A Wizard of Earthsea

I'm not someone who grew up on western SFF canon and didn't even know that LoTR books existed before the movies released. So, it's no surprise that I only got to know about the legendary Ursula K. Le Guin and the Earthsea cycle last year during a discussion about famous female SFF authors. I've heard a lot about this series being the HP before Harry Potter existed, so I tried a lot not to view it through that lens but I quickly realized it wasn't gonna be that difficult. And this felt like such a new experience for me.

The writing style felt odd and took a while for me to get used to, but it's quite beautiful and poetic, and probably how the old style fantasy books were written. The magic system is not really detailed, with vague descriptions, just making us feel the power behind it all. The book has the usual tropes - a prophecied powerful wizard, a hero's journey, and a magical academy - but what was missing was what made this a unique story. There is not necessarily a big bad here, the hero has to learn about his powers not to fight some evil villain but to find more about himself and be a better person, and this journey really takes him through all kinds of emotions. I found it to be so interesting with such personal stakes, but still never feeling any less epic.

To conclude, this was a nice beginning to a young wizard's tale and has piqued my interest enough that I may continue. And I think it's wonderful that I'm finally getting to know one of the genre's most prominent legends. I was also glad (and a bit sad too) to read the author's note where she mentions how she had to incorporate a majority POC cast in a way that it was able to pass the traditional publishing gatekeeping. Do give this a try if you are also unfamiliar with SFF history just like I am, but are open to exploring the roots.