Reading this book was an absolute breeze and it truly pulled me in from the very start. The story centers around the young high priest Tenar, who is taken away from her parents at a tender age to serve ancient and terrifying gods. Gradually but surely, her worldview and her unwavering belief in her goals, daily routines, and the gods themselves are shaken by an unexpected intruder who turns out to be much more human than she ever anticipated.

It's truly impressive how Ursula K. Le Guin takes a completely different narrative approach after A Wizard of Earthsea. The way our main character is challenged to think independently and face the consequences of her choices, even when they cause pain to those around her, is a very mature and thought-provoking aspect of the story.

The writing in this book is crisp and the pacing is fast, despite the fact that it delves into substantial and emotional topics. Out of the Earthsea trilogy, I liked this story the most because it focuses more on introspection rather than just on traveling. It's more of an inward journey than a classical tale of adventure, which makes it a unique and engaging read.

Ensnared by the power placed on her

Alone, no one wins freedom.

I truly ended up relishing this slow burn. It commences in a manner entirely distinct from its predecessor. Instead, it centers around a young girl who is torn away from her family at the tender age of 6, with godhood forcibly imposed upon her. She is a hapless victim of her own godhood, failing to comprehend that she is held captive by the people and the lore that venerate her. She has dominion over an ancient dust-covered temple where she encounters an intruder who introduces her to the broader world. I am perpetually astounded by Le Guin's prowess in captivating me with her prose and astonishing me with her slow burn character development and stories, and this book was no exception. I will most definitely continue reading further in the series.

She cried for the waste of the years in bondage to a useless evil. She wept in pain, because she was free.

Again as with the first book, I own this edition but listened to the audiobook in Swedish. Why, you may ask? Well, the simple answer is because it's a quick and easy fix to work down my physical TBR. It allows me to make progress on my pile of unread books while multitasking, such as during my daily commute or while doing household chores.

This isn't a reread anymore. For some reason, I only read Wizard of Earthsea all those years ago. I really should have read this whole series back then because I think I might have enjoyed it more when I was younger. Maybe it was because I was more open to奇幻 and imaginative worlds at that time. Now, as an adult, my reading preferences have changed somewhat, but I'm still intrigued by this series and eager to see where the story takes me.

This was REALLY good!

It was so much better than A Wizard of Earthsea. I have to admit that I found the latter kind of a slog to get through. However, this one has truly impressed me with its significant improvement.

The story is engaging, the characters are well-developed, and the writing style is captivating. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

I'm sure it will be just as精彩 as this one. It's rare to come across a book that can keep you hooked from start to finish, but this one has managed to do just that.

I highly recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy novels. You won't be disappointed!

I wish I had read it before I reached my twenties. This feeling of lateness is breaking me.

I often find myself regretting not having discovered certain things earlier in life. The idea that I could have had more time to explore and understand them weighs heavily on me.

If only I had known the value of this particular thing when I was younger, perhaps my perspective would have been different. Maybe I would have made different choices and taken different paths.

But now, as I look back, I can't help but feel a sense of disappointment and frustration. This feeling of lateness seems to haunt me, making me wonder what could have been if I had read it sooner.

Nevertheless, I try to remind myself that it's never too late to learn and grow. Although I may have missed out on some opportunities in the past, I still have the present and the future to make the most of.

Half way through reading The Tombs of Atuan, I found myself downstairs, deeply engrossed in playing my xBox late at night. Suddenly, I heard voices gently drifting down from upstairs. I sat there, intently listening to the door muffled murmurs of Miloš and Brontë. However, I couldn't quite make out what they were saying.

Usually, I would simply call up to them and tell them it was time to be quiet and go to sleep. But on this occasion, I was curiously eager to figure out what they were discussing. Even though the voices were obscured, I could sense that it wasn't the typical joke fest or scary story. There was something distinct about this talk.

As it turned out, what was different was that Miloš was pretending to be Ged and Brontë was Tenar. They were imagining themselves in the dark room of the Great Treasure, playing out the scenes from the Tombs of Atuan. They were still only seven years old, just barely, and yet there they were, late at night, in their bunkbeds, spontaneously improvising a discussion between the Eaten One and Sparrowhawk. I decided to let them continue playing, so I left them undisturbed and went back to my game.

A few days later, as I was working in my office, I heard Miloš outside my door, this time talking to Vetch from A Wizard of Earthsea. He was once again playing the role of Ged.

Weird as this may sound, it fills me with an incredible sense of pride for them. There is no big Hollywood movie with its associated toys and marketing campaign to nudge my kids in this direction. There is no cultural pressure to lead them into playing at Ged and Tenar. There is only the beautiful words of one of our greatest authors, Ursula K. Le Guin, and the voice I added to the books as I read to them. That's it, but it was more than enough. Great literature has that remarkable power to capture the imaginations of our children and stay with them always.

Please, I urge you, whomever you may be, to read this wonderful literature to your kids. It will be a precious gift that will accompany them throughout their lives.

Though I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this series, this particular installment truly spoke to me on a much deeper and more personal level.

As always, Ursula K. Le Guin's mastery of world-building, characterization, and atmosphere is simply astonishing. She has the remarkable ability to create a vivid and immersive world that draws the reader in and makes them feel as if they are truly a part of it.

The characters are so well-developed and complex that they come to life on the page, and the atmosphere she creates is both haunting and enchanting.

I found myself completely captivated by the story and unable to put the book down until I had reached the very end.

I really hope to see more of Tenar in future instalments. She is such a fascinating and multi-faceted character, and I can't wait to see what adventures and challenges lie ahead for her.

Overall, this is a truly outstanding book that I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys fantasy literature.

It is truly regrettable that I should only come across this reading material in my advanced age.

How I wish I had discovered it when I was young!

Back then, my mind was more receptive and eager for new knowledge and experiences.

I could have delved into it with greater enthusiasm and perhaps gained more profound insights.

Now, although I still have an interest in it, I can't help but feel a sense of missed opportunity.

Nevertheless, it is never too late to learn, and I will do my best to make the most of this newfound discovery.

Who knows what other wonderful things await me in the remaining years of my life?

I look forward to continuing my journey of learning and exploration.

"If I leave the service of the dark, they will kill me. If I leave this place, I will die."

The second part of the Earthsea Cycle, this book doesn't continue where the previous one left off. Instead, we are introduced to a new character, Tenar, the reborn priestess of the Nameless Ones. Trained from a very young age to resume her functions after the death of the previous priestess, her life is solitary, but it's the only one she knows. Unlike the previous book, we don't see more of Earthsea, just this solitary island where there are no mages or dragons. All that changes one day when a thief invades the lightless labyrinth beneath the temple.

This book has the same tone and an excellent world-building as the previous one. So, despite the abrupt turn in the plot at the beginning, it fits perfectly with the previous one. It is short in length and scope, but it really feels like part of the trilogy. And, as always, Le Guin's writing is outstanding. As is often the case with Le Guin, she doesn't just base her work on anthropology but also on the deep wells of mythology. It's almost impossible not to be aware of the parallels of the novel with the story of Theseus against the Minotaur of Crete. When considering the individual elements - the journey to the island; the mysterious labyrinth; the figure of the Ariadne type - one can't help but notice the similarities. But the author's skill lies in convincing us that she presents us with flesh and blood individuals, not mere mythical archetypes, that this is a human and humanizing story rather than a modern revision of an ancient myth.

This cover had at least a young girl warrior, and I was satisfied with it in this regard. It also had a more accurate imaginable spatial and geographical setting for the story, which was much better than the first cover. It had a very exciting cinematic start and a proper ending for a series. Overall, I liked it.

The harmony of my Sia-Fi group, Seyyed, Sina, and Yara

Second part of a wizard of Terramar. The truth is that I didn't even know what this second part was about. What I did know was that it was short enough not to overwhelm me during the high season of exams. The truth is that I was a bit disappointed by the fact that Gavilán was not the protagonist, but I really liked the fact that despite the short distance between the islands that make up the world of Terramar, their cultures are completely different from each other.

This aspect added an interesting layer of complexity to the story. It made me think about how even in a relatively small area, there can be such diverse ways of life and beliefs.

I found myself imagining the different traditions, languages, and social structures that might exist on each island. It also made me wonder how the characters from different islands interacted and adapted to each other's cultures.

Overall, although the absence of Gavilán as the main character was a bit of a letdown, the exploration of the different cultures in Terramar made this second part still quite engaging and thought-provoking.

I really wanted to dislike this book with all my might.

I had every intention of finding fault with it and dismissing it as unworthy.

But as I delved deeper into its pages, I found myself completely unable to do so.

It was just so damn good!

The story, the characters, everything about it just pulled me in and refused to let go.

And Tenar, oh Tenar.

She captured my heart from the very first moment she appeared on the page.

Her strength, her vulnerability, her journey of self-discovery.

It was all so beautifully written and I couldn't help but fall in love with her.

This book has truly become one of my favorites and I will recommend it to anyone who will listen.