The Books of Earthsea: The Complete Illustrated Edition

Product Information

Now for the first time ever, they’re all together in one volume-including the early short stories, Le Guin’s “Earthsea Revisioned” Oxford lecture, and new Earthsea stories, never before printed. With a new introduction by Le Guin herself, this essential edition will also include over fifty illustrations by renowned artist Charles Vess, specially commissioned and selected by Le Guin, to bring her refined vision of Earthsea and its people to life in a totally new way. Fantasy Island: Ursula Le Guin Remakes the World” by Meredith Tax, The Village Voice (30 October 1990)

This] trilogy made me look at the world in a new way, imbued everything with a magic that was so much deeper than the magic I'd encountered before then. This was a magic of words, a magic of true speaking - Neil Gaiman Ursula K. Le Guin introduced our world to hers in 1968 for the first time. It is a world of islands, surrounded by a sea that cannot be fully charted. The story begins with a young man showing magical promise and takes you on a fantastical journey with varying teachers, cultures, and social norms. If you’re looking for a commentary on society, you can find it; however, it’s not force-fed. Instead, this classic series is immersive and difficult to put down. If you’ve read it in the past and are unsure of whether it will withstand the test of time, have no fear. It’s even better as an adult. Each book in the series features a new hero or heroine, but the threads are woven tightly and we never leave behind one character for long. Dragons are not inherently bad, and shadows aren’t always as they seem. People are good and bad, and magic is both predictable and wild.Ursula K. Le Guin interviewed by Matthew Peterson, The Author Hour (audio, transcript available). (12 November 2009) Ursula K Le Guin to publish Earthsea story in print for first time” by Alison Flood, The Guardian (15 July 2016) Contains the short story, ‘The Daughter of Odren’, published in print for the first time, and her last story ‘Firelight’. Two Trilogies and a Mystery: Speculations on the Earthsea Stories" by Margaret Mahy, Magpies (Vol. 17 No, 3, July 2002) Write, Critique, Revise, Repeat: On Le Guin and Asking the Hard Questions of Ourselves” by Mary Ann Mohanraj, Tor.com (1 November 2018)

Shelf Care: Immerse yourself in the rich fantasy world of Earthsea” by Ong Sor Fern, The Straits Times (18 August 2021) Art of SFF: Charles Vess on Working with Ursula Le Guin on The Books of Earthsea” by Aidan Moher, Tor.com (9 November 2018) While these tales are heavy, they are appropriate for any age group, from five years to 95. Le Guin's language is plain and easy to read. The writing is accessible to beginner readers and has a depth that is also satisfying to adults.

Now for the first time ever, they're all together in one volume-including the early short stories, Le Guin's Earthsea Revisioned Oxford lecture, and new Earthsea stories, never before printed. With a new introduction by Le Guin herself, this essential edition will also include over fifty illustrations by renowned artist Charles Vess, specially commissioned and selected by Le Guin, to bring her refined vision of Earthsea and its people to life in a totally new way. When Tehanuwas published I put a subtitle on it — "The Last Book of Earthsea." I was wrong! I was wrong! With a new introduction by Le Guin herself, this essential edition will also include fifty illustrations by renowned artist Charles Vess, specially commissioned and selected by Le Guin, to bring her refined vision of Earthsea and its people to life in a totally new way.