The Tombs of Atuan (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 2)

audio cassette

English language

Published June 17, 2002 by Audio Literature, Fantastic Audio.

ISBN:
978-1-57453-513-6
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OCLC Number:
50153027

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4 stars (15 reviews)

Arha's isolated existence as high priestess in the tombs of Atuan is jarred by a thief who seeks a special treasure.

53 editions

reviewed The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin (Earthsea Cycle, #2)

A Word of Warning

4 stars

This was technically a reread for me, but the last time I read it, the century had not yet turned—and in any case, I remembered nothing about it, other than something about a cave.

The Tombs of Atuan is quite good, but I see why it is, perhaps, less popular than some of Le Guin’s other works. It’s a sequel to A Wizard of Earthsea, but where Earthsea is practically a fairy tale in tone, stylized and sonorous (which is an endorsement, not a criticism, by the way), Atuan is more directly a “fantasy novel.” It is not, however, a comforting one, not one where all the pieces fall together nicely, everybody’s problem is solved, the main characters fall in love, and so forth.

It is a story of beginnings, I think: first of the protagonist’s life as Arha, and then, the re-beginning—or perhaps better said, the resumption of …

reviewed The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin (Earthsea Cycle, #2)

A word of warning

4 stars

Content warning Literally quotes the ending (and of A Wizard of Earthsea)

Still a great read

5 stars

It's decades since I last read this book and I could only remember fragments of it. I had filed it away as one of the best books I'd ever read and on that basis I was worried that reading it all these years later would demote it from that lofty position. It is with relief I can confirm that I wasn't wrong all those years ago and I can keep it filed in its existing place as a fantastic book.

reviewed The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin (Earthsea Cycle, #2)

Tombs of Atuan

3 stars

As with Book 1, this suffers from audiobook narration that is not terribly engaging by today's standards.

That said, it takes a really long time to figure out how in the heck this is part of Ged's story. And, understanding some time has passed since we saw him last, he doesn't at all feel like the same person. It would have almost felt more satisfying to me as something that happens in Earthsea, sure, but wasn't part of Ged's tale, because it feels so disconnected.

Review of 'The tombs of Atuan' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

I've read the first three Earthsea books a heap of times, starting when I was at my academic peak (i.e. in primary school). Through-out my childhood readings I preferred the two that sandwiched this one. Looking back it is easy for me to see why: it wasn't about Ged and it didn't have enough sailing about to far flung places (i.e. exploration) in it. In contrast, I have observed that a number of female Goodreaders who are also LeGuin fans, rate this higher than the other two. I can take a guess as to why that might be; there are no female characters in the other two. There are some women, even some who play pivotal roles, in both, but they are not fully formed characters, let alone protagonists. Most of these women are unpleasant or down-right evil. A Wizard of Earthsea and The Farthest Shore are entirely male-dominated. The …

Subjects

  • Magic
  • Fantasy fiction
  • Children's audiobooks
  • Fiction
  • Children's Audio - 9-12
  • Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic
  • Audio Adult: Books On Tape
  • Science Fiction - General
  • Classics
  • Fiction / Science Fiction / General
  • Fantasy - Epic