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A Wizard of Earthsea

The First Book of Earthsea

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A Wizard of Earthsea

By: Ursula K. Le Guin
Narrated by: Kobna Holdbrook-Smith
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Ged, the greatest sorcerer in all Earthsea, was called Sparrowhawk in his reckless youth.

Hungry for power and knowledge, Sparrowhawk 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.

Read by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith

©2018 Ursula K. Le Guin (P)2018 Orion Publishing Group Classics Fantasy Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Science Fiction & Fantasy
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I Have been hugely excited ever since this book showed up for preorder on Audible, as A Wizard of Earthsea is my go-to story for sick days, lazy Sundays, or when I'm just not feeling 100%. It has been for over 10 years!

LeGuinn is a fantastic storyteller and wordbuilder, with an accessible narrative that weaves deep questions and themes into a child friendly story that will also truly delight, thrill, and hold the imagination of adults in a chokehold and refuses to let go.

I was equally disappointed when I finally opened A Wizard of Earthsea this morning to find narration that sounds somewhat akin to Neil Gaiman with a chest infection, and about half the audio frequencies removed.

I found the narrator perfectly adequate, but also somewhat lackluster after cutting my teeth on the Harlan Ellison reading; but as the options are not there, and the BBC dramatisation (which are normally very good) was also a bit of a flop with this story, im just glad to be able to have this story accessible at all times again, though the Ellison reading is preferable every time if you can find it.

A Bit Disappointed

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The way it is read is mesmerising too. Prepare yourself for 7 hours of another world.

Wonderful, wonderful book

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I really enjoyed this as a child and this audiobook helped me share the enjoyment with my 8 year old.

Brilliant book, brilliantly read

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This has to be the best fantasy story I've ever listened to, I'll be thinking about it for a long, long time

beautiful, beautiful, beautiful

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I doubt I have much to add when reviewing a classic. Incredibly accessible prose but also strikingly poetic. One of the most beautifully written books I think I've ever read, at both line level and in the themes and throes of the narrative. There's a prized feminine quality to it, a gentleness, even in the posturing boys.

The plot is epic yet swiftly sails along and doesn't overstay its welcome. And epic fantasy battles are cleverly subverted in a lore where knowledge and wisdom trumps martial prowess. It also goes to dark, subdued places, and indeed its central antagonist is the hero's own inner shadow and shame. Its subtle and insidious and powerful. Even the dialogue has a terse, understated power; and this story itself seems to be a mere prelude to the world's recorded history of the hero, a tale thus far untold in the world.

The world of Earthsea feels fresh and unique, a beautiful archipelago of islands, merging plant and animal life with life on the high seas. I can perhaps see inspirations here for worlds like Sea of Thieves and Divinity Original Sin. Shadows entering the world through a kind of dimensional tear make me think of Dragon Age's Fade, but this was written decades before! It must have been incredibly fresh and imaginative to those early readers, and as I say it still feels new and unique.

I could feel the sun and taste the salt, and it felt like a wondrous place to be. The place names have a ring of Tolkien, but also a bold flavour all of their own. And many of the races central to the narrative are dark-skinned, which is surely incredible representation for the sixties.

The voice acting is richly textured, and with its realisation of various British accents, it brings the world vividly to life.

Spellbinding

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