The Earthsea Quartet

I think Tombs of Atuan and Tehanu (books 2 and 4) are where this series particularly hit its mark for me (although 1 and 3 are excellent in their own right). Le Guin shines in the delicate  characterization of Tenar and somewhat subverts typical fantasy tropes to focus on themes of girlhood/adolescence (Atuan) and motherhood (Tehanu). I can understand why fans of fantasy as a genre may be put off by these two books, but I think the reason I continue to think so much about these two entries lies in their use of a fantasy setting to explore themes of religion, womanhood, and family (rather than telling a grand fantasy adventure).