The follow-up to Le Guin's Gifts, Voices, is an enthralling story. It centers around Memer Galva, a young woman. She is striving to come to grips with her divided heritage and her special gift.

Orrec Caspro makes a reappearance in this book. Now, he is older and has full control of his re-made gift. Although this is the second book in the trilogy, it can be read as a stand-alone story. He offers his assistance to Memer and her mentor, the Waylord of Ansul. Their city is in the process of overthrowing the Aulds, who had concorded the people some seventeen years earlier.

Themes explored in this book are profound. They include coming to terms with who you are and accepting the roles that we all must learn to play. Additionally, it delves into the importance of forgiving and learning from those who are different from ourselves. Through Memer's journey, readers are taken on an adventure filled with self-discovery, growth, and the power of acceptance.

Yet another enchanting story from Ms. UKL has emerged, serving as a gentle reminder that her father was an anthropologist.

The tale revolves around a peaceful community that is brutally conquered and occupied by a patriarchal group. This domineering people has banned books and literacy, believing them to be the work of demons. As one might anticipate, the narrative unfolds in a somewhat predictable manner, yet it takes an intriguing path to reach its conclusion. I'm not entirely certain. Just like Vonnegut, I hold an immense love for Le Guin and the way she contemplates various matters. Every story she pens seems like pure magic to me. I wholeheartedly concur with her personal philosophy, you know? It's yet another flawless little story.

I'm not sure if this can be classified as science fiction. I mean, it could potentially be set on another planet, couldn't it? It probably is. Unless, of course, it's the Pacific coast once again. I didn't study the map too closely.

This is the first UKL work I've read since we lost her. I truly miss her, you guys. I miss the knowledge that she was out there, creating these wonderful stories for us to cherish.

A beautiful little book once again. Ursula K. LeGuin was truly a master of her craft. Her writing was so enchanting and filled with depth and wisdom. The stories she told had the power to transport readers to different worlds and make them think about life, society, and the human condition in new and profound ways.

The Polish translation in the collection "Wracać wciąż do domu" is very good as well. It captures the essence of LeGuin's work and allows Polish readers to experience the magic of her stories. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves good literature, whether they are familiar with LeGuin's work or not. It is a wonderful addition to any bookshelf and a great way to discover the beauty and power of her writing.

Premio Nebula 2008

Le Guin has the magical gift of creating highly believable alternative universes populated by characters so well-drawn that you feel you know them personally, saturating them with a passionate humanism that transforms her science fiction and fantasy worlds. Voices is part of a similar other world, set in the Lands of the Western Shore, and although it links the previous title Gifts and the sequel Powers, it also exists as an independent novel.

The main protagonist is the young Memer who becomes a woman by the end of the novel. Set in a Mediterranean-style port called Ansul (similar to medieval Venice, Genoa, or Split: a map is provided to help orient the reader), the story deals with her experience of living in an occupied city where both reading and books are prohibited for religious reasons. Against these conditions, which are familiar in much of modern history, the element of fantasy is established, which consists of Memer finding herself apparently as the voice of prophecies, the result of her adoption by a household where such a tradition exists. To the voices that Memer hears internally are added the audible voice of the poet Orrec and the inaudible voice that his wife Gry uses to call her lion. Orrec and Gry, when they first appeared in Gifts, were then only about the age that Memer now reaches in the great climax of this book, but they have matured and achieved a sense of tranquility with what they are, a marked contrast to their own troubled adolescences.

As always, Le Guin has written a rich and satisfying story about coming of age, while at the same time dealing with great themes such as religious intolerance and the nebulous nature of revelation. It is rare that you can imagine yourself so successfully entering another existence that is both strange and familiar; that Le Guin does it seemingly without effort is to her credit and to our benefit.

And by the way, it makes me think that it's time to reread the Earthsea trilogy.