A Wizard of Earthsea

I had to think about this one. I loved that the magic system is influenced by folklore and that the consequences of Ged's actions follow him throughout the whole story. And boy are there consequences. There's no easy moral victory, and he has his fair share of growing pains throughout. I found the pre-Harry Potter “How do old, grey-haired, long-bearded wizards become who they are?” quite interesting. The classic style takes a bit of focus if you're just coming off a fast-paced thriller or YA fantasy, but it's worth the effort.