Ged, a talented but arrogant youth known as Sparrowhawk, begins his education in the high arts of magic at the school on Roke Island. During a reckless duel of sorcery, he accidentally tears a hole in the fabric of the world, releasing a shadow creature that stalks him through the archipelago of Earthsea. To fix his mistake, Ged travels across the ocean, moving from the Tombs of Atuan to the farthest reaches of the map. He must navigate the ancient laws of balance and the true names of things to face the entity he created.
Young adult readers and fans of high fantasy choose this book for its focus on the consequences of individual ego and the necessity of self-knowledge. It provides a blueprint for internal growth, showing that true mastery comes from restraint rather than raw strength. The reader learns that external monsters often represent personal failings and that maturity requires acknowledging one's own capacity for destruction. By the end, the audience understands that naming a shadow is the only way to integrate it into a whole identity.
- Published
- 2012
- Publisher
- Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
- ISBN
- 9780547851396
- Language
- EN
