The Tombs of Atuan (Earthsea Trilogy, 2)

Paperback

English language

Published 1979 by bantam.

ISBN:
978-0-553-13594-7
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OCLC Number:
227193783

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4 stars (3 reviews)

Arha's isolated existence as high priestess in the tombs of Atuan is jarred by a thief who seeks a special treasure.

48 editions

A Word of Warning

4 stars

This was technically a reread for me, but the last time I read it, the century had not yet turned—and in any case, I remembered nothing about it, other than something about a cave.

The Tombs of Atuan is quite good, but I see why it is, perhaps, less popular than some of Le Guin’s other works. It’s a sequel to A Wizard of Earthsea, but where Earthsea is practically a fairy tale in tone, stylized and sonorous (which is an endorsement, not a criticism, by the way), Atuan is more directly a “fantasy novel.” It is not, however, a comforting one, not one where all the pieces fall together nicely, everybody’s problem is solved, the main characters fall in love, and so forth.

It is a story of beginnings, I think: first of the protagonist’s life as Arha, and then, the re-beginning—or perhaps better said, the resumption of …

reviewed The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin (Earthsea Cycle, #2)

A word of warning

4 stars

Content warning Literally quotes the ending (and of A Wizard of Earthsea)