Hello Fellow Journeyers,
Next, we take a look at the third book of the amazing Earthsea trilogy (the first three books of the Earthsea saga). After The Tombs of Atuan, this story takes place yet again years later with a young man recruiting the wisdom of an even older Ged.
What's the story about: The Farthest Shore finds the world of Earthsea at a place of near catastrophe in need of saving. Magic is leaving the land and only the Archmage of Roke and the future King of Havnor can save it.
While Tombs of Atuan is the middle story of the first three Earthsea books, The Farthest Shore feels like the true spiritual sequel to A Wizard of Earthsea. Finding Ged as the wise older mentor and Archmage guiding and protecting the future King on a mission to save all Earthsea is as good as it gets.
What I love about this story most of all is that it picks up the theme from A Wizard of Earthsea and turns it into a mentorship-style journey story that Ged would've benefitted from years earlier. Ged understands the difficulty of going on a quest alone, and he shares his wisdom and loyalty with the young king as best he can. It's touching, heartfelt, real, and honest. And in that way, it continues the theme of Tombs of Atuan, because we never got to see Ged and Tenar's relationship blossom, even if it was beautiful for a short while.
Make no mistake, this is the third pillar that supports an amazing three part story, but while it does have world-affecting drama, it no less is a story of mentor and mentee looking to build a relationship, rely on one another, and learn timeless lessons along the way. Le Guin, as always, packs punches with ideas of doubt, friendship, goodness, joy, and loss. The end is a surprise, but it elevates the entire trilogy by raising the stakes.
★★★★★ 5 Stars - This story truly rounds out the the first three books of the Earthsea trilogy. It feels like a comforting end to the story of Ged and while there are three more books in the cycle, this feels like a wonderful and comforting way to leave Ged with. That being said, more stories are to come involving him.
Let me hear from you! If you like what you read, want to hear more thoughts on this book, other reviews, or talk book recommendations and Essential Reading, leave a comment below.
Rating system:
★★★★★ 5 Stars: It was amazing; I loved it. Read this book; it is definitely Essential Reading!
★★★★★* 4.5 Stars: It was fantastic, I really loved almost every aspect of it.
★★★★ 4 Stars: It was very good and worth reading; highly recommend.
★★★★* 3.5 Stars: I enjoyed a lot of aspects of this story, but it was lacking in certain areas.
★★★ 3 Stars: It was good, but could've been better or improved upon significantly.
★★★* 2.5 Stars: I wanted to enjoy it. Certain aspects were good, it was worth finishing, but many issues.
★★ 2 Stars: It was okay, I didn't feel strongly about it.
★ 1 Star: I did not like it. It was not worth finishing or I did not finish it.
*I round up based on the system on Goodreads. Also, there is no 1.5 Stars because it does not seem to have enough differentiation.