A Wizard of Earthsea Graphic Novel

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Book Review:



“Only in silence the word,

Only in dark the light

Only in dying life:

Bright the hawk’s flight

On the empty sky.”

 

So begins Ursula Le Guin’s fantasy classic, “A Wizard of Earthsea”. The novel has garnered multiple awards since its release in 1968 and is widely recognized as one of the most influential works in the genre (Stephen Kings calls Le Guin a literary icon). Now it is available in a sumptuous graphic novel by Fred Fordham (To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, and A Brave New World graphic adaptations).

Personally, I was excited to purchase this book. Le Guin’s Earthsea Cycle (A Wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan, The Farthest Shore, Tehanu, Tales from Earthsea, and The Other Wind) occupied a very special place in my teenage reader’s heart. With great anticipation I slid the volume from its packaging and opened the pages. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had already blocked out the visuals in my imagination years ago. Now, how would Fordham see it? Wildly fanciful? Stately and subdued? Nostalgic? Updated for the younger generation? I invite you to come by the library, pick up the book, and see for yourself – no spoilers from me!

By the way, fantasy nerds, if you haven’t read the Earthsea Cycle yet, I strongly suggest that you do. It is one of the best, and we have it here in our collection as well.


Recommendation: great for lovers of magic and vividly imaginative story telling.


Author – Ursula Le Guin

Publishing – Clarion Books 2025

Genre – Graphic Novel

Pages - 288

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