jules

i could NOT put this book down. really incredible story about redemption and darkness and freedom and light. tenar is a different protagonist to ged, but in some ways they're still alike. i love the way ursula puts it in her author's notes:

“The dark side of the world was what she had to learn, as Ged had to learn the darkness in his own heart. [...] Each has to ask for the other's help and learn to trust and depend on the other. A large lesson, a new knowledge for both these strong, willful, lonely souls.”

“A girl who could not seek power, as young Ged could, or find training in the use of it as he did, but who had power forced upon her. A girl whose name was not given to her by a kind teacher, but taken from her by a masked executioner.
The boy Ged, offered wisdom, refused it through his own pride and willfulness; the girl Tenar, given the arbitary power of a goddess, was taught nothing about living her life as a human being.”

"Mort," said Mort.

very very fun. enjoyed very much mort saying his own name like a pokemon throughout. also my favourite personification of Death i've ever seen. would go out for drinks with him.

putting this down cause i’m not really liking it much. maybe i’ll return to it someday but so far vetinari feels like he’s being overused ☹️

teenage me never finished reading this. it must've not been very good

3.5 stars
life and death, death and life, beginnings and ends... i didn't love this book as much as i loved the first two, but i appreciated the discussions about life - what it means to die, what it means to live. her books and her prose make me... ponder.

i think what makes me like this book less is that the stakes are too high... i don't know. but i liked how the first two & tehanu are more contained, more... i can't think of the right word. this one feels a little more like a classic hero's journey than the others. i liked it but i didn't love it - i think that's the best way i can express this.