A Wizard of Earthsea
Ursula K. Le Guin · 1929–2018 · United States
Why it matters
A gifted, arrogant boy wizard looses a nameless shadow-thing into the world and spends the book learning to face it by its true name. Le Guin's foundational fantasy, decades ahead of its imitators, builds a magic system on language and humility rather than power.
At a glance
speculative fictionbildungsroman
Difficulty 3/10fast pace205 pagesClean, spare prose and a straightforward quest structure make this Le Guin's most accessible book.
Where to go next
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