HOL

As some of you may or may not know, Ursula K. Le Guin, the author of the Earthsea series, passed away a few days ago. Polaris has created a topic on it here. I first found out through Cassie and then again when I logged on the forums and saw Polaris's post. It had been a long while since I read this series of books, so I decided to pick them up again and read through them.

The first book A Wizard of Earthsea introduces the reader to the world of Earthsea. We learn about wizards and magic and the difference between a village witch and great sorcerers. We also learn about the powers of a things true name which I always found very interesting. Our main character enters his training to become a wizard and like some, wants to prove that he is the best and lets pride get in the way. This causes drastic consequences and that mistake begins to follow him everywhere he goes throughout the book. That is until he meets an old friend and learns what he needs to do. We see our main character kind of come into his own and learn how to face down his fear. We learn how magic can be used for good and evil and how not everything is always what it seems.

It is an easy and fast read, and I definitely recommend it if you like fantasy books. I put it somewhat along the lines of Tortall, different though they are, but to me, they have a bit of the same feel to them while reading.

Title of the book: A Wizard of Earthsea
Authors: Ursula K Le Guin
Series: Earthsea
Genres: Fantasy
Synopsis Curtisy of Goodreads:

Ged, the greatest sorcerer in all Earthsea, was called Sparrowhawk in his reckless youth.

Hungry for power and knowledge, Sparrowhawk 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.

Good Points
This story has a really unique and cleverly constructed fantasy world. Each of the locations with their corresponding communities are nuanced and striking. It’s also really refreshing to see a fantasy novel that incorporates diversity from the get go and without resorting to tokenism, stereotypes or unnecessary fanfare.
I also think the hero’s journey is a strong one as it strays away from the typical quest narrative. While Jed has to pursue something and defeat an enemy, it’s not the typical MacGuffin and evil overlord set-up you might expect. The magic system is similarly complex but logical.
Bad Points
I honestly find it very hard to connect to this story at an emotional level, even on my second read. Because it’s told very like a fairy-tale, the narrator keeps the audience at arms-length from the action and from Jed’s internal thoughts. It’s very like being told a story which is pleasant in its way, just unsatisfying if you come into it with the expectations created by modern fantasy novels where you are immersed in the action. The whole experience is quite dream-like, detached and insubstantial.
Another thing worth noting is that while the author does very well at diversity in a lot of ways, the female characters have very little autonomy and are quite stereotypical. This is something she apparently recognised and attempts to address in later earthsea novels.