A Wizard of Earthsea

Starred review from January 15, 2025
An ambitious young wizard embarks on a perilous quest to correct a mistake made from hubris in this graphic adaptation of Le Guin's well-loved 1968 classic. Duny is nearly 13 when he's visited by Ogion the Silent, a mage who gives him his true name, Ged, a coming-of-age milestone. As Ogion's apprentice, Ged begins his long journey of understanding the consequences of magic and the importance of maintaining the world's balance. Ged studies wizardry at the School of Roke, where he performs a spell summoning the dead and calls up an evil shadow force that starts following him. Ged must defeat it before it can take over his body and use him to enact dark magic. Fordham's watercolor-style art brings the story's world to life, beautifully portraying seaside villages, starlit nights, the stone-walled school, and more. Wordless spreads seamlessly propel the plot, as when Ged battles fierce flying dragons off the coast of Pendor. While the story moves quickly, visual clues such as changing seasons signal Ged's growth and the passage of time. The concise narration and dialogue enhance the story's drama. A preface by Theo Downes-Le Guin, the author's son, discusses the intentionality and mindfulness behind the illustrations, as for example, in the portrayal of Ged as "a young copper-skinned man" rather than the "white, often middle-aged man" shown in other versions, which Le Guin felt betrayed her original vision. A beloved cornerstone of the genre brought vividly to life through striking illustrations. (map)(Graphic fantasy. 12-16)

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March 1, 2025
Grades 7-12 Here author-artist Fordham admirably tackles the first graphic adaptation of Le Guin's beloved 1968 opener to the Earthsea Cycle. The script is true to the source, presenting a measured, poetic telling of the wizard Ged's early, somewhat episodic journeys, from the emergence of his powers, to his tutelage and ascent to the level of sorcerer, and through the long, harrowing journey in pursuit of the dark shadow unleashed by Ged's heedless young ambition. Rather than modernizing the old novel for contemporary audiences, Fordham maintains the classic tone, letting the artwork drive the story while emphasizing the awesome power of silence and stillness as Ged sails through a wide archipelago. A watercolor style proves the perfect choice for the many sweeping seascapes that ground the adventure, steeping the pages in a visual magic that is able to blur between the light and dark that churn at the story's core. A worthy adaptation of an enduring classic that manages to bring forth all the quiet power of the whispered secret of someone's true name.

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