A really lovely visual adaption! Fred Forham takes LeGuin's language and creates these gorgeous sweeping illustrations and quiet magical scenes; I loved the colors and the art style. There are some excellent moments where the drawings capture Ged's emotions even without dialogue or text. In some ways, reading this as a graphic novel made the plot more cohesive for me. I remember the book feeling a bit meandering and wandering, whereas the conflict feels more clear here as Ged faces his own pridefulness and its consequences in the shadow that haunts him. One of my issues with the book is echoed in this adaptation - most of the side characters blend together or don't feel distinct, both in how they are written and in the art style. There were also a couple scenes where I wanted a bit more lighting as things were murky - maybe purposefully so, but I think more was being obscured than was intended. Overall, this adaptation captured the story, themes, and tone of the original, feeling haunting and philosphical and quiet and reflective, and makes me excited to read more and see how the rest of the series will be illustrated.

Ged, a great wizard, was not always so. This is his origin story. He struggles through a tough childhood and grows into a wizard always seeking more power, more ambition, and it gets him into deep trouble. Ged is a flawed hero in the best sort of way. It makes his journey through a fascinating world all the better.
This graphic retelling of Le Guin's book is beautiful. Like, genuinely, there were some pages that I just stopped to stare at for a while. It's all water color or maybe guache(? I couldn't tell) and it is so spectacularly beautiful. The big, sprawling pages were my favorites, the night sky and a solitary little boat on the ocean. It was so very pretty.

wow, a few of the final pages literally gave me goosebumps.

The true standout here was Fordham's art, the sweeping scenery, muted colors and clear emotions made me fall in love with this adaption almost immediately. There is a level of accessibility given to classic works when they are made into graphic novels, it invited the more reluctant readers to give a beloved story a try and Fordham does a excellent job of preserving Le Guin's storytelling. Sparrowhawk isn't on a straight path to immediate heroics, he is at times a flawed protagonist, with faults a mile wide but he's growth and willingness to come face to face with these issues makes the whole story work. AHH I just love this story so much.

Thank you to netgalley for an arc.

Now I have never read A Wizard of Earthsea so I have no way of comparing this to the source material but I believe the family asked the graphic novelist to do the adaption so I suspect they approve.

This book is beautiful. The images have such depth that you understand everything you are supposed to a feel what the world and author are trying to evoke. Obviously a graphic novel cannot convey as much as a novel can, you don't have pages and pages of prose and the dialogue is more restrictive, but at the same time you get the world building through the images. I feel like these are a way to either get someone interested in a story and the idea of reading or to enhance someones already existing love for a text.

I definitely want to go to the source material now and read it along with other stories by Le Guin.

This is a beautiful adaptation of Ursula K. Le Guin's first book in the Earthsea series. Using earthy tones in watercolor adds a particularly immersive quality to this story, and it complements the tone very well. I really love Ged's design, and I like that Ursula's son explains in the foreword why it was important for Ged to be represented accurately in this visual retelling, considering he had been historically whitewashed in other adaptations. The visuals here helped elevate a story with which I was already familiar, and I found the world to be even more magical than how I had originally pictured it in my head. I do think there is some element lost in translating the work from a book to a graphic novel, though that isn't necessarily the fault of the illustrator. But because the novel spends a not insignificant amount of time in Ged's head and ruminating on his thoughts, I think this works better as a companion to the original novel. Readers coming to the graphic novel without having read the original story may not have quite as complete an experience.

The art was spectacular! It made it so much easier to get into the Earthsea universe then other things I have come across.

I first read the Wizard of Earthsea nearly thirty years ago as part of my seven grade English class. I remember distinctly being the only person who liked it!

I know Ged is controversial and this isn’t the “best” Earthsea novel, but it holds a special place in my heart.

Revisiting this book as a graphic novel was such a gift - each panel, each page is lovingly crafted and colored, bringing the world to life.

Highly recommended for “today’s kids” who prefer books with pictures. When they’re this good, who can blame them?

Unfortunately I DNFed this at 33%. This was my first read of a Le Guin story and I was really hopeful that a graphic novel would be a great introduction to her stories. I'm not sure what I expected but the first third was moving really slowly for me. Maybe Le Guin has much more thorough world building that was just missed in this graphic format. I'll probably try something else from Le Guin in the future but in a different format

This graphic novel adaptation of A Wizard of Earthsea brings Ursula K. Le Guin’s iconic story to life with rich, atmospheric illustrations and a clear respect for the original text. Fred Fordham’s adaptation captures many of the major plot points and emotional beats of Ged’s journey—from his early arrogance and mistake to his confrontation with the shadow he unleashes.

The art is often beautiful and evocative, with a muted palette that matches the meditative tone of Earthsea. Some spreads are particularly striking, especially those depicting magic, dragons, or Ged’s more introspective moments. However, the adaptation feels a bit compressed—readers unfamiliar with the original novel may find the pacing rushed and the deeper themes underdeveloped. Key scenes and transitions sometimes lose impact in the limited space, and the character development can feel more told than shown.

For longtime fans, this version offers a visually engaging new lens on a beloved classic. For newcomers, it might serve as a teaser rather than a full substitute for the novel. A thoughtful but somewhat uneven adaptation of a deeply philosophical fantasy tale.

Ursula K. Le Guin’s A Wizard of Earthsea is a cornerstone of fantasy literature, and this graphic novel adaptation by Fred Fordham offers a visually striking entry point for new readers. The story follows Ged, also known as Sparrowhawk, a young and arrogant wizard whose thirst for power unleashes a dark force that threatens his world—and his soul. His journey from prideful student to humbled hero remains as powerful and profound as ever.

The artwork is atmospheric and often beautiful, capturing the mystical islands of Earthsea and the emotional weight of Ged’s inner journey. However, condensing Le Guin’s rich and layered prose into a graphic format comes with trade-offs. Some of the nuance, philosophy, and depth of character development feel rushed or flattened in this adaptation. Longtime fans may find it lacking the full complexity of the original, while newcomers might struggle to connect deeply with Ged’s transformation.

That said, Fordham’s respect for the source material is clear, and for visual learners or younger readers, this version provides a compelling and accessible introduction to Earthsea. While it may not fully capture the literary magic of Le Guin’s novel, it’s a faithful and visually engaging retelling worth exploring.

Stunning rendition of a classic fantasy. I love how true to the original text it is, while not compromising any of the story or Le Guin's vision.

As a child, my most favorite book was "Tombs of Atuan" by Ursula K. LeGuin. I re-read it many times, and I read books in the other series, including "A Wizard of Earthsea." I jumped at the chance to request and eARC of the graphic novel adaptation of this classic children's novel, which precedes "Atuan." My kids love graphic novels, and it was a great opportunity as a parent to find a book that united one of my childhood favorites with their interest.

The book follows Ged, a boy who discovers he has powers and wanders, looking to find himself as well as mentors who can help him learn how to use these powers, including a wizarding school. It has depths of meaning and layers to its story, and readers may find that they connect with different storylines of self-discovery and figuring out who they are, or adventures and journeys, or understanding/confronting the darker side of themselves, or growth from childhood to adulthood and a greater understanding of the world.

It is a fantasy story that goes much deeper than many contemporary juvenile fantasy books, and contains a moral and philosphical framework on par with Narnia and Middle Earth. Readers 10+ (both new to LeGuin, and longtime fans) will find this adaptation of the story not only visually rich, but true to the original; while it may be a beautiful and nostalgic return for those who have read it before, it will also hopefully draw those who haven't been exposed to LeGuin's novels to read the original and the rest of her series. It would also make a great enhancement to anyone who wants to use it as a companion read while reading the original book.

Here are my kids' thoughts/review of the book:
The beginning is mysterious and very captivating and fills the reader with curiosity. The idea of magic in their world was very unique and the story was very detailed. You get to experience and learn things right along with Ged as he discovers he has magical powers and tries to learn to use them.
The colors of the illustrations are in a watercolor style, with rich warm colors, but muted, and all 3 of my children who read the book (ages 8-13) enjoyed the illustrations in particular. They art sophisticated and realistic - different from the cartoon-esque styles that are often used in graphic novels - and they liked that.

"A Wizard of Earthsea" sits on my at-home bookshelf and falls into my largest category of books: "I own it, but I haven't read it yet". I've read some of Le Guin's short works, so I knew the graphic version of her novel would likely be something I'd enjoy.

Since I haven't read the book from which this version is adapted, I can't comment on how true to the events and feelings of the original this one is. This review will mostly be about the structure of the graphic novel generally and how I believe the story worked in this format only.

My favorite part of this graphic novel were some of the illustrations. From my untrained artistic eye, it appears to be watercolor, so there are the typical variations of transparency and muted colors. But there are also panels and splash pages that are vibrant and heavily saturated. I don't know what the artistic process was like, but I can only imagine it took awhile, and I found myself stopping to admire the visuals more than I've done in other graphic novels. The part that I found distracting about the images were some of the depictions of characters' eyes, which occasionally were just a bit too low or too centered in the middle of the eye in places. And the font choice wasn't my favorite--I was fine with the all-caps, but the crossbars on some of the letters, especially E made it quite difficult to read on a smaller device.

As others have mentioned, the pacing in the story felt a little off. For me, I felt like I missed some "filler" that works to make the reader feel we've worked hard to achieve a goal or gain a skill. I'm not sure how it's handled in the original text, but I found myself wanting to see more work with Ged's mentor, Ogion, and more of the social aspects of school. I thought it the original text these two places would likely be longer, but would probably be mostly part of a rising action that went on too long to justify for a graphic novel version.

I may return to this after reading Le Guin's original text, even if it's just to look at the illustrations again!

The art in this book is top tier! I couldn't get enough of zooming in on my iPad to explore the details of the watercolor backgrounds and characters. I'm so excited that Le Guin's work is being made more accessible to the casual child reader. Truly the most beautiful graphic novel I've seen in a long time!

Good God, what can I say except that it’s Ursula Le Guin, the grand dame of Sci-Fi and Fantasy fiction. I have only just started dipping my toe into her works and while I admire the beauty of it all, the sheer depth and breadth of her career, I am both awed and intimidated. While I regret not taking her works on while she was still with us (RIP, Ursula Le Guin), I am almost grateful for her passing because it helps limit the amount of works to wade through. Though maybe I should consider it a joy and a blessing in itself that Le Guin has left so much behind for us and while I may not make it all the way through, there’s value in the pursuit.

Anyway, about the actual work itself: it, like Ursula Le Guin herself, is just beautiful. Beautiful artwork that’s just a feast for the eyes and it manages to find the balance that comes with reinterpreting a novel into a graphic novel.. Obviously you can’t put every line of prose in a graphic novel, but this one finds a nice balance between getting Le Guin’s words on the page AND fulfilling the pictorial storytelling the genre demands.

Plus, FINALLY, an adaptation of Earthsea that doesn’t whitewash the cast.

So Ursula K Le Guin is such an odd author to me -- every time I read one of her books, I feel like I'm entering another world. This is a classic story and I don't know how someone would feel about this graphic novel who hasn't read the book already, but I focused almost entirely on the gorgeous artwork. This would probably be a good introduction for someone who wants to start reading one of the most brilliant authors ever

"A Wizard of Earthsea: A Graphic Novel" is a perfectly paced and beautifully illustrated volume that brings Ursula K LeGuin's original story to life with vivid and captivating imagery. The book narrates the early life, frequent failings and ongoing adventures of a the boy Ged, prior to his meteoric rise to wizarding greatness. In doing so the book avoids unnecessary embellishments or deviations from the original story. Additionally of note, the book also restores LeGuin's original intent for the depiction of her characters by portraying significantly more diversity than has been shown in previous book covers or adaptations to graphic novel and movie form.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, HarperCollins Children's Books | Clarion Books, for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars out of 5 rounded to 4.

Sparrowhawk, aka Ged, gets his own graphic novel retelling in this rendition of A Wizard of Earthsea which outlines his early beginnings as a young wizard having to fight a mysterious shadow. This retelling is very faithful to the original, even including the various skin tones Ursula K. Le Guin envisioned for her characters. It is a lovely visual and readers who might be feeling a little confused by the text may find this a helpful addition.

The only downside to this is that the dark panels are so dark that it barely registered on an eReader and in print, it's not much better. The darker scenes could have been lightened a little to make it easier to follow. Otherwise, a faithful retelling.

A Wizard of Earthsea
By Ursula K Le Guin
Adapted by Fred Fordham

I’ve always loved this story and I have enjoyed several different adaptations over the years and this is one of my favorites. Fred Fordham uses watercolors beautifully for the story. He allows the page to breathe. Using minimal wording. It becomes far easier to be swept up and carried into the story.

Well worth the effort to get a copy to own.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-copy of this gorgeous Graphic Novel.

I have not read any of Le Guin's novels, so this was my first foray into her writing.

This was a immersive, beautifully laid out representation of this story. Even though there were pages without words, I could follow along and really felt the emotion of the story and the characters.

This now makes me want to read the novel. Beautifully done!