--- product_id: 4842322 title: "The Tombs of Atuan (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 2)" price: "VT4904" currency: VUV in_stock: true reviews_count: 9 url: https://www.desertcart.vu/products/4842322-the-tombs-of-atuan-the-earthsea-cycle-book-2 store_origin: VU region: Vanuatu --- # The Tombs of Atuan (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 2) **Price:** VT4904 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Tombs of Atuan (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 2) - **How much does it cost?** VT4904 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.vu](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/4842322-the-tombs-of-atuan-the-earthsea-cycle-book-2) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description desertcart.com: The Tombs of Atuan (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 2): 9780689845369: Le Guin, Ursula K.: Books Review: classic fantasy - It is hard for me to comment on such a big book as this one. The Earthsea chronicles were the very first fantasy material I read and they touched me so deeply that they defined the kind of genre I would look for to read in many many years to come. The notion of magic that is presented in these books is among the most sober and smart that I have found. For a worthy followup, magic-wise, check the books written by Patrick Rothfuss. In this book we follow a priestess whose name/soul has been eaten, and to whom a place of power has been given, as she sees her tight small world collapse when outside forces (a wizard) come in looking for part of an ancient artifact hidden in the place. The pace of the book is measured and one gets to really know the ways and tastes of the Place before anything starts to happen. The part where a confused woman speaks with a goat is among the best jokes I have ever met. I read this text for the first time more than 20 years ago. I am now rereading it to my son, who, at 6, still finds the language a bit challenging, and sometimes goes directly to sleep, and I find myself enjoying the book again with fresh eyes after not reading it for a long period of time. If you have never read it, please do, you will be delighted and enlightened and puzzled and entertained and shocked and set in a state of wonder and come out of it a better person. If you don't know the series, start by reading "A wizard of Earthsea". Next to this book I cannot stop recommending a rather uncommon work by Vonda N McIntyre called "Dreamsnake". Review: The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin: A review - This is the third book in Ursula K. Le Guin's fantasy Earthsea series. In the first, A Wizard of Earthsea, we met Ged/Sparrowhawk as a young child who would be trained as a wizard. In the second, The Tombs of Atuan, we scarcely meet him at all until near the end when he encounters Tenar, the high priestess of Atuan, and together they take the lost half of the sacred ring of Erreth-Akbe from the said tombs. The whole ring, when reforged by Ged's magic, will help to ensure peace in Earthsea. Now, we meet him as a middle-aged man in his full power as a wizard. He is the Archmage (I imagine it as something like the pope) and he is a dragonlord, one who can ride dragons. But all is not well in Earthsea. The world has fallen on hard times and darkness threatens to overtake it. The wizards who have kept things on a peaceful, even keel are losing their powers. Ged is determined to find out the cause of this disastrous turn of events. He embarks on a treacherous journey to the ends of Earthsea to discover the cause of the evil that threatens to overwhelm his world. With him, he takes a young man named Arren, a prince of Enlad. In order to fulfill their quest, they must travel to the farthest reaches of their world and into the realm of death itself. I have noted in my previous reviews of this series that it is unusual for a fantasy series in that it does not feature death and destruction on a massive scale and the protagonist does not seek the annihilation of anyone other than the evil force that threatens Earthsea. That continues to be true in this entry. His philosophy - and this book contains a lot of philosophical musings - is rather one of acceptance. Acceptance of what life brings and, finally, acceptance of death as a part of life. Ged says at one point, "A man does not make his destiny: he accepts it or denies it." And again: “Life rises out of death, death rises out of life; in being opposite they yearn to each other, they give birth to each other and are forever reborn. And with them, all is reborn, the flower of the apple tree, the light of the stars. In life is death. In death is rebirth. What then is life without death? Life unchanging, everlasting, eternal?-What is it but death-death without rebirth?” This was, without a doubt, my least favorite of the three books I've read. I began to find the prose really labored and difficult to read. Often I would find myself losing focus halfway through a passage and would have to stop and think, "Now what was this about?" Sometimes I had to reread a section to remind myself. Certainly this could partly be my fault as a reader, but clean, crisp prose would have made my reading task a lot easier. There were parts of the book that I did really enjoy, my favorite being the descriptions of the Children of the Sea, people who live entirely on rafts that are connected together and float about in the great ocean, following the gray whales in their migration. It was a pleasant interlude in a book that otherwise did not give me great pleasure. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #161,277 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #97 in Teen & Young Adult Classic Literature #308 in Epic Fantasy (Books) #4,340 in Classic Literature & Fiction | | Book 2 of 6 | The Earthsea Cycle | | Customer Reviews | 4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (7,169) | | Dimensions | 4.19 x 0.6 x 7 inches | | Edition | Reprint | | Grade level | 7 - 9 | | ISBN-10 | 0689845367 | | ISBN-13 | 978-0689845369 | | Item Weight | 2.31 pounds | | Language | English | | Print length | 192 pages | | Publication date | September 1, 2001 | | Publisher | Aladdin Paperbacks | | Reading age | 12 - 17 years | ## Images ![The Tombs of Atuan (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 2) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81jbJdygqcL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ classic fantasy *by R***Y on July 10, 2013* It is hard for me to comment on such a big book as this one. The Earthsea chronicles were the very first fantasy material I read and they touched me so deeply that they defined the kind of genre I would look for to read in many many years to come. The notion of magic that is presented in these books is among the most sober and smart that I have found. For a worthy followup, magic-wise, check the books written by Patrick Rothfuss. In this book we follow a priestess whose name/soul has been eaten, and to whom a place of power has been given, as she sees her tight small world collapse when outside forces (a wizard) come in looking for part of an ancient artifact hidden in the place. The pace of the book is measured and one gets to really know the ways and tastes of the Place before anything starts to happen. The part where a confused woman speaks with a goat is among the best jokes I have ever met. I read this text for the first time more than 20 years ago. I am now rereading it to my son, who, at 6, still finds the language a bit challenging, and sometimes goes directly to sleep, and I find myself enjoying the book again with fresh eyes after not reading it for a long period of time. If you have never read it, please do, you will be delighted and enlightened and puzzled and entertained and shocked and set in a state of wonder and come out of it a better person. If you don't know the series, start by reading "A wizard of Earthsea". Next to this book I cannot stop recommending a rather uncommon work by Vonda N McIntyre called "Dreamsnake". ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin: A review *by P***N on October 31, 2016* This is the third book in Ursula K. Le Guin's fantasy Earthsea series. In the first, A Wizard of Earthsea, we met Ged/Sparrowhawk as a young child who would be trained as a wizard. In the second, The Tombs of Atuan, we scarcely meet him at all until near the end when he encounters Tenar, the high priestess of Atuan, and together they take the lost half of the sacred ring of Erreth-Akbe from the said tombs. The whole ring, when reforged by Ged's magic, will help to ensure peace in Earthsea. Now, we meet him as a middle-aged man in his full power as a wizard. He is the Archmage (I imagine it as something like the pope) and he is a dragonlord, one who can ride dragons. But all is not well in Earthsea. The world has fallen on hard times and darkness threatens to overtake it. The wizards who have kept things on a peaceful, even keel are losing their powers. Ged is determined to find out the cause of this disastrous turn of events. He embarks on a treacherous journey to the ends of Earthsea to discover the cause of the evil that threatens to overwhelm his world. With him, he takes a young man named Arren, a prince of Enlad. In order to fulfill their quest, they must travel to the farthest reaches of their world and into the realm of death itself. I have noted in my previous reviews of this series that it is unusual for a fantasy series in that it does not feature death and destruction on a massive scale and the protagonist does not seek the annihilation of anyone other than the evil force that threatens Earthsea. That continues to be true in this entry. His philosophy - and this book contains a lot of philosophical musings - is rather one of acceptance. Acceptance of what life brings and, finally, acceptance of death as a part of life. Ged says at one point, "A man does not make his destiny: he accepts it or denies it." And again: “Life rises out of death, death rises out of life; in being opposite they yearn to each other, they give birth to each other and are forever reborn. And with them, all is reborn, the flower of the apple tree, the light of the stars. In life is death. In death is rebirth. What then is life without death? Life unchanging, everlasting, eternal?-What is it but death-death without rebirth?” This was, without a doubt, my least favorite of the three books I've read. I began to find the prose really labored and difficult to read. Often I would find myself losing focus halfway through a passage and would have to stop and think, "Now what was this about?" Sometimes I had to reread a section to remind myself. Certainly this could partly be my fault as a reader, but clean, crisp prose would have made my reading task a lot easier. There were parts of the book that I did really enjoy, my favorite being the descriptions of the Children of the Sea, people who live entirely on rafts that are connected together and float about in the great ocean, following the gray whales in their migration. It was a pleasant interlude in a book that otherwise did not give me great pleasure. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great book and series for young adults and adults alike. *by Z***Y on March 2, 2026* One of my favorite books in the YA fantasy genre. Best in the series IMO. Nice change of protagonist. I read this as a kid and then again a couple times as an adult. I've turned a lot of my friends on to the book and author. Reading these gives you a peek at Leguin's almost poetic style and sets young readers up for her more adult oriented Science fiction works like the Hainish Cycle. ## Frequently Bought Together - The Tombs of Atuan (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 2) - The Farthest Shore (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 3) - Tehanu (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 4) --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.vu/products/4842322-the-tombs-of-atuan-the-earthsea-cycle-book-2](https://www.desertcart.vu/products/4842322-the-tombs-of-atuan-the-earthsea-cycle-book-2) --- *Product available on Desertcart Vanuatu* *Store origin: VU* *Last updated: 2026-05-08*