Summary and Review: The Farthest Shore

Title: The Farthest Shore
(3rd series in the EARTHSEA CYCLE)
Author: Ursula K. LeGuin

Winner of the NATIONAL BOOK AWARD

Summary and Review by: Hyacinth S. Faune [SJSaranghae]

Reviewed in Yahoo on: November 11, 2007

The Farthest Shore is the 4th book I borrowed from the Caridad Trillo-Elumba Library of English. It is a sequel which forms the EARTHSEA CYCLE…Earthsea is the fantasy archipelago setting…. Here are books in the Earthsea Cycle:

A Wizard of Earthsea
The Tombs of Atuan
The Farthest Shore
Tehanu
The Other Wind
At first, I had a hard time understanding the first few chapters because the book is a sequel, which means this book is a continuation of the second book. But, then, I was able to cope up.

…………………………..StORy ReViEw…………………………….

A strange, inexplicable malaise is spreading throughout Earthsea. Magic is losing its power; songs and arts are being forgotten; people and animals are sickening or going mad; wizards are losing their magic.

Arren, the young Prince of Enlad- son of Morred, and Archmage and Dragonlord Ged- who is known by his usename: Sparrowhawk leaves Roke, the center of all the reaches: North Reach, South Reach, East Reach and West Reach.
Roke Island is the magical heart of Earthsea and is protected by potent spells and a magical wind and fog that ward off evil. It contains several places of power, such as Roke Knoll and the Immanent Grove. TherG is also the school in Roke as a center of learning in the field of wizardry and magery. Teaching in the school is carried out by a variety of Masters, each with a specialty:

Master Windkey, who teaches weather control
Master Hand, who teaches illusions
Master Herbal, who teaches healing
Master Changer, who teaches transformation
Master Summoner, who teaches calling
Master Namer, who teaches the True Speech
Master Patterner, who teaches meaning and intent
Master Finder, who teaches seeking and returning
Master Doorkeeper, who watches the gates and protects the school
Archmage, who leads the school

Arren and Ged left to embark on a sailing journey on board “Lookfar” to find out what causes the evil disturbances. They first landed in Hort Town, a town where people have gone mad and are hazia addicts. They met Hare, which is according to him, he is a “wizard”. But, he too is into hazia. He says he can lead Arren and Ged, but he ends up lost. Arren was abducted one night and was forced onto a boat and chained with other prisoners to be sold off as slaves. But, after 3 days, Ged was able to find Arren and they continued their quest- going to the South Reach.
They arrived in Lorbanery, where the people have forgotten their skills in weaving silk and dyeing clothes. When they cannot find anything in Lorbanery, they set forth to move on. But, a madman named Sopli told them he could lead the way. He was brought along too. But, as they landed in Obehol, an island in the West Reach, they were attacked by the people living there. Sopli jumped in the water (though he was afraid of water because even though there were attackers, he wanted to get to land; but Ged pushed the boat back into the water) and eventually drowned and died. Gen was hit by a spear in his shoulder in between the shoulder joint and the collar bone and tearing a vein, which caused it to bleed greatly. Arren attended to looking after Ged. But since Ged had no strength yet, it was up to Arren to take control over the boat. They ended up among the rafts-folk. They called themselves the Childrern of the Open Sea. They live in rafts and they come ashore to land once every year on Belatran. After weeks with them, Ged already recovered fully.
One day, after the whole night in which they celebrated the “Long Dance”, the dragon Orm Embar spoke to Ged about something in the Old Speech language in which Arren did not understand. At once, after the dragon went away, Arren and Ged had to go and continue their quest.
They arrived at the island of the dragons called the Dragon’s Run but did not spend much time there. They ended up at last at Selidor, the island where in the evil is. They found out that at the far reaches of Selidor, it was dark and dry. They saw a man in black, slender and it was their enemy. But he just vanished. The next days were spent by exploring more of Selidor’s towns which was abandoned and forgotten. There were no people, but, there were the souls of the dead people there. The man in black appeared once more to them. This time, closer and Ged identified him to be Cob, a dark mage he once defeated. His eye sockets were now empty. And though Ged already killed him in the past, he was there for he said he had obtained “Immortality”. When they tried to attack him, Orm Embar striked Cob first, but then, he was slashed by Cob, and so, the dragon died. Cob disappeared again.
Arren and Ged followed Cob in the dark mountains/dark peaks and that part was the dry land which was completely dark. The world of the dead – “The Dry Land” – A realm of shadow, dust, where nothing changes and “lovers pass each other in silence”. It was a place where it was always night and no wind blows within the land. Although the sky was filled with stars, they were small, cold, and did not move. The constellations in the sky were not the ones that the people of Earthsea recognize from the living world. People crossed over from the land of the living to the land of the dead by stepping over a low stone wall on the crest of a hilltop. On the other side the souls of the dead wandered, never recognizing or caring for one another. At the bottom of the valley of the dead (known as the dry land) was the dry river, and beyond that lay the mountains of Pain, the only way back to the land of the living once one went too far from the wall.
Arren and Ged climed up the Mountains of Pain and there they found the realm or the portal between Life and Death, Light and Dark, which Cob opened. It is because he desired immortality. But, this portal is what has been causing the evil disturbances. Arren handled Cob and killed him once more, and Ged risked all his strength and all his magic to close the realm.
The realm was closed successfully. But it weakened Ged so much that Arren had to help him climb down the mountains and go to the shores of Selidor. The black dragon, Kalessin helped Arren and Ged return to Roke. Arren, who was also called Lebannen was crowned as King, successor of Morred- in his lineage. But, Ged was not already Archmage and he returned to his home in Gont.

———————————————————————END
If I would rate this story in the scale of 1-10, I would give it a
9.8

You really must have the whole Earthsea Cycle! It’s a must!
I love the story…so splendid…..
Complex and Innovative!
It is full of adventure!!!!
It is filled with suspense!
Magical! Absolutely magical! I can relate though…see, I’m a mage in Dragon Fable….hahahaha! Did you ever get the feeling that maybe Dragon Fable was inspired and created through the ideas of the Earthsea Cycle?
I want to have more! I must buy the whole cycle no matter what!
One of the best books I’ve ever read!!!!!!!!!