Tehanu: Volume 4 (Earthsea Cycle)

Some have said that this is an ill-fitting continuance to the first three books of Earthsea, but I do not agree. It's a new stage, as all of the books contain much wisdom within their differing stages, and this one succeeds just as well in carrying the characters where we left off, into new inner and outer territories....Earthsea is a proper saga, so here we are in safe hands, venturing believably and braced for insights into 'equilibrium'.The story continues in the heart and mind of Tenar....of the Tombs.....There may be less action here, and the theme is more feminine-orientated, but not jarringly so at all; this is a skilled writer who cares about her world. And beware, for here be dragons again! The books were never really about shallow action anyway, (left more to the imagination) but more about self-containment; inner being and harmony, with ideas about male and female energies, and believable motives for evil & ignorance.The mature magic of this earthy book lies rooted in the practicalities of the world, and this book re-iterates this, whilest still being satisfying and accessible to read.....classic.

Like many other reviewers I don't find this as appealing as the initial trilogy. However it is very evocatively written , is warm in tone and had a good twist at the end. I have ordered the 5th book too.

Good to get the whole series in Kindle format.However, the missing star is due to the fact that the map at the beginning of each volume are VERY POORLY reproduced.Their low definition makes it virtually impossible to decipher the names of the islands.In addition, the missing middle map section deletes some of the islands, or parts of them, which makes it all but unusable.A reader who doesn't have a hard copy to refer to, or who wouldn't make the effort to download a high quality map from the author's website, would be hard put to follow the travel of the protagonists.The map sections should be resampled as a matter of urgency, as they are essential to the understanding of the story.

This being the 4th volume of the Tales of Earthsea, there is little point in my saying much of the adventures of Ged, Tenar, dragons or of the King - but they are all there and the book winds them together and ties off the knot with precision and skill. Don’t fail to read this if you’ve read the other books, and if you’ve only read A Wizard Of Earthsea then go read the others and rest assured that this book is waiting for you at the end of it all, and you can, in the end, live there :)

Having greatly enjoyed the original trilogy when it was first published, I was delighted to discover this fourth book - a real page turner and a fitting addition to the series. It also resolves the question I had about the “Tombs of Athuan”: who is Tenar really? We finally learn a lot more about her character and life after the second novel. Highly recommended, if you’ve read the previous books.

Another fantastic addition to the series. What a marvellous writer indeed. And the rarity of a book that does not shy away from the destruction humans can cause and the consequences but without too much horror. A very good teade.

Not a review more an observation on the reviews for the fifth and sixth books.The sixth book The Other Wind is the sequel to Tehanu, Continuing the story of Ged Tenar and adopted daughter Tehanu.It is not a collection of short stories on the mythos of Earthsea.The Fifth book called Tales Of Earthsea is .. ;)

The EarthSea Trilogy is one of the best Fantasy series is one of the best reads and has been for 30 years.Tetanu is a later addition and although good does not have the same pace as the original trilogy,