Each of these stories moved me to tears.

They are truly remarkable and have a profound impact on me. The language used in these stories is so beautifully crafted that it seems to speak directly to the heart.

It has the power to evoke a wide range of emotions, from joy and happiness to sadness and grief.

The authors have a unique ability to paint vivid pictures in the reader's mind, making it easy to imagine the scenes and characters as if they were real.

These stories are not just words on a page; they are a reflection of the human experience and the power of storytelling.

They remind us of the importance of love, friendship, and kindness in our lives, and how these qualities can bring us closer together.

Reading these stories has been a truly enriching experience, and I will cherish them for a long time to come.

Read Earthsea in the order Ursula K. Le Guin recommended. You might think the short stories are an addendum, but Le Guin had a specific reading order in mind. I debated skipping one and moving on to The Other Wind, but I'm glad I didn't. One story bridges Tehanu and The Other Wind.

In the Foreword, it seems Le Guin couldn't force herself to write the fifth Earthsea novel as a full-length story. "The Finder" could have been. It's about 100 pages short compared to other Earthsea novels. It feels like a proper novel as it's the strongest in terms of storytelling. It's an epic with a love story and you learn about the founding of the magic school on Roke. The dark age of Earthsea is both terrifying and wonderful.

"Darkrose and Diamond" is a lovely love story about a merchant's son and a witch's daughter. It shows the mercantile class and their perception of magic. It's a sweet story, though I would have liked more tension if the merchant's son was a snob.

"The Bones of the Earth" looks at Ogion and his teacher, Dulse. It reveals new things and has a cute goat joke. The scene when Ogion brings up goats with Dulse is hilarious.

What I loved most about Tales From Earthsea was its exploration of misbehaving wizards, the misfits and drop-outs. It's about those not destined to save the world but perhaps themselves and a small corner. And there must be Earthsea fanfiction with more wizard, witch, and sorcerer love stories.

"On the High Marsh" is a surprisingly moving love story about a bad wizard's redemption during Ged's time as Archmage. It also shows a small cattle town atmosphere. The ending is powerful and touching.

"Dragonfly" is about Irian, a character we'll see again in The Other Wind. It shows crumbling noble houses and renegade wizards. Le Guin explored wizard celibacy in "The Finder," and "Dragonfly" looks at wizards who rejected what they were signing up for.

In Earthsea, Le Guin creates great romantic chemistry between an arrogant, powerful man and a haughty woman. The sketch of Ged as a kid meeting Serret is slight but unforgettable. In "Dragonfly," we see a wizard trying to win a woman he doesn't respect. It also has epic moments as Ivory and Irian go to Roke. Reading "Dragonfly" makes The Other Wind more meaningful as it gives hints and makes you love Irian more.

Wouldn't it be great if there were 50 more Tales from Earthsea? Ursula K. Le Guin was an amazing author and her words live on.

Unfortunately, I'm not a big fan of this. Finder had a promising start and the first part was good. However, the second two parts lost me. It seemed like an attempt to cover too much ground, leaving very little of it feeling real. It tries to explain the origin of some social customs, but unlike another novella I read this year (The Willful Princess and the Piebald Prince), it feels forced.

The emergence of the completely male-dominated Roke and some social customs don't seem like the natural outcome of the story but rather something forced in because the end point was fixed. It kind of reminds me of some aspects in the Star Wars prequels, which is never a comparison one likes to see. Fortunately, the first half and the generally good writing save it to some extent. I give it 5.5/10.

Darkrose and Diamond is a romance that feels like the most basic one could come up with. It's well-written, but it's not my preferred genre and I don't think it brings anything unique compared to thousands of other similar stories. I rate it 4/10.

The Bones of the Earth was quite enjoyable. We got to meet an iconic character from younger years and I really liked the point-of-view character. It was short and maybe didn't do anything extraordinary, but I found it a significant improvement over the first two. I give it 7.5/10.

On The High Marsh was fantastic. It had a cast of compelling characters, great mysteries, wonderful human moments, and a great resolution. It's easily my favorite story in this collection and maybe in Earthsea. It's very short but excellent. I rate it 9/10.

Dragonfly was a disappointment. The first third could have been cut as everything with Ivory was cringe-worthy. The conflict felt manufactured and not natural, and the resolution was just strange. There were also some clichéd assholes. However, it has some good dialogue and is generally well-written. Still, I didn't love it. I give it 5.5/10.

Do these stories work better as a whole? Maybe. Le Guin said in the afterword that this was a connection book, and it kind of feels like she knew the end point, guessed a start point, and struggled to connect them. In general, I care more about the quality of the best stuff than the worst, but also the best stories in my opinion got the least time. Overall, I'll give it a 6/10 just because On The High Marsh is amazing.

The more I engage with Le Guin's works, the more my disenchantment grows. Her writing lacks any semblance of a proper pacing or plotting structure. In each of her books or stories, the solitary "event" is deferred until the final few pages. This is preceded by a sluggish and tiresome preamble where the characters seem to merely sit around, doing nothing. It's as if this inaction is somehow supposed to pass for a plot point or an action in itself. And yet, we're expected to empathize with these characters in their non-quest for nothingness. Some of her characters initially show potential, but alas, we never witness that potential reaching its full fruition.

I do appreciate her Taoist perspective, but the Tao is not a philosophy that advocates for inaction. It is not about remaining stationary and waiting for something to occur to you. Instead, it emphasizes movement and fluidity, in harmony with the world around us, and graceful action in accordance with the natural order. Reading, in and of itself, is an action, an event. The turning of each page represents a transition from what has been to a realm of what could potentially become. Le Guin, however, seems content with simply leaving things as they are and providing a description. What transpires at the end is almost tossed in as an afterthought, as a means of indicating that she's done writing for the moment.

This collection of five short stories serves as a perfect illustration of why I have such an aversion to short fiction. There simply isn't enough time to develop the characters (and let's face it, she doesn't really do that effectively in her longer works either), or to get to know them and understand their motivations. There is only a fleeting hint of promise, left disappointingly unfulfilled.

5 glorious stars almost reaching 6!

The Finder - 5*
Darkrose and Diamond - 4.5*
The Bones of the Earth - 4.5*
On the Hight Marsh - 5*
Dragonfly - 6*

These ratings seem to suggest a collection of truly remarkable works. The Finder has received a perfect 5 stars, indicating its high quality and appeal. Darkrose and Diamond, along with The Bones of the Earth, both have 4.5 stars, showing that they are also very good and almost at the top level. On the Hight Marsh also gets 5 stars, further emphasizing its excellence. However, it is Dragonfly that stands out with an impressive 6 stars. This might imply that it has something extra special that sets it apart from the others. It could be its unique storyline, well-developed characters, or perhaps its outstanding writing style. Overall, these ratings give us an idea of the great variety and high standard of these works.

Muhtesemdi! This series was composed of parallel stories to its previous plots. I didn't understand how it ended. Especially "Iriali" was quite mysterious.

I really enjoyed each book of this series. Although I missed Ged's unique story very much, it was nice to get to know new characters.

I don't know what kind of a fantasy world Le Guin has created... But the only thing I felt was that it was very deep.

There were thought-provoking sentences between the lines. Some of the ones that caught my attention were:

"If everyone else is going to be a slave except ourselves, what will be the value of our freedom?"

"The power in ignorance is a disaster!"

"Knowing where one should be without going to a lot of places where one shouldn't be is one of the rare taxes."

"The danger of doing a good thing lies in the mind confusing the act of doing things right and honestly with good intentions."

"Listening is a tax that is hard for a person to bear; moreover, people want their heroes to be so."

"If one word does good, another one wounds."

"Injustice creates rules. Courage destroys them."

"What any one of us knows is how things seem to him, how they come to him."

You must definitely read this series...

Like the unique island terrain of this captivating series, the short stories in Tales from Earthsea commence as individual and isolated narratives. However, they gradually meander and intertwine, evolving into a more comprehensive and enchanting magical and cultural record of this specific fantasy world.

Particularly, if one has a strong desire to gain a deeper understanding of how Earthsea's magic functions both mechanically and sociologically, then this collection is likely to be highly appreciated.

As with all the books in this remarkable series, I found great enjoyment in the tone and the masterful world-building constructed within these narratives. Earthsea has long been one of my most cherished fantasy realms. This collection also serves to better clarify the distinctions between witches/sorcerers and wizards, complete with a semi-historical map that showcases the methodical and cultural split between these two practices. In general, the ways in which humans, whether real or fictional, define and separate themselves from others is a theme that Ursula K. Le Guin explores with remarkable elegance and depth.

My one minor critique of this collection pertains to the pacing of the short stories. This is especially evident in “The Finder.” Nevertheless, there is still an abundance of solid and engaging content here. Among the tales, my personal favorite is “Dragonfly,” which not only offers good fun but also most adeptly ties into the previous books of the series. Overall, these stories are quite good, although it should be noted that you probably won't fully enjoy them unless you've read the other books in the series.

I firmly believe that I've recommended every Ursula K. Le Guin book that I've had the pleasure of reading thus far, and this one is no exception. It's truly good stuff.

Rating: 3.5 stars

This is the first Ursula's book I've read in English. A long time ago, I've read 6 plus books by Ursula K. Le Guin, and each book is beautifully written. Especially her fantasy books, the Earthsea Cycle is one of my favorites in the fantasy series. It's full of mysteries and histories. The habitants who were living in the Earthsea world conveyed earth ballads to others. They recorded those poems, sometimes the fragmental of ancient messages by transferring into different myths. I wonder why Ursula can write those interesting Earthsea histories about mannerisms, customs, demeanour, kingship etc in laconic sentences. She just utilized the maximum words to express the colossal world. Ursula's writing style is terse, lyric and poetic in writings. She avoids using verbose words in her books, that's why her books always have rhythms like melody with cadences. Organizing few words in sentences convey clear messages and sublime images to readers, which just scarce writers can achieve the prowess of writing.

According to my personal taste, I'm inclined to list The Finder and On the High Marsh as my favorites in Tales from Earthsea. Both are rich stories hidden with details to picture the epoch of Earthsea events. The Finder explained why the Roke school had established in Roke Island, and some gender issues about attending the school with male pupil's discrimination. This is a story of the original master doorkeeper. On the High Marsh is a tale about a healer who was away from someone, and eventually found a place where he belongs to. I felt the story was remote to me the first time I read because the protagonist was forlorn and distant to other characters. The story builds up slow but gradually unfolds the mysteries and past of the healer. The tension of revealing the healer's past was perfectly matched to the story, like the atmosphere. Dragonfly is a story about shapeshifters who were dragons a long time ago in the prehistory of mankind. This tale was for the next book, The Other Wind, and the setting is really interesting.

I really like Ursula's writing style and her Earthsea cycles. I hope I can read more books from her in the future.

The Earthsea stories have always carried a distinct theme or tone of redress. It is as if a balance must be restored, or a wrong righted. This collection takes this idea beyond the confines of the setting itself. Here, the author delves deep into the formative concepts that underlie Earthsea and the wizards within it.

Le Guin, in particular, closely examines the way wizardry is founded upon a set of assumptions. These assumptions are, at best, limiting and, at worst, misogynistic. Why is it that wizards must remain celibate? Why are women barred from joining that exclusive club? Why do wizards hold earthy, society-bound witchcraft in such contempt? Is any of this truly essential to Earthsea, or is it merely a relic of outdated thinking?

This exploration could perhaps be seen as just idle speculation, yet it is done with the same level of exquisite craft that Le Guin brings to all her writing. You can observe the issues gradually clarifying and the path solidifying in her mind as she gears up for what will be the finale of the Earthsea series. Presumably, she will then put those corrections into action, transforming the world of Earthsea in the process.

4.6/ 5
My e-copy also came with a foreword, a description of Earthsea, and an afterword by LeGuinn.

The foreword sets a scene of endless change and LeGuinn's challenge to make this collection accurate and true to what Earthsea would demand. You need to at least read A Wizard of Earthsea before this one, but reading more of the previous books isn't STRICTLY necessary. I will say I'm glad I did, though.

I've read and adored A Wizard of Earthsea more than anything and any other book ever. I despised The Tombs of Atuan and felt so so about The Farthest Shore. I never picked up the final book. I decided to read Tales from Earthsea simply because I knew Ogion, Ged's master from A Wizard of Earthsea, would be present in one of the five stories.

The writing is wonderful in only the way LeGuinn could manage. It is easy to understand and really without much poetry to the lines, but each sentence demands careful deliberation and slow, careful reading.

You won't find many quotable lines, but you will find an abundance of lines that force you to put the book down, ponder, absorb, apply and breathe. Whole conversations and paragraphs are often what I end up loving the most in LeGuinn's writing rather than single lines. She wrote in that very, very condensed style which lends itself to great impact.

Missing a single sentence or a single word can leave you deeply confused. This is a writing style that is extremely condensed. You MUST read each and every word - and not speed through it either.

A small note about the time period, the way it's written it really does feel like medieval times and not glamorized in any way. It talks about poverty as well as it just feels old and comforting.

The Finder 4☆
We start out in this story meeting young Otter, who is skilled in the art of finding things.

In a time where wizards were feared and wise women despised, having any magical ability at all isn't a good thing if you want to make friends. Otter is put to work by an evil pirate king to find things for him, where Otter then meets an unfortunate old wizard.

I enjoyed a lot of aspects of this story, especially the ending since it involves a favorite aspect of Wizard of Earthsea. However, I wish a few things (don't intend to spoil) could have been expounded upon at least for a few sentences just to give it more backstory. Some emotional events felt like they didn't matter as much as they should have. That said, the imagery and writing was great. It was done well enough to be very frightening or beautiful depending on the page.

Darkrose and Diamond 4☆
In this love story, we meet Rose and Diamond, childhood friends. When Diamond shows an affinity for magic, he must choose between his craft and his witch-girl lover, Rose.

This was such an endearing story! While not a completely happy one, it seemed right and very accurate to real life.

The Bones of the Earth 5☆
An older wizard doesn't want a new apprentice, but when a powerful young boy needs him, old Heleth does not turn the wanna be apprentice away.

I adored this one. We get Ogion's backstory - one that is hinted at in the novel Wizard of Earthsea - here and as he is my favorite character in Wizard of Earthsea I was glad to see him as a young man.

This is a melancholy story and somber but also rife with hope and possibilities. I adored the ending and several of the lines. A simply fantastic entry.

On the High Marsh 5☆
Out in the gray, Great Marsh, a sickness has come over the cattle. When a strange, kingly man, comes to the little town he is welcomed by the wholesome and kind Gift.

I don't want to spoil why I loved this one so much but MAN did this story really do something for me. I loved the setting and the cows and mentions of cowboys despite being what I assume is still medieval times, the atmosphere - the story FELT cold and gray, the characters, the meaning.

It was reminiscent of an old, sweet story you've heard long ago but can't quite recall. Probably the best of this whole collection. Absolutely adored it.

Dragonfly 5☆
Dragonfly is a strong and willful girl who wants to understand herself and her underlying power. This story focuses heavily on names, and an old favorite character from Wizard of Earthsea, Doorkeeper.

Another wonderful addition and a smashing end to a stellar collection. Again the characters and writing were on point and the plot was intriguing. Of all the stories here, this one focuses the most on magic and women's place in it. Smash hit!

Novellas and short stories are not my top preferences, as they present a rather diverse and inconsistent collection.

The Finder, a novella rated 8/10, offers a historical perspective on the somewhat founding of the Wizard’s School on Roke. It is a satisfying story that strikes a good balance between providing detailed information and maintaining brevity.

Darkrose and Diamond, a short story with a rating of 5/10, is a love story that fails to fully satisfy me. Darkrose is scarcely developed as a character, and Diamond remains a mystery to me, with his muddled priorities and conflicting ambitions. It seems that there was ample potential for further exploration in this story.

The Bones of the Earth, a short story rated 10/10, accomplishes what very few short stories can – it feels like a complete and self-contained narrative. The tone is perfect, and the right amount of detail is provided to fully immerse the reader in the story.

On the High Marsh, a short story with a rating of 6/10, is a good story, but not an outstanding one.

The Dragonfly, a short story rated 9/10, is described by the author as a “bridge story” between Tehanu and The Other Wind. As such, readers can anticipate what might occur to Dragonfly/Irian. Nevertheless, it is a wonderful story that has definitely piqued my interest in the final Earthsea book.

The book also includes a Foreword by the author and a lengthy “Description of Earthsea” appendix.

I finally finished reading the last book of 2023 last night. It was an absolute delight to read. The author's writing style was truly lovely. The words seemed to flow effortlessly, painting vivid pictures in my mind. Each page was filled with engaging stories and characters that I couldn't help but fall in love with. I found myself completely immersed in the book, unable to put it down until I reached the very end. It was a wonderful way to end the year and I'm already looking forward to reading more great books in 2024.