Tombs of Atuan
“Come home, Tenar! Come home!”
Synopsis from back cover: When young Tenar is chosen as the high priestess to the ancient and nameless Powers of the Earth, everything is taken away—home, family, possessions, even her name. For she is now Arha, the Eaten One, guardian of the ominous Tombs of Atuan. While she is learning her way through the dark labyrinth, a young wizard, Ged, comes to steal the Tombs’ greatest hidden treasure, the Ring of Erreth-Akbe. But Ged also brings with him the light of magic, and together, he and Tenar escape from the darkness that has become her domain.
Tombs of Atuan is my second Ursula K. Le Guin book. Again, I’ve enjoyed it immensely. Like the first book, this is a also short book at 192 pages but a good read nonetheless. The synopsis above gives a good overview of the book.
In the first book A Wizard of Earthsea, readers are introduced to a young boy named Ged who is destined to be an Archmage, but first has to go through some hard lessons. He encounters a near death experience when he unleashes something monstrous. The deadly thing has caused the death of the then archmage in his attempt to save Ged.
In The Tombs of Atuan, the magical journey continues where a young girl named Tenar is identified and chosen as the High Priestess of the Tombs of Atuan. She is born on the day the former high priestess’s death at the same time and same hour. Tenar’s mother tried to cheat her way out of giving her daughter away by creating some form of sickness, but to no avail. The time then comes to take Tenar away.
The young girl undergoes the rituals to become Arha, the Eaten One. She is now nameless and is no longer Tenar. Arha learns the way in the labyrinth, the domain only she the high priestess has access to and no man is allowed to enter. But one day, she finds a man in her domain! That man is Ged (also known as Sparrowhawk) who is after the Ring of Erreth-Akbe. He is able to gain entry through magic but is trapped inside without a way out.
Tenar and Ged get acquainted with each other but Tenar’s friendship and trust for him do not happen on the spot. She is, after all, Arha the high priestess.
The Tomb of Atuan is really the story of Tenar and how she discovers herself. Ged plays a supporting role here. Tenar gains an understanding that she has been living in a lie all the while and is serving the wrong side. She has to make some very difficult, hard decisions. I admire her strength.
I’m now ready to dive into the third book, The Farthest Shore.
Related Posts:
A Wizard of Earthsea (Book 1 of the Earthsea Cycle series)
The Farthest Shore (Book 3 of the Earthsea Cycle series)
Tehanu (Book 4 of the Earthsea Cycle series)
