The second novel in Ursula K. Le Guin’s marvellous Earthsea Cycle.

Coming not directly after A Wizard of Earthsea, but after Le Guin found success in the science-fiction genre with The Left Hand of Darkness (my review here), this second book in the Earthsea Cycle was apparently an unintended sequel. Wizard was supposed to be a standalone, with just enough references to the wider world and Ged’s later deeds to create an aura of mystique, but nothing more. Indeed, Le Guin mentions the Tombs of Atuan and the quest for the Ring of Erreth-Akbe as one of Ged’s legendary deeds in the introduction to Wizard, but she admits she didn’t know what that involved until she came to actually write the sequel. Having become a big Le Guin fan of late, I’m very glad she decided to turn Earthsea into a series, because The Tombs of Atuan is great.

Summary

A young girl named Tenar from the island of Atuan is chosen to be High Priestess to the nameless Powers of the Earth. Everything, even her name, is taken from her and she becomes known only as Arha, the Eaten One. Her priestly domain is the dark, ancient labyrinth of the Tombs of Atuan, guarding the treasure that lies within - the Ring of Erreth-Akbe. When the wizard Ged Sparrowhawk comes to steal the ring, Tenar is torn between her duty to her dark masters, and her fascination with this wizard and his tales of a world she has never known.

Review

After reading The Left Hand of Darkness, I have to admit this book felt very short by comparison. In truth it’s only slightly shorter than Wizard. These are children’s books, after all, whereas The Left Hand of Darkness is much more adult-oriented. So it’s probably just a function of reading one in such close proximity to the other!

The Tombs of Atuan does a marvellous job of enriching the world of Earthsea by bringing us a perspective not only of an entirely different character in Tenar/Arha, but also of a culture we only heard about in passing in the first book. The story takes place entirely in the Kargish Lands, the easternmost islands of the archipelago, and the location of the Empire responsible for raiding Ged’s village when he was a child. We get a fascinating look at the dominant culture, religion, and governance of the Kargs, through the eyes of a poor, sheltered priestess who was stolen from her home at a young age and given dominion over the decaying realm of a dying religion.

Once more I am struck by the grounding of it all. The people who were just a faceless enemy in the first book are suddenly given centre-stage, and it is now the westerners of Earthsea who are the objects of suspicion. The magic system, as before, continues to be rooted deeply in the world, so much so that, it feels less like a self-evident reality, and instead far more mystical and primal. In some places, the magic of Earthsea - particularly the power of the Nameless Ones - seems like it’s all a trick of the mind, or perhaps an analogue for the anxiety that comes from the fear of the unknown, rather than an actual force in the world… Until it is shown to be very real indeed.

I think the only negative I can throw at this book is that it wasn’t quite as good as Wizard, and if I really push hard for a negative, I think I would like to have seen more of the significance of the Ring of Erreth-Akbe. But otherwise, it was a very enjoyable story in itself.