While this book was interesting, I found myself wondering if the fact that it was written several decades ago accounted for the slower pace. I wondered if books had evolved in the same way movies have (you know how you rewatch a movie from the 80s now and the tension scenes seem so much slower than you remembered?). I enjoyed the story overall but never really felt drawn in or developed a deeper understanding of the world, I was just a bystander as the events were recounted. A fun enough read but not exactly the greatest book out there.

Yes. Good solid adventure story and great performance.

No.

His voice is perfect for these kinds of novels, his voice inflections and different voices for all the characters is lovely.

No, but there were parts that were so good I got lost in the story and couldn't stop listening.

I have loved these stories from the time I was a teen.

Narration was very good except that I couldn't help feeling like the narrator was on the edge of a cold or a sore throat because at times it was as if his voice were ready to fail him. Other than that it was very well done.

The Earthsea Cycle is a series that has been with me my whole life. It is, next to Tolkien, one of the richest fantasy worlds I have ever encountered, which, I suppose, speaks more to my lifelong attachment than anything else. However, these books are undoubtedly epic fantasy in the tolkienian tradition.
A Wizard of Earthsea, the first book in the cycle, is about a boy who goes to wizard school???remember, this is long before harry Potter was ever thought of. Ged, or Sparrowhawk as he is called, arrives at the island of roke ready to learn the art magic. His exceptional skill and excessive pride cause him to release a shadow from Unlife during a test of power against his rival. The shadow attacks Ged, leaving him injured, scarred, and uncertain of his skill. After leaving the school with his staff that marks him as a wizard, Ged at first lives in fear of the Shadow that will find him and consume him if it can, until he chooses to hunt the thing across the archipelago of Earthsea.
leGuin???s Earthsea Cycle can seem unrelentingly serious at times, but these are meditative fantasies that Give you characters you have to deal with. No fast-food fantasy here.
What makes this favourite of mine even better is that it???s read by Rob Inglis, one of my favourite readers. Mr. Inglis also reads The tombs of Atuan and the Farthest Shore, the second and third books in the Earthsea Cycle. Five stars of five for this exceptional book and wonderful reader.

Slow paced and the story itself is not terribly engaging. The reader does a decent job with the author's style which is rather elevated.

The world is developed, but the characters did not engage me.

Over-all, an average tale, in the epic fantasy style, but I won't read more in this series.

Well written but boring. I enjoyed the narrator but I found I could care less about Ged. I will not be continuing with this series as I could not make it through the first book.

I don't regret the time spent listening because I listened to the book while driving long distances. I do, however, regret spending the credit on the book. It just wasn't worth it.

The development of the main character was adequate, but the other characters were thin and quite frankly boring.

I enjoyed the tenor and accent of his voice; it seems fitting that he had a somewhat formal English accent. The pauses in his reading sometimes made the sentence confusing; I had to rewind or miss the next few sentences trying to parse what was said.

The book inspired me not to trust the sources that indicated it was a great book.

i don't think so

robert jordan

couldn't get past the first 1/2 hour so don't know

don't know

It was so short of a listen that i felt like the story was lacking depth.

I cant just stop with book 1 of anything i am listening to all of 3 of them.

He was just kinda bland and similar voices for everyone monotone.

Thats the point its just a read nothing special about it really. Its a book.

More depth please