Review: The Tombs of Atuan, by Ursula K. Le Guin

To read The Tombs of Atuan, you might not realize that this is the second book in Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea Cycle (of course, it does help that it says so on the book cover). Only halfway into the book is it clear, when the hero from the original book, Ged, shows up. The Tombs of Atuan introduces a new character who is just as compelling as Ged was in A Wizard of Earthsea. Le Guin also uses her fantasy platform to make a comment on women's place in the world, as her main character, Arha, has power, but it's much more symbolic than real. The Tombs of Atuan may not be as compelling as A Wizard of Earthsea, but its story nonetheless has plenty of great moments and the novel furthers the story and world-building of the Earthsea Cycle.

As a reminder about some key information from A Wizard of Earthsea, it is in true names that wizards find their power. However, there is a powerful force that can overcome the power of wizards because it has no name. These are the Nameless Ones, and those who live on the island of Atuan, where the Nameless Ones reside, serve them. This is where Arha comes in. Her true name, as Ged later reveals, is Tenar, but she is known as Arha because she is the reincarnation of the Arch-Priestess of Atuan. When the Arch-Priestess dies, those in the service of the Nameless Ones seek out a girl born on the same day of her death and this girl is raised to become her replacement, as she is seen as her reincarnated form. Arha means "The Eaten One," which represents what happens to the soul of the Arch-Priestess.

Arha, however, is not quite as obedient as the Nameless Ones' servants would like. She is full of questions and curiosities and seems much more eager to learn about her station and her domain than her own teachers. These teachers are Thar and Kossil, two high priestesses who are older and supposedly wiser, but have less power. Or so it seems. Arha learns some truths. Though she basks in her own power, she learns there are limitations. For one, the god-king who rules the islands is, technically, below her in stature. But in reality, the god-king would not follow her commands. Also, the Arch-Priestess is easily replaced due to the fact she reincarnates as another, perhaps more malleable, girl. The high priestess, Kossil, seems to despise Arha, and Arha soon feels there is more danger in her angering Kossil than in Kossil angering Arha.

Ged, who hides his true name behind his identity as Sparrowhawk, enters the Tombs of Atuan to rob them. These Tombs are where the Nameless Ones reside. The Tombs themselves are dark and no light is allowed. They contain the entrance to the prison, where prisoners are sacrificed to the Nameless Ones, as well as the Labyrinth, which contains treasure. Arha discovers Ged only because she visits the Tombs and the Labyrinth so frequently as a place of refuge. She realizes right away that Ged is a wizard. Wizards are hated by those on the island, especially Kossil. They are said to be full of deceit and lies. In the treasury of the Labyrinth is an artifact, half of the Ring of Erreth-Akbe. This is what Ged seeks when Arha traps him in the Labyrinth. Instead of killing him, as she should, she keeps him alive because she is curious and because she also seems to revel in her power over him.

The Tombs of Atuan begins slowly before Arha transforms the story into something compelling. Watching her grow as an arrogant, rebellious-minded youth and respond to her situation makes for an entertaining read, and the world-building is intriguing as well. When Ged appears, halfway into the book, the story gets even better, as we watch Arha struggling to avoid doing the evil thing her faith requires of her. She keeps Ged alive and trapped because she wants to know more about the world, and Ged seems to see some goodness in her.

This book focuses largely on the development of Arha rather than the continuation of Ged's storyline. It's interesting to see the same Ged who in the last book became a powerful being, and who we know will become the world's most powerful wizard, reduced to powerlessness in this book. This allows the book to focus on Arha's development instead of Ged's, but it also shows us how even the most powerful of beings can be humbled and made human. That said, this book just does not stand up to the original. The original had very memorable moments of power and character growth. There are no earth-shattering moments in this book to match those in the original, and the climax comes too early, with the last two chapters serving largely as an epilogue of sorts. I do enjoy the series so far, but I have to admit that I'm not sure it has aged well. In today's fantasy/sci-fi climate, readers do enjoy the political side of world-building, but they also like action, and in that regard this book does not deliver. It requires patience, and if you have the patience you will find this an enjoyable read.

A Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula K. Le Guin (1968)

Ursula K. Le Guin uses her fantasy to tackle real themes with real depth. This is not to say her story, A Wizard of Earthsea, is pedantic and boring. In fact, it is an exciting fantasy adventure, but one with meaning and purpose. For Le Guin, it isn't the action that's important, but the human element. The wizard Ged may be destined to be the most powerful wizard in the realm, but that doesn't mean he isn't without real feeling: fear, sorrow, alienation, love. Too often fantasy stories, in the form of novels, superhero movies, and anime shows, present a powerful character for the sole purpose of creating awesome spectacles of action. To be sure, a movie like The Avengers is exciting and fun, but can one truly fall in love with its characters as anything greater than arbiters of awesome power? In A Wizard of Earthsea, Ged is loved not because he is all-powerful, but because he is human.

Born on the island of Gont, a young boy soon to be named Ged lives with his father, a blacksmith. None realize Ged's true power except his aunt, a witch, who begins teaching him charms and spells, which he learns and casts with ease and skill. When barbarians invade the nearby isles and mount an attack on Ged's small village, he casts a thick fog around the area, and his father and the villagers are able to chase them away. This draws the attention of a powerful wizard named Ogion the Silent, who gives Ged his name, his true name, and takes him on as an apprentice. To others Ged is known as Sparrowhawk; if somebody knows your true name they have power over you, if they choose to use it.

However, Ged grows bored with his master's slow-paced teaching. Ged is hot-headed and arrogant, not very well-suited for patience. When Ogion gives him the option of going to school on the island of Roke, Ged doesn't hesitate to accept, though he realizes he has come to love his master. At the school Ged meets a rival in Jasper and a close friend in Vetch. Ged's rivalry is inflamed, perhaps, because he is so gifted. Jasper seems inspired by jealousy and looks down at Ged with contempt. Ged is determined to show that he's Jasper's superior. He attempts to summon a spirit from the dead, but instead summons a powerful shadow being, which would have destroyed Ged had the Archmage not sacrificed his own life to save him. Ged's face is scarred, as is his mind. He realizes what everyone had been trying to warn him about all along, about the balance of the universe. Now he is afraid of his power, though he still continues his schooling and graduates to become a wizard, earning his staff. But the shadow is out there in the world, waiting for him to leave the island so it can destroy him.

The novel doesn't read as you might expect. Le Guin does not follow any conventions or formulas, and you might be surprised how its conflicts resolve. The final showdown is not an awesome display of power, but it is much more moving because it has meaning. It displays growth of character in Ged, not growth of power. This is what makes the novel unique. Other fantasy and action stories may pretend they are about growth of character, but this growth is usually trumped by the increased physical power of the hero. Le Guin shows how a fantasy story should be written.

The novel takes place in a world created entirely by Le Guin's imagination. Earthsea is populated by many isles, both large and small, and each isle has its own distinct characteristics. Le Guin helpfully provides several maps of her world, and one of the joys of reading the book is to glance at the map and find where Ged is located. Le Guin also makes interesting use of magic; it is more scientific than fantastic, though of course the fantastic is important. The bulk of magical power lies on knowledge of a thing's true name. On his way to becoming a wizard, Ged had to take a class under the master of naming. Here he was isolated from the rest of the school and had to memorize as many true names as possible. This quest to learn names is reminiscent of the quest of science to gain knowledge about all things in the world and give everything a name. All living things that we know have a common name and a scientific name. In Earthsea, all things have a common name and a true name. To know a thing's true name means a magic user can manipulate it to his or her will. Similarly, in science, and even in the rest of society, the ability to name something is a display of power over that thing or person. Le Guin's magic seems to serve as a warning about the abuse of scientific power, but she also shows how it can be put to good, when used correctly.

If A Wizard of Earthsea has trouble finding an audience today (and I'm not saying it does), this is probably because Le Guin's writing style is a little dry. Don't get me wrong, I find her writing to be very engaging, but her narrator merely describes. The novel has lengthy descriptive passages, sprinkled with sparse dialogue. I only mention this because young adults familiar with the style of J.K. Rowling may not so readily jump into Le Guin's Earthsea series. Though Harry Potter has a lot of similarities to A Wizard of Earthsea in terms of conten, Rowling writes with playful language that is more accessible and inviting. Her narrator does describe things, yes, but often has fun with these descriptions. This seems to be a difference in writing style between the British and Americans. The British seem to have a little more fun. Rowling and Neil Gaiman come to mind, and they have historical precedent in the likes of Charles Dickens. Most American writers seem to take the more serious route: Le Guin, Suzanne Collins, Stephanie Meyer, Cormac McCarthy, and others, both popular and canonical. Stephen King may be an exception. I take this to be the powerful influence of Ernest Hemingway on American literature. I don't mean this as a criticism, just an observation. There are pros and cons to each style of writing, and Le Guin's novel may have lost some of its magic with a more playful narrator.

A Wizard of Earthsea is the first of a four book series by Le Guin featuring the wizard, Ged. This novel is about Ged's growing up to become the powerful wizard he is destined to be. It is like putting the entire seven books of the Harry Potter series into this small 180-page novel. Harry Potter lovers should definitely give this novel a chance. In fact, everybody should read it; it isn't your usual fantasy novel.