I don't have much to say actually.

I liked it but not as much as Gifts.

I missed the old characters even if they had a role in this one.

The plot wasn't as interesting as before.

However, it was still a solid read.

If you enjoyed the first one, I'd recommend it.

But it's not really necessary to read it.

In this book, the author tried to bring in some new elements, but they didn't quite work for me.

The story felt a bit rushed at times, and I didn't have a chance to fully connect with the new characters.

That being said, the writing was still good, and there were some nice moments in the book.

Overall, it was an okay read, but not as good as the first one.

In this book, just like in the previous one, Le Guin has once again taken me by surprise as I was expecting a different kind of story.

After the events in the first volume, where we see the teenagers Orrec and Gry give up using their powers and set off to explore the world, in this story we encounter a time skip of 17 years and are introduced to Memer, a young woman living in a city enslaved by religious fanatics who prohibit the existence of any books and consider it heresy to know how to read. It is here that Orrec and Gry arrive and become the seed of the revolution.

Le Guin demonstrates her mastery in creating characters by endowing them with their own voices, and in "Voices" we can accompany the protagonist from her adolescence to her maturity while seeing how the oppressed people rebel against religious intolerance. It is a profound story that I didn't expect as it abandons the continuation of Orrec and Gry's story that was already constructed in the first book and decides to build another one with Memer as the protagonist.

Perhaps my expectations were different and I was hoping for a different type of story since fantasy is not the central core and the same story could function in the reality of our world, but without a doubt it is a recommendable work like any of Ursula K Le Guin's.

This sequel is not quite as excellent as the first book, but it is still a good enough follow-up.

The story manages to maintain a certain level of interest and engagement, although it may not reach the same heights as its predecessor.

The characters are developed further, and new elements are introduced that add depth to the overall narrative.

However, there are some aspects that could have been improved upon. For example, the pacing in certain parts feels a bit off, and some of the plot twists are not as unexpected as they could have been.

Despite these flaws, the book still has its merits and is worth reading for fans of the series.

It offers an enjoyable escape into a fictional world and provides some entertainment value.

Overall, while it may not be a masterpiece like the first book, it is a solid sequel that satisfies to a certain extent.

In the second volume of The Annals of the Western Shore, Ursula K. Le Guin takes us on a remarkable journey. We are led a long way south from the Uplands of the first volume, arriving at the conquered coastal city of Ansul.

Le Guin also presents a map of the Western Shore that wasn't printed in the first or third volumes. One region on the map, Sessery, has a name that strongly suggests it could be an island of Earthsea.

Memer is the narrator of her own young life story. She grows up in a city that has been conquered by an invading army from the desert to the east. In fact, she is a product of that invasion, as her mother was forced by a soldier from the invading army.

The hated Alds, the invaders, bring with them their religious beliefs. Their one God, Atth, despises the written word.

Ansul was once a University city with a great and famed library. However, in the aftermath of the conquest, it was destroyed, along with its contents, any other books discovered by the army, and all those found to be harbouring the written word.

Memer grows up loathing the occupying Alds, even though she looks like them. She learns history and poetry from a cache of books hidden in a room with no doors. Little changes until the arrival of Orrec Caspro and Gry Barr in the city, summoned by the Alds' chief political figure. Then, change occurs more rapidly than she could have ever imagined possible, and she finds herself at the heart of it.

Le Guin offers much more to ponder in this book than a dozen documentaries on the religious conflicts of our world. And that is precisely what she is writing about, although no single analogy with a real modern conflict quite fits, which is to her credit, in my opinion. She intends for her readers not to make easy comparisons but to seriously consider the motivations, merits, and de-merits of all the parties involved in her imagined occupied city, and thus be compelled to do the same with regard to the world we see around us. She uses Memer's awakening to a complex political situation and her enforced close-up view of her enemies to suggest that seeing our enemies as human is a significant step towards finding a way to live with them. Without ever unrealistically simplifying matters, she promotes talking (politics) as a solution, perhaps the only solution, though not necessarily an ideal one.

Le Guin tells a captivating, intricate, and carefully crafted story that has immediate and yet depressingly timeless relevance. She does so in an intelligent and perceptive manner. Le Guin is rarely anything less than profound, but she doesn't always give enough attention to providing her readers with a compelling narrative. That flaw, however, cannot be seen in this novel, making it the best fantasy work she has written since The Farthest Shore and placing it on a par with her very best work in any genre.

I had never delved into any of Ursula Le Guin's books before. People simply rave about her works! The concept of this particular book was truly compelling, and the plot held great promise and was interesting. However, as I delved deeper, I found that the characters were rather bland and flat.

I so wanted to fall in love with this book, but I've really struggled to get through it. The constant references to the Ald's "sheep hair" is quite troubling. It seemed slightly racist to me. I say slightly because, of course, there are all types of hair in the world. But the invaders, the Alds, specifically have "sheep hair," and that's how one knows who they are. The protagonist has "sheep hair" as well because she is half Ald, "a siege brat." This repeated emphasis on a particular physical trait in a way that distinguishes the invaders in a perhaps unflattering light gives one pause and makes me question the implications within the story.

Overall, while the book had its interesting aspects, these issues with the characters and the potentially concerning references have made my reading experience less than ideal. I'm still left wondering if there's more to discover and understand within the pages of this Ursula Le Guin work.

The story "Voices" is about the power of words and the value of the written human heritage. A foreign nation attacks the city where the narrator, a young girl and an orphan, lives. The girl is actually one of the children resulting from this aggression, who are called the children of the siege. The invaders consider reading and writing as a satanic act, they destroy books, libraries, and shrines, and keep women at home.

However, the narrator, the little girl, through a ability that has been passed down to her from her maternal ancestors, can hear the voices of the gods and read their messages from the books and convey them to the people. This book is the story of the perseverance of the people of Insole against the invaders.

A book with the theme of "The Value and Power of the Word" that is printed with numerous writing errors and inappropriate dialogues.

Almost every page has editorial and typing errors. No one has even bothered to read the book once before printing. Just the approval of the words by the eternal God! The word "ra" in the sentence should be attached to its object and putting its pronunciation after the verb is wrong. "Arzani" cannot be used idiomatically to mean giving, and writing "arzoni" makes a huge difference in meaning. Verbs such as "mi-danan" cannot be made idiomatic as "mi-danan" and so on. In non-contemporary and non-urban fantasy books, no one ties their hair with a comb, a ribbon or a rope is used for translation; combs and plastics have not been invented at all. "Khofe-khun" is not used in the original text, it is "khofgan". And and and and and and and and...

*&^&&^&%$%&* >^< F%CK

Aveam de mult timp "Voci" în bibliotecă. În vara care tocmai a trecut, mi-am propus să citesc măcar câteva cărți dintre cele pe care nu le-am deschis vreodată și care au stat parcă uitate pe raft. Poate că așa și s-au simțit ele însă eu știam că încă sunt acolo și m-am întors la ele într-un final.

"Voci" este al doilea volum dintr-o serie scrisă de Ursula K. Le Guin. Această autoră a scris și seria Earthsea, despre care se spune că a inspirat Harry Potter.

Într-o lume în care cititul este interzis, cărțile din Ansul se mai regăsesc doar în casa Lordului-cailor, unde sălășluiește și Memer, protagonista și naratoarea romanului. Alzii au adus teroare asupra cetățenilor din Ansul. Dar când Orrec Caspro și soția lui ajung în oraș (personajele principale din primul volum al seriei "Daruri"), fiecare având puteri magice diferite de cele ale familiilor lor, există speranța că lucrurile se pot schimba. Memer este cea care se împrietenește cu aceștia doi și îi prezintă Lordului-cailor. Astfel începe o luptă a schimbării, iar chiar și fata descoperă lucruri nebănuite despre sine.

Cartea urmărește lupta dintre două culturi diferite, dintre invadatori și victime, dintre loialitatea lui Memer față de cel care a crescut-o, care își dorește pacea pură, nu războiul, sau dorința de libertate prin răzbunare.

Voices is perhaps a more outwardly compelling book than the first, Gifts. There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, it features some of the same characters, which makes it easier for readers to connect with the story. Secondly, it has more action, which keeps the plot moving forward at a brisk pace.

Memer is still a pretty introspective character, but the scale of the story has changed. In Gifts, the story took place in a small mountain community. In Voices, we are now in a big city that is under the control of an occupying force. This change in setting brings with it a whole new set of challenges and opportunities for the characters.

Obviously, the issues explored in Voices are ones that are close to the author's heart. Reading and literacy are important themes, as is the way that imperialism tries to break down local culture. The occupying force in the story fails to understand the local culture and instead brands it as primitive, heretical, or just ignorant. This is similar to the relationship between Wales and England, as seen in examples like the Treachery of the Blue Books and the Welsh Not.

Since this is Ursula Le Guin we're talking about, the writing is beautifully and meditatively done. The story is not about big epic battles between two armies. Instead, it offers a blueprint for how people can interact, even when their cultures clash. If you're looking for a thought-provoking and beautifully written book, then Voices is definitely worth a read.

Originally posted here.

Hermoso libro! Y no sólo la edición!

It is a truly beautiful story about those distant peoples and planets from the earth, as described by Ursula K. Le Guin. And yet, there are identifiable parallels. Among all the stories of this fabulous writer, I must admit that now this one is my favorite.

For all those who value books and the culture they spread, this is the right book. A library protected by the most effective magic that can be conjured: the knowledge of reading and writing against the ignorance of those who fear books; the most powerful magician: the one who interprets and listens to the message of the books and the one who develops the gift of emitting his messages...... the reader.

It reminded me of that magical and secret "Cemetery of Forgotten Books" by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, and I also imagined "The Library of Rejected Books" by David Foenkinos. Both books take us to wonderful literary refuges in which I would love to walk.

It is a book that not only entertains but also makes us think about the importance of books and the power of the written word. It is a must-read for all book lovers.

Voices, Annals of the Western Shore, was a rather confusingly mild read.

I only say this because the rambling and slow first act was somewhat redeemed by what seemed like a satisfactory, albeit boring, finish.

Unlike my other two-star ratings, I don't necessarily have strong feelings about the mediocrity that the story pertains to.

The overall plot felt slow and abrupt, and simply not interesting. It seemed as if it was a compilation of recycled points from the prior book.

There was a lack of excitement and innovation, making it a rather forgettable read.

The characters didn't really stand out, and the story didn't have a strong enough hook to keep me engaged from start to finish.

Perhaps if the pacing had been better and the plot more original, it could have been a more enjoyable read.

However, as it stands, it's just another average addition to the series.

Voices is set in a city that has been invaded and enslaved, exploring the consequences of war, distrust, and revenge. Just as in Gifts, Le Guin's anthropological background is evident. She描绘了一幅有趣的关于侵略者和被侵略者的文化与宗教的画面。由于入侵已经过去很久了，他们的历史几乎变成了被遗忘的谣言和魔法。


我希望能有更多的魔法元素，而且在 Gifts 的强烈氛围之后，这里的故事似乎相当柔和。但在很多方面，我认为这本书更深刻；在背景中有很多微妙的社会评论。

“这个故事讲述了领主们在流亡中扎营时如何狩猎，但它没有说明他们的妻子和孩子在被敌人摧毁和荒芜的城市里靠什么生活。当英雄们从山上回来时，他们受到了盛宴的欢迎。我想知道女人们是如何做到的。”

它也非常“印象派”，有一些引人注目的、生动的形象，会在我的记忆中停留很长一段时间。

Voices is indeed an impressively ambitious book. Le Guin's setting is highly compelling. Ansul is a city occupied by religious, anti-literate fanatics known as the Alds. The book aims for a breathtaking amount of nuance, exploring how cultures, expectations, and the relationship between invaders and the oppressed change 17 years after the initial attack.
The protagonist, Memer, turns out to be the new voice of the oracle of Ansul. Her relationship with the oracle is both terrifying and ambiguous. The oracle seems to be a powerful socio-political tool, inspiring the citizens of Ansul to rise up against the Alds.
The book delves into the personal price of political power. It ends with Ansul agreeing to be a protectorate of the Alds, which Memer initially feels betrayed by. However, this resolution brings peace and a sort of independence back to Ansul.
The book also explores the complex identities of the characters. Memer, for example, is a "siege rat" born from the rape of an Ansul woman by an Ald soldier. She has to come to terms with her identity and the meaning of her "sheep's wool hair."
Overall, while I was struck by Le Guin's ability to raise complex questions about cultural clashes and political power, I felt that her answers were ultimately lacking. The ending, in particular, felt super weird and the depiction of the Alds raised some red flags.

Nevertheless, the book is still an important and thought-provoking work that offers valuable insights into the nature of occupation and the struggle for identity.