The Other Wind [Hardcover]

The plot line is rather sparse, with little action and a lack of strong tension or great dramatic moments. This is far more a 'thinking' book, both about the world of Earthsea, with its evocation of Names and history, wizards and dragons, kings and long-ago promises, and its relation to the 'real' world that the reader inhabits.

By the end of this book, Le Guin has managed to tie up many of the loose ends of the Earthsea world, and provides a very satisfying, if apparently irrevocable, conclusion. The world she has created has been made richer by this final volume. Those who have never entered this wonderful world now have a very complete set of works with which to fall in love with, be captivated and charmed by, and old Earthsea fans will not be disappointed here, even as Le Guin's themes force each reader to examine their own place in the world, their own balance with nature and society.

The recent additions to the Earthsea cannon are geared more towards adults, less towards the younger set. While the original trilogy does deal in some complex issues and themes -- e.g., the idea of equilibrium and facing the inner shadow -- they are essentially adventure tales. There is less action in the newer books, but more interaction. Adult relationships, those between men and women, those between parents and children among others, come forward. This new focus drives the story, for it forces LeGuin to examine some things about Earthsea that she had heretofore been able to ignore.

It takes a lot of courage for a writer to remake a world that has existed in a particular form for so many years, and it might be challenging to read the result. I was myself thrown at having my conceptions about Earthsea turned on their head, at the same time as I was delighted by the work.

As always, I was thrilled with LeGuin's writing. Like the rest of the Earthsea books, _The Other Wind_ is short. LeGuin is not a writer who spends a great deal of time on description; rather, she paints worlds and characters in a few deft stokes. A paragraph from her says as much as a chapter from another writer. I would have liked the book to have lasted longer, but it was not unfinished or imcomplete.

The ending brought tears to my eyes. In fact, _The Other Wind_ is a sorrowful book altogether. It deals with endings and partings, and irrevokable changes and choices. It struck me that these are not unusual things for a writer in her 70's to be thinking about, and I thank LeGuin for putting them forward in her usual elegant and thoughtful style.

The minor wizard Alder has stumbled upon the dead in his dreams, seeing again his late beloved wife. Unsure of its meaning, he visits the great wizard Ged, once the Archmage. Eventually his journey will lead to a conflict between humans and dragons.

"The Other Wind" reintroduces us to many of the major characters in the Earthsea saga and ties up many of the tales' loose ends. Those who've enjoyed the Earthsea saga as well as Ursula K. Le Guin's writing will have cause to celebrate the publication of this fine slender book.