Summary: The final book of the Earthsea Cycle.
Urusula Le Guin is one of the classic authors of young adult fantasy. I read the first three books in this series as a teen, but the later books were not published until I was older. This last book was published 33 years after the first in 2001.
I re-read the first book in the series last year (The Wizard of Earthsea). The last book in the series (The Other Wind) was on sale a while ago and I decided it would be a good beach read.
I would not advise reading the last book in a series when you have not read books 4 or 5 at all and not having read books 2 and 3 for a couple decades. But I got the major plot points. The main character of the first four books is Ged, a wizard. (Book 5 is collection of short stories.)
Ged is in this book, but he is a side character. He no longer has any wizard power. His wife and adopted daughter are significant characters and advisors to the King.
The book has a variety of threads, the dragons may be attacking, a young wizard is seeing ghosts and the ghosts are asking to be set free. The King has a diplomatic problem with another kingdom and has been given a wife (which he does not really want) as part of the diplomatic deal. And Ged believes that something is happening with the magic of the world.
This books is oriented to an older reader than the first three, but still appropriate for teens. The first three explore various common themes of young adult books, coming of age, finding purpose, rebelling against the rules, sacrifice. This book seems to be more adult themes: grief, doing what you do not want to do, fear, and more.
It is a good ending to the series.
The Other Wind Purchase Links: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle Edition, Audible.com Audiobook
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