This entire book takes place on Gont, the island of Ged/Sparrowhawk's birth. Bereft of most or all of his magic powers from the epic battle in book three, he has returned to Gont to hide from the world. This book centers on Tenar, the girl he rescued from the Tombs of Atuan in book two about 25 years before, now an older woman, and Therru, a young girl raped and burned into disfigurement, and left for dead. The two strange women bond and settle in the farmhouse of Ogion, the wizard who first mentored Ged, and who dies of old age early in the story. Ged and Tenar take to each other, but friends and enemies are searching for the former archmage, and the little girl's attackers are also still out to get her. Although the dragon Kalessin makes several appearances in this story, _Tehanu_ is comparatively free of sword and sorcery, concentrating more on the lessons and triumphs of childhood and advanced age.
Click here to see the rest of this review...
The review of this Book prepared by David Loftus
This is the fourth and final volume in the Earthsea quartet (following A Wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan and The Farthest Shore).
In this book, Ursula K. LeGuin goes back to Tenar, now a middle-aged farm woman, to tell us the story of her life after the events of The Tombs of Atuan. Only recently a widow, she decides to take the child Therru under her wing, a little girl who has been cruelly raped and terrifyingly burned and maimed by her parents who, fearing her, wanted to get rid of her.
The story goes on to describe their life on the farm on the island of Gont, Therru growing up, and their perpetual flight from the child's family who want to "finish the job".
Tehanu was written some fifteen years after the original Earthsea trilogy, and the evolution in Ursula K. LeGuin's style, as well as the maturation of the whole Earthsea world are quite noticeable.
This is a stunning conclusion to the series, that got me hooked right from the beginning. And what a pleasure to meet again with all the main characters of Earthsea!
The review of this Book prepared by crooty
It is the last book of the Earthsea series. Ged lost his magic power and returns to Gont, where he meets Tenar again. She adopts a child, severely burned by her parents. While Ged tries to cope with his loss, the young Tehanu, learnes about the dragons and tries to understand her origins. She learnes that she belonges to the dragons, but stays with the humans.
The review of this Book prepared by irina
