Tombs of Atuan Book Review

The Tombs of Atuan, by Ursula K. Le Guin, is book two in the Earthsea Cycle, and tells the story of the Tenar, a young priestess who serves ancient Gods until she meets the young wizard Ged and together they escape the darkness. Whereas the previous book The Wizard of Earthsea was a sprawling epic that covered an entire world and introduced us to a range of characters, this book is small and intimate and goes in depth into one young woman and her life and realm, and as such it sucks you slowly in until you are interested in the characters and their lives. It was a quick and easy read, and I recommend it as a good way to spend an afternoon or two.

One thing that struck me the most about this book was how much Tenar was a slave to traditions and ideas that were no longer relevant or useful any more. She spent her whole life serving a religion that no longer served any sort of purpose- she danced the rites, she said the sayings, she wore the outfits, and she moved what needed to be moved, and yet the Gods she served did nothing and gave her nothing back, because she no longer knew them or had knowledge of who they really were. She lived a small and inward facing life and overlooked many obvious solutions to her problems, because she had placed her faith in false Gods.

On the other hand, at least Tenar believed in something, in Gods that used to have power, even if their power was long forgotten and not at all understood any more. The other priestesses served even more false Gods than Tenar; they served in temples that were dedicated to men who had taken power and then tried to put themselves up as higher than others. These priestesses served no purpose in society other than to fan the vanity of men, and they placed their faith only in men and in no gods.

The one character who knew the true nature of the Gods that Tenar served and the men who the other priestesses served was Ged, the hero from the previous book, who comes to the Tombs of Atuan looking for a hidden treasure. With his magic and honesty and truth he illuminates to everyone the darkness of their lives, the emptiness of their beliefs, and the falseness of their gods. Through study, thought, and confronting the very nature of man he has learned the reality of the world and forged a personal relationship with it, and he is a ray of light in the darkness of the book.

It was an enjoyable little book, and I am looking forward to reading book three, The Farthest Shore, sometime in the future.

These books can be purchased by following these links: A Wizard of Earthsea (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 1), The Tombs of Atuan (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 2), or The Farthest Shore (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 3).