A Wizard of Earthsea
The Earthsea Cycle, Book 1
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Narrated by:
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Rob Inglis
About this listen
"The shapeless mass of darkness split apart. It sundered, and a pale spindle of light gleamed between his open arms. In the oval of light there moved a human shape: a tall woman...beautiful, and sorrowful, and full of fear." - from A Wizard of Earthsea, first in a tetralogy that includes The Tombs of Atuan and The Farthest Shore, introduces the listener to Ged, the greatest sorcerer in all Earthsea, known also as Sparrowhawk. When Sparrowhawk casts a spell that saves his village from destruction at the hands of the invading Kargs, Ogion, the Mage of Re Albi, encourages the boy to apprentice himself in the art of wizardry. So, at the age of 13, the boy receives his true name - Ged - and gives himself over to the gentle tutelage of the Master Ogion. But impatient with the slowness of his studies and infatuated with glory, Ged embarks for the Island of Roke, where the highest arts of wizardry are taught. There, Ged's natural talents enable him to surpass his classmates in little time. But when his vanity prompts him to summon Elfarran, the fair lady of the Deed of Enlad, he unleashes a shapeless mass of darkness - the shadow.
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- By barefoot rabbit on 09-09-13
By: Juliet Marillier
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A Wind from the South
- Raetian Tales, Book 1
- By: Diane Duane
- Narrated by: Jessica Almasy
- Length: 13 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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A goddess in the making... or a demon reborn? In the remote mountain village where she was born, Mariarta dil Alicg lives the untroubled life of a peasant girl...until, soon after a mysterious stranger's arrival, she starts to hear voices in the wind. The voices whisper strange secrets in Mariarta's ears -- promising her the power to command the stormwind, hinting at an unknown, magical heritage, and prophesying a fate marvelous past all Mariarta's imaginings. Then a curse falls on Mariarta's village, shattering the lives of her family and friends.
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This was a suprise!
- By Yvonne on 03-11-12
By: Diane Duane
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The Sea of Trolls
- By: Nancy Farmer
- Narrated by: Gerard Doyle
- Length: 13 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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In the year 793, siblings Jack and Lucy are captured by fearsome Vikings with a thirst for battle and pillaging. Taken to the court of Ivar the Boneless, Jack and Lucy are sent on a perilous journey - full of dragons and giant spiders - deep into the magical kingdom of the trolls!
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NO KINDNESS IS EVER WASTED
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 11-03-17
By: Nancy Farmer
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The Eagle of the Ninth
- By: Rosemary Sutcliff
- Narrated by: Charlie Simpson
- Length: 4 hrs and 32 mins
- Abridged
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Marcus Flavius Aquila, a young centurion in Roman Britain, is forced into retirement after receiving a wound in his first major engagement against a rebel British tribe. It allows him the freedom to embark upon a dangerous mission to find out what happened to the Ninth Legion, which, years before, disappeared in the savage lands of the Picts. Will he find out what happened to the men, led by his father, who never returned? And will he recover the Eagle, the symbol of Roman dominance and power?
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Give it to us unabridged!
- By C. Liddiard on 01-12-11
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The Broken Sword
- By: Poul Anderson
- Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
- Length: 8 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Thor has broken the sword Tyrfing so that it cannot strike at the roots of Yggdrasil, the tree that binds together earth, heaven, and hell. But now the mighty sword is needed again to save the elves in their war against the trolls, and only Skafloc, a human child kidnapped and raised by the elves, can hope to persuade Bölverk the ice-giant to make Tyrfing whole again. But Skafloc must also confront his shadow self, Valgard the changeling, who has taken his place in the world of men.
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A spirited homage to old myths
- By Ryan on 01-25-14
By: Poul Anderson
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The Door on Half-Bald Hill
- By: Helena Sorensen
- Narrated by: Robert Hook, Janet Devlin, Nigel Patterson
- Length: 8 hrs
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When the Bloodmoon rose, death came rushing into the world. Now the water is bitter, blight consumes everything, and the Crone haunts the hills. While the Druid of Blackthorn searches desperately for hope, the Ovate returns from the underworld bringing omens of despair. But Idris, the young bard, Keeper of the Sacred Word, will walk through fire and iron to uncover a question no one has ever dared to ask - a question that carries a world of answers on its back, a question that can change everything.
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Interesting concept, but it felt incomplete.
- By W. Scott on 10-07-20
By: Helena Sorensen
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Ka
- Dar Oakley in the Ruin of Ymr
- By: John Crowley
- Narrated by: John Crowley
- Length: 15 hrs and 22 mins
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Dar Oakley - the first Crow in all of history with a name of his own - was born two thousand years ago. When a man learns his language, Dar finally gets the chance to tell his story. He begins his tale as a young man, and how he went down to the human underworld and got hold of the immortality meant for humans, long before Julius Caesar came into the Celtic lands; how he sailed West to America with the Irish monks searching for the Paradise of the Saints; and how he continuously went down into the land of the dead and returned.
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Amazing book
- By Franklin on 04-17-18
By: John Crowley
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A Shadow on the Glass
- By: Ian Irvine
- Narrated by: Grant Cartwright
- Length: 21 hrs and 26 mins
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Once there were three worlds, each with their own human species. Then, fleeing out of the void came a fourth species, the Charon. Desperate, on the edge of extinction, they changed the balance between the worlds forever. Karan, a sensitive with a troubled heritage, is forced to steal an ancient relic in repayment of a debt. It turns out to be the Mirror of Aachan, a twisted, deceitful thing that remembers everything it has ever seen.
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Not quite good enough.
- By Scott S. on 03-13-12
By: Ian Irvine
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Flight of the Dragon Kyn
- By: Susan Fletcher
- Narrated by: Angele Masters
- Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins
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"You must go to the dragon. You must leave tonight." Before she even hears the words, Kaeldra already knows she must find the mother dragon whose draclings have just hatched and get some of the precious milk in order to save her foster sister’s life. Since Kaeldra can communicate with dragons, she is the only one who can accomplish the task. And so she begins a journey that will entwine her fate with that of three little draclings and one would-be dragon slayer.
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praise Dragons
- By Dragon Lizard Lord King Chaos Tiamatzilla on 07-28-15
By: Susan Fletcher
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The Mists of Avalon
- By: Marion Zimmer Bradley
- Narrated by: Davina Porter
- Length: 50 hrs and 53 mins
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A posthumous recipient of the World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement, Marion Zimmer Bradley reinvented - and rejuvenated - the King Arthur mythos with her extraordinary Mists of Avalon series. In this epic work, Bradley follows the arc of the timeless tale from the perspective of its previously marginalized female characters: Celtic priestess Morgaine, Gwenhwyfar, and High Priestess Viviane.
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Davina Porter brings an old favorite back to life!
- By Carolina on 07-13-12
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Shadowmarch
- Shadowmarch, Volume I
- By: Tad Williams
- Narrated by: Dick Hill
- Length: 29 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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For generations the misty Shadowline has marked the boundary between the lands of men and the lost northern lands that are the lair of their inhuman enemies, the ageless Qar. But now that boundary line is moving outward, threatening to engulf the northernmost land in which humans still live - the kingdom of Southmarch.
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It's the characters that matter...
- By JC on 11-09-10
By: Tad Williams
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chapter names
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Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching
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In the Uplands, people have magical and fearsome gifts. Orrec, a boy growing into his powers, can destroy any living thing with simply a glance. But he refuses to use his ability, and wears a blindfold to protect others from his devastating gaze.
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Book 3 won the 2008 Nebula Award
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The Wave in the Mind
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Tembreabrezi is like Eden - a beginning place. There, Hugh and Irena assume they have merely discovered an escape from the dull monotony, even the terrors of their regular lives. But Tembreabrezi has a secret, a dark fear that is threatening the very life-blood of the kingdom. Hugh and Irena were led there for a purpose, selected for an impossibly hopeless mission. If they accept the challenge, they may lose everything - their new-found paradise, and possibly their lives.
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Turned off...
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From modern literature to menopause, from utopian thought to rodeos - in this classic collection of essays, Ursula K. Le Guin roves with her customary audacity over the intersecting arenas of literature, feminism, and social responsibility, exploding any received notions she comes across and revealing visionary possibilities in their stead.
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Not my favorite Le Guin collection, but...
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The Colour of Magic
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Somewhere on the frontier between thought and reality exists the Discworld, a parallel time and place that might sound and smell very much like our own, but which looks completely different. Particularly as it’s carried though space on the back of a giant turtle (sex unknown). It plays by different rules. But then, some things are the same everywhere. The Disc’s very existence is about to be threatened by a strange new blight: the world’s first tourist, upon whose survival rests the peace and prosperity of the land.
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TERRIBLE Narration!
- By Kayla I on 07-08-22
By: Terry Pratchett
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No Time to Spare
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From acclaimed author Ursula K. Le Guin, and with an introduction by Karen Joy Fowler, a collection of thoughts - always adroit, often acerbic - on aging, belief, the state of literature, and the state of the nation. Ursula K. Le Guin has taken listeners to imaginary worlds for decades. Now she's in the last great frontier of life, old age, and exploring new literary territory: the blog, a forum where her voice - sharp, witty, as compassionate as it is critical - shines. No Time to Spare collects the best of Ursula's blog, presenting perfectly crystallized dispatches on what matters.
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What a delight!
- By Linda on 02-13-18
What listeners say about A Wizard of Earthsea
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- Robert
- 05-09-13
A Classic
While Ursula K. Le Guin wrote several novels about the fantasy world of Earthsea, A Wizard of Earthsea appears to be the first of the main cycle by that name. I found it difficult to pin down whether the series is written for children and/or adults. I concluded that while there are a number of philosophical themes that adults could appreciate, the target audience was probably that of a younger age. Let’s say YAs.
Further, on the subject of age, this is basically the coming of age story of a young mage named Ged who is drawn to wizardry and develops into just that as the story unfolds. There’s much in the way of magic, spells and personal discovery along the way. However, as Ged learns, all of the power and might of of a wizard comes with a price. Wizardry is not for the faint-hearted nor is its magic lightly wielded by the ignorant or arrogant. Much of this is taught Ged by Ogion his primary mentor along with his own life’s little (and not so little) foibles in and around Earthsea. Does all this sound a bit familiar?
The monster of the story we learn is… uh, not so fast. That would be a major spoiler. And I believe the book is worth reading to discover that as well as the other things Ged learns along his way through apprenticeship and personal discovery. The book is very straight forward. That appears to be Le Guin’s style. After recently reading a bunch of China Mielville prior to Earthsea, the latter was a refreshingly, relaxing read. However, we probably should not be fooled by her simplicity. Contained within the pages are a depth and breath that can be easily missed if we’re not paying attention. What can I say; it’s obviously a classic and who could not recommend that.
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- Marilee
- 03-15-12
I love this story!
I use this story with my English 9 class, not just because it fits so well with my curriculum, but because it is such a good story. I first read it as part of my children's lit class in university and found myself enjoying it so much I read the remaining books in the series just for fun.
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- giralffe
- 04-26-18
More fantasy than sci-fi
What did you like best about A Wizard of Earthsea? What did you like least?
I was impressed with how well a short story covered the entire development of a character from child to adolescent to adult, and his development from novice to apprentice to master was well done. But it felt unfinished, and I recommend reading the whole trilogy.
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- D Montoya
- 10-13-16
I read this when I was a boy
If you could sum up A Wizard of Earthsea in three words, what would they be?
poetic, seascrolls, interesting
Who was your favorite character and why?
Ged of course, main character. The whole magic used by a boy is interesting, running around full of pride, sort of full of himself. He grows and is humbled.
Which character – as performed by Rob Inglis – was your favorite?
I liked him as the narrator he had a calm cadence in his voice. He pronounced things clearly, occasionally I could hear the sound of the tape (recorded from a tape I believe ) and sometimes you could hear him take a breath. It felt very much like an old uncle telling me about Ged.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
I liked the Shadow tearing the hell out of Ged. Chewing him up! HA funny. That and the idea of shaping the fog to save the town, combined with concealment. interesting how the story proceeds.
Any additional comments?
The time I read it as a boy, i really enjoyed the book. Listening to it, reminded me of how it was then, and how i feel now. Kind of a surreal experience, and i enjoyed it now at 50, as much as i had enjoyed it at 10. :-)
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- Nikolas P. Robinson
- 12-05-21
A Timeless Classic
I'd never finished reading Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea Cycle when I was growing up. I'd somehow just never gotten around to it. Waiting for the final novel of Patrick Rothfuss's Kingkiller Chronicle trilogy got me in the mood to revisit this series--and hopefully finish it--as it was one of Rothfuss's major influences when he began writing The Name of the Wind.
I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed Le Guin's capacity to blend minimalism with exquisite prose, crafting a streamlined narrative that never bogs itself down with minutiae and long-winded deviations from the main story. In that and her sheer imaginative quality, Le Guin remains an iconoclast in the realm of fantasy literature.
We join Ged on his journey from childhood through young adulthood as he finds his place in the larger world of Earthsea. We experience his mistakes and misplaced pride as if they're our own, and we feel both his terror and exultation as he travels to lands familiar and far distant in his quest to evade and subdue the shadow he set loose on the world.
The narration provided by Rob Inglis made the audiobook a vastly different experience from simply reading the book decades ago, and I'm pleased to see that he continues as narrator for the subsequent volumes in this epic series.
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- Jeremy Cervantes
- 07-19-18
Fantastic Book
I enjoyed getting enveloped in the story. Things are often unclear through the main of the story, but it is still very enjoyable.
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- Philip
- 12-06-18
Solid story book telling
I enjoyed listening to this audiobook. Very solid storytelling through-out. I never got bored.
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- Rycor1023
- 12-22-18
Good book
Very very good and interesting book, I like the part with the magic and dragons
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- Anonymous User
- 02-17-19
You're being read a bedtime story.
I listened to this in half-hour chunks as I fell asleep. The story is thrilling, the worldbuilding amazing, the characters gripping, and the narrator both soothing and exciting. Listen to this one.
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- Colleen Johnson
- 10-15-18
the greatest wizard story of all time
the narration is incredible, really lyrical performance gives Ursula K Leguins great work a beautiful realness. as a huge Urs K fan, this is an incredible find.
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