A Wizard of Earthsea: A Grapic Novel

by Fred Fordham

Ursula K. Le Guin's timeless and beloved A Wizard of Earthsea reimangined for the first time as a graphic novel with a foreword by Theo Downes-Le Guin

Ged was the greatest sorcerer in Earthsea, but in his youth he was the reckless Sparrowhawk. In his hunger for power and knowledge, he let loose a terrible shadow upon the word. This is the tale of how he mastered the mighty words of power, tamed an ancient dragon — and learned that darkness is as much a part of us as the light,

A graphic novel adaptation of a classic fantasy literature, to delight visual readers, graphic novel fans and longtime admireres of Le Guin's work.

Genres: Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Comics, Young Adult, Fiction, Classics, Dragons

288 pages, Paperback

First published March 11, 2025

Reviews

[s.penkevich [hiatus-will return-miss you all] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ursula K. Le Guin is a wizard of speculative fiction, often writing tales that are sociological explorations wedded to sharp, sociopolitical commentary by way of rip-roaring fantastical narratives. Her A Wizard of Earthsea series is a stone-cold classic, beloved by readers of a wide age range and an enduring tale of Ged, once called Duny, once nicknamed “Sparrowhawk” who’s thirst to gain power led him to unleashing a shadow over the world. Now he must travel the archipelago to master his powers, tame a dragon and vanquish the shadow that haunts his past as well as the world. No small feat. But neither is adapting the series and while several attempts have been made to bring it to the screen (including a miniseries that was roundly hated by Le Guin), Fred Fordham’s new graphic novel adaptation is a breath of fresh air and an artistic success that brings the tale to life through a rather faithful rendering into jaw-dropping visual storytelling. The magic and mystery of Le Guin’s imagination pours from every page in engaging art that lovingly captures the epic quality of the story, translates the emotional battlefields, and brings the story to readers in a format that will have you eagerly flipping pages.

Fordham really reaches for the stars and soars here. There are pages sans dialogue that still carry the narrative with wild intensity through a well-paced rendition that never drags or feels overly truncated. While its been awhile since I’ve read the original tale (childhood is long in the rearview now, alas), it feels like a fully formed adaptation that pays excellent homage to Le Guin’s story and vision. And the art will leave you breathless.

I mean, Fordham puts his whole heart and soul into these visuals and they just really pop. There is so much emotion in the character’s faces and so much energy and movement conveyed in his art with a frame rate of art that really fluidly pushes the story along.

What is best is that Fordham respects the authors intentions for her character designs, which have long been ignored by earlier adaptations including the cover art for older editions. The 2004 miniseries adaptation particularly upset Le Guin. ‘When I looked over the script, I realized the producers had no understanding of what the books are about and no interest in finding out,’ the Hugo and Nebula award winning author wrote in a response article to the show, ‘all they intended was to use the name Earthsea, and some of the scenes from the books, in a generic McMagic movie with a meaningless plot based on sex and violence.’ While she sculpted the series from Northern European fantasy traditions ‘most of the characters in my fantasy and far-future science fiction books are not white,’ and her criticism and wishes for the series to correct this went unanswered. It is a major aspect of her books that she feels strongly about, as she wrote in Slate:

‘My color scheme was conscious and deliberate from the start. I didn’t see why everybody in science fiction had to be a honky named Bob or Joe or Bill. I didn’t see why everybody in heroic fantasy had to be white (and why all the leading women had “violet eyes”). It didn’t even make sense. Whites are a minority on Earth now—why wouldn’t they still be either a minority, or just swallowed up in the larger colored gene pool, in the future?’

This is seen in all her books, most notably The Left Hand of Darkness (a huge favorite of mine) where the characters are specifically noted as being either Black or appearing similar to Inuit peoples we have here on Earth. Though the issue occurs in her cover art as well. In an afterword to one edition of A Wizard of Earthsea, Le Guin lays out the racial composition of her characters and addresses the artwork:

‘His people, the Archipelagans, are various shades of copper and brown, shading into black in the South and East Reaches. The light-skinned people among them have far-northern or Kargish ancestors. The Kargish raiders in the first chapter are white. Serret, who both as a girl and woman betrays Ged [in Wizard of Earthsea], is white. Ged is copper-brown and his friend Vetch is black. I was bucking the racist tradition, “making a statement”—but I made it quietly, and it went almost unnoticed. Alas, I had no power, at the time, to combat the flat refusal of many cover departments to put people of color on a book jacket.’

Later editions would make efforts to correct this, but it is nice to see that Fordham respects her wishes in this graphic adaptation of her book. And the art is all-around excellent.

So dive into the magic of Earthsea with Fred Fordham’s wonderful graphic novel. A rather faithful plot and engaging art direction that will satisfy fans of the series and be an excellent entry point for new readers. And honestly, we should all be reading more Le Guin, she was such a fantastic visionary.

4/5

[Louis Muñoz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was hard to rate. Ursula Le Guin was a genius and a visionary, and I've been blown away by previous books of her I have read. However, this adaptation never really fulfilled the promise of her work and the graphic novel illustrations were often murky and more than a bit washed out-looking. To be fully transparent, I don't have the best lighting at home, but even going through the book in my work office, where there's much more light, my assessment still seems to hold mostly true. Thus, while I would probably give the book itself 4 or even 5 stars, I give the adaptation only 2.5 stars, maybe 3.

[DianaRose · Rating 5 out of 5]

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc.

this is perhaps the most beautiful adaptation of a novel i’ve seen, especially for such an important and beloved one such as wizard of earthsea.

it’s as if illustrator fred fordham painted each scene (i’m not familiar with his works so i don’t know if that’s his method) and the emotion is clear in each frame. i loved the depiction of each character. especially ged's animal companion hoeg. the whole package is absolutely phenomenal.

absolutely worth a read for fans of sci-fi/fantasy and fans of le guin

[Krissi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free e-graphic novel arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I did not read the Tales of Earthsea series, but figured I would dip my toes in the water before investing in the novels, and after reading the graphic novel, I am 100% in on starting the series!

The story is about a young boy named Sparrowhawk who comes into his magical powers and is determined to learn more and prove himself and become a great wizard. The story leans into self-reflection and is very philosophical in nature. Sometimes the writing is a little "flowery" in the old fantasy way, but it provides a charm to it.

The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous, and the illustrator really helped to create a detailed journey with Sparrowhawk.

I think anyone who has read the series will really enjoy this, and even if you're like me and have never read the first book, give it a try as it may pique your interest to start!

[Sara the Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think the truest test of any graphic novel adaptation of a beloved novel is whether the original author likes it or not. I am sorrier than I can say that Ursula K. Le Guin didn't get the chance to see this truly elegant reimagining of the first in her "Earthsea" series but I am one hundred percent positive she would have loved it.

[Wick Welker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Le Guin and have read 10+ novels by her including the entire Earthsea cycle. I was very excited to read the graphic novel but I was pretty disappointed with the quality of the print. The images are blurry and way too dark which is a shame because the artwork is gorgeous. They really fumbled the print of this book which I'm sorry to say worsened my experience.

[Gerald Larocque · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ursula K. Le Guin's A Wizard of Earthsea has long been celebrated as a cornerstone of fantasy literature, and its graphic novel adaptation does not disappoint. The artwork beautifully complements Le Guin's rich storytelling, bringing the world of Earthsea to life in vivid detail.

The illustrations are both enchanting and haunting, capturing the essence of the various landscapes, from tranquil islands to the depths of the ocean. The character designs effectively convey the depth of Ged's journey—from a reckless youth to a wise and powerful wizard. Each panel is meticulously crafted, enhancing the emotional resonance of Ged's struggles and triumphs.

The adaptation skillfully distills the story's themes of balance, personal growth, and the interplay between light and darkness. While some nuances of the original text may be lost in translation, the graphic novel captures the heart of the narrative.

Additionally, the pacing is well-structured, allowing readers to fully engage with the story while maintaining a flow that keeps the pages turning. The dialogue remains true to Le Guin's lyrical style, further enriching the reading experience.

Whether you’re revisiting Earthsea or discovering it for the first time, this adaptation is sure to leave a lasting impression.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just as Ursula K. Le Guin’s son says in the preface of this graphic novel adaptation, I thought the task of adapting the Earthsea series would be impossible. The major strengths of Earthsea are Le Guin’s writing, character work, and its beautiful world and magic, the former two of which the graphic novel medium tends to struggle with.

So how did it do?

Although the art is beautiful and the main steps of the story are there, it just couldn’t help but read like a synopsis of A Wizard of Earthsea. Major events in Ged’s life such as the summoning of the shadow spirit and the naming ceremony are glossed over in 2-3 small panels, and so, lose a lot of the weight that surrounds them in the novel. Though, even with that said, I did really enjoy reading this adaptation, it was great to experience the story and the magic again. The art style was beautiful at times, but overly simple at others. So, at major moments it shone, while during the smaller moments (which, in my opinion, define Earthsea) it fell flat.

All in all, this was an enjoyable read and I definitely wouldn’t dissuade anyone from picking it up as it could prove to be a fitting gateway into one of the greatest fantasy series of all time.

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars, rounded down

Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books for the e-ARC. All opinions are honest and my own.

I have watched Studio Ghibli's Tales from Earthsea a few times, which I know vastly differs from A Wizard of Earthsea, as it is an amalgamation of several books in the series and they take liberties. Shockingly, this was the first Ursula K. Le Guin book I've ever read, but this has definitely motivated me to read more of her works. As a graphic novel I do think this does a good job portraying the story in terms of tone and voice, there is a fair bit of dialogue on each page but it does not detract from the illustrations. It seems the art style is watercolor, and while the art itself is lovely, it actually was not my favorite for the story. I'm sure there was intention behind it, but I do judge the art and my enjoyment of the story derives from how much I vibe with it. This is particularly the case with graphic novels and manga, as it is a primary component of the story and this one felt a bit robotic at times. For landscapes it was beautiful and portrayed the setting, but for character visuals and development, especially for younger characters, like our protagonist, Ged, it felt a little lacking for me. For clarity, I read this graphic novel on my iPad, in color, which is a typical way for me to read stories of this medium, so that did not impact my review in any negative manner.

Essentially, as this is the first book in The Books of Earthsea it starts us off with the origin of Ged, his discovery of magic, his desire to master it, and the lessons he must learn due to his youthfulness and hubris. The original paperback ranges around the 210 page mark, whereas the graphic novel is around 288 pages. I would assume that this reads like a pretty complete story of the original novel. However, as I previously mentioned I have not read it yet, so I will not be the best source for comparison. If you're someone new to Le Guin or a longtime fan of this series looking to enjoy the story in a new manner that this is worth the read. Personally, this is not one I would but for my shelves, but I would certainly borrow it from my library or request they add it to their catalogue. Going back to the art for a bit, there was a good variation in the paneling. Some pages had many smaller panels, typically in more action heavy scenes, so you were able to discern a scenario rather fully upon each page term. There are also sweeping landscape panels that tend to be wider and length and take up the majority of the page, oftentimes without any dialogue so one can simply take in the beauty of the scene, the stillness of the moment. Overall, I liked the flow of the story in the panels and how we got to see the beginning of Ged's supposed hero's journey. Can't wait to read the novel and then maybe update my review with a full comparison.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins Children's Books, Clarion Books, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Fred Fordham for the opportunity to read the graphic novel adaptation of A Wizard of Earthsea: A Graphic Novel in exchange for an honest review.

Based on the first novel from the Tales of Earthsea series, published in 1968, this graphic novel adaptation introduces Le Guin's groundbreaking fantasy novel in a fresh visual light for today's contemporary audience.

The story follows Sparrowhawk, a young boy who learns of his own power and wants to gain more, though his power-seeking leads to a quest to fight his own evils. The story is rather philosophical in its magic system and lessons learned. The art is almost like a water color style that is very distinct and atmospheric of the archipelago in Earthsea.

This is a great graphic novel adaptation for middle grade (though it might be just slightly advanced) and teen readers, as well as adults who grew up with Earthsea and want to enjoy a new approach to a classic or share with their families.

[Aylin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yerdeniz serisi 6 kitaptan oluşuyor. Bu serinin ilk kitabı olan Yerdeniz Büyücüsü, Fred Fordham’ın uyarlaması ve çizimleriyle grafik roman formatında yeniden hayat buluyor. Grafik roman; yıllar önce okuduğum kitabın bendeki duygularını yeniden canlandırması, hikâyeyi yalın ama etkili bir şekilde aktarması ve karakterlerin duygularını görsel olarak güçlü biçimde yansıtmasıyla keyifle okuduğum bir eser oldu. Buna karşın, bazı sahnelerde görsel vurguların beklediğim kadar keskin olmaması, özellikle önemli anların daha çarpıcı betimlemelerle desteklenmemesi ve baskı kalitesinin orijinal eserin altında kalması eleştirilerimi oluşturuyor.

Hikâye, Yerdeniz’in en güçlü büyücüsü olacak Çevik Atmaca’nın çocukluğu ile başlar. Cadı olan teyzesi sayesinde kuşları çağırmayı öğrenen Duny, Onakçağaç Köyü’nde bu yeteneği nedeniyle Çevik Atmaca adını alır. Köyün tehlikeye düştüğü bir gün çağırdığı güç, sessiz bilge Ogion’un dikkatini çeker. Çevik Atmaca' nın öğrenme isteği ve yeteneğini fark eden Ogion, onu büyü eğitimini almak üzere Roke Adası’na gönderir. Roke; isimlerin gerçek gücüne hâkim olmanın temel olduğu, büyü dünyasının derinliklerine açılan bir eğitim yeridir.

Okulda başarısı ile Ustaların dikkatini çeken Çevik Atmaca’nın kendini kanıtlama arzusu ve gururlu yapısı, onu çağrılmaması gereken karanlık güçlerle yüzleşmeye sürükler. Bu yüzleşme, onun için bir içe bakışın, anlam arayışının ve dönüşümün başlangıcını oluşturacak, bilinmeyen bir gücün kapısını aralayacaktır.

Varlıkların gerçek isimleri üzerine kurulu büyü sistemi, varoluşu ve kimliği sorgulatan yönleri ile Yerdeniz Büyücüsü Yerdeniz evrenine yeniden dönmek isteyenler için güzel bir tercih olabilir.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the original Wizard of Earthsea a million years ago and didn't think much of it, probably being more in tune with the Harry Potters of the world, not the old-fashioned wizardry that required patience, sacrifice, and a lot of quiet reflection. Thank goodness this graphic adaptation came along to make me revisit the series. Turns out, it wasn't really meant for kids!

I mean, kids should still read it, but the tales of Ged becoming a wizard unfold slowly and thoughtfully, rarely broken up by a sudden burst of action. Mostly, the book is about Ged making a foolish, prideful choice early in his magic career and then spending a long time and many lonely journeys addressing the evil he's let into the world. It takes patience from the reader to follow along.

Fred Fordham's adaptation distills the story smartly - the pacing is smooth and engaging. His art is...sometimes evocative, sometimes a bit too much like bad CGI (character expressions especially can be rough).

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really lovely graphic adaptation of a fantasy classic. If you find Le Guin’s dialogue to be cumbersome to get through in Earthsea (as I often did) this format helps a lot. The trade off is that the action scenes (the dragons, the finale) that Le Guin wrote so well fall a little flat here. But overall, delightful!

[Lauren James · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most beautiful graphic novel adaptation of a sci fi 'chosen one' classic. Writing graphic novels well is a really hard thing to pull off, but this does it effortlessly. a master craftsman at work

[Marla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful art that stayed truthful to the original text. So much so that it really made me want to reread 'A Wizard of Earthsea'

[İrem Hira Yuca Vurucu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Serinin hayranları için hızlı bir tarama ve özlem giderme, bilmeyenler için fragman kadar. Sonra büyük bir merakla hepsini okutur🫠

[Lina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful adaptation ♥️

[Sacha · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

Ged's journey is one with which many incoming readers may be quite familiar, but they won't have experienced it in this format previously.

As a graphic novel, this contemporary classic really comes to life.

Since fantasy isn't my top genre, when I first encountered the original version of this work many years ago, I struggled to connect with the characters and general storyline. This version, I know, would have sent me on a different path and helped me establish more affinity for this great work much earlier. While I wish it had come sooner, I'm glad I got to connect in a new way through this distinct experience.

I really appreciate the note from the author's son at the start of the text, covering the decisions made and the journey to arrive at this final product. The conversation about Ged's representation is particularly meaningful.

This graphic novel version will add a lot to new and seasoned readers' experiences alike.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Clarion Books for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

[Kurt Neumaier · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story I love told in a new and beautiful way. I'm going to go back and stare at the pictures. The library will not be getting this one back early.

[Mark Redman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished reading A Wizard of Earthsea: The Graphic Novel, and I’ve got to say it was a pretty solid adaptation overall. I’ve read Ursula K. Le Guin’s original novel before, so I was curious how such a thoughtful, slow-burning story would work as a graphic novel. For the most part, it works well, though there were a few things that didn’t quite hit the same way.

First off, the art is beautiful. The illustrations really capture the mystical, old world vibe of Earthsea. The sea scenes, the islands, the magical elements they all look great. Some panels genuinely made me stop and just take them in. That said, a few of the character designs felt a little inconsistent, and sometimes the story felt like it was moving too fast, probably because there’s only so much space in a graphic novel to tell a pretty complex story.

The plot sticks pretty closely to the original: Ged, a boy with serious magical talent, goes on a journey to learn how to control his power and face the dark shadow he accidentally unleashes. The big themes from the book like pride, identity, and balance are still there, just not quite as deeply explored as they are in the novel. I definitely missed some of the introspective parts that gave the original its depth.

Still, for anyone who hasn’t read the novel, this is a great way to get into Earthsea. It’s easier to follow, visually engaging, and gives you a good sense of the story and world. If you’re already a Le Guin fan, you might find it a little light on the nuance, but it’s still worth checking out for the artwork and the way it brings the story to life in a new way.

All in all, I’d call it a thoughtful, visually rich adaptation even if it doesn’t quite match the original in terms of depth. Definitely glad I read it.

[Scotts Shelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I discovered the "A Wizard of Earthsea" novel at the beginning of 2024. I read it and loved it!

Then as if by some magical coincidental and universal intervention, I saw an article that the graphic novel adaptation was coming out this year!

I instantly pre-ordered it.

Well... how did it do...?

Fred Fordham nailed it. You can tell how much respect he had for Ursula K Le Guin and the source material. He kept so much of the original wording and you could truly feel how much of a homage this was.

The use of water colour for the art was the perfect choice and oh my god, some of the more scenic panels and pages were breathtaking and Instagram worthy!

There are quite a few pages with absolutely no dialogue and Fred did such a good job at conveying what was happening with the use of body language and facial expressions. Bravo.

My hope is that Fordham gets the green light to work on the entire Earthsea series! Seeing this world come to life in that wonderful water colour style would be amazing and welcome additions to my collection.

[Fanny · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️ for the adaptation!*
a beautifully illustrated and very faithful graphic adaptation of a wizard of earthsea. i think it occasionally relies too heavily on verbatim prose — particularly in the exposition of each chapter. it really hits its stride in moments of silence, and executed all of the emotional and plot related climaxes avec brio. the use of watercolours makes for a perfect palette to earthsea, and the character design is really well done. i loved to see ged grow up throughout. the ending was as beautiful as in the original novel and lost none of its power.

*le guin’s original novel is a 5 ⭐️, of course.

[Dominic · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea series. The first novel, A Wizard of Earthsea, arguably invented many core fantasy tropes, such as a wizard ing school and the importance of names, that would later be popularized by Harry Potter. Le Guin’s lyrical writing gives her tales a sense of timelessness nearly 60 years after the book was published. Yet, Earthsea has had terrible luck with adaptations. The Sci-Fi Channel TV miniseries whitewashed Le Guin’s brown-skinned characters. Studio Ghibli later made a movie that combined plot elements from several of the Earthsea novels (covered in my upcoming book). So I was excited to see how this new graphic novel would adapt the story…

The Earthsea series is set on a fantasy world filled with islands, which Le Guin has said was inspired by Pacific islander cultures. The first novel is about a young wizard named Sparrowhawk (or Ged) who goes to a wizarding school on the island of Roke. While there, he succumbs to temptation to cast a forbidden spell and inadvertently summons a shadow creature. Ged must track down the creature and undo his mistake. Yet, unlike many other Young Adult fantasy novels, A Wizard of Earthsea has little action or typical heroics. Ged’s journey is a quiet, introspective one, and his quest is one of learning rather than combat.


The artwork is definitely the highlight of this graphic novel. Fred Fordham’s artwork is pretty close to how I imagined the people and places of Earthsea when I first read the novel years ago. The muted color palette and lack of defined linework fit Le Guin’s ethereal and often morally ambiguous world. In veering away from realism, Fordham’s rendering imbues the story with an almost mythic quality. Even in Le Guin’s text, there’s a strangeness to the world, an impenetrability that the stylized artwork captures. Several pages of the graphic novel have no text, just artwork letting the reader join Ged’s travels across the world.

Importantly, the graphic novel is true to Le Guin’s vision by depicting Ged and most other characters as brown-skinned. To Le Guin, this was not just about skin color. She saw the race of her characters as a way to encourage her predominantly white readership to empathize with people who did not look like them. In a critique of the Sci-Fi Channel version, she wrote:

My people could be any color I liked, and I like red and brown and black. I was a little wily about my color scheme. I figured some white kids (the books were published for “young adults”) might not identify straight off with a brown kid, so I kind of eased the information about skin color in by degrees—hoping that the reader would get “into Ged’s skin” and only then discover it wasn’t a white one.

As much as I enjoyed the graphic novel, I’m not sure I would have appreciated the story if I had not read Le Guin’s novel first. This adaptation has very little text, which means readers don’t get as much access to the thoughts of the characters, which can be a barrier for a story that so introspective. Fordham partly makes up for this with closeups of Ged’s face showing his shame and frustration, but it might be difficult for readers to interpret the images without the context provided by text.

I would strongly recommend reading A Wizard of Earthsea first and then reading this graphic novel. For those who have read the novel, this adaptation is a quick and immersive way to revisit the world.

A Wizard of Earthsea: A Graphic Novel will be published on March 11. Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing an advance review copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Rapunzel Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a longtime fan of Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea books, and so when I saw this graphic novel adaptation, I jumped at the chance to review an early copy. It absolutely blew me away. I couldn’t have imagined a graphic novel that could so flawlessly encapsulate the magic of A Wizard of Earthsea, but this one does so in gorgeous full-color, immersing me so utterly in this world it felt more like an illustrated version of the original than any sort of adaptation. Each page is such a beautiful, complete work of art that I would honestly love any of them as a poster or screensaver. I don’t recall ever reading a graphic novel where every illustration contains such a precise attention to detail, creating an atmospheric and absorbing experience that I fell in love with all over again every time I turned a page.

The adaptation of the text itself is also superb. Fred Fordham was clearly fiercely committed to Ursula K. Le Guin’s work; nearly every line is pulled verbatim from the original text, and the changes that are made—whether abridgements or alterations—are so seamless that the reader scarcely notices their presence. Upon finishing this book, I didn’t feel as though anything was missing; rather, it was although, through the illustrations, I had been able to absorb all the details and moments of the story not explicitly spelled out. This is truly the most beautiful graphic novel adaptation I’ve ever read. Whether you’re new to Earthsea or an enduring fan, I can’t recommend A Wizard of Earthsea: A Graphic Novel highly enough!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.

[Rhiannon Fiust · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book via NetGalley but all opinions expressed are my own.

I was so excited when I first saw this ARC was available because I loved the original Earthsea novel. The artwork in this graphic novel adaptation is gorgeous and each page blew me away. I fell in love with the story all over again and I think this adaptation is a great way to introduce a reluctant reader to LeGuin’s novel. I cannot wait to order a copy for the libraries I work at and will be recommending it to everyone I know.

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars--This is a thoughtful story set in a high-fantasy world of magic and sorcerers. You don't have to be familiar with the source material; the graphic novel is well-told and understandable.

The illustrations are done in lovely watercolor; however, some panels are so dark that I wonder if they were printed a shade or two off from the original art.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

when I first read the book, I thought, that was an ok story ruined by the writing. it should be made into a graphic novel. yet, with this graphic novel, they managed not to improve anything. the pictures are too flipping dark. the wording is awkward. it drags. a lot. the original book isn't that long, but just like it, this felt super long.

[Colleen Oakes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeously illustrated and adapted with care from a great classic. However, the illustrations were sometimes so dark I couldn't see clearly what character was in the panel. Still, a great reading experience and a story every fantasy reader should know.

[Aquila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently reread A Wizard of Earthsea in preparation so that I could appropriately compare this graphic novel adaptation with the original.

I have to say I was so pleasantly surprised. This adaptation really does Le Guin's story justice, and Fred Fordham's beautiful art only adds to the richness of the world and its characters. The graphic novel is faithful to the original work and leaves out none of the important milestones of Ged's journey. I very much enjoyed following along with the tale again, even though I'd just read the original a few days ago.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read to A Wizard of Earthsea: A Graphic Novel by Ursula K. Le Guin with art by Fred Fordham in exchange for my honest feedback.

[Koen Van Cauwenberge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hardcore fantasy met veel Jung.