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

 Rating 4
enlarged image: The Tombs of Atuan (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 2)
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80% Recommended by our customers.
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Catalog: Book
Release date: 2001-09-01
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Number of pages: 192
Ean: 9780689845369
Book Isbn: 0689845367
Reading level: Young Adult
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Author:
Ursula K. Le Guinsee more Books by Ursula K. Le Guin

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User Reviews:
 Rating 5   Written on April 1, 2005
   Summary: The Best Book In The Trilogy From A Kid
Earthsea the tombs of Atuan is the BEST book in the trilogy. The book keeps on making you want to read more. When Ged got traped in the Tombs I couldn't put the book down. I must have read the book for 5 hours the day I got it because you just keep on wondering what will happen next. This book is definatly better than the 3rd Earthsea book. But if you took the time to read the other Earthsea books it is an interesting and dark ending. And I will say one last time the second Earthsea book is the best book in the trilogy.^_^Earthsea is a magical experence for readers from kids like me to adults.

 Rating 5   Written on February 23, 2005
   Summary: The Guardian Of The Ominous Tombs & Dark Labyrinth
The tale of the "Tombs of Atuan," is the second book in the Earthsea Cycle and begins a few years after Ged's adventures combating the "shadow" force. In Atuan, part of the Kargish lands, a little girl, Tenar, was chosen at birth to assume the role of One Priestess of the Tombs of Atuan, where the ancient Nameless Ones are said to dwell. The nine tombs had stood there, since the time of the first man, since Earthsea was created. "They were the tombs of those who ruled before the world of men came to be, the ones not named, and she who served them had no name." When Tenar was five years-old, she was taken from her parents and formerly given to the Nameless Ones, her life until death was dedicated to them - the old gods. She was to become the High Priestess, reborn, of an ancient religion. And now she has no other name but Arha, the Eaten One.

Her days are all the same, spent learning the endless rites and lore important to her position. Arha is separated from other neophytes, who have been sent to serve various gods, and soon grows bored and restless. Beneath her dwelling place, under the Throne and the Tombs, lies a vast labyrinth where hidden treasures are stored. She had been introduced to the hidden passageways when she reached her teens and now spends her days, alone, exploring this dark underground maze. It is here that one day she comes upon an intruder. Since it is forbidden for anyone else to walk under the Tombs, or to show light there, she is at first incredulous to see the area illuminated for the first time, and to note the presence of a stranger who stands where even other priestesses are forbidden. It is Ged who is there to recover a most priceless treasure - and to offer the young woman a wider destiny if she wishes it.

The author emphasizes that Arha must make a decision whether or not to free herself from a dying cult - from the weight and darkness of the Nameless Ones. She must decide whether she is willing to work to recover her identity and her name. Ms. Le Guin again underscores the power of names that she introduced in "A Wizard of Earthsea," along with the themes of light and shadow, good and evil. She is a truly exceptional writer, whose lyrical and poetic narrative and extraordinary descriptive passages bring her characters and landscapes vividly to life.
JANA


 Rating 5   Written on December 12, 2004
   Summary: One of the best in Heoric Mythology
Le Guin enjoys no press, no fanfare, no fan clubs. She has no movies (until now the mini-series), no trading card games, no computer games. Her writing is not flamboyant: it is thoughtful, considered, and quiet. Her books are generally short and are closer to novelettes. Yet she remains as one of the principle authors of the fantasy genre and her work survives. It will outlive, we suspect, a great deal of those novels that enjoy such extraordinary popularity today. JK Rowlings is the Frank Baum (Wizard of Oz) of our generation. Le Guin is the CS Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia) of our generation. The distinction is in decibels and the scope. Earthsea, we believe, is one of those rare series of books that will quietly fill every library of every parent who has a child who loves to read. Incidentally, we feel that the later books Tehanu and The Other Wind detract from the series rather than add to it (as is the case with many sequels). Those later books are better avoided.

WHO SHOULD READ THIS:

As we mentioned, the series is aimed at grade levels somewhere around 5th to 9th. These are a series of books that are invaluable for this age group. It is mythology--both relevant and exciting--that teaches us not didactically how to live but shows us what it means to be alive. Many critics have said many different things about her books but the (overused) phrase "deeply human" seems just about right. These are books that--if the reader can meet the level that Le Guin sets in--will be revered for many, many years. People who have enjoyed Ender's Game, Tales of the Otori, and The Chronicles of Prydain will find these books very special.

WHO SHOULD PASS:

As we often say about books that are especially good, this is a novel of introspection. There is a bit of death but you won't see blood sprayed across the page. There are no great battles, sieges, or other events of great war. There is no overt sex. The magic is not "Terry Magic" (that is, Terry Goodkind or Terry Brooks type that shoots forth as fire, lightning, and death in the air) but rather a magic of language, of truth, of world harmony. To use a video game analogy, don't start playing Myst expecting to have whatever enjoyment you get out of playing Grand Theft Auto.

READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW AT INCHOATUS.COM


 Rating 3   Written on December 10, 2004
   Summary: Second in the Earthsea trilogy
Again, as in A Wizard of Earthsea, we find a book that is a bit dated in its aproach: Lots of exposition and little action. The difference is while Wizard was a coming of age story for a boy -- Ged's rising to both man and wizard -- this second book begins with the coming of age of a girl, Arha the Eaten One, high priestess to the ancient Powers of the Earth.

Raised in an isolated temple complex, Arha has no knoweldge of the outside world. It isn't until Ged arrives to steal from the great treasury supposedly hidden in the underground tunnels, that her life begins to stretch beyond the temples and desert where they are located. When she finds him in the darkness, excitement enters her life. And for the first time, she feels compassion for another human being.

Finding the treasure he has come for, the broken ring of Erreth-Akbe, Ged must escape the tunnels and the only person who can help him is Arha. With the sudden desire to break free, she agrees to lead him out of the darkness and go with him, out of the desert. The only way they can leave, however, is if Ged can overcome the nameless gods she has served all of her life.

LeGuin has woven an intricate story of a life, from girlhood to womanhood, under most peculiar circumstances. Arha not only grows up, she somehow acquires the wisdom to abandon a restrictive life and the courage to leave on an adventure she could not have imagined. At the same time, Ged acquires the coveted ring and return its powers to the world from which it came.

Although these books are often sold in the young adult sections of book stores, and kept in the same sections of the libraries, they do not really seem geared especially toward children. Just like the Lord of the Rings, there is more here than simple story telling. They are geared as much, if not more, toward adults.


 Rating 4   Written on November 29, 2004
   Summary: Almost five
I loved the book with one exception. There is no real follow through with the characters from book to book. Some time passes from the first to the second book with no saying what had happened to the character. Aside from that it was a great book and kept me turning the pages.

Comparison map
Wondering how the book "The Tombs of Atuan (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 2)" relates to similar books? Find out at a glance here:
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Tehanu (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 4)
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Our price$6.99$11.20$10.20$6.99$7.99$7.99
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Lowest used price$0.37$2.10$4.58$0.56$3.60$2.60
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Collectible price$10.00$14.00$15.00-$14.00$24.99
CatalogBookBookBookBookBookBook
Release date2001-09-012004-11-232004-09-282001-09-012003-10-282003-09-30
MediaMass Market PaperbackPaperbackPaperbackMass Market PaperbackPaperbackPaperback
Number of pages192272192252304224
Ean978068984536997814165096469780553383041978068984533897804410112479780441011254
Book Isbn0689845367141650964X055338304306898453320441011241044101125X
Reading levelYoung Adult-Ages 9-12Young Adult--
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