Product Description

A superb four-part fantasy, comparable with the work of Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, the Earthsea books follow the fortunes of the wizard Ged from his childhood to an age where magic is giving way to evil. As a young dragonlord, Ged, whose use-name is Sparrowhawk, is sent to the island of Roke to learn the true way of magic. A natural magician, Ged becomes an Archmage and helps the High Priestess Tenar escape from the labyrinth of darkness. But as the years pass, true magic and ancient ways are forced to submit to the powers of evil and death …

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3217 in Books
• Published on: 1993-06-24
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 704 pages

Review
Earthsea is a magical world, full of enchantment. The Wizard of Earthsea must fight off the forces of evil and darkness in their various shapes before, 'done with doing', he flies off on his dragon to 'the farthest shore'. These prize-winning stories are brilliantly crafted, richly imagined and engaging. (Kirkus UK)

Customer Reviews

Masterpiece
The Earth Sea series and all related stories creates a complete masterpiece and one of the keystones of the Fantasy world. No they are not classic fantasy books. Unlike the ordinary ones, the series concentrate on people, human beings, persons. And when you read the series, you find yourself in a fantasy world of your own. Unique among the fantasy series and the best of Le Guin's.

Help your ten year old turn into the sort of adult you'd like them to be
Ignore the lurid cover - this is not empty sword and sorcery but a journey through key philosophical battlefronts that never interferes with a ripping good story for children.

Amazingly clever and beautifully written in economical prose - it's only years later that most children realize how unique Le Guin's books are in forming their ideas about the world.

How powerful is language? What could be the dark side of the promise of afterlife? What are the risks of demonstrating adolescent prowess?

The polar opposite to the CS Lewis Narnia stories, this is cold water poured on the Sunday school campfire.

See if you can spot the subsequent imitators like JK Rowling.

One hundred stars for the Earthsea Trilogy
It has been stated before me, but I dare repeat this loud and clear: The Earthsea Trilogy is something unsurpassable. (I mean TRILOGY, it's not a mistake.) I was fortunate enough to read it, when it WAS a trilogy. And I daresay it is definitely not a book for children. For you can find lots of essential truths there (on the other hand, you can also find them in fairy tales, sometimes). Acknowledging and naming one's light and dark self in order to be whole, staying silent in order to hear, and many many other things you learn (sometimes - in a hard way) when you are young. The second part - the most beautiful love story I ever read (the word never mentioned). And going away forever, nobody knows where, instead of dying, if you are great enough (so it seemed when it WAS a trilogy!) Imagine this, a picture from reality, 20 something years ago: me, a student, translating "A Wizard of Eartsea" for my not-English speaking friends, and 5 other students sitting in a student's residence room and listening - every single evening!

And there's a worm in the apple, and only 4 stars remaining out of 100: I'd be much more happy, if Tehanu were never written. I'll try to do something about my temper at the moment and just say NOTHING about it.