Sean Barrs 's Reviews > A Wizard of Earthsea

** spoiler alert ** This is old school fantasy at its finest. It has all the classic elements. It has a young and naïve protagonist who learns the dangers of power; he overcomes his initial stupidity and learns how to wield his power effectively. It also has wizards, dragons and creatures of great evil. It’s a standard fantasy plot, delivered in basic way, but, nonetheless, it is still great. I think this is because of the plot itself. Le Guin drew me in completely, and made me reach the ending rather quickly. I had to discover how a young mage could defeat a dark and corrupted version of himself, one that had left him scarred forever and running in fear.

A story of growth and magic



Ged is your typical protagonist; he is brave, honest and good. He goes on a journey of self-discovery in which he learns the limits, and potential, of his power. He has rather humble origins; he began life as a mere goat herder. Through this he learnt how to take care of himself rather than rely on others. However, he is also very young and rash. With his innate magical power also comes the innate arrogance that can only be associated with a wizard. He is easily tempted and goaded. A fellow apprentice entices him into a magical duel, which turns disastrous. In the process of working an extremely complex spell, aimed at the other wizard, the young Ged accidently summons great evil into the world.

“You thought, as a boy, that a mage is one who can do anything. So I thought, once. So did we all. And the truth is that as a man's real power grows and his knowledge widens, ever the way he can follow grows narrower: until at last he chooses nothing, but does only and wholly what he *must *do . . .”

He spends the rest of the novel trying to redeem this initial folly, and trying to survive the thing that he has actually summoned. It is a dark horror, and one that only he, personally, can defeat because he was the one who called it forth. This is a harsh lesson for Ged, and, undoubtedly, one that will make him into a much better mage. He learns caution and develops wisdom; he learns to listen and take the advice of those who are more experienced than himself. But, more importantly, he learns not to be so foolish with magic in the future because it could easily lead to his own ruination. Magic is most dangerous, in this world, and it must be handled with care.

Short and sweet

The narrative of this is incredibly bare and simple, surprisingly so. The author doesn’t dwell on things, as she is constantly pushing the story forward. The prose is basic and unembellished, but at the same time it is delivered perfectly. She tempts you to reach the end and see the worthy resolution with your own eyes. The ending is also delivered in a quick and frank manner, which completely reflects her storytelling in general. This book could have, quite easily, been four times the length. But, Le Guin’s style is quick and sharp. She doesn’t mess about with her characters. They’re there to be seen rather than described. This is a style rarely found in fantasy, and most of the time it doesn’t work that well, but in this can Le Guin does in masterfully. She gives you just enough to add depth, and in the process she doesn’t waste a single word or drag you on a long and tireless journey. I don’t think many authors could quite achieve this balance in the genre.



I can’t believe that I’ve only just read this. Le Guin is clearly a major voice in the fantasy genre, yet her existence is quite new to me. When reading this I noticed many ideas that I’ve seen several times before in fantasy, yet, I never really considered with whom these ideas originated. Indeed, Le Guin created the first school of magic. It is vast and excellent, but largely underrepresented in the story. Pat Rothfuss and J.K Rowling took this idea, and actually made it better in their novels because it is the centre point of their worlds. Le Guin, however, uses the entire world of Earth Sea to tell her story. I think because of this I have a clearer mental image of her world when compared to other fantasy universes. One thing is for sure, this won’t be the last Le Guin book I read.

Earthsea Cycle
1. A Wizard of Earthsea- Four worthy stars
2. The Tombs of Atuan- A redeeming four stars
3. The Farthest Shore- A strong four stars