Earthsea Books in Order
Earthsea is an archipelago of islands where magic depends on knowing the true names of things. The books follow Ged, a wizard, from his reckless youth to old age, and Tenar, a priestess who escapes the dark Tombs of Atuan. Some of the finest fantasy ever written.
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Series facts
- Books
- 6
- Published
- 1968 to 2001
- First book
- A Wizard of Earthsea
- Latest
- The Other Wind (2001)
- Setting
- Set in Earthsea
The reading order
Every Earthsea book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
- 1A Wizard of Earthsea1968With GedGed, a boy from the island of Gont with a gift for magic, goes to the school for wizards on Roke.Buy on Amazon
- 2The Tombs of Atuan1971With TenarTenar was taken as a small child to serve as high priestess of the ancient Tombs of Atuan.Buy on Amazon
- 3The Farthest Shore1972With GedMagic is draining out of the world, and Ged, now Archmage, sets out with a young prince to find the cause.Buy on Amazon
- 4Tehanu1990With TenarTenar, now a widow living on Gont, takes in a badly burned child, and Ged returns to her, his power gone.Buy on Amazon
- 5Tales from Earthsea2001Stories from the history of Earthsea, from the founding of the school on Roke to the time after Tehanu.Buy on Amazon
- 6The Other Wind2001With AlderAlder, a village sorcerer, dreams every night of his dead wife calling to him from the land of the dead, and his dreams threaten all of Earthsea.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read in order, starting with A Wizard of Earthsea. The first three were written for younger readers; Tehanu and The Other Wind return to Earthsea years later.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Ged | Tenar | Alder | Lebannen | Therru |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 A Wizard of Earthsea | LLead | ||||
| 2 The Tombs of Atuan | MMajor | LLead | |||
| 3 The Farthest Shore | LLead | MMajor | |||
| 4 Tehanu | MMajor | LLead | ·Minor | MMajor | |
| 5 Tales from Earthsea | ·Minor | ||||
| 6 The Other Wind | MMajor | MMajor | LLead | MMajor | MMajor |
Characters in the Earthsea books
5 characters from Ursula K. Le Guin’s chart, with the number of Earthsea books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| GedWizard known as Sparrowhawk, later Archmage | 6 | A Wizard of Earthsea 1968 |
| TenarPriestess of the Tombs, later a farmer's widow | 3 | The Tombs of Atuan 1971 |
| AlderSorcerer who dreams of the dead | 1 | The Other Wind 2001 |
| LebannenPrince Arren, later king | 3 | The Farthest Shore 1972 |
| TherruBurned child Tenar adopts, later Tehanu | 2 | Tehanu 1990 |