Earthsea Series #1

Ursula K. Le Guin's 1968 classic fantasy A Wizard of Earthsea, a coming-of-age tale about a boy destined to become the greatest sorcerer in the world, has been heralded as one of the most pedagogical and beautifully written children's novels ever penned. Born in the realm of Earthsea, a much-storied world dominated by an extensive archipelago, Ged is a poor blacksmith's son born with an innate understanding of magic. But after he is sent to Roke Island to study the craft, he lets his arrogance and antipathy for another student lead him into a disastrous mistake -- unleashing an evil spirit bent on devouring Ged's essence!

International Bookray along with books 2 and 3 in the Earthsea Cycle. Forum post here

Members:

1. kz4ufo (USA-Ship Us/Canada)
   
2. BigrTex (Texas, USA- Ship US only)
   
3. KarenZero (New York, USA - Ship US/Canada)
   
4. lilygirl (USA - Ship US only)
   
5. Luintaurien (USA - Ship Int)<---- Being Read by
   
6. asterw (Greece - Ship Int)
   
7. Charlieboots76 (Bournemouth, Dorset UK - Ship Int, surface)
   
8. Melanie2474(Narrabundah, Australia - Ship Australia Only)
   
9. loom91 (Kolkata, West Bengal India - Prefers to ship within India but will ship Int.)
   
10. Flagund (Israel) - No Int ship

Bookray instructions (Copied from catsalive):

As this is a set of 3 books keep them all together and ship as a set during the bookray. Each book is under 200 pages.

1. SIGN UP for this bookray by sending me a Private Message. Order of participants will be juggled between geography, date of request and shipping limitations. Late additions may be added to the end of the list.
2. When the person before you on the list finishes reading the books, they will send you a Private Message for your postal address. If your bookring pile is just too big or no longer wish to read them, let them (and me!) know and I will move you down/off the list.
3. WHEN YOU RECEIVE THE BOOKS please make a journal entry for each book so everyone knows it has safely arrived. Bookrays should NOT be stressful, take your time and enjoy the book. Just make sure it gets mailed on to the next person.
4. WHEN YOU FINISH EACH BOOK, make another journal entry telling us what you thought - did you like it? Did you think it was well-written?
5. CONTINUE THE BOOKRAY by sending a Private Message to the person after you on the bookray list and request their postal address. Please check back here for the latest distribution list. If the person doesn't respond within 7-10 days (use your judgement), please PM the next person, and then me, so I can update the bookray list.
6. END OF THE RAY, The last person on the ray could try and continue the ray or just give/mail the book to someone else who might like to read it, an RABCK perhaps, look at cliff1976.com wish list web site or release it into the wild.

A note about shipping:

As this is a bookray and the book will not return to me it does not matter how long it takes this book to make its way from person to person. So I would insist that when shipping this book please use the most inexpensive shipping method available to you, ESPECIALLY when shipping this book internationally.

In the mail to kz4ufo, first leg of its bookray journey

Yippee! I have been eager to read this series and will start on the first book tonight. Thank you so much for starting this Book Ray, efs300!

A postcard view of Fort Pierce, Florida (USA).

I had seen the movie EARTHSEA and was so amazed that I have been wanting to read the series. Well, I am glad I am! Much better than the movie and, as movies do, they leave some things out. Very good read and I look forward to starting the next book!

RELEASE NOTES:

Mailing off to the next person in the Ray via Media Mail w/Delivery Confirmation. Thank you so much for starting this Book Ray, efs300!

These books arrived in yesterday's mail. I started this one last night. I'll post my thoughts on each of them as I finish them.


As a bit of seredipity, I am on a quote-of-the-day email list, and I read yesterday's quote as I was journaling these books' arrival:

"You thought, as a boy, that a mage is one who can do anything. So I thought, once. So did we all. And the truth is that as a man's real power grows and his knowledge widens, ever the way he can follow grows narrower: until at least he chooses nothing, but does only and wholly what he *must do*."

— Ursula Le Guin, from A Wizard of Earthsea.

A beautiful start to the series. Ged reminds me of Harry Potter or Alvin Maker, growing up with magical power and learning how to use it, and having some mis-adventures along the way. I liked the plotting as well, with hints towards events both in this book and later, and the fact that things that I saw coming happened.

I have already started The Tombs of Atuan, and I hope that the quality of the first book holds through the next two.

RELEASE NOTES:

Sent to KarenZero, next in line.

Enjoy!

Will read ASAP!

9/12/05: Got a little caught up in several bookrings arriving at once, but I hope to be able to ship this out at the end of the week.

9/15/05: Affinity4books asked to be skipped (got a copy of the books as a gift) so I will send on to lilygirl when I am done.

09/27/05: still waiting for lilygirl's address. will skip soon if I don't hear from her!

This was a great introduction to the trilogy! I found Ged to be quite a compelling character and I was quite interested in where his adventures would take him next.

RELEASE NOTES:

On its way to lilygirl! Sorry everyone for keeping these so long - thanks for understanding! I can't wait to read what everyone writes about them.

I've heard so much about these books and am very eager to read them!! A big thank you to efs300 for doing this ring.

Each book got better and better! I wasn't able to put it down... even when I had to go to work.

Got it today. Thank you. Will read and pass on ASAP.

Will be going out as soon as I have an address.