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A Wizard of Earthsea
- The Earthsea Cycle, Book 1
- Narrated by: Rob Inglis
- Series: Earthsea, Book 1
- Length: 7 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Teen & Young Adult, Science Fiction & Fantasy
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The Tombs of Atuan
- The Earthsea Cycle, Book 2
- Written by: Ursula K. Le Guin
- Narrated by: Rob Inglis
- Length: 5 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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A bold young wizard enters the labyrinth of the sacred Tombs of Atuan to steal the magical ring of Erreth-Akbe. Instead, he finds an unhappy priestess in need of a hero to save her.
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Surprisingly Mature
- By Langer on 2021-06-17
Written by: Ursula K. Le Guin
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The Farthest Shore
- The Earthsea Cycle, Book 3
- Written by: Ursula K. Le Guin
- Narrated by: Rob Inglis
- Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Return to Earthsea with Ged, the brash young wizard who survived the enchanted labyrinth of The Tombs of Atuan. In the third episode of this brilliant fantasy saga, a much older Ged sets off on a harrowing quest for the source of a terrible darkness that is taking the magic out of Earthsea.
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A Brilliant 'Earthsea' Entry
- By Langer on 2021-06-19
Written by: Ursula K. Le Guin
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Tehanu
- The Earthsea Cycle, Book Four
- Written by: Ursula K. Le Guin
- Narrated by: Jenny Sterlin
- Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Years before, they had escaped together from the sinister Tombs of Atuan - she an isolated young priestess, he a powerful wizard. Now she is a farmer's widow, having chosen for herself the simple pleasures of an ordinary life. And he is a broken old man, mourning the powers lost to him not by choice. A lifetime ago they helped each other at a time of darkness and danger. Now they must join forces again to help another - the physically and emotionally scarred child whose own destiny remains to be revealed.
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very good story
- By H.Wessel on 2019-11-08
Written by: Ursula K. Le Guin
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Tales from Earthsea
- Written by: Ursula K. Le Guin
- Narrated by: Jenny Sterlin
- Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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The tales of this book explore and extend the world established by the Earthsea novels - yet each stands on its own. It contains the novella The Finder, and the short stories "The Bones of the Earth", "Darkrose and Diamond", "On the High Marsh", and "Dragonfly". Concluding with with an account of Earthsea's history, people, languages, literature, and magic.
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Love this book
- By T. Gregory on 2018-09-17
Written by: Ursula K. Le Guin
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The Other Wind
- The Earthsea Cycle, Book 6
- Written by: Ursula K. Le Guin
- Narrated by: Samuel Roukin
- Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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The sorcerer Alder fears sleep. The dead are pulling him to them at night. Through him they may free themselves and invade Earthsea. Alder seeks advice from Ged, once Archmage. Ged tells him to go to Tenar, Tehanu, and the young king at Havnor. They are joined by amber-eyed Irian, a fierce dragon able to assume the shape of a woman. The threat can be confronted only in the Immanent Grove on Roke, the holiest place in the world, and there the king, hero, sage, wizard, and dragon make a last stand.
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A truly great conclusion to the world of Earthsea
- By Jaelan on 2020-06-17
Written by: Ursula K. Le Guin
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Red Dwarf
- Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers
- Written by: Rob Grant, Doug Naylor
- Narrated by: Chris Barrie
- Length: 8 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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When Lister got drunk, he really got drunk! After celebrating his birthday with a Monopoly-board pub crawl around London, he came to in a burger bar on one of Saturns moons, wearing a lady's pink crimplene hat and a pair of yellow fishing waders, with no money and a passport in the name of "Emily Berkenstein". Joining the Space Corps seemed a good idea.
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A MUST for fans of the show
- By DMack on 2019-09-28
Written by: Rob Grant, and others
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The Tombs of Atuan
- The Earthsea Cycle, Book 2
- Written by: Ursula K. Le Guin
- Narrated by: Rob Inglis
- Length: 5 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
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Performance
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Story
A bold young wizard enters the labyrinth of the sacred Tombs of Atuan to steal the magical ring of Erreth-Akbe. Instead, he finds an unhappy priestess in need of a hero to save her.
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Surprisingly Mature
- By Langer on 2021-06-17
Written by: Ursula K. Le Guin
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The Farthest Shore
- The Earthsea Cycle, Book 3
- Written by: Ursula K. Le Guin
- Narrated by: Rob Inglis
- Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Return to Earthsea with Ged, the brash young wizard who survived the enchanted labyrinth of The Tombs of Atuan. In the third episode of this brilliant fantasy saga, a much older Ged sets off on a harrowing quest for the source of a terrible darkness that is taking the magic out of Earthsea.
-
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A Brilliant 'Earthsea' Entry
- By Langer on 2021-06-19
Written by: Ursula K. Le Guin
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Tehanu
- The Earthsea Cycle, Book Four
- Written by: Ursula K. Le Guin
- Narrated by: Jenny Sterlin
- Length: 8 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
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Performance
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Story
Years before, they had escaped together from the sinister Tombs of Atuan - she an isolated young priestess, he a powerful wizard. Now she is a farmer's widow, having chosen for herself the simple pleasures of an ordinary life. And he is a broken old man, mourning the powers lost to him not by choice. A lifetime ago they helped each other at a time of darkness and danger. Now they must join forces again to help another - the physically and emotionally scarred child whose own destiny remains to be revealed.
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very good story
- By H.Wessel on 2019-11-08
Written by: Ursula K. Le Guin
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Tales from Earthsea
- Written by: Ursula K. Le Guin
- Narrated by: Jenny Sterlin
- Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
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Performance
-
Story
The tales of this book explore and extend the world established by the Earthsea novels - yet each stands on its own. It contains the novella The Finder, and the short stories "The Bones of the Earth", "Darkrose and Diamond", "On the High Marsh", and "Dragonfly". Concluding with with an account of Earthsea's history, people, languages, literature, and magic.
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Love this book
- By T. Gregory on 2018-09-17
Written by: Ursula K. Le Guin
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The Other Wind
- The Earthsea Cycle, Book 6
- Written by: Ursula K. Le Guin
- Narrated by: Samuel Roukin
- Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The sorcerer Alder fears sleep. The dead are pulling him to them at night. Through him they may free themselves and invade Earthsea. Alder seeks advice from Ged, once Archmage. Ged tells him to go to Tenar, Tehanu, and the young king at Havnor. They are joined by amber-eyed Irian, a fierce dragon able to assume the shape of a woman. The threat can be confronted only in the Immanent Grove on Roke, the holiest place in the world, and there the king, hero, sage, wizard, and dragon make a last stand.
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A truly great conclusion to the world of Earthsea
- By Jaelan on 2020-06-17
Written by: Ursula K. Le Guin
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Red Dwarf
- Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers
- Written by: Rob Grant, Doug Naylor
- Narrated by: Chris Barrie
- Length: 8 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
When Lister got drunk, he really got drunk! After celebrating his birthday with a Monopoly-board pub crawl around London, he came to in a burger bar on one of Saturns moons, wearing a lady's pink crimplene hat and a pair of yellow fishing waders, with no money and a passport in the name of "Emily Berkenstein". Joining the Space Corps seemed a good idea.
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A MUST for fans of the show
- By DMack on 2019-09-28
Written by: Rob Grant, and others
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The Call of Cthulhu
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- Narrated by: H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society
- Length: 1 hr and 16 mins
- Original Recording
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A random murder in a public park. An artist wracked by fantastical and haunting dreams. A police inspector confronting the depraved rites of a voodoo cult. Intrepid sailors pitted against a diabolical monstrosity risen from the bottom of the sea. And one man, doomed to understand that such things foretell madness and the end of mankind.
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a classic
- By Caleb on 2022-04-19
Written by: H. P. Lovecraft
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James Moriarty, Consulting Criminal
- Written by: Andy Weir
- Narrated by: Graeme Malcolm
- Length: 1 hr and 10 mins
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His razor-sharp intellect, uncanny powers of deduction, and knowledge of the criminal underground are legendary throughout London. He solves cases with the able assistance of his close friend and confidant. And, one day, he will become the arch enemy of Sherlock Holmes. Meet Professor James Moriarty - consulting criminal.
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A bit short but very good.
- By Amazon Customer on 2018-08-21
Written by: Andy Weir
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Rivals! Frenemies Who Changed the World
- Written by: Scott McCormick
- Narrated by: Prentice Onayemi, Samantha Turret, Khristine Hvam, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Did you know that most of our dinosaur fossils were discovered because two grown men absolutely hated each other? It’s true! Rivals! Frenemies Who Changed the World is a riotous audio exclusive, like if Monty Python taught your history class. Each volume of four 30-minute histories will dig into the petty name-calling and grumbling grudges that led to many of the world’s greatest advancements, all delivered with a cheeky sense of humor. Choose sides: Cope or Marsh, the jerks who discovered so many dinosaurs; Hamilton or Burr, whose rivalry fueled American politics; and many more....
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Fun!
- By Geeky Mama on 2020-03-12
Written by: Scott McCormick
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The Shadow over Innsmouth
- Written by: H. P. Lovecraft
- Narrated by: Richard Coyle
- Length: 2 hrs and 32 mins
- Abridged
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The Shadow Over Innsmouth tells the first-person story of a young historian, Robert Olmstead, who, while investigating his family genealogy in New England, is intrigued to learn about a hated and mysterious fishing town called Innsmouth. When he visits he finds the place to be run-down and near-deserted, with a cult-like religion and a strange, degenerate population. His investigation soon turns into a race to escape the town and the the evil creatures he sees emerging from the sea.
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Endless repeating music was annoying
- By WTL on 2020-12-16
Written by: H. P. Lovecraft
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The Time Machine
- Written by: H. G. Wells
- Narrated by: John Banks
- Length: 3 hrs and 22 mins
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When a Victorian scientist propels himself into the year 802,701 AD, he is initially delighted to find that suffering has been replaced by beauty, contentment and peace. Entranced at first by the Eloi, an elfin species descended from man, he soon realises that this beautiful people are simply remnants of a once-great culture - now weak and childishly afraid of the dark. But they have every reason to be afraid: in deep tunnels beneath their paradise lurks another race descended from humanity - the sinister Morlocks.
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Fin inattendue
- By Anonymous User on 2020-10-23
Written by: H. G. Wells
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The Great Train Robbery
- Written by: Michael Crichton
- Narrated by: Michael Kitchen
- Length: 8 hrs and 39 mins
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In teeming Victorian London, where lavish wealth and appalling poverty live side by side, Edward Pierce charms the most prominent of the well-to-do as he cunningly orchestrates the crime of the century. Who would suspect that a gentleman of breeding could mastermind the daring theft of a fortune in gold? Who could predict the consequences of making the extraordinary robbery aboard the pride of England's industrial era, the mighty steam locomotive?
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Worth it
- By Customer Who Cares on 2020-10-29
Written by: Michael Crichton
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Fallen Dragon
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- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 26 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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In the distant future, corporations have become sustainable communities with their own militaries, and corporate goals have essentially replaced political ideology. On a youthful, rebellious impulse, Lawrence joined the military of a corporation that he now recognizes to be ruthless and exploitative. His only hope for escape is to earn enough money to buy his place in a better corporation.
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Read it several times and listened a couple more
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Written by: Peter F. Hamilton
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A Christmas Carol
- Written by: Charles Dickens, R. D. Carstairs - adaptation
- Narrated by: Sir Derek Jacobi, Kenneth Cranham, Miriam Margolyes, and others
- Length: 3 hrs and 31 mins
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'If I had my way, every idiot who goes around with Merry Christmas on his lips, would be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart. Merry Christmas? Bah humbug!' Charles Dickens’ ghostly tale of sour and stingy miser Ebenezer Scrooge has captivated readers, listeners and audiences for over 150 years. This Christmas, Audible Studios brings this story to life in an audio drama featuring an all-star cast.
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A True Delight!
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The Haunting of Clandestine House
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- Narrated by: Celina Myers
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- Unabridged
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What secrets reside in the Clandestine house? Rumors have run wild for a century in the mouths of all the locals. It is known as the haunted house that swallows people whole. It isn’t until an out of town buyer Hannah Watts purchases Clandestine house that the the dark past of the time capsule home will come to light. What happened to the Clandestine family? What is going to happen to Hannah?
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Simply Awesome
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Jade Legacy
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- Narrated by: Andrew Kishino
- Length: 28 hrs and 29 mins
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Jade, the mysterious and magical substance once exclusive to the Green Bone warriors of Kekon, is now coveted throughout the world. Everyone wants access to the supernatural abilities it provides, from traditional forces such as governments, mercenaries, and criminal kingpins, to modern players, including doctors, athletes, and movie studios. As the struggle over the control of jade grows ever larger and more deadly, the Kaul family, and the ancient ways of the Kekonese Green Bones, will never be the same.
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Fantastic Pay off
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The Ruins of Gorlan
- Ranger's Apprentice
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Will is small for his age, but agile and energetic. All his life, he has dreamed of becoming a great knight like the father he never knew, so he is devastated when he is rejected as an apprentice to Castle Redmont's Battleschool. Instead he is apprenticed to Halt, the mysterious Ranger whose uncanny ability to move unseen is thought to be the result of black magic. Reluctantly, Will learns to use a Ranger's secret weapons: a bow and arrow, a mottled cloak and a stubborn little pony. It may not be what he longs for, but when he and Halt are sent out to prevention the assassination of the King....
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finished in one day, kept my attention.
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Senlin Ascends
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- Unabridged
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The Tower of Babel is the greatest marvel in the world. Immense as a mountain, the ancient Tower holds unnumbered ringdoms, warring and peaceful, stacked one on the other like the layers of a cake. It is a world of geniuses and tyrants, of airships and steam engines, of unusual animals and mysterious machines. Soon after arriving for his honeymoon at the Tower, the mild-mannered headmaster of a small village school, Thomas Senlin, gets separated from his wife, Marya, in the overwhelming swarm of tourists, residents, and miscreants.
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Five Stars by the End
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Written by: Josiah Bancroft
Publisher's Summary
"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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What listeners say about A Wizard of Earthsea
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- coffee drinker in Calgary
- 2021-09-25
Great story cycle - Earthsea: First book.
This is a wonderful tale of magic and a young man's coming to age and into his power.
It was very good narration, for which I only subtracted a star as our hero Sparrowhawk's voice sometumes seemed much older than his young years.
If you love this series, read or listen right through to the fifth book, The Other Wind. The sixth book, Tales of Earthsea, are stories which tell elements of the backstory. Happy days in Earthsea!
1 person found this helpful
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- girorv
- 2019-04-06
Wish there had been more
I was so relieved when I got to the end. There was so nothing here. World development was good, but oh I never really knew any of the people. The narrator even seemed bored with it. Glad it was short.
2 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 2022-04-07
lovely book
read the book when I was a teenager after the Harry Potter series started, this story is so well done and refreshing, it was worth the listen and I truly appreciate the authors talents, excellent narrator
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- Anonymous User
- 2021-01-21
i kept falling asleep
I was actually really excited to listen to this book. the summary and reviews really sold me on the story.
then the narrator began. and it's not his fault. but his voice is so soothing. I could not stay awake!
I tried three separate times to listen to this, but I couldn't make it.
I gave the book 5 stars because this is most likely just me. I'm sure the book is wonderful, and the story is wonderful. it's honestly just the narrator. his voicing isn't even boring or anything. I literally just end up feeling so calm and falling asleep haha
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- Mystery McCarthy
- 2020-11-30
Decent, though I had trouble knowing who was who!
I enjoyed this book well enough, hearing it for the first time here. I did have trouble keeping track of the characters even though I was paying close attention and often replayed the parts I didn't follow well as I went to really take in the whole story. Other then "Ged" I can't remember a single other character's name and I just finished the book not two minutes ago. The character names were utterly forgettable, which is unfortunate, as were the names of all the islands and towns.
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- Langer
- 2020-11-17
Outstanding Fantasy
This novel reminds me of Patrick Rothfuss' "The Kingkiller Chronicles'" - a lot - but it's clearly aimed at a younger audience (the writing is just a little too immature). The book follows the progression and training of a legendary Wizard from his discovery of sorcerous powers as an impetuous boy to his eventual revelation as a wise conqueror of Dragons and Evil Spirits.
LeGuin's Ged - Sparrowhawk - is an eminently human character.. complete with insecurities and personal faults. He is a hero, but one that is relatable. The author's descriptions are vivid and the events are captivating and filled with adventure. LeGuin pens a thought-provoking morality tale confronting impatience and hubris.. while simultaneously providing an entertaining chronicle and introducing a fascinating Fantasy setting (Earthsea).
Rob Inglis is a very good narrator (clear, excellent diction, admirable tone), but his slow style of reading reminds me that this is a children's story. It is perhaps appropriate to the intended audience.. very much like reading a comfortable bedtime story.. but somewhat annoying for an Adult. I sped it up to 1.15X and the result was excellent.
I bought this as a Daily Deal, but will likely continue this charming tetralogy. Although it's ideally meant for kids aged 10-14 or so, this recording merits 8.5 out of 10 stars even to an adult reader, and promises good things to come.
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- Ashton
- 2020-08-20
Read the book, ditch the movie
7 hour book >>>> 2 hour movie. Put in the time to get so much more.
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- Colleen Whitehouse
- 2020-02-15
If you like Harry Potter...
This is classic Fantasy Fiction at it's best! It has it all - Wizards, dragons and dark magic.
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- D. S.
- 2019-08-26
Loved this book and series since I was a teen
this has always been one of my favorite books in one of my favorite series. It is dark and epic and grandiose. The protagonist is likeable, despite his fallability, or maybe because of it. His growth is great to follow.
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- Shesophist
- 2019-05-21
Very wizardly beginning
Narrator was tolerable.
if you're steeped in the wizard stories of popular culture like I am, and already a reader of more contemporary fantasy, then this book comes off a bit generic.
a definite descendent of Lord of the Rings, Le Guin crafts her own magical world of Earthsea. A coming of age and You're a Wizard Ged tale ensues. many tomes are read and paths travelled.
good enough that I will check out the next book
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- Marjorie
- 2012-05-14
A little gem, excellently narrated.
A Wizard of Earthsea is the first installment of Ursula K. Le Guin's classic fantasy. Having read the Earthsea novels (five in all, plus a collection of short tales) years ago, I was very happy with this audio version, which is beautifully done. Re-visiting Earthsea, it's interesting to notice how many of what are now conventions of fantasy writing were in fact pioneered by Le Guin so long ago.
One thing that's different about her books: the writing is beautiful but spare. She can tell you in a few paragraphs what other fantasy writers seem to need long chapters to explain. Each of the Earthsea books comes in at something around 200 pages, quite a contrast to the bloated tomes of so many contemporary fantasy writers.
83 people found this helpful
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- Finance Guy
- 2010-08-03
Elegant & unique fantasy, deliciously performed
I can't believe I didn't listen to or read this book sooner. Ursula K. Le Guin has rekindled my believe that fantasy can be a legitimate literary genre.
Charming and entertaining like a fairy tale but simultaneously dripping with the suspense, drama, and authenticity of a Viking Saga or Epic Poem, A Wizard of Earthsea (the first of the series) cannot be ignored by any serious fantasy reader. So much sub-par fantasy is written in this, age of World of Warcraft and Eragon, that it's refreshing to have Ursula K. Le Guin to discover and delight in.
The narrator of this book makes it sound like he is recounting an ancient tale around some campfire in the Iron Age. Amazing!
76 people found this helpful
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- B. Mertz
- 2011-06-02
This one is a classic for a reason
Incredibly engaging, masterfully crafted, full of some of the best-written and most complex wizards you will find in literature, A Wizard of Earthsea is the fantasy genre at its absolute finest.
Those of us who read a lot of fantasy have read too many "kid goes to wizard school" books. Many are badly written with flat characters and predictable plotlines. Ursula Le Guin dazzles in this book, which though originally published in 1968, reads as fresh and new and inspiring as all great art does. The old fantasy archetypes are brilliantly and creatively revisited, and adventure abounds.
Anyone who loves fantasy will love Earthsea, and those who don't may find this an ideal introduction. Kids, adults, you name it, Earthsea is short, well-paced, suspenseful, epic, and a delight to read. This audiobook version is excellent.
41 people found this helpful
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- Cai
- 2016-03-17
A classic: 2018=50 years in print
I first read this in the 70s. It was among the first fantasy novels I encountered, and hooked me into the gene. It was a delight to encounter it once again.
These days we tend to compare magic systems and world building, but when LeGuin was writing it was as one of the pioneers of modern fantasy. If it seems familiar at times, that would be because she helped to chart these waters. After 40 years, I had forgotten much of the story. To me, it still stands strong and tall on its own.
As this is an old school audio book, the narrator doesn't use character voices, and apparently didn't need to. His resonate deep voice carries the story along in a strong, clear, captivating tone.
There was a curious moment when out of nowhere came instructions to switch to the second cassette. But that adds to the old school charm of the book.
I would recommend this book to people who can enjoy a fantasy book for more than its action. It is appropriate for YA, with any dark elements being fairly tame. There is a coming of age element to the book. In fact, it has many delightful layers of elements to uncover if you choose to dig in. But some will want to know that there is not a significant love interest.
22 people found this helpful
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- Sarah Clarke
- 2015-08-08
Classic Ursula Le Guin never gets old
This is an archetypal story told much like a ballad from times of old. It is sparse yet full of detail at the same time. The narrator readsbeautifully, with feeling, pacing himself lovingly through the tail. I felt like I was a child again listening to my granddad. It is a wonderfully told story that I can't wait to listen to again.
17 people found this helpful
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- Brian
- 2015-02-03
An old favorite beautifully realized
I had forgotten how beautiful and spare LeGuin's writing can be. Here she's like a cross between Tolkien and Hemingway: lyrical, but no extraneous cruft.
I am a big fan of the performer/narrator, Rob Inglis, who can also be heard reading The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. I was so happy to find more opportunities to listen to him read to me.
28 people found this helpful
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- Nothing really matters
- 2016-07-22
I’m not usually into fantasy, but … WOW.
A Wizard of Earthsea was published in 1968. Read it and you’ll see that J. K. Rowling borrowed a *surprising* number of its key elements for her Harry Potter series. That said, this and the other Earthsea books struck me as covering a more inventive magical universe. The writing and dialogue are also much better.
It’s interesting to compare the magic in both series. Earthsea magic has less flash and more substance. Potter magic is flashy and occasionally illogical. You can also say the same things about their respective plots.
The Wizard of Earthsea is unconventional. For example, most of the characters are not handsome caucasians and the universe is not some variant of the England of the Middle Ages. Again, it’s interesting to compare this with the Potter series which is quite conventional. And while this book is progressive, the Potter books promote the last acceptable prejudice, that being the one against the overweight. Nice one, J.K.
Earthsea series is now my favourite sci-fi/fantasy series and I’d rank it second only to my favourite series of any type, the Hornblower books. That’s high praise.
After starting this book, I listened in every spare moment and promptly downloaded the next book as soon as I finished this one. I did the same with the second one. All the books are excellently narrated by Rob Inglis, btw.
I highly recommended this and the other two Earthsea books Audible carries. I only wish Audible had the last three books in series.
19 people found this helpful
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- Brian
- 2012-04-23
wonderful reminder of an old favorite
What made the experience of listening to A Wizard of Earthsea the most enjoyable?
absorbing the deatail - i tend to speed read so as always listening to books ive read is a treat
What did you like best about this story?
the textured appreciation that one makes mistakes and pays for them
Which scene was your favorite?
hard to say as it all fits togehter in such a balanced manner
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
not really; but i did feel the shared satisfaction of finally facing ones demons
Any additional comments?
Audible needs to present the missing books of the series asap
8 people found this helpful
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- Robert
- 2013-05-09
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.
42 people found this helpful
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- Jefferson
- 2015-06-13
A Capable Reading of a Fantasy Classic
Ursula K. Le Guin's A Wizard of Earthsea (1968) is a heroic fantasy classic, telling the tale of the growth of Ged, the future Archmage of Earthsea, from a proud and reckless boy hungry for knowledge and power to a young man at peace with himself. Written with poetic concision and grace, Le Guin's novel depicts compelling events in an other world with more thought, imagination, philosophy, and care than the majority of the bloated heroic fantasy novels these days can begin to muster. Her convincing depiction of a fully realized secondary world, Earthsea, complete with legends, traditions, songs, tales, different cultures and environments, and well-thought out and philosophically consistent and cool system of magic, is impressive, especially given how short her book is.
Although the short novel adheres to some genre traditions, as in, for instance, depicting the maturing of a hero through adversity and adventure with female characters playing subordinate roles as flawed teachers, beautiful temptresses, or cute supporters ("weak or wicked as woman's magic"), it also performs (especially given its era) some remarkable subversion and expansion of the genre, as in making Ged and his fellow Archipelagans people of color, depicting a school for wizards with different types of magic to be mastered, and rendering the climactic struggle as something much more interesting and meaningful than a struggle between the hero and an external evil monster.
And Le Guin's prose is a taut pleasure, every sentence being comprised of the perfect words in the perfect order with the perfect syntax and punctuation and rhythm, so that the book may be re-read multiple times, each time with a new appreciation. This is so whether she is describing characters ("He grew wild, a thriving weed, a tall, quick boy, loud and proud and full of temper") or settings ("Now the dark forest-crowned cliffs gloomed and towered high over his boat, and spray from the waves that broke against the rocky headlands blew spattering against his sail, as the magewind bore him between two great capes into a sound, a sealane that ran on before him deep into the island, no wider than the length of two galleys"), or voicing wise aphorisms ("Heal the wound and cure the illness but let the dying spirit go"), or evoking horror ("So it came over the sea, out of the Jaws of Enlad towards Gont, a dim ill-made thing pacing uneasy on the waves, peering down the wind as it came; and the cold rain blew through it") or epiphany ("In that moment Ged understood the singing of the bird, and the language of the water falling in the basin of the fountain, and the shape of the clouds, and the beginning and end of the wind that stirred the leaves: it seemed to him that he himself was a word spoken by the sunlight").
Some words about the audiobook read by Robert Inglis. I have twice listened to Inglis' definitive readings of the entire The Lord of the Rings and think he is ideally suited for Tolkien's masterpiece, giving them their necessary gravitas, pathos, suspense, humor, and beauty (including effectively doing different voices for the different characters—his Gollum, Gandalf, Frodo, and Sam are all perfect—engagingly singing the different genres of songs, and so on). However, perhaps because I first listened to Harlan Ellison's over-the-top but entertaining reading (in which he shouts, screams, whispers, sighs, sobs, sings, laughs, lectures, or just reads, endowing key words with special weight or particular pauses with extra pregnancy), Inglis sounds here a touch pale, thin, and tired. Or is it that Le Guin and Ellison are American, Inglis British? Whereas Ellison's version brought out different aspects of A Wizard of Earthsea that I hadn't noticed before, Inglis' version felt more routine. Mind you, Inglis is an excellent, professional reader, and Ellison's version is no longer available on Audible.
Anyway, people who like philosophical, poetic, concise, and original fantasy should read Le Guin’s Earthsea books, beginning with this one.
13 people found this helpful