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Earthsea Cycle #6.4
The Daughter of Odren
For fourteen years, Weed, as she is called, the daughter of Lord Garnet, has brought offerings to the standing stone. Alone in a shallow valley, she implores the stone not to forget her. To remember who he is and the life he led. To wait until the day he will be avenged. Now the day has finally arrived. After fourteen long years of waiting, he will have his revenge and she will have her father back. Or will she? Master storyteller Ursula LeGuin takes readers back to Earthsea with this hauntingly beautiful tale of betrayal and revenge.
36 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 14, 2014
269 people are currently reading
6229 people want to read
About the author
Ursula K. Le Guin
1,046 books30.4k followersUrsula K. Le Guin published twenty-two novels, eleven volumes of short stories, four collections of essays, twelve books for children, six volumes of poetry and four of translation, and has received many awards: Hugo, Nebula, National Book Award, PEN-Malamud, etc. Her recent publications include the novel Lavinia, an essay collection, Cheek by Jowl, and The Wild Girls. She lived in Portland, Oregon.
She was known for her treatment of gender (The Left Hand of Darkness, The Matter of Seggri), political systems (The Telling, The Dispossessed) and difference/otherness in any other form. Her interest in non-Western philosophies was reflected in works such as "Solitude" and The Telling but even more interesting are her imagined societies, often mixing traits extracted from her profound knowledge of anthropology acquired from growing up with her father, the famous anthropologist, Alfred Kroeber. The Hainish Cycle reflects the anthropologist's experience of immersing themselves in new strange cultures since most of their main characters and narrators (Le Guin favoured the first-person narration) are envoys from a humanitarian organization, the Ekumen, sent to investigate or ally themselves with the people of a different world and learn their ways.
She was known for her treatment of gender (The Left Hand of Darkness, The Matter of Seggri), political systems (The Telling, The Dispossessed) and difference/otherness in any other form. Her interest in non-Western philosophies was reflected in works such as "Solitude" and The Telling but even more interesting are her imagined societies, often mixing traits extracted from her profound knowledge of anthropology acquired from growing up with her father, the famous anthropologist, Alfred Kroeber. The Hainish Cycle reflects the anthropologist's experience of immersing themselves in new strange cultures since most of their main characters and narrators (Le Guin favoured the first-person narration) are envoys from a humanitarian organization, the Ekumen, sent to investigate or ally themselves with the people of a different world and learn their ways.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews
July 1, 2017
Can Ursula K. Le Guin write a bad story?
No.
At least I don’t think so and I’ve never seen anything close.
“The Daughter of Odren” finds the talented Ms. Le Guin returning to her fabulously fantastic Earthsea cycle of novels, novellas and short work. This short story is high fantasy but with a minimalist restriction to the magic / world building that adds great value to her narrative.
Le Guin describes Weed, the daughter of a nobleman who has run away from home and heritage after her father disappears in a mysterious, wizardly way. For fourteen years, Weed has dreamt of revenge and redemption, while keeping her love for her father close by her everyday. When her brother returns after his fourteen year exile, we see a conflict between the mystical and the practical, and a decision to be made between following a magic users’ path and one all too clear.
As always, Le Guin’s characterization is deft and the highlight of the story. Coupled with her imaginative yet always sensible approach to speculative fiction, Le Guin’s illustration of Weed’s resolution of the problem is veracious and engaging.
For Le Guin fans, Earthsea fans, speculative fiction fans, fantasy readers – hell anyone would like this! Enjoy.
No.
At least I don’t think so and I’ve never seen anything close.
“The Daughter of Odren” finds the talented Ms. Le Guin returning to her fabulously fantastic Earthsea cycle of novels, novellas and short work. This short story is high fantasy but with a minimalist restriction to the magic / world building that adds great value to her narrative.
Le Guin describes Weed, the daughter of a nobleman who has run away from home and heritage after her father disappears in a mysterious, wizardly way. For fourteen years, Weed has dreamt of revenge and redemption, while keeping her love for her father close by her everyday. When her brother returns after his fourteen year exile, we see a conflict between the mystical and the practical, and a decision to be made between following a magic users’ path and one all too clear.
As always, Le Guin’s characterization is deft and the highlight of the story. Coupled with her imaginative yet always sensible approach to speculative fiction, Le Guin’s illustration of Weed’s resolution of the problem is veracious and engaging.
For Le Guin fans, Earthsea fans, speculative fiction fans, fantasy readers – hell anyone would like this! Enjoy.
October 28, 2021
The last Tale of Earthsea
I dragged my feet reading this story, because I knew it was the last one I had to read for the first time. I’m not sure what to say about it yet, other than that it is a fine example of the genius of Ursula K. LeGuin.
I dragged my feet reading this story, because I knew it was the last one I had to read for the first time. I’m not sure what to say about it yet, other than that it is a fine example of the genius of Ursula K. LeGuin.
October 29, 2021
One of the biggest problems with stories about revenge is that there is always, or at least usually, a clarity of purpose. An act of evil was done, and it generates a sore that festers until an act of vengeance cleanses the wound. But what happens when two people view the same act of evil with completely different interpretations? Not just the perpetrator and victim, but two victims. Le Guin offers a fascinating glimpse into how males and females view events from different perspectives and how victims see crimes through the lens that society has given them. Le Guin uses her usual prose to narrate a clean, sparse story that touches places deep within the reader that resonant long after the book is finished. This story is no exception. It is as subtle and heart-felt as anything she has written and is as timeless as the struggle for anyone to understand the motivations of someone else.
November 2, 2014
I bought it on impulse after I read "Earthsea" on the cover (I'm a weak person, I know), and only afterwards I found out this was a really short story, unrelated to the characters from the series.
It was a nice tale anyway and I enjoyed it very much, it made me realize how much I missed Le Guin's writing.
It was a nice tale anyway and I enjoyed it very much, it made me realize how much I missed Le Guin's writing.
December 5, 2018
This is a short story set in the world of Earthsea. But if you're looking for Ged and Tenar, you won't find them here. "The Daughter of Odren" features an entirely new cast of characters. Neither will you visit the familiar islands of Gont, Roke, Havnor, or even Selidor. The story is set on the island of O, which is east of the Inmost Sea and west of the Closed Sea.
14 years ago, the Lord of Odren was imprisoned in a standing stone by the sorcerer Ash with the help his wife, the Lady of Odren, whom the wizard had either bewitched or seduced. The Odren children, Weed and her younger brother Clay, fled that very night out of fear for their lives, having already suffered neglect at the hands of their mother and her lover while their father was away at sea. Weed sought refuge with Bay, a local farmer, and sent her brother into hiding. Weed refused to return to the great house or reveal the whereabouts of her brother to her mother who quickly disowned Weed, leaving her at Hill Farm. She visits the standing stone daily, bringing offerings of food and water. While she waited to avenge her father, Weed made a life for herself as a wife, step-mother, and farmer. When her brother grew to manhood, he returned, and together they confront the sorcerer who had usurped their father's place.
I was surprised by the ending. The book blurb led me to believe something else would happen as well as that the Lord of Odren would have a slightly different role. There is a twist at the end, and I enjoyed how Weed defied my expectations.
"The Daughter of Odren" beautifully illustrates Le Guin's switch within the Earthsea series to making the female characters the ones who drive the action and hold the power. As a farmer's wife and the family caretaker, Weed holds the domestic power. During their confrontation with the sorcerer, she also proves to have the superior intellect as well as better planning skills. Her hotheaded younger brother's overconfidence and failure to understand their opponent (and to heed his sister's warnings) nearly leads to their deaths. . So, by its close, the story has also shown Weed as both physically and mentally powerful. The menfolk are proven weak and rather inept by comparison. However, this is still a patriarchal society, and it's Weed's younger brother who inherits the lordship and the land.
I thought Farmer Bay's response to Weed's declaration that she is now free to be ambiguous. He replies "a poor freedom." Did he mean that human cost of vengeance was too high? Or did he mean, as I think he did, that her life as a farmer's wife was beneath her as the daughter of a lord? Her brother was shocked to find her living in what he described as a "sty" and a "hovel." Her mother told her that she had "debased" herself by sleeping under the farmer's roof after she had run away. And her own husband was surprised that she wanted to stay with him after the evil wizard had been destroyed, but Weed never gave any indication that she was unhappy with her life at Hill Farm even though she would have been a lady and married a noble from another island if her father had not been betrayed.
Weed grieved for the loss of her father, her brother, and, to an extent, her mother, but she never grieved for the loss of her social status. When her brother sneered that her home did not befit "the daughter of Odren," she countered that she's the daughter of Odren no matter where she is. Weed didn't long for the life she could have had. She wanted to avenge her father, so he could be at peace, and, to a lesser extent, to free her mother from the evil influence of the sorcerer. Only then would she be free of the burden of vengeance.
I admired her grit. Although she was a member of the island's nobility, she wasn't delicate or helpless. When her mother had first turned her back on her children, she took to the gardens with her brother, renaming herself Weed and her brother Clay. Weed was able to navigate and survive in the absence of her father. She understood the threats against them and could protect herself and her brother when none of the servants or townsfolk dared to help them out of fear of retribution. Weed wasn't frightened by the sorcerer Ash who unwisely discounted her as a potential threat, and she was able to escape and make a life for herself with which she was content.
14 years ago, the Lord of Odren was imprisoned in a standing stone by the sorcerer Ash with the help his wife, the Lady of Odren, whom the wizard had either bewitched or seduced. The Odren children, Weed and her younger brother Clay, fled that very night out of fear for their lives, having already suffered neglect at the hands of their mother and her lover while their father was away at sea. Weed sought refuge with Bay, a local farmer, and sent her brother into hiding. Weed refused to return to the great house or reveal the whereabouts of her brother to her mother who quickly disowned Weed, leaving her at Hill Farm. She visits the standing stone daily, bringing offerings of food and water. While she waited to avenge her father, Weed made a life for herself as a wife, step-mother, and farmer. When her brother grew to manhood, he returned, and together they confront the sorcerer who had usurped their father's place.
I was surprised by the ending. The book blurb led me to believe something else would happen as well as that the Lord of Odren would have a slightly different role. There is a twist at the end, and I enjoyed how Weed defied my expectations.
"The Daughter of Odren" beautifully illustrates Le Guin's switch within the Earthsea series to making the female characters the ones who drive the action and hold the power. As a farmer's wife and the family caretaker, Weed holds the domestic power. During their confrontation with the sorcerer, she also proves to have the superior intellect as well as better planning skills. Her hotheaded younger brother's overconfidence and failure to understand their opponent (and to heed his sister's warnings) nearly leads to their deaths. . So, by its close, the story has also shown Weed as both physically and mentally powerful. The menfolk are proven weak and rather inept by comparison. However, this is still a patriarchal society, and it's Weed's younger brother who inherits the lordship and the land.
I thought Farmer Bay's response to Weed's declaration that she is now free to be ambiguous. He replies "a poor freedom." Did he mean that human cost of vengeance was too high? Or did he mean, as I think he did, that her life as a farmer's wife was beneath her as the daughter of a lord? Her brother was shocked to find her living in what he described as a "sty" and a "hovel." Her mother told her that she had "debased" herself by sleeping under the farmer's roof after she had run away. And her own husband was surprised that she wanted to stay with him after the evil wizard had been destroyed, but Weed never gave any indication that she was unhappy with her life at Hill Farm even though she would have been a lady and married a noble from another island if her father had not been betrayed.
Weed grieved for the loss of her father, her brother, and, to an extent, her mother, but she never grieved for the loss of her social status. When her brother sneered that her home did not befit "the daughter of Odren," she countered that she's the daughter of Odren no matter where she is. Weed didn't long for the life she could have had. She wanted to avenge her father, so he could be at peace, and, to a lesser extent, to free her mother from the evil influence of the sorcerer. Only then would she be free of the burden of vengeance.
I admired her grit. Although she was a member of the island's nobility, she wasn't delicate or helpless. When her mother had first turned her back on her children, she took to the gardens with her brother, renaming herself Weed and her brother Clay. Weed was able to navigate and survive in the absence of her father. She understood the threats against them and could protect herself and her brother when none of the servants or townsfolk dared to help them out of fear of retribution. Weed wasn't frightened by the sorcerer Ash who unwisely discounted her as a potential threat, and she was able to escape and make a life for herself with which she was content.
July 30, 2021
Promises to be amazing in the beginning. Good story, but boring.
October 17, 2021
Reread, this time out loud to my Honey.
Even better! The classic fantasy/fairytale energy, with vivid characters and a simple but compelling setup. Then, a fantastic reunion/confrontation, a satisfying ending, THEN the most beautiful denouement that made my eyes prickle, all in a few sentences. Fantastic. Perfect!
*****
Original review
Perfect
Even better! The classic fantasy/fairytale energy, with vivid characters and a simple but compelling setup. Then, a fantastic reunion/confrontation, a satisfying ending, THEN the most beautiful denouement that made my eyes prickle, all in a few sentences. Fantastic. Perfect!
*****
Original review
Perfect
April 29, 2022
It’s a very short story. Near the climax I felt confused about who was the evil mastermind and what exactly happened to the father. But the very ending was the kind of wonderful simple joy that Le Guin excels at.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 30, 2015
Man, Ursula K LeGuin can tell a tale like no one else can. This was so good. I only wish there were more Earthsea books to read.
May 23, 2024
4.0 stars—-
I think this was the last piece of Earthsea I had to explore, I’m disappointed it’s over, but it’s the kind of series you can easily revisit later in life.
This story was about revenge and perception of right and wrong based on one’s upbringing and environment. It was powerful for such a quick read.
I think this was the last piece of Earthsea I had to explore, I’m disappointed it’s over, but it’s the kind of series you can easily revisit later in life.
This story was about revenge and perception of right and wrong based on one’s upbringing and environment. It was powerful for such a quick read.
December 28, 2024
Čemu ovo? Ni priča sama za sebe mi nije bila nešto zanimljiva, a još k tome kao dio Zemljomorja... nikakvog mi smisla nema. Jedino ju izvlači Ursulin divan stil pisanja.
Buddy Readathon with Zdravko 2024. - 7
Globalni ciljevi: nastavak serijala
Buddy Readathon with Zdravko 2024. - 7
Globalni ciljevi: nastavak serijala
March 31, 2020
It was a very short story so a bit hard to rate, but I liked the plot, the storytelling, the characters, and the ending (though it was very short) was satisfying. There were some lines and repetitions in the first half that I thought could’ve been better edited, but nothing that bothered me too much.
August 28, 2020
An Earthsea version of the Oresteia, too short and not as satisfying as I hoped.
Read
July 15, 2021anything earthsea is just so nostalgic to me
May 8, 2024
Hopefully, this year I will be able to work through all the shorts in the Earthsea Cycle. I decided to start at the end kind of and went here with The Daughter of Odren instead of the short stories set before A Wizard of Earthsea. This story was unexpectedly creepy, deeply atmospheric, and compelling throughout. I enjoyed the use of dialogue, it felt to me like it was part of the seed for the tale— how would it look if there was an Earthsea story that was heavier on the dialogue? Granted a lot of the beginning is one of the characters simply telling their version of events to other characters. Overall, I think this was a lot of fun and the reveals worked well for me. I need to make more of an effort to read other Le Guin works.
January 30, 2020
This short story in the Earthsea series is the tragic tale of a daughter whose father has been cursed into stone. She keeps watch for years, waiting for the day when he can be released from the curse, but when that day finally comes, the outcome of their actions are unpredictable.
This is certainly powerful for a short story. There is a lot of emotion and folklore packed into a few pages. But it's so gruesome and tragic. I didn't exactly enjoy it, but I can appreciate how brilliant the writing is.
This is certainly powerful for a short story. There is a lot of emotion and folklore packed into a few pages. But it's so gruesome and tragic. I didn't exactly enjoy it, but I can appreciate how brilliant the writing is.
April 15, 2022
Gosto muito dos livros de Terramar. As histórias têm muito passado, os personagens são tridimensionais, têm motivos pra fazer o que fazem e viver como vivem. Mesmo quando é só um detalhe, a magia está muito presente no mundo todo. Mesmo uma história de vingança -- quiçá das histórias mais batidas -- ganha dimensões e peso explorados de maneira que vão muito além do simples "vou me vingar me vinguei só isso importava mesmo".
December 3, 2019
I'm fairly ambivalent about this one.
October 10, 2020
A good, short little story. Not much to say about it but I enjoyed it.
January 1, 2024
3.5 stars
This was a short story in the world of earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
it read like a grim fairy tale or ghost story
if you like earthsea you will like this little story
This was a short story in the world of earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
it read like a grim fairy tale or ghost story
if you like earthsea you will like this little story
March 26, 2025
A curious little tale, well-worn tropes refreshed through Le Guin’s deft telling of women and the choices that make their life; especially in the disagreements between brother (who sees the world from a dominant male perspective) and sister (who, dare i say, sees it as is).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 8, 2025
Another addition to the last part of Earthsea where Ursula found her center by writing more strong women as protagonists. It is great to see her become more and more comfortable towards her later years with this feature, which should not be called a subversion, but for the time and the genre where Le Guin came from, I think it inevitably is. However it feels natural, like this is what her novels where amounting to, what they were supposed to be, and I feel happy that she found this out (she says so herself)
About the story is nice and straightforward, and it presents a reduction of some themes already touched on in the main trilogies' books. How power can make you prideful and have you take dumb decisions. How there's always going to be someone more powerful than you, and how only by allyship and relying on others can this be overcome. Using your power in service of others and in addition to theirs.
A harrowing ending also, but I for one liked it a lot
------------ RE READ OF 2025
I love revisiting my old reviews hehehe
About the story is nice and straightforward, and it presents a reduction of some themes already touched on in the main trilogies' books. How power can make you prideful and have you take dumb decisions. How there's always going to be someone more powerful than you, and how only by allyship and relying on others can this be overcome. Using your power in service of others and in addition to theirs.
A harrowing ending also, but I for one liked it a lot
------------ RE READ OF 2025
I love revisiting my old reviews hehehe
October 16, 2017
I love the world of Earthsea and I will return there as often as I can. I love how committed you are allowed to be to these stories; no matter what big and important matters are going on with dragons and Mages and the masters on Roke, there are people with their own lives and stories. This short story had a lot of flavors of Tehanu, that is to say, rather sad and dark. At its heart, it is a story of revenge and justice? Viewed through the lenses of different upbringing and gender. How two siblings interpreted their mother's betrayal of their father. Interesting.
But sad. As usual, Le Guin is more than capable at her craft, and I could read what she writes forever and ever. The melancholic tone and ending will stay with me. How it is that she so easily seems to capture the beauty in such a stark and ruthless story is beyond me.
But sad. As usual, Le Guin is more than capable at her craft, and I could read what she writes forever and ever. The melancholic tone and ending will stay with me. How it is that she so easily seems to capture the beauty in such a stark and ruthless story is beyond me.
October 29, 2014
Le Guin's Earthsea novels have been among my favorites for years. This new short story is another facet in that same world, with fantasy and magic bound up in an intensely human narrative. If you have read Earthsea before, buy it. If you have not, buy it. It's an excellent introduction to Le Guin's work.
February 24, 2025
5 Stars! Such a terrific short story. Enjoy!
1st read: 5/21/22
2nd read: 2/23/25
Quotes:
- “In the flood of sunlight in the silent valley they stood silent, the three of them, the young man, the older man, the stone.”
1st read: 5/21/22
2nd read: 2/23/25
Quotes:
- “In the flood of sunlight in the silent valley they stood silent, the three of them, the young man, the older man, the stone.”
October 29, 2014
A beautiful tale, bringing an engaging story from the beginning to the end. Ursula Le Guin proves again to be an experienced writer... I loved the mention of Clay on who taught him wizardry...
April 12, 2022
Nella società industrializzata, a volte, c'è bisogno di provare una quiete agreste, di sentirsi "mentalmente coccolati", di vivere un'esperienza leggermente mistica. E quando non si può scappare in campagna a fare i contadini per un mese, si torna a visitare il mondo di Terramare con questo raccontino completamente auto-conclusivo che nonna Ursula compose nei suoi ultimi anni.
A livello contenutistico, The Daughter of Odren è sostanzialmente una reinterpretazione del motivo mitologico di Oreste ed Elettra: un fratello e una sorella di nobile stirpe, separati dalle vicende della vita, che si ritrovano per vendicare l'uxoricidio del padre. A livello di esecuzione, la vicenda si svolge a Terramare ed è scritta nella prosa di Terramare, con tutti gli annessi e connessi: lussureggianti descrizioni di paesaggi che ci trasportano "lì e in quel momento", racconti nel racconto che riproducono egregiamente la sensazione di una vera narrazione orale, una dimensione sì "mitica" che però non diventa "eroica" alla maniera del prof. Tolkien o di Bob Howard, e nemmeno "avventurosa" in stile Leiber, ma si mantiene come storia quotidiana di persone quotidiane. Ed è esattamente il tipo di effetto estetico che ho amato tanti anni fa in The Tombs of Atuan, e ritrovarlo inalterato è stato un toccasana per l'animo.
Va sicuramente detto che il climax del racconto non mi ha convinto appieno e probabilmente avrei preferito un po' più di crescendo prima della risoluzione ultima, ma lo scioglimento finale è profondamente "ursulino" – e per il mio gusto personale è degnissimo di emulazione.
Che dire. Nonna Ursula, grazie di quest'ultimo dono.
A livello contenutistico, The Daughter of Odren è sostanzialmente una reinterpretazione del motivo mitologico di Oreste ed Elettra: un fratello e una sorella di nobile stirpe, separati dalle vicende della vita, che si ritrovano per vendicare l'uxoricidio del padre. A livello di esecuzione, la vicenda si svolge a Terramare ed è scritta nella prosa di Terramare, con tutti gli annessi e connessi: lussureggianti descrizioni di paesaggi che ci trasportano "lì e in quel momento", racconti nel racconto che riproducono egregiamente la sensazione di una vera narrazione orale, una dimensione sì "mitica" che però non diventa "eroica" alla maniera del prof. Tolkien o di Bob Howard, e nemmeno "avventurosa" in stile Leiber, ma si mantiene come storia quotidiana di persone quotidiane. Ed è esattamente il tipo di effetto estetico che ho amato tanti anni fa in The Tombs of Atuan, e ritrovarlo inalterato è stato un toccasana per l'animo.
Va sicuramente detto che il climax del racconto non mi ha convinto appieno e probabilmente avrei preferito un po' più di crescendo prima della risoluzione ultima, ma lo scioglimento finale è profondamente "ursulino" – e per il mio gusto personale è degnissimo di emulazione.
Che dire. Nonna Ursula, grazie di quest'ultimo dono.
April 13, 2020
The last Earthsea story Le Guin wrote — indeed, one of her last works of fiction — it has a strangely ambiguous feeling to it. The setup is straightforward: the titular Odren was imprisoned in a stone by the wizard Ash, who stole his wife and his land; his daughter, formerly named Lily but now calling herself Weed, married a farmer and makes regular offerings to her father, convinced that one day he will be avenged; and now, her brother Clay has returned, trained as a wizard, to achieve the vengeance. But it all goes a bit sour: Clay is not only convinced that his mother is using Ash, and not vice versa, but that their father can be rescued from the stone. The reader is not surprised when neither of these things turn out to be true, and it takes a bit of quick thinking on Weed’s part to defeat Ash. Clay is left rather dumbfounded — though we never really find out what he thinks about what happened — and Weed returns home, seemingly without strong emotions or only real feeling that her life has changed, even thought it was defined for years by her hatred of Ash and her desire to avenger her father. Perhaps there’s supposed to be a lesson here about the futility of vengeance, in addition to the one about young men who don’t know as much as they think, but if so, you would presumably need to spend a little time on what happens afterward. For instance, Weed asserts, in the face of her husband’s skepticism, that she is perfectly content on their farm, but it seems fair to wonder if that will continue to be the case, and how she will feel once the magnitude of what she has done sinks in. The result is that the story gives the impression of being curiously unfinished. And unfortunately, it never will be, now.
July 23, 2020
Le Guin in 2020
This short story was published in 2014, thirteen years after The Other Wind and completes the Earthsea cycle or saga, more than forty years after Le Guin first introduced that world to readers.
On the island of O on the Closed Sea, the farmwife named Weed makes a daily pilgrimage to an isolated standing stone in a nearby valley. Every morning she puts out food, water, and flowers near the stone, and speaks to it believing her father can hear her. Her father, the former Lord of Odren, has been missing for fifteen years and at the stone, his daughter tells him to wait, be patient, and he will be revenged. Their long wait is about to end.
“Remember your life. Remember your children. Think of me. I’m here. I’ll never leave you. Think of yourself, what you were. You will be avenged. Be patient. Don’t sleep. Never sleep. Wait.”
Weed's circumstances are the result of a combination of events — her father's enlisting the aid of a sorcerer in building a ship, his long sea voyage against raiding pirates, and the lord's mysterious disappearance shortly after returning home. Although Weed thinks she knows what happened to her father, there remains a question of who's responsible and why. So when the time is right, how can she be sure that justice will be done? And what will she do with this uncertainty?
This is a parable of sorts containing themes of justice, revenge, and truth. I don't believe that reading the rest of the series is necessary for this story to be appreciated, it can stand on its own. This is an enjoyable snd interesting quick read for anyone who just hasn't had enough of Earthsea.
This short story was published in 2014, thirteen years after The Other Wind and completes the Earthsea cycle or saga, more than forty years after Le Guin first introduced that world to readers.
On the island of O on the Closed Sea, the farmwife named Weed makes a daily pilgrimage to an isolated standing stone in a nearby valley. Every morning she puts out food, water, and flowers near the stone, and speaks to it believing her father can hear her. Her father, the former Lord of Odren, has been missing for fifteen years and at the stone, his daughter tells him to wait, be patient, and he will be revenged. Their long wait is about to end.
“Remember your life. Remember your children. Think of me. I’m here. I’ll never leave you. Think of yourself, what you were. You will be avenged. Be patient. Don’t sleep. Never sleep. Wait.”
Weed's circumstances are the result of a combination of events — her father's enlisting the aid of a sorcerer in building a ship, his long sea voyage against raiding pirates, and the lord's mysterious disappearance shortly after returning home. Although Weed thinks she knows what happened to her father, there remains a question of who's responsible and why. So when the time is right, how can she be sure that justice will be done? And what will she do with this uncertainty?
This is a parable of sorts containing themes of justice, revenge, and truth. I don't believe that reading the rest of the series is necessary for this story to be appreciated, it can stand on its own. This is an enjoyable snd interesting quick read for anyone who just hasn't had enough of Earthsea.
June 28, 2024
This story, much like her other writings from Earthsea, is more rewarding when juxtaposed with its inspirations. Plenty of reviews highlight that this is a story of revenge, trauma, and victimization, and it is that, but it specifically is grappling with these themes by telling a tale that parallels Electra, the Greek Tragedy by Sophocles. I won't point out the many shared elements, but needless to say that the themes here, which are already quietly meaningful for the novice, are deepened and made more complex when compared with what I imagine was a primary inspiration. Of particular interest is who retains their agency in both stories, and how they do so. It does not try to strictly adapt this historical play, nor does it aspire to the same literary heights as its predecessor. Rather, the heart of the story is a reflection written by an author in the twilight of her life, nearing the end of the fictional world she created. Its that context that really elevates the story above what a standard reading would reveal.
This hardly counts as a book, at approximately 20 pages long, but it is still a thought-provoking read.
This hardly counts as a book, at approximately 20 pages long, but it is still a thought-provoking read.
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