The National Book Award–winning third novel in the renowned Earthsea series from Ursula K. LeGuin gets a beautiful new repackage.
In this third book in the Earthsea series, darkness threatens to overtake Earthsea: The world and its wizards are losing their magic. But Ged Sparrohawk—Archmage, wizard, and dragonlord—is determined to discover the source of this devastating loss.
Aided by Enlad’s young Prince Arren, Ged embarks on a treacherous journey that will test their strength and will. Because to restore magic, the two warriors must venture to the farthest reaches of their world—and even beyond the realm of death.
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. Now the full Earthsea collection—A Wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan, The Farthest Shore, Tehanu, Tales from Earthsea, and The Other Wind—is available with a fresh, modern look that will endear it both to loyal fans and new legions of readers.
Dragons, wizards, and the fateful quest for immort
"This is a fascinating story, in which the Archmage Ged/Sparrowhawk and his companion, the young Prince Arren of Enlad, go on a great journey to discover why magic and the power of speech is slowly draining out of the world. In the course of the tale we meet a drug-addicted wizard, a people who spend their entire lives living on rafts in the ocean,and the great dragons who speak the original language of Earthsea, ‘the speech of the Making’. At the end of the story, we meet the wizard who, in his quest for personal immortality, has inadvertantly (? I think) caused the crisis. It’s good to remember that a door opens a way in two directions! Undoubtedly the best parts of this book are at the end, when for the first time in the Earthsea series we really get to know the dragons. As C. S. Lewis would say, “Of course they aren’t tame!” Every time I’ve read this book I’ve found it slow going at the beginning. By the time I reach the end, however, I realise how rich and nourishing the long journey actually is. And I have to say, I think it’s only at the end of this third reading that I’ve finally grasped what the story is all about. So be prepared to be patient with this book! Four stars out of five. P. S. Ursula K. LeGuin’s afterword—in the 2012 edition I was reading—contains some real gems; don’t skip it."
