There's just too much angst and mistrust in this volume. For me Arrens' alternating worship / distrust of Ged doesn't make for very interesting character interactions, especially since Ged is sullen and grumpy for most of the book. In this case, the new character of Arren, who falls hopelessly in love with Ged at first site (it's never made clear if this is sexual attraction or just worshipful adoration, which I think should have been addressed one way or another). But like the Tombs of Atuan, we see Ged through the eyes of a different character. What I really want is a story from the perspective of Ged, who is the most interesting character in Earthsea. To add to the dreariness, this story really drags along at a snails pace for the majority of the book. I know it contrasts well with the usual setting by removing the fantastic and all that, but I've always found it a dreary trope. I love Fantasy, and I love magic, and I'm not much interested in a story where the magic is going away. I don't know why, but this particular trope has never been my favorite kind of story. Also, the story is about the loss of magic in the world. There are some very dark themes in this book, having to do with the acceptance of death, that didn't resonate with me. The book is dark, the characters fairly two dimensional, the antagonist vague and non-menacing, and the pace rather plodding until the very end. I'm surprised to say that I did not really enjoy this volume of Earthsea. Earthsea, minus the charm of the first two volumes
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