by Ursula K. Le Guin, 183 pagesOne day, the name of the wizard Ged will be legend throughout the island-sprinkled world of Earthsea. But all legends must begin somewhere, and Ged's does so in a humble village on the island of Gont, where an early youthful triumph is followed by a fateful lapse in judgment, setting him on a quest to learn what he can of magic, the world, and the shadow he's accidentally brought into it.
A Wizard of Earthsea sports many of the elements that go into great fantasy: ambitious upstarts, wise mentors, magic lessons, dramatic ballads, dragon encounters, life-and-death struggles, and brushes with destiny. How Le Guin manages to include all of them so effectively in less than 200 pages is a marvel. Her tight, highly descriptive prose is both straightforward and poetic, making it impossible not to instantly visualize the world, characters, and action depicted and leaving the reader pondering the clear but powerful philosophical questions raised. Any fan of Harry Potter or The Kingkiller Chronicle's Kvothe will recognize the seeds of their iconic stories in Ged's, but his journey is his own. And, happily, this is just the beginning.
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