naive. the plot is deep and involving and the chemistry in Ged and Tenars (platonic) relationship is astounding.

but that's not saying much. Of course this series isn't Tolkien caliber, because there's no such thing as Tolkien caliber. The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion are in a class by themselves. The Earthsea series reminds me more of the Riddle of Stars by Patricia McKillip, but it isn't as good as that.

to high fantasy. If you haven't read this book, go out and buy
it, either in the bookstore, through the mail, on tape, or as an
e-book. I first read it in 1986. It was a good read then. Ms.
Le Guin takes us to Atlantis just before the Fall. What can I tell you about it without giving away the plot? Nothing. Read
this book. GET THEE TO A BOOKSTORE!

This book is a fitting ending to the brilliant Earthsea Trillogy. In my view the weakest of the three books (not counting the forth...) yet that isn't saying much as the entire trilliogy is classic. I have read Tolkien and found the Earthsea trillogy to be much more satifying, perhaps not in imagination, but in plot, chracter development and pacing.

This is the second book of the earthsea cycle. The main character is not Ged the mage, but Tenar the first priestess of an old cult. It's an uncomplicated story about human feelings (particularly the coming of age of the main character, the crucial choosing of one's future and trust). The magic is present all through it without any extraordinary manifestations, such believable is Le Guin's wizardry. It's an easy reading that can be easily accomplished in a full day.
This edition is a sturdy one and will resist well the hazards a book is exposed to, but the paper lacks whiteness and is of a harsh type.

Ursula Le Guin wrote this very well.It was extremely interesting ,and very absorbing .The plot is straightforward,and
the characters are wonderful .Despite all this , I must admit that it is slightly confusing ,and I had to interpret a bit for myself ,but I still loved it .

This story has an intriguing premise, but the initial pages set up a framework in which even a young adult reader could predict the ensuing plot. Therefore, the rest of the story moves towards its expected ending with no surprises or twists. However, there are some nuggets of wisdom and brilliance along the way--sometimes just a single line or image. So, while this isn't necessarily a dramatic story, it is worth reading for the vintage LeGuin treasures that are interspersed throughout the book.

The second book in the earthsea cycle is about a girl who is born a high priestess(or actually, a reincarnation of one). Her true name is Tenar, but was called Arha, the "eaten one." She is a priestess for the godkings and is the one who goes through the labrinyth of Atuan. The labrinyth is completely dark, and has to be memorized by touch and sense of direction since there is no light. I think there are holes in one part of the labrinyth(or the tombs, I can't remember which), where you can look down into them and light will pass through. No one was ever allowed into the undertomb of the labrinyth. Turns out Ged is the one seeking the ring of Erreth-Akbe. I could go farther but don't want to ruin the story. The story was okay, in terms of the way it's written. Half the time, the book bore me because it didn't really have a clear story plot. Still recommended though.

Well I'm now two books into Earthsea and I still can't understand why it's considered a classic. The story moves slowly. There's not a lot of beautiful prose or descriptive detail. Much of the action is expository. I'll keep reading but it's not classic.

This book is about 140 pages but it seems to contain more content than books I've read that are over 1000. LeGuin jams meaning and imagery into words like no other author. My favroite scene is Sparrowhawk giving up on the door after The Eaten One seals him into the tombs.
The eaten one's lifestyle is so different from mine but LeGuin really makes the character come to life with her careful descriptions of what motivates this lonely child.
This is one of the most unforgettable books I ever read and I urge you to read it too!

Earthsea the tombs of Atuan is the BEST book in the trilogy. The book keeps on making you want to read more. When Ged got traped in the Tombs I couldn't put the book down. I must have read the book for 5 hours the day I got it because you just keep on wondering what will happen next. This book is definatly better than the 3rd Earthsea book. But if you took the time to read the other Earthsea books it is an interesting and dark ending. And I will say one last time the second Earthsea book is the best book in the trilogy.^_^Earthsea is a magical experence for readers from kids like me to adults.

The Earthsea series, of which this book is the third part, is a majestic work of fantasy fiction. The flowing beauty of the world, the clear simplicity of the storytelling, and the depth and wisdom of some of the passages makes these books a pleasure to read and reread. Along with J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth and C.S. Lewis' Narnia, Ursela Le Guin's world of Earthsea is one of the most wonderful places to visit in the genre of fantasy.

Part of the series and the one that I personally like best, it tells of Sparrowhawk's voyage to right the magical balance with the aid of a young nobleman. It also adds a little insight into the character of Sparrowhawk and his vision for the Earthsea kingdoms which is interesting. Enjoyed it.

After being disappointed by the first book in this series, I started out thinking that this one must be better in order to justify the series' reputation. I was wrong. Even the main character, Tenar/Arha, was not very deep, and Ged's depth came almost entirely from having read the previous book. The only reason I'm giving it 2 stars instead of 1 is that it wasn't actually offensive, and I do appreciate Le Guin's avoidance of a gratuitous romance between Ged and Tenar. The most (and possibly only) interesting thing about reading this book was referring to the map of the labyrinth to follow the directions described in the story, but this book was painfully boring for the most part, seeming much longer than its slight size would indicate.

The comparisons to Tolkein and Lewis still leave me baffled; indeed, these books have fallen far short of most "lesser" authors as well. I believe that simply picking a fantasy book at random would likely result in a better read. Sadly, I also think that this would have been disappointing even without the expectations generated by the hype over this series. The fact that her "Left Hand of Darkness" many years ago did not inspire me to get more of her books perhaps should've been a hint; I don't recall being especially let down by that book, but I was only a teenager back then.

I started reading this series in part to be able to compare it to the upcoming miniseries on SciFi, but two books into the series, I'm actually expecting the TV version to be much better than the books, and as such, substantially different; if not, I'll be switching to the Weather Channel not long after the opening credits.

The sequel to A Wizard of Earthsea is a little disappointing after the first book, and changes fairly significantly.

It shifts focus from the mature wizard Ged, to a young woman. She is a member of a matriarchal cult, and they end up trapping and imprisoning Ged after he comes there on a mission.

She has to come to realise what is more important.

As a faithful lover of sci-fi/fantasy, I found this book irresistible. I read it twice in the course of 24 hours. Ursula LeGuin's vivid description of Arha's dark life as The First Priestess, her inner struggle, and finally, the underlying hints of what she feels for Ged, the young wizard who rescues her, all make for a can't-put-it-down plot. It would be great for teenage readers who love a good fantasy (like myself). I highly recommend it!!

I loved the book with one exception. There is no real follow through with the characters from book to book. Some time passes from the first to the second book with no saying what had happened to the character. Aside from that it was a great book and kept me turning the pages.

A little more interesting than The Tombs of Atuan, The Farthest Shore is a story of the older Ged. He is now an archmage, and has come to the realisation that magic is slowly disappearing, and that to ordinary people, this does not matter a whole lot.

Ged ends up on what to him is a quixotic quest, along with a young prince, to see what is going on.

After being disappointed by the first book in this series, I started out thinking that this one must be better in order to justify the series' reputation. I was wrong. Even the main character, Tenar/Arha, was not very deep, and Ged's depth came almost entirely from having read the previous book. The only reason I'm giving it 2 stars instead of 1 is that it wasn't actually offensive, and I do appreciate Le Guin's avoidance of a gratuitous romance between Ged and Tenar. The most (and possibly only) interesting thing about reading this book was referring to the map of the labyrinth to follow the directions described in the story, but this book was painfully boring for the most part, seeming much longer than its slight size would indicate.

The comparisons to Tolkein and Lewis still leave me baffled; indeed, these books have fallen far short of most "lesser" authors as well. I believe that simply picking a fantasy book at random would likely result in a better read. Sadly, I also think that this would have been disappointing even without the expectations generated by the hype over this series. The fact that her "Left Hand of Darkness" many years ago did not inspire me to get more of her books perhaps should've been a hint; I don't recall being especially let down by that book, but I was only a teenager back then.

I started reading this series in part to be able to compare it to the upcoming miniseries on SciFi, but two books into the series, I'm actually expecting the TV version to be much better than the books, and as such, substantially different; if not, I'll be switching to the Weather Channel not long after the opening credits.

The sequel to A Wizard of Earthsea is a little disappointing after the first book, and changes fairly significantly.

It shifts focus from the mature wizard Ged, to a young woman. She is a member of a matriarchal cult, and they end up trapping and imprisoning Ged after he comes there on a mission.

She has to come to realise what is more important.

As a faithful lover of sci-fi/fantasy, I found this book irresistible. I read it twice in the course of 24 hours. Ursula LeGuin's vivid description of Arha's dark life as The First Priestess, her inner struggle, and finally, the underlying hints of what she feels for Ged, the young wizard who rescues her, all make for a can't-put-it-down plot. It would be great for teenage readers who love a good fantasy (like myself). I highly recommend it!!

I loved the book with one exception. There is no real follow through with the characters from book to book. Some time passes from the first to the second book with no saying what had happened to the character. Aside from that it was a great book and kept me turning the pages.

A little more interesting than The Tombs of Atuan, The Farthest Shore is a story of the older Ged. He is now an archmage, and has come to the realisation that magic is slowly disappearing, and that to ordinary people, this does not matter a whole lot.

Ged ends up on what to him is a quixotic quest, along with a young prince, to see what is going on.

This book is typical of LeGuin's work, it combines thought provoking ideas in a simple style and a use of language which frequently reminds me of poetry. I have often seen her books shown as "childrens books". They are not. They are for any age that can understand a deep sense of poetry in language and an interest in the interactions of people in different environments.

The Tombs of Atuan is good when you first start reading it, but once you get into it, it's a little boring. The ending sort of leaves you hanging, too. Still, it was well written, and the charactrs were true to life. But I think other LeGuin books were better.

An excellent continuation of the Earthsea epic, perhaps even outdoing the original. This second book provides a slower, more intimate tale that is very well developed. The only problem with this short read is that its over too soon.

After reading Wizard of Earthsea, I was interested enough to continue with the second book in the series, but just barely. My hat goes off to anyone who can get through this short, yet mind-numbing book. I see now why it took LeGuin so long to get her first novel published. Her endless, run-on sentences are often totally devoid of any real meaning or interest, and leave you only with pain and regret for having invested time in this series. Do yourself a favor and cut your losses by not starting this second installment.
Try George R. R. Martin's "Game of Thrones" or Julian May's outstanding Saga of Pliocene Exile for some truly rewarding reading in this field.

An excellent book in one of the greatest fantasy series of our time. In this volume the author takes the philosophy aspect of the series to its highest, most impressive level. It's a great story with also great wisdom.

Ultimately the message within this novel is.... "maintain the status quo... don't try to change things too much"... Arren's judgment of Ged is perfectly accurate... The things he says seem deep at first but ultimately he's saying nothing at all.

The "villain" breaks the cycle of life and death... and eliminates death, and removes magic from the world... So what? The reader is automatically supposed to accept that this is a "bad" thing... I'm not so sure why. In buddhism the goal is to eliminate the cycle of birth and death... so it isn't obvious to me that this villain was actually a villain at all...

The best part of the second book in the Earthsea series is the first book... This story, thankfully very short, is a letdown. The writing is excellent but the storyline centers on a very weak and uninteresting character. I would imagine only people really interested in the series should bother reading it, all others should skip it.

Absolutely excellent sequel. I had a difficult time getting started, because the protagonist had changed from the first book. However, once past the first couple of chapters, it gripped me, and was very satisfying to read.

The only thing I don't like about this series is the author finished writing long before I'm ready to be finished reading! Fairly abrupt endings, and I could go on another 6 or 7 chapters! :)

This is certainly a different read now that I am in my thirties, but I hadn't read it in a while and, even though it did read like a young adult fantasy, I picked up on all kinds of things that I didn't pick up on when I was 14 reading this book. This, to me, is one of those tried and true fantasy classics.

If you are into classic fantasy adventures that are character driven and have a believable, exciting plot, check out this new fantasy adventure A Chance Beginning: Book One of the Shadow's Fire Trilogy

I really enjoyed this book. However, it wasn't what I was expecting given the first book. This book starts some time after the first one and doesn't really take from the first book much. It also has a much narrower focus than the first one. All that being said, I still think it is a great book.

Lastly, the narrator for this series does a really great job. He is very good at voicing different characters without ever sounding annoying or affected.