A Wizard of Earthsea

A truly magnanimous tale of a wizard's humble beginnings and exploration of the world. Le Guin makes it clear that she knows how to craft the story of a hero's journey, and develop a massive fantastical world that has just enough explanation to tantalise the reader with it's history, lore and characters. Having only read Left Hand of Darkness before, I can see Le Guin's themes of balance, light and darkness, friendship and the natural world emerging - arguably done better here than in LHOD. All of this combined with her rich prose, fluid descriptions and imaginative takes on fantasy tropes make this a must-read novel for those interested in the genre and its beginnings.