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.
This novel is such a classic that it doesn’t need my additional plaudits, but I think one thing should be said. While this book is written in a style that demands that the reader recognize its importance - a kind of mythic style reminiscent of Beowulf or Le Mort d’Arthur, I came to it after reading LeGuin’s Powers series. This book is fully deserving of its 5 stars, but I think I enjoyed the Powers series more because they were more subtle. It’s reassuring to see that an author of LeGuin’s talent can still grow and shift in her style.
Reading updates
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Started reading
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18 June, 2017:
Finished reading
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18 June, 2017:
Reviewed