book 1 of The Earthsea Cycle

by Ursula K. Le Guin

isbn: 0553262505
subject: Fiction and Literature, Children's Books
finished: Early Fall 1997

A great fantasy novel, although it is difficult for me to write about objectively since it's a childhood favorite of mine. A Wizard of Earthsea concerns the early life of Ged, a sorcerer who releases into the world an evil power that he must eventually confront. It's very well written; the characterization is excellent, and it has a surreal, otherworldly feel that only the best fantasy attains (Tolkien's Silmarillion, Wolfe's Book of the New Sun, and the Ramadan issue of The Sandman are other examples). It is often unfairly thrown into the "young adult" category; not-so-young adults would be making a mistake if they were to use this as a reason to not read A Wizard of Earthsea.