PERHAPS A GIFT VOUCHER FOR MUM?: MOTHER'S DAY
Ursula Le Guin is one of the finest writers of our time. Her books have attracted millions of devoted readers and won many awards, including the National Book Award, the Hugo and Nebula Awards and a Newbury Honor. Among her novels The Left Hand of Darkness, The Dispossessed and the six books of Earthsea have already attained undisputed classic status; and her latest series, the Annals of the Western Shore is joining them. She lives in Portland, Oregon.
Set in a world full of magic and dragons, with complex, believable characters and a real sense of the power of evil, Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea novels are not only classics in their own right but the precursors to many other fantasy stories for children. This collection of short stories is a complement to the existing books - A Wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan, The Farthest Shore, Tehanu and The Other Wind. Each tale stands in its own right, but together they form bridges before and after the existing books. In 'The Finder', Medra becomes the doorkeeper of the newly established school of Roke that becomes so central to the later books. 'Darkrose and Diamond' is a love story that also shows wizards can have other lives than poring over their books while 'On the High Marsh' tells of the power of love in the reign of Ged, the Archmage of Earthsea. In 'The Bones of the Earth', Ged learns that being humble can make him very powerful, and in 'Dragonfly' Iria's story forges a link, a dragon bridge in fact, between Tehanu and The Other Wind. The last section of the book is a description of Earthsea, its people and its history. These are vivid and finely crafted additions to the saga, all written in Le Guin's familiar beautiful prose and bound to enthrall Earthsea fans of all ages. Ages 10+ (Kirkus UK)
