The Tombs of Atuan

Title: The Tombs of Atuan

Author: Ursula K LeGuin

Publication date: 1970

Book's setting: Fantasy world of Earthsea

Random facts: Second book in a series. The fourth in the series won the Nebula Award, this one won a Newbery.

Plot summary: Tenar was born the day the First Priestess of The Nameless Ones died. That means she is the priestess, reborn. Tenar is taken from her home and raised to fullfill her place as the Eaten One, Arha, First Priestess of the Tombs. The Tombs of Atuan follows the story of her childhood and training as Arha. But the tradition of the temple and the worship of The Nameless Ones is disrupted when Arha find a strange thief in her Tombs. She pities him and lets him live. After more encounters she and becomes fascinated in him, and he plants the seeds of doubt in her as to the order and truth behind her name and behind her gods.

Favorite aspects: The Tombs of Atuan was a really short book, for a fantasy at least. Maybe short is the wrong word. It was small. Once again small is the wrong world... Maybe I mean that it was tight. There was one main character who drove the entire story. The entire book was from Tenar's point of view and focuses on her life as the First Priestess. I think because LeGuin focused in on one small part of Earthsea's civilization, that allowed her time to be as specific and detail-oriented as she pleased. I was also fond of how visual it was. I had a very hard time putting it down, not exactly because it was exciting, but because it was beautiful. The world she created was beautiful.

Least favorite aspects: I felt a bit left in the cold regarding The Nameless Ones. I wasn't sure if LeGuin was trying to say that they weren't gods worth worshiping... or if they were actually false. Equally, I wasn't quite sure if we were supposed to believe that Tenar was really The Eaten One. I don't think she was, but then I'd think that automatically discredits The Nameless Ones. It was incredibly religious... and I'd have liken a bit more closure with the gods of Atuan.

Other works it reminded me of: Wolf Star Rise by Tanith Lee; Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale.

Sadie's merciless break-down: It is a scientifically proven fact that if I am not reading some sort of fantasy I shrivel up and die. My beloved sister things most fantasy is dorky. (She is very conservative when it comes to fandom.) She generally dislikes anything that focuses on "world building." (Unless it has really hot men of course.) The Earthsea series was a favorite of my mom's growing up so I obviously felt compelled to read them. I read the first last November, The Tombs of Atuan is the second.
But back to world building. The Tombs of Atuan isn't even 200 pages long, but LeGuin manages to create one of the most visually compelling and realistic fantasy worlds I've ever read. It's always interesting when a fantasy world in very ethnic or foreign. For obvious reasons English fantasy often takes place in very European surroundings with very traditional Norse or Gaelic powers. The religion and setting in The Tombs of Atuan was deliciously foreign, and was what drove the entire book forward.
Lots of fantasy authors try so hard to communicate their entire universe to the reader that the details get lost. LeGuin focused on the details, and somehow they were powerful enough the the entire universe fell into place.

Recommendation rate: If you like fantasy then I'd put it on my list.