The Books of Earthsea: The Complete Illustrated Edition

Product Information

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the timeless and beloved A Wizard of Earthsea that “reads like the retelling of a tale first told centuries ago” (David Mitchell)—this omnibus edition encompasses the entire Earthsea chronicles, including the early short stories, Le Guin’s “Earthsea Revisioned” Oxford lecture, and a new Earthsea story, never before printed. And a lot of things about Earthsea were bothering me, like do wizards really have to be celibate, if witches don't? and how come no women at Roke? and who are the dragons? and where do Kargish people go when they die? Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the timeless and beloved A Wizard of Earthsea - '...reads like the retelling of a tale first told centuries ago' (David Mitchell) - comes this complete omnibus edition of the entire Earthsea chronicles, including over fifty illustrations illuminating Le Guin's vision of her classic saga. The Earthsea trilogy . . . is a memorable exploration of the relationship between life and death. . . Ged, its hero, must face his shadow self before it devours him. Only then will he become whole. In the process, he must contend with the wisdom of dragons: ambiguous and not our wisdom, but wisdom nonetheless - Margaret Atwood

Shelf Care: Immerse yourself in the rich fantasy world of Earthsea” by Ong Sor Fern, The Straits Times (18 August 2021)This Illustrated Collection of Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea Books Finally Does the Series Justice” by Andrew Liptak, The Verge (15 May 2018)

Reasons Why Le Guin's Earthsea Books Can Still Change Your Life” by Charlie Jane Anders, io9 (6 November 2013)

Why this new illustrated edition?

Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea novels are some of the most acclaimed and awarded works in literature—they have received prestigious accolades such as the National Book Award, a Newbery Honor, the Nebula Award, and many more honors, commemorating their enduring place in the hearts and minds of readers and the literary world alike. Novel Thoughts: Earthsea Cycle shows adults how to imagine again” by Tammy Marshall, Bristol Herald Courier (20 March 2022) First on the content: Earthsea is a splendid series, on par with Tolkien or perhaps better. Le Guin is a story teller like few others. She looks deep into the human psyche, exploring the good, the bad, and everything between with a delicacy that leaves hope that light is greater than darkness, and perhaps there's good in darkness too. The books of the Earthsea series focus mainly on the inner struggles of the protagonists. Similar to Tolkien, there are individuals who fall to the influence of evil, but still evil is less personified. There are not ecosystems of monsters as there are in Tolkien, and even the worst villain is within reach of redemption. Charles Vess Talks Slipping Into Ursula K. Le Guin’s Brain to Draw Earthsea Dragons,” Tor.com (19 July 2016)

Two Trilogies and a Mystery: Speculations on the Earthsea Stories" by Margaret Mahy, Magpies (Vol. 17 No, 3, July 2002) Gorgeous, Definitive, Essential: Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Books of Earthsea: The Complete Illustrated Edition” by Ceridwen Christensen, B&N SFF Blog (24 October 2018)Now for the first time ever, they're all together in one volume-including the early short stories, Le Guin's "Earthsea Revisioned" Oxford lecture, and new Earthsea stories, never before printed. With a new introduction by Le Guin herself, this essential edition will also include over fifty illustrations by renowned artist Charles Vess, specially commissioned and selected by Le Guin, to bring her refined vision of Earthsea and its people to life in a totally new way.

While these tales are heavy, they are appropriate for any age group, from five years to 95. Le Guin's language is plain and easy to read. The writing is accessible to beginner readers and has a depth that is also satisfying to adults. With a new introduction by Le Guin herself, this essential edition will also include fifty illustrations by renowned artist Charles Vess, specially commissioned and selected by Le Guin, to bring her refined vision of Earthsea and its people to life in a totally new way. Ursula K. Le Guin introduced our world to hers in 1968 for the first time. It is a world of islands, surrounded by a sea that cannot be fully charted. The story begins with a young man showing magical promise and takes you on a fantastical journey with varying teachers, cultures, and social norms. If you’re looking for a commentary on society, you can find it; however, it’s not force-fed. Instead, this classic series is immersive and difficult to put down. If you’ve read it in the past and are unsure of whether it will withstand the test of time, have no fear. It’s even better as an adult. Each book in the series features a new hero or heroine, but the threads are woven tightly and we never leave behind one character for long. Dragons are not inherently bad, and shadows aren’t always as they seem. People are good and bad, and magic is both predictable and wild. Stories include: “A Wizard of Earthsea”, “The Tombs of Atuan”, “The Farthest Shore”, “Tehanu”, “Tales From Earthsea”, “The Other Wind”, “The Rule of Names”, “The Word of Unbinding”, “The Daughter of Odren”, and “Earthsea Revisioned: A Lecture at Oxford University”.] Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea novels are some of the most acclaimed and awarded works in literature-they have received prestigious accolades such as the National Book Award, a Newbery Honor, the Nebula Award, and many more honors, commemorating their enduring place in the hearts and minds of readers and the literary world alike.Now for the first time ever, they’re all together in one volume—including the early short stories, Le Guin’s “Earthsea Revisioned” Oxford lecture, and a new Earthsea story, never before printed. While this edition is definitely worth a buy for the extra content and illustrations, the fact that it is a little hefty may discourage young readers a bit. Sadly, this is not yet available in a Kindle edition, but we can hope for one in the future.