A very pleasant read, given that I was in a very bad reading slump. Such a short book, written in a fluid, lively manner. The reading level is slightly above than YAs, but aimed at YAs. It’s a very accessible book.
I have not read many fantasy books involving magic- only The Hobbit and a few chapters of The Fellowship of the Ring. Because I come from a more “scientific” background, magic systems seem a bit childish to me. But hypocritically enough, I have played The Witcher 3 and I liked it very much. This book reminded me of that game.
The plot is very simple, yet contains much to think about. A pageturner, sure, because the writing never ceases to impress you, but I would’ve loved to read it slowly, to digest the obvious Taoist metaphors and relations in the text.
I don’t think I will continue further with the series. Maybe it’s my pride that wants something more, something less childish and simple. But I will definitely recommend this book who wants to explore fantasy novels and are in a reading slump.
Le Guin is a prolific writer. I very much enjoyed Lathe of Heaven and her translation of Tao Te Ching and would love to explore more of her writings. She did a very nice job with A Wizard of Earthsea.
3.7/5.