The Finder: 5*. I ❤️ Otter

Darkrose and Diamond: 3*. Hate to say it but I just don't really like romance. The story seemed to lack a clear direction throughout. I found myself constantly wondering where it was headed.

The Bones of the Earth: 3*. I did like this one, but it was very short. I just wish it had been longer. There was so much potential that felt untapped.

On the High Marsh: 3*. Another story that I liked, but once again, it was too short and didn't feel well-explained. I was left with a lot of questions.

Dragonfly: 4*. This one was better in terms of length, but there still wasn't enough explanation. The ending didn't resonate with me at all. I was incredibly confused and it felt like the author had forgotten some things that had been mentioned earlier.

Overall 4* (perhaps 3.5 if I'm being mean). I much preferred the longer stories like The Finder and Dragonfly. The shorter stories often left me feeling shortchanged. They seemed to just stop abruptly when there was so much more that could have been explored. As a result, I found a lot of the stories quite confusing to read. Another strange aspect was the treatment of gender. While I love a strong, powerful woman, this entire collection felt like an awkward attempt to include women in the narrative. I would have given this 3* but The Finder is so good that I had to bump it up.

In conclusion, definitely read The Finder! Most reviews will recommend reading Dragonfly, but I didn't think it was nearly as good as The Finder.

I have been doing lots of thinking about Le Guin recently.

I have also been listening to the wonderful episodes of the Between the Covers podcast about her.

So, it really felt like the right time to read this.

The stories are beautiful as always.

I think my favorite story was "On the High Marsh".

This story made me cry, and it also kind of made me feel like a better person.

Le Guin's writing has such a profound impact on me.

Her words can touch my heart and make me think deeply about life and human nature.

I am so grateful to have discovered her works and to be able to explore the wonderful worlds she has created.

Reading her stories is like going on a journey of self-discovery and growth.

I can't wait to read more of her works and continue this amazing journey.

If you read nothing else from this collection, you should definitely grab this to read ‘Dragonfly’.

The other stories fill in bits and pieces of the background or use the world to tell a new story that is small in scope compared to Ged’s. However, ‘Dragonfly’, in my opinion, is necessary for really understanding The Other Wind and should definitely be read first. It introduces a character who becomes important and events that are referred to throughout the novel.

As for the writing of the stories themselves, Ursula Le Guin’s prose is as fine as one would expect. The words are precise, crisp, and each is placed exactly right. The glimpses of history and other places that we get in these stories are also worth the price of entry. For example, I think ‘Darkrose and Diamond’ is incredibly slight compared to Ged’s story, but on the other hand, it does reflect on some of the same themes as Tehanu. And ‘Dragonfly’ does so in different ways.

Originally posted here.

I say goodbye to the year with this anthology of stories that is part of the Terramar saga. It has been more enjoyable than its predecessors.

The stories gathered in this edition are as follows:

The Discoverer: It is the story of Medra, better known as Nutria or Swallow, a boy who lives in Havnor but cannot use his powers as he is looked down upon by the people. His powers focus on finding objects and places. This story is all that he has lived through from his childhood to his old age, being enslaved and then liberated, his journey to the island of Roke, facing dangers, making new friendships, and becoming the Master Discoverer. For some strange reason, it reminded me of the story of Ged, but with certain variations. It is a bit repetitive, but it is readable and entertaining.

Dark Rose and Diamond: It is the story of a young man named Diamond, whose passion for magic wavers with music. But at the suggestion of his master, he must travel to Roke to improve his skills. However, two things hold him back: his love for music and for a girl named Dark Rose, who has been with him since his childhood. Fantasy and romance: the best combination. I loved it.

The Bones of the Earth: It is the story of Dulse and Silence, some mages who join the already known Ogion to stop an evil that has appeared in the region of Gont and requires a lot of power to be stopped. Very interesting, easy to read, and I was very happy to read about Ogion again.

In the Great Marsh: Here we will meet Irioth, a healer who arrives at a village on the island of Semel in order to find work curing animals. There he will receive the help of a woman named Gift and her brother Baya. However, his arrival will mean problems that he must face. Here we have Ged back, being the Archmage of Terramar and helping Irioth to find his true name. It was very interesting and reads very quickly.

Flying Dragon: Irian, better known as Flying Dragon, is a special girl. She lives on the island of Iria and thanks to the help of the young mage Pearl, she decides to enter the school of Roke and challenge the laws that prohibit a woman from accessing magic. In this story, several already known characters are mentioned. It is the bridge story between Tehanu and In the Other Wind, the last book focused on Terramar.

Undoubtedly, I loved all the stories. Unlike the main stories, these stories felt lighter, fresher, and more engaging. Each story was in a different place in Terramar, but in the end, they all led to Roke, the place where magic is concentrated. There is no doubt that Ursula has created a fascinating world, with memorable and very well-developed characters. In addition, this edition brought with it an essay on the history of Terramar, about dragons and the magic system. It was very interesting to know every little detail of everything that she has built, and I was happy to have entered this world that she created.

It has been a wonderful journey to read these stories, and although I was very eager to read "In the Other Wind" to close the year, I feel saturated with Terramar. I love fantasy, there is no doubt about that, but I feel that I would not enjoy it as it should be enjoyed. So this is my last reading of 2023.

I didn't plan to review this book, nor did I even plan to read it yet, but things happened. As many may know, a few days ago, the author of this book, Ursula K. Le Guin, passed away at the age of 88. Given her importance to fantasy, science fiction, and literature in general, it is a loss for all of us. Moreover, she is my favorite writer, along with Neil Gaiman, so the news was especially hard to swallow.

So, I don't know, although in the cold I thought it would be very difficult for me, I felt the need to pick up one of her books, one that I hadn't read. Refuge, comfort, tribute, it doesn't matter much. This anthology was the only book of Earthsea that I had left to read. There was no better closure nor a better place to return to. And how well I did, because Earthsea was waiting with open arms.

Some, I suppose, already know the world of Earthsea; if not, I wrote a special on my blog about this saga a while ago, with links to articles by people who have a much clearer understanding of it. These stories, in a way, complete the universe created by the novels, with stories that could be read separately, but in reality, they fill the spaces left by the other five books. In the prologue that Ursula writes, she herself comments on what place and importance they have, and also expresses her vision of fantasy and criticizes certain aspects of current fantasy.

The first one, "The Finder", takes place about three hundred years before the time of the novels and tells us, among other things, the origin of the School of Wizards of Roke. This story is one of the longest in the book and tells the story of Nutria - whose true name is Medra - and all her adventures to find her place in the world. For anyone involved in the saga, it is obvious why this story excited me so much (Roke!), but there is more than that. Throughout the saga, we discover - and it is criticized - the place occupied by women in magic. There are only powerful men, wizards, and then there are the witches, who do things of a lower category and impure, and the sorcerers, who are men who do the same low-level things as the witches, and therefore they are also looked down upon. Therefore, reading what place they occupied before Roke, their revolutionary stance towards the treatment received by powerful people in the dark times, their role in Roke until they were finally displaced... It changes things a lot. And it questions celibacy, something not uncommon among powerful men who consider that for that they must remain "pure".

This last point is taken up and challenged, in a way, in the next story, "Darkrose and Diamond", which is, above all, a love story. Here we have the son of a merchant who has gifts enough to go and study at Roke, while his childhood best friend is the daughter of a witch, and although she has gifts, she can be nothing more than that. The story focuses on Diamond's decisions; should he follow in his father's footsteps? Should he let loose his power and study at Roke? Should he listen to what he feels and be happy with Darkrose? None of this is compatible, knowing what we know about the wizards, and therefore it is a difficult story, but very beautiful.

"The Bones of the Earth" is a rather simple story that takes place on the well-known island of Gont, from where our Ged is from. The story occurs a long time before, however, and involves two wizards and an earthquake. These wizards are Dulse - Heleth - and his apprentice, who is none other than Ogion, Ged's master. The events narrated in this short story are rather simple, although significant at an emotional level. And the final lines, for those who love the saga, are extremely exciting, although they may not seem so.

After that, we have "In the Great Marsh", a story in which an unknown wizard arrives at a lost and very poor village whose livestock dies from a disease, and then he dedicates himself to curing it, although he is received with caution and disgust, except by Gift, the owner of the dairy. In this story, what is explored above all is human behavior in the face of the unknown, especially when it comes to someone with power. The great thing about Ursula is her ability to know people and make her characters real, almost palpable, even if they are very secondary. I don't want to spoil what happens at the end, in the resolution, because a well-known character appears for those who have read the saga, in a certain stage of his life, and I almost screamed at that moment.

The last story is the other longest one and is called "Dragonfly", which runs parallel to Tehanu and prepares us for the last book of the saga, The Other Wind. In fact, the parallelism is enormous, and although I suspected it during the reading, rather than seeming predictable to me, it seemed correct. This story tells us the life of Dragonfly - Irian -, who, like Nutria, does not find her place in the world and the search for identity is what motivates her to convince the arrogant - yes - wizard Ivory to take her to Roke, although he believes he is doing it only to laugh at his former masters. In this way, the last story closes in a circular way a criticism that begins with "The Finder": what place do women have in Roke and as powerful people in general? The masters of Roke resist or question it, as well as they generally face the changes that there are in Earthsea as a result of the events of The Farthest Shore. Returning to Roke after the first story generates a strange feeling, like a mixture of nostalgia and anger at the same time, something that I did not feel in my first reading of the saga, obviously. I think the order is very appropriate, since it poses and discusses several of the same problems in different eras and from different perspectives.

The book ends with "A Description of Earthsea", which is basically like reading entries from an encyclopedia, but about the culture, history, languages, religion, and myths of the archipelago, so it is highly enjoyable and appreciated.

I think I made clear what I liked most about reading these stories, especially because in my opinion, they filled those spaces - especially that of women - that during the first books of the saga were empty or forgotten. There are those who say that this had already been covered in Tehanu or The Other Wind, but for me, this gives us a new and fairer perspective, and also more interesting. In addition, the discussion about the celibacy of the wizards does not only affect Earthsea but a large part of fantasy, in which sex and magic seem to be incompatible, with magic being something pure and sex something that contaminates or destroys it. In a society like ours, this vision of sexuality is not surprising, but it is good to analyze why it persists in fantasy worlds as well.

In general, I really enjoyed these stories; Earthsea continues to be a world that surprises me and makes me feel at home, my favorite fantasy saga and the one that affects me the most. I do not recommend reading it if you have not at least started with the saga, but I take the opportunity to tell you that you have to read the books of Earthsea. Or anything else that Ursula has written, for that matter.

And what better way to say goodbye to her than by immersing ourselves in her work, right?

“I think,\\" Tehanu said in her soft, strange voice, \\"that when I die, I can breathe back the breath that made me live. I can give back to the world all that I didn't do. All that I might have been and couldn't be. All the choices I didn't make. All the things I lost and spent and wasted. I can give them back to the world. To the lives that haven't been lived yet. That will be my gift back to the world that gave me the life I did live, the love I loved, the breath I breathed.”

Yerdeniz Öyküleri is the fifth book of the Yerdeniz Evreni, which contains 5 short stories. Although it may seem unrelated to the series, the stories within are related to the Evren. I didn't like all the stories, but it was still a nice book. I will briefly talk about each story and try to explain why I liked or didn't like them.

1 - Bulucu

The first story revolves around a character named Susamuru. Thanks to Susamuru, we see the founding of the magic school on the island of Roke. The story takes place approximately 300 years before the story of Ged the Finder and we learn many things about magic, including Roke traditions. At that time, magic was seen as a feared and dark thing. The story develops a bit slowly, but it was still enjoyable to learn about Roke.

2 - Karagül ile Pırlanta

The second story tells about a young wizard who gives up magic for love and turns to music. I found this romantic-themed story a bit empty and unrelated. It was one of the stories I didn't like.

3 - Yerin Kemikleri

The third story takes place on the island of Gont, where Ged was born. The story is about the old and stubborn wizard Deniz Yosunu and his apprentice Ogion. As we know, Ogion is the first teacher who discovers and educates Ged. This story was perhaps my favorite. The character of Deniz Yosunu is great and it was very nice to read about Ogion's youth. This story was nominated for the Hugo Award.

4 - Bataklık Yayla

The fourth story is a story where Ged is a bit more in the background. The story is more related to Irioth. Irioth is a very powerful wizard and is known more as a summoner. He is a man who misuses his powers and took lessons from Ged in his time. In this story, he lives as a healer in a rural area. The conversations between Ged and Irioth were quite good.

5 - Ejderböceği

The fifth and final story takes place immediately after the fourth book, Tehanu. The story shows the search for a girl named Ejderböceği for her "gift". Many topics are covered, including Ejderböceği's adventures in Roke. Like Tehanu, this story also shows Ursula's feminist pen quite clearly. Although there were some small parts that I liked, it was another story that I didn't really like overall.

The original article is not provided, so I can't rewrite and expand it specifically. However, I can give you a general example of how you might expand an article.

Let's say the original article was: "The new technology is changing the way we live."

Expanded version:

The new technology is truly revolutionizing the way we live. It has brought about significant changes in various aspects of our daily lives. From the way we communicate with others to the way we access information, this new technology has made everything more convenient and efficient.

With the click of a button, we can now connect with people from all over the world. We can share our thoughts, ideas, and experiences instantly.

Moreover, this new technology has also opened up new opportunities for businesses and industries. It has enabled them to reach a wider audience and offer their products and services more effectively.

https://bit.ly/3ovgIJD

Ursula is truly a remarkable individual.

She is not only beautiful on the outside but also extremely wise on the inside. Her beauty is captivating, with her charming smile and graceful presence.

However, it is her wisdom that truly sets her apart. She has a deep understanding of the world around her and is able to make sound decisions in any situation.

Ursula is always eager to learn and expand her knowledge, which further enhances her wisdom. She is a great listener and is able to offer valuable advice and guidance to those around her.

Her wisdom and beauty combined make her a truly inspiring person, and those who know her are lucky to have her in their lives.

Rewriting this article, we can expand it as follows:

After reading the fourth book of the saga, reading these stories was refreshing. However, I now find it almost deceiving that Earthsea is referred to as a unified, coherent, and orderly work because in reality, it is quite the opposite. Not only were almost none of the novels pre-planned, but there is also a sense that Le Guin returned to the world of Earthsea without overly concerning herself with plot or coherence, focusing instead on the messages and the poetry. Despite this, this collection tells very interesting stories. Le Guin's narration is always rhythmic, dreamy, and sometimes very emotional.

The first story is about one of the founders of the magical school of Roke. Besides being a well-told and structured story, it is in part a critique of human greed and arrogance. For the first time, I read in her stories more depressing, cynical, and "human" elements such as slavery, the fear of the other, substance abuse, and revenge.

The second story I loved because it simply talks about Doubt, that "what will I do when I grow up?" Will I follow my talent, my heritage, or my passions? The answer is almost obvious, but the story is very tender and cute.

The third is the story that communicated the least to me. It deals, in a similar way to other of her writings, with the role of women, often undervalued or misunderstood.

In the fourth, Ged reappears in a short story that struck me because it was initially very mysterious and particular. Here, more than in other stories, Le Guin evokes bucolic feelings and settings, with dark connotations and a final message oriented towards forgiveness and change.

The fifth takes up the theme of femininity in magic and is the most important because it introduces the next book and the events that are the prelude to the last book written in the world of Earthsea.

Overall, it is another book that I adored (and devoured).

It is always very difficult for me to give 5 stars to a short story anthology. Here we have two stories that truly deserve it; where the origin of the School of Magic is narrated to us and the story that serves as a connection between Tehanu and En el otro viento. These two stories are the best example of what Earthsea is: good characters, good narration, plot with background, intelligent dialogues...

But we also have three other stories, brilliantly written by Le Guin, but that narrate three different moments in the history of Earthsea whose characters have not caught my attention.

Finally, it includes a treatise on the languages, peoples and stories that exist in Earthsea. If you are a fan and are interested in knowing every last detail, it is a great read, but I wasn't in the mood to know the etymological origin of invented words.

In conclusion, you can read this collection as a connection between the fourth and fifth book of the saga, but it doesn't matter if you have read the entire saga and want to complete the experience with these stories of Earthsea.

Ursula said women's rights!

Women's rights have been a crucial and ongoing topic throughout history. Ursula's statement emphasizes the importance of this issue.

Women have long fought for equality in various aspects of life, including education, employment, and political representation.

The struggle for women's rights has led to significant progress in many countries, with more women now having access to opportunities that were once denied to them.

However, there is still a long way to go. Discrimination and inequality against women continue to exist in many parts of the world.

It is essential that we continue to raise awareness about women's rights and work towards achieving true equality for all.

Ursula's words serve as a reminder of the importance of this cause and the need for continued action.

We must all do our part to support women's rights and ensure that every woman has the opportunity to reach her full potential.

I definitely read this at the wrong time.

I simply couldn't focus and fully immerse myself in these stories. So, part of the blame lies with me for not being in the right fantasy mood.

However, part of it is also their own fault. Since most of them read like excellent story ideas that were never properly developed or fleshed out.

The Finder - I enjoyed this one for the most part. But it could have accomplished a great deal more with such a wonderful premise, which is the founding of Roke.

Darkrose and Diamond - It's an okay romance about a man who struggles with multitasking.

The Bones of the Earth - It's cool to learn about that one instance when Ogion stopped an earthquake. But this could have been shorter, or perhaps longer if some additional substance were added.

On the High Marsh - It starts out interestingly, but ultimately it is very forgettable.

Dragonfly - It's like a Walmart version of Tehanu, a very much unneeded postscript.

Overall, these stories had potential, but they didn't quite reach their full heights. Maybe with a different reading experience or some further refinement, they could have been more engaging.