The Tombs of Atuan: Volume 2 (Earthsea Cycle)

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The story follows a girl named Tenar, born on the Kargish island of Atuan. Born on the day that the high priestess of the Tombs of Atuan died, she is believed to be her reincarnation. Tenar is taken from her family when five years old and goes to the Tombs. [14] Her name is taken from her in a ceremony, and she is referred to as "Arha", or the "eaten one", [24] after being consecrated to the service of the "Nameless Ones" at the age of six with a ceremony involving a symbolic sacrifice. [28] She moves into her own tiny house, and is given a eunuch servant, Manan, with whom she develops a bond of affection. The relationship between Sparrowhawk and Arha is well developed in such a short story, and it’s interesting to see the further development of Sparrowhawk through the eyes of a different character. He has clearly learned much since the first book, and has become both more powerful and more wise. The character or Arha was a bit annoying early on, but by the end her hero’s journey is as believable as it was nuanced. The Earthsea Cycle is narrated by several esteemed voice actors, including actor Rob Inglis (who also lends his voice to the Lord of the Rings audiobooks), critically acclaimed British actress Jenny Sterlin, and English television and film star Samuel Roukin. A prolific writer best known for her works of science fiction, Ursula K. Le Guin produced The Earthsea Cycle between 1968 and 2001. She had not planned to start a series for young adults, but began working on A Wizard of Earthsea at the request of her publisher. Books in The Earthsea Cycle have won numerous awards, including the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel, a Nebula Award for Best Novel, a National Book Award, and a Newbery Honor; the series also includes a collection of stories. Le Guin’s high fantasy classics have been adapted into a BBC radio production, a graphic novel, an animated film from Japan’s Studio Ghibli, and a television miniseries. Le Guin, Ursula K.; Wood, Susan (1980). The Language of the Night: Essays on Fantasy and Science Fiction. Ultramarine publishing. ISBN 9780399504822.

Slusser, George Edgar (1976). The Farthest Shores of Ursula K. Le Guin. Wildside Press LLC. ISBN 978-0-89370-205-2.The form of narrative employed by Le Guin in the Earthsea trilogy has been described by literature scholar Mike Cadden as "free indirect discourse"; a technique in which the feelings of the protagonist are not directly separated from the narration, making the narrator seem sympathetic to the characters, and removing the skepticism towards a character's thoughts and emotions that are a feature of more direct narration. [64] Cadden suggests that this method leads to younger readers sympathizing directly with the characters, thereby making it an effective technique for young-adult literature, whereas adults are likely to read the situations differently. [65] In The Tombs of Atuan, much of the story is told from Tenar's perspective; for instance, the reader sees Tenar's fear of the undertomb through her own eyes, creating an empathy for her. [32] Le Guin let down a lot of folks when she couldn’t imagine a girl-wizard becoming a powerful wizardess in her first Earthsea novel. She then made the rather startling decision to write a sequel in which Ged appears only halfway through and in which he is not, in fact, the protagonist. True, Tombs ’s Arha is not a wizard and even lives in a land where wizards are barely more than a legend, but Arha is a priestess, the High Priestess of the Tombs, born into her office as First Priestess, raised believing in her continued rebirth since time began, and brought into service of the Nameless Ones who dwell below the Tombs of Atuan, who in her and the Kargs’ beliefs have dwelt so since the beginning of time. Arha, in short, is powerful beyond measure. At least in word. The Tombs of Atuan / ˈ æ t uː ɑː n/ [4] is a fantasy novel by the American author Ursula K. Le Guin, first published in the Winter 1970 issue of Worlds of Fantasy, and published as a book by Atheneum Books in 1971. It is the second book in the Earthsea series after A Wizard of Earthsea (1969). The Tombs of Atuan was a Newbery Honor Book in 1972.

Le Guin, Ursula K. (October 10, 2010). Ursula K. Le Guin reads from "The Wizard of Earthsea" (Reading). Washington Center for the Performing Arts: Timberland Regional Library. Event occurs at 1:06:25 . Retrieved December 28, 2022.

When she is fifteen years of age, Ged (Sparrowhawk) arrives at the tombs of Atuan in search for half of Erreth-Akbe's ring. Arha traps Ged, but later spares his life after he tells her of the outer world, while keeping him as a prisoner. A dark hand had let go its lifelong hold upon her heart. But she did not feel joy, as she had in the mountains...

One winter night, Arha descends into the Labyrinth and notices a faint gray light in the Undertomb. Light was never permitted, so she sees the beautiful natural cavern of limestone sparkling with crystal, diamond, and amethyst for the first time. A dark-skinned man carries a staff glowing with magic light searching the Undertomb. At first, Arha cannot even conceive that it is a stranger, a thief violating the sacred Undertomb where no man was permitted. She wonders why the Nameless Ones don't eat this man like the prisoners buried shallowly in the Undertomb, until she realizes they mean her to take action. She shouts, "Go! Go! Begone!" startling the man. He momentarily glimpses Arha, puts out the light, and flees into the darkness. Eventually, Arha traps the intruder in the greater Labyrinth slamming the Iron Door behind him.

Table of Contents

Set in the fictional world of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan follows the story of Tenar, a young girl born in the Kargish empire, who is taken while still a child to be the high priestess to the "Nameless Ones" at the Tombs of Atuan. Her existence at the Tombs is a lonely one, deepened by the isolation of being the highest ranking priestess. Her world is disrupted by the arrival of Ged, the protagonist of A Wizard of Earthsea, who seeks to steal the half of a talisman buried in the treasury of the Tombs. Tenar traps him in the labyrinth under the Tombs, but then rebels against her teaching and keeps him alive. Through him she learns more of the outside world, and begins to question her faith in the Nameless Ones and her place at the Tombs. Ged makes the Ring whole again using a strong Patterning magic and gives the restored arm ring to Tenar. They collect a bag, flask, and cloak when Ged wishes he had his staff. Tenar had it outside the room, intending to return it to Ged. They leave the Treasury and reach the pit. They edge across the ledge, but its stones are loose. Ged lights the area to repair it when Manan looms out of the darkness on the other side. He tries to shove Ged into the pit, but Ged blinds him with light while striking him. Manan falls into the pit without a sound. What she had begun to learn was the weight of liberty. Freedom is a heavy load, a great and strange burden for the spirit to undertake. It is not easy. It is not a gift given, but a choice made, and the choice may be a hard one. The road goes upward towards the light; but the laden traveler may never reach the end of it. a b c Walton, Jo. "Let Her be Eaten!: Ursula K. Le Guin's The Tombs of Atuan". Tor.com . Retrieved November 17, 2014.