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Often compared to Tolkien's Middle-earth or Lewis's Narnia, Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea is a stunning fantasy world that grabs quickly at our hearts, pulling us deeply into its imaginary realms. Four books (A Wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs of
...(more) Atuan, The Farthest Shore, and Tehanu) tell the whole Earthsea cycle--a tale about a reckless, awkward boy named Sparrowhawk who becomes a wizard's apprentice after the wizard reveals Sparrowhawk's true name. The boy comes to realize that his fate may be far more important than he ever dreamed possible. Le Guin challenges her readers to think about the power of language, how in the act of naming the world around us we actually create that world. Teens, especially, will be inspired by the way Le Guin allows her characters to evolve and grow into their own powers. In this first book, A Wizard of Earthsea readers will witness Sparrowhawk's moving rite of passage--when he discovers his true name and becomes a young man. Great challenges await Sparrowhawk, including an almost deadly battle with a sinister creature, a monster that may be his own shadow.(less)
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Decades before J.K. Rowling created Harry Potter and his Hogwarts chums, Ursula K. LeGuin introduced the world to young Sparrowhawk and the world of Earthsea. Although the Earthsea Cycle consists of a number of excellent books, this is the first and by far the best.
A much more deeply philosophical and intellectual work of fiction than “Harry Potter,” “A Wizard of Earthsea” is easily accessible by, and enjoyable for, everybody from middle-schoolers to adults.
The book is enjoyable on levels that vary from gripping magical fantasy to Taoist treatise. For an example of the former, we learn that in Earthsea, magic is a force of nature as powerful as any other, with unavoidable consequences and sometimes unforseen effects (particularly when conjured out of arrogance or anger). For an example of the latter, the wisest wizard in the book, Sparrowhawk’s mentor Ogion the Silent, demonstrates how to live in harmony with the flow of the universe more effectively than any other literary character I have ever encountered.
With its own school for wizards (way cooler than Hogwarts, I might add), and plenty of action and adventure, “A Wizard of Earthsea” is the perfect follow-up to anybody who loved “Harry Potter.” And, you must completely forget about the disgracefully bad Sci-Fi Channel “Earthsea” miniseries (which drove Ursula K. LeGuin to swear off film adaptations of her books).
I read “A Wizard of Earthsea” as a child, and loved it then. I read it again as an adolescent, and loved it once more. I read it yet again as an adult, and loved it more than ever. I can not recommend it highly enough.