A Wizard of Earthsea

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Fantasy / Le Guin, Ursula K.	4-week checkout	Due 05-19-2024
Malletts Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Fantasy / Le Guin, Ursula K.	4-week checkout	Due 04-24-2024
Pittsfield Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Fantasy / Le Guin, Ursula K.	4-week checkout	Due 05-10-2024
Westgate Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Fantasy / Le Guin, Ursula K.	4-week checkout	Due 05-19-2024
Westgate Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Fantasy / Le Guin, Ursula K.	4-week checkout	Due 05-01-2024

Ged was the greatest sorcerer in all Earthsea, but once he was called Sparrowhawk, a reckless youth, hungry for power and knowledge, who tampered with long-held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon the world. This is the tale of his testing, how he mastered the mighty words of power, tamed an ancient dragon, and crossed death's threshold to restore the balance.

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Good story submitted by kathscot on July 21, 2013, 9:37pm A very interesting world with an interesting hero.

An amazingly profound and magical adventure filled with integrity! submitted by VanCancue on June 20, 2018, 6:29pm As I understand, this series written in between 1920's-1930's was one the first to introduce the concept of wizarding school. The author created a place where those with the art could learn and develop their powers. Despite this interesting bit of information Ursula's stories are profoundly imbued with integrity and righteousness. I love this series and as you continue to read these books you'll come to understand the key characters constantly battle the "evil", created by the ill will of other beings. I simply love her books.

Traditional but unconventional Fantasy submitted by EJZ on July 28, 2018, 6:21pm A stellar, quick, and enjoyable read. The book is traditional in that it features magic, wizards, dragons, and the like. But the traditional elements belie an unconventional story, without the external battles against evil forces that permeate just about every Fantasy novel written in the last century. Instead, the hero must grapple with the darkness inside him, and lean how to control and deal with the immense power that he discovers within himself. This is a great novel for younger and older readers alike.

A cursory view of a wonderful world submitted by andybayer on June 25, 2019, 3:28pm A Wizard of Earthsea creates a beautiful world, with interesting people, places, and magical rules. The telling doesn't dwell on any of these juicy things particularly long, and is paced more like a parable. A great start to the series that has left me wanting more!

A Wizard of Earthsea submitted by SBNB on July 7, 2020, 12:36pm This was a good book. The ending was a little anticlimactic and confusing, but I enjoyed the world and characters created enough to want to read the next book in Earthsea.

A classic submitted by Susan4Pax -prev. sueij- on June 18, 2021, 9:17pm An SF classic that I've never read from 1968. I'll definitely read the other two books of the original trilogy. Le Guin's writing was much more concise than that of most women authors I've read, and I'm curious if that might be because there were fewer women who had broken into the genre when she first wrote this. Everything served the plot, and there was very little that was just descriptive adornment. Good, in any case.

Entry to Earthsea submitted by terpsichore17 on July 30, 2021, 12:55pm It’s weird to read something that defined a genre of books that came after it.

Sparrowhawk’s pride is obnoxious but, unlike many other examples of Arrogant Young Sot Who Does Something Idiotic To Prove His Power, the experience actually scares, humbles, and changes him.

I’m grateful for Vetch; enjoyed Sparrowhawk’s encounter with dragons; and appreciated the small quotidian bits of people living their lives on all those labouriously-named islands. Overall, though, I found the book very easy to put down.

Iconic Fantasy Story Still Holds Up submitted by timdufresne on June 15, 2022, 9:18am Le Guin is a master of her craft and this iconic series is something special. Do yourself a favor and pick it up or get it for your favorite fantasy fan.

magical submitted by sandri on July 25, 2022, 2:31pm A Wizard of Earthsea creates a beautiful world, with interesting people, places, and magical rules.

Give it a listen! submitted by rjfernandorizzo on August 8, 2022, 10:45am Highly recommend the digital audiobook available on Overdrive, read with passion by Harlan Ellison.

Wonderful submitted by courtneyhooper on August 15, 2022, 10:15pm An under-read author finally getting her due

An easy way into Le Guin submitted by Kitty4777 on July 5, 2023, 12:11am I like her writing so much. This was far less politically intriguing than the left hand of darkness and other books before this (which won awards and this did not), but she weaves fun stories to read with interesting characters that hold my attention.

A later book in the earth sea series won awards, so I’m reading from the beginning. When I do start that future book, I wonder if it will have needed this introduction, but considering how much I enjoyed her other works, it made a lot of sense to just read them in order :)

Edit: I read through to book 4, which won the Hugo. I’m glad that I started at the beginning, but like her other works that won awards, it is not as light and fluffy as the beginning books of earthsea (which is good, in my opinion).

Classic submitted by kaymbre on July 22, 2023, 7:39am "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin is a solid and engaging read that transports readers to the imaginative world of Earthsea. The intricate world-building and the coming-of-age journey of Ged, the young wizard, provide a compelling narrative. Le Guin's writing style is smooth and evocative, carrying the story forward with ease. The exploration of themes like balance and the consequences of one's actions adds depth to the plot. Overall, "A Wizard of Earthsea" is a timeless fantasy classic that leaves a lasting impression.