Common Sense Media Review
By Sage Moreaux
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Lyrical, wise, mildly violent magical fantasy classic.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
Ged, a motherless goatherder from a small island village, shows early signs of magical power. First taught by the village witch, he is then apprenticed to the wizard of the island. But he's restless for power and glory, and is eventually sent to study at the Wizard School on Roke Island. There he is a top student and shows signs of one day becoming one of the greatest of wizards. But his pride and jealousy foolishly lead him to accept the challenge of a snide older boy. Eager to prove his magical abilities, Ged accidentally unleashes an evil shadow from the land of the dead into this world. The Archmage dies after expending all of his power to save Ged from his mistake. Broken and alone, Ged must figure out how to overcome this shadow before it possesses him—and unleashes disaster on the world.
Is It Any Good?
Ursula K. Le Guin's first imaginative book in the Wizard of Earthsea series is high fantasy, written by a master, and is one of the great works of young adult literature of the 20th century. Grounded in Celtic and Norse mythology and written in flowing, formal language, this is not a slam-bang, sword-and-sorcery action fantasy: When Ged goes to battle a dragon, they negotiate an agreement instead, and the climactic moment is as quiet as a whisper. There isn't even a real villain.
So what keeps the pages turning? It's all in the details, the gradual unfolding and perfecting of another world, with its own rules and geography and magic. Ged is a fascinatingly flawed hero, and the action, though placidly paced, moves relentlessly forward toward a final confrontation that has more to do with Ged coming to understand himself than with overcoming world-dominating evil. This is a fantasy for the intellect rather than the gut.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the ideas about personal responsibility raised in The Wizard of Earthsea. What responsibility do we bear for the unintended consequences of our actions?
It takes great humility for Ged to admit his mistakes and face the shadow. How do his experiences help him shed his pride? Is humility the same as wisdom?
The author, Ursula K. Le Guin, was very vocally unhappy with the miniseries adaptation of this book. What do you think of the adaptation? How did it differ from the book? Why do you think film adaptations are often so different from the books?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic )
- Character Strengths : Courage , Humility , Perseverance
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Bantam Books
- Publication date : June 26, 2006
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 17
- Number of pages : 183
- Available on : Paperback, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Kindle
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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