The Tombs of Atuan

This was also very surprising to read again. My memory was of how the Earthsea series was all about Ged, but in this book he is barely present, and the story is told through Tenar. It’s an amazing switch of perspective, reminding me of how Philip Pullman did a similar thing with the second book of the His Dark Materials trilogy, The Subtle Knife. Atuan also turns the wide open world of Earthsea on its head, focusing instead on a solitary small island. Once again the overriding impression is of Ged’s suffering rather than his supremacy, despite his ascent to the heights of wizardry.