Ursula K. Le Guin's excellent novel, the second in her Earthsea saga. Although it is the second, it is completely self-contained, so it is possible to read it without delving into the previous novel.

Here we meet Tenar, a young girl who one day is chosen as the reincarnation of the priestess Artha and, therefore, the new protector of the tombs of Atuan. From there, we will learn about the training and first steps of our protagonist in this new world, as well as all the questions that will accumulate in her mind as she grows, something that will reach its maximum climax when she discovers that a mysterious man has sneaked into the same tombs that she, as a high priestess, has sworn to protect.

To begin with, I must say that Ursula's pen is magnificent. This is the second novel I have read by her (the first was her collection of stories "The Wind's Twelve Quarters") and without a doubt it has left me amazed. As you can see, the plot is quite simple, devoid of great shows of magic and impossible creatures, so common in fantasy literature in sometimes vain attempts to give some epicness to certain stories. Here, Ursula focuses exclusively on the personal and psychological development of the protagonist, on her questions about the established, on the internal conflicts of her obligations... and the best thing is that she does it in a non-boring way, but manages to connect you so much with the character that we really empathize with her decisions, her doubts and her subsequent rebellion.

The setting, on the other hand, is another thing worth highlighting. That sense of a dying religious cloister, together with the dark and gloomy catacombs, gives the novel that epic-fantastic tone that makes you constantly wonder what the surroundings can hold... and although, as I mentioned before, no fantasy creatures appear, what lies there does not disappoint us either.

However, why, despite liking the novel so much, did I give it four stars and not five? And the answer is simple, its ending, in my opinion, does not quite close well. Throughout the pages, the author makes us understand that there would be some kind of persecution with a confrontational outcome, some final epic battle or something like that. However, this never comes, leaving me with a certain bittersweet feeling in my mouth. Of course, the ending is closed, leaving no doubts about the destiny that the protagonists will follow, which caused me a certain sadness, because I had really become attached to Tenar... And yes, I know that in future books she appears again, but as far as I understand, these take up the story of the girl many years later, when she is already married, widowed, with children.

In short, a great novel that in the hands of another writer would surely be a dud. However, here we are talking about the great Ursula K. Le Guin, who with her refined style manages to give it that deep, epic, entertaining and intimate tone that very few authors manage to achieve.

Highly recommended novel!

The Earth is beautiful, and bright, and good. But that's not all. The Earth is also terrible, and dark, and cruel.

\\n  "La Tierra es bella, y luminosa, y buena. Pero eso no es todo. La Tierra es también terrible, y oscura, y cruel."\\n

This second installment of Terramar has kept me in constant anguish in the region of the Nameless, in those Tombs of Atuan where the sensations of claustrophobia and terror have been real.

I love the power that Ursula has to immerse me in such particular scenarios with so few pages. In this book, it has happened even more than with the first one.

This story has reminded me a lot of a dark Egyptian setting where religion plays a fundamental role. Now I have many expectations placed on the next one. What new adventures will it bring us?

Perhaps the next installment will take us to even more mysterious and dangerous places. Maybe we will learn more about the history and secrets of the Nameless region. Or perhaps we will meet new characters with their own unique stories and personalities. I can't wait to find out what Ursula has in store for us next.

No matter what happens, I know that I will be on the edge of my seat, eagerly turning the pages to see what comes next in this thrilling series.

The second book of the Earthsea series presents a different but equally captivating narrative.

"What she had began to learn was the weight of liberty. Freedom is a heavy load, a great and strange burden for the spirit to undertake. It is not easy. It is not a gift given, but a choice made, and the choice may be a hard one. The road goes upward towards the light; but the laden traveller may never reach the end of it."

Unlike the first book, which was more expansive in terms of geographical scope and wizardry, this installment focuses more on the inner lives of the characters. Le Guin's writing remains as great as ever. Tenar's story is one of struggle and growth. As a child, she is torn away from her family and becomes the high priestess serving ancient and nameless forces. When Ged, the protagonist of the previous book,闯入 her domain in search of long lost treasure, Tenar is compelled to make choices that go against her training and conditioning and lead her towards freedom.

This is a sweet tale filled with wisdom. It makes one envious of those who got to read these books, targeted at young adults, during their formative years. However, I am also glad that they are still available for me to read in my not-as-formative years. The story of Tenar and Ged is a reminder that freedom is not easily attained, but it is a choice worth making.

To me, the most captivating and remarkable aspect of this eerie and haunted novel lies in the tentatively constructed and delicate trust between Ged and Tenar.

Without this trust, and without each other's assistance, neither of them would be able to progress or even survive. In her retrospective afterword, Le Guin reveals that at the time of writing the novel, she couldn't envision a woman being truly independent, and her resolution emphasizes the interdependence between men and women. She makes the gendered interpretation of this interdependence explicit. However, although gender is highly prominent in the novel, I didn't feel, for instance, that Ged necessarily had to be male for the story to succeed. Of course, I am living in a different socio-political era. In any case, I was deeply moved by their relationship, intense yet entirely non-sexual. The moment when Ged hands over his name is a rewarding payoff for the numerous dull chapters that my co-reader and I had laboriously plowed through to reach it.

What also struck me while reading the afterword was Le Guin's insistence that the fantasy world of Earthsea had to mirror real-world patriarchy to have any political significance. This contrasts with her treatment of skin color in Earthsea and in other aspects of her fantasy world, where protagonists are often dark-skinned but white supremacy seems to be non-existent. To me, this so-called "fantasy colorblindness" appears to be a nice strategy compared to the disturbingly all-white or worse universes created by some fantasy authors. Le Guin reproduces patriarchy in order to critique it, but although suspicion of strangers or foreigners exists in Earthsea, it has nothing to do with melanin. Fantasy colorblindness functions like colorblind casting, suggesting that while racism is a major structuring element of the world we know, it is absurd and artificial. White readers like myself can learn something from our own surprise when a character we've already identified with is described as dark-skinned.

Tenar, the supposed reincarnation of the First Priestess of the Tombs, bears the name Arha, which implies that the Nameless Ones, creatures related to the shadow Ged invokes and is pursued by in A Wizard of Earthsea, have devoured her soul. Ged reassures her that this isn't possible; that she is not evil, not corrupted or corruptible in the way she fears. The soul, he implies, cannot be consumed. This reminded me of Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go, where the clones are made to create art in the hope that this will prove they have souls. What was so evident in that book, so undeniably clear, is that the soul, at least as it is felt in my culture, is not some magical entity that could somehow be absent in someone conceived through artificial means, but an emergent and dynamic phenomenon, relational, cumulative, arising from will, memory, emotion, contact with others, something that no demon-invoking ritual could annul, something indestructible.

There is a certain peril in rereading the books we adored during childhood. However, it remains a worthwhile endeavor. Even if it fails to measure up to our memories, well, that serves as evidence of our growth and change, as the world evolves and we gain a broader perspective.

So, I have no regrets about rereading this particular work. Although it is no longer a book I would label as one of my all-time favorites, and I now perceive several flaws that eluded me during my initial reading around the age of 13. At that time, I was in a bit of a daze, reading a very low-quality paperback Portuguese translation that was极其 difficult to obtain. I managed to find it only because of my intense focus on getting my hands on as much science fiction and fantasy as possible. It sits on a shelf somewhere, and I would be hesitant to touch it, fearing it might disintegrate.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Aysha Kala, who has a truly lovely voice and accent and is highly competent at narrating audiobooks. Nevertheless, I believe this is a book that is better read than heard. The complex geography of the tombs had me constantly checking the maps at night. The names of the characters became blurred, and I was unable to go back and reread the passages I desired. Aysha Kala's voice perhaps sounded a touch too girlish, although she was extremely competent throughout. My advice is that it is better experienced in print than in audio.

There are some truly fantastic aspects to this book. The atmosphere and setting are captivating (I have a particular fondness for labyrinths, which I attribute to Enid Blyton). The earnest speeches with their conveniently processed insights and highly quotable endings, and the way it all fits so differently from what one might expect of a sequel into the first book. It is not a YA romance, and that was revolutionary for its time and for me. However, it is an odd book. It is too short, considering all its sprawling "afterwards" chapters. It skims over a great deal of Arha's character development. Her feelings for the intruder in the sacred grounds change from radicalized to enlightened very rapidly and in ways that don't entirely make sense. And Ged and Arha/Tenar surprised me. Unexpectedly, I found myself disliking them both on occasion. Ged, when he calls the old woman on the island "foolish" – she was a victim, and if she was foolish, it was not through her own fault. And on other occasions, it was just the pompous know-it-all enlightenedness of him as a character. Tenar, often in the way she treated Manan or even went off to live Penthe's dream life on her own without much pity for the others still there. She simply stumbles into things and has choices made for her. This is too short for the implied and necessary character development, particularly Tenar's.

I now have a better understanding of the need for Tehanu. I will get to it – not sure if I will go straight to it or first brace myself and reread The Farthest Shore. I'm really not too fond of Ged at the moment, but perhaps an older and wiser Ged will be more tolerable. I anticipate that an older me will appreciate it more.

Ten Tom był niesamowity.

Uwielbiałam klimat błądzenia po grobowcu. Był to taki神秘的地方，充满了独特的氛围。

Bawiłam się doskonale. Moje dni spędzone tam były pełne przygód i emocji.

Moim zdaniem, ten tom był lepszy od pierwszego. Był bardziej zróżnicowany i interesujący.

Mam nadzieję, że poziom utrzyma się do końca. ❤️ Mam nadzieję, że każdy kolejny tom będzie równie wciągający i ciekawny.

Nie mogę się doczekać, aby zobaczyć, co nastąpi w dalszej historii.

Where A Wizard of Earthsea began with a simple village and a farm kid, much like many tales do, presenting a world that was easy to relate to, the second Earthsea book takes a different turn. Instead, it introduces us to a fantasy temple, its fanatical flock, and its bizarre rites and traditions. This setting is much more removed from the circumstances of the real-world reader and the things we have learned about the world around us. As a result, it is much more difficult to relate to and get into. I had to be patient with the book, and at first, I read it rather slowly and without a great deal of enthusiasm.

However, once I did manage to get into it, it more than made up for my initial lack of interest. I came to see the world through the eyes of an indoctrinated young priestess named Arha. Her eyes are naive and, frankly, more than a little messed up through no fault of her own. Then, the real world intrudes, and that, in turn, seems weird and fantastical, especially when it involves a couple of big surprises, revelations, and a bit of good old-fashioned heresy.

From that point on, the book kept improving steadily. There is some exciting hide-and-seek, claustrophobic horror, and the opening of poor Tenar's eyes to the world around her. By the end, I had completely forgiven it for its slow start and come to realize that the book needed that beginning to work. So far, I have read two great stories in a number of pages equal to roughly a third of your average modern epic fantasy. They are short, yet brimming with content, atmosphere, and character growth. I have no regrets.

This is the second book in Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea series.

Once again, here I am regretting having read it so late in my late twenties. I really should have done it ten years earlier. However, as the saying goes, better late than never.

I truly like how her stories artfully mingle facts with fiction, or perhaps we could say intellect with imagination. She chooses profound topics but presents them in very simple and gentle ways.

And I guess, unlike the first one, this book is more centered on female transformation. Now it is not so much about Ged, but rather Tenar (Arha). So it seems that each book in the series has a distinct central protagonist, which introduces a plethora of new perspectives. You don't just get to enjoy the glamor of a magical fantasy world, but it also helps the reader to learn and understand the world we already live in.

She delves into the concepts of good and bad along with all their illusions, dark and light with all their shades, adventure and the mundane with all their risks, total freedom and all kinds of "slavery" with all their burdens.

And it is really nice to see how she underlines the importance of couple work. It is the kind of feminism that I can truly appreciate. I mean both women and men need each other. They complete and yet enrich each other in their most unique and different ways.

There is so much to analyze and write about, but I don't want to do it at the "so much spoiler" level. Just read and enjoy it!

Ursula K. Le Guin is truly a remarkable author. I find that her afterwords or author's notes are as engaging as her stories themselves.

The second installment in the Earthsea Cycle, "The Tombs of Atuan", is centered around a girl named Tenar who is trapped in a temple, serving as a priestess of dark powers. Similar to the first book, it is written in a dense language with relatively little dialogue, making it seem like a longer read. However, unlike the first one, this book has less world-building. Instead, it focuses more on the internal conflicts of the girl protagonist. As a devoted servant of the dark, Tenar struggles against her own sane, human self. The story is largely confined within the tomb temple where Tenar is trained to be a cold-hearted servant of the Nameless Ones. It is not until the last portion when Ged from the previous book arrives, bringing the final choices for Tenar.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Tenar/Arha's growth as the One Priestess. She initially tries to fulfill her role as the "Priestess of the Dark Powers" and act as expected. Even though it is evident that she will break free from this place later, there is often a streak of cruelty in her heart.

One criticism I have is that her books are quite short, and "The Tombs of Atuan" is a little too conflict-free, aside from the internal ones. There is a sense of great danger after Ged's arrival and Arha's escape, but it is resolved too easily.

Nevertheless, this book could be a good starting point for those who wish to venture into epic fantasy without having to slog through thousands of pages.

Le Guin's Earthsea series is a captivating and immersive world that she continues to expand upon. In this installment, she begins with a fresh character, introducing us to a new and distinct kingdom with its own unique geography.

Adding to the allure, there is a new and powerful, lurking evil that awaits discovery. This sets the stage for a thrilling new adventure that unfolds before our eyes.

The arrival of Sparrowhawk, the wizard from the first book, ties all these elements together, bringing a sense of continuity and familiarity to the story.

As always, Le Guin's world-building is truly overwhelming. The details are so rich and the world feels so real that I can easily envision myself sitting and chatting about the various scenes as if I had actually visited this magical realm.

Her ability to create such a vivid and engaging world is a testament to her talent as a writer, and it keeps readers coming back for more.

The second installment of the Earthsea Cycle commences in a somewhat perplexing manner.

It doesn't begin with Ged, the central figure of the series. Instead, it focuses on Arha, a young girl who has been selected to become the next High Priestess of the Tombs of Atuan. She spends her days carrying out rituals that no one truly seems to have faith in anymore.

We accompany Arha through her daily tasks, and just when we're left wondering where on earth Ged is, he makes his entrance. And then, a captivating sparring match unfolds between the wizard and the young priestess. In this encounter, Ged has to strive to survive, while the young girl discovers the truth about those she serves and those who serve her.

It's an engaging exploration of power, devotion, trust, and loyalty, set in the most remarkable backdrop I've ever witnessed in a fantasy book.

A pitch-black underground labyrinth that imparts a superbly atmospheric and claustrophobic ambiance to the book, not to mention a nice and foreboding sense of impending doom.

This is undoubtedly the finest book in the series, deserving a full five stars.

* With the possible exception of Neil Gaiman’s London Below, which is truly excellent if you have knowledge of London and are familiar with its underground system.

Reread after 4 years.

I have really enjoyed rereading this book. I think it is more entertaining than the first one - and that's saying a lot since I really liked the first one.

We have a young priestess who starts to have doubts about her function after meeting a certain mage that we all know (well, only if you have read the previous book). And there is this mage, whom I was glad to encounter again. He seems more mature.

I like how the author weaves this story with part of the first book's story.

It's a fascinating story, full of darkness - literally, since the priestess has to spend a lot of time underground in the dark.

You will encounter magic, shadows, faith, a labyrinth, the Nameless... Read it.