This book traces the story of Ged (usename Sparrowhawk) the Wizard from boyhood to maturity. Helping us to explore the world of Earthsea and the magic that binds it, we follow Ged from his childhome to his studies on the island of Roke where he becomes a wizard and gains his independance. Finally leading him to battle with evil and dark powers for his own life.

Each of the four stories is self-contained and can be read and bought individually.

The language used by Ursula Le Guin creates a rich tapestry for your imagination to sink into. She spins a strong web that makes you forget about the real world and see Earthsea as where you have lived all your life.

This book is great for teenagers and adults with a fantasy interest. Her use of language is a lesson for us all and makes for a compelling read.

The Second book, The Tombs of Atuan. If you only want to read one of the books, this is the one to read. It was the most entertaining and had the most interesting action.

In the third book, a lot of my interest waned and by the forth I wanted to quit. If I wasn't so attached to the main character by this point I would have given up.

Has a wonderful talent with the English language and I highly recommend writers read this book as it is a fabulous example of how our language can be used richly.

I recommend that people by the stories individually, that way if you don't want to continue reading the series you feel less obliged to continue. While Ursula's skills are formitable, her talents weren't enough to carry the story in the end of the series.