I understand for people who have read the series how this might be dry and not as a good of an experience. However, if you view it through the lens of someone who hasn't read the series, but does enjoy fantasy and epic tales, but might struggle with a lot of written word, this graphic novel was incredible. I'm so glad that it will finally be published. Excellent, incredible work.

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.

The art in this adaptation is so lovely. There were several pages I just paused and took a while to appreciate. Overall, the adaptation was solid, including all the key points of the story without leaving out too much detail in the transfer to the graphic novel medium. I appreciated the use of visual storytelling whenever possible taking full advantage of the medium rather than just relying on an abundance of text to tell the story. That being said, there were a few areas that got a bit wordy for the format, especially since the font was rather small, so those more wordy parts were kinda a pain to get through. However, these passages were needed background information, especially for readers who may be discovering this story for the first time in this format. I think it is wonderful that this beautiful adaptation exists, and can't wait to introduce this story to today's young readers!

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.

I had high hopes for illustrator Fred Fordham’s interpretation of Ursula K. Le Guin’s classic fantasy tale justice and he completely exceeded my wildest expectations.

Gorgeously illustrated and masterfully adapted from prose to graphic novel, A Wizard of Earthsea: A Graphic Novel is perfect for YA and adult readers alike.

I will be adding other Fred Fordham graphic novel adaptations to my reading queue.

Disclaimer: I received a free advanced reader copy (ARC) of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. This review reflects my personal and independent opinion.

I was initially skeptical of this graphic novel adaptation of one of my favorite fantasy novels. A Wizard of Earthsea isn’t what you’d call easily adaptable. Although there is action, the story is largely introspective, contemplative and nuanced instead of stark and straight forward. The primary antagonist isn’t a dark lord or a dragon but the shadow of the main character’s own hubris. The magic system isn’t flashy compared to most other fantasy. For reference, an important part of wizard school in this universe is going to an island and memorizing the names of every island, inlet, bay, and geographic feature of a sprawling archipelago.

My reservations were quickly and soundly put to rest however. This is a wonderful adaptation. The story is shortened only where it logically makes sense to do so. The key beats of the narrative, the Karg invasion, Ged’s time at Roke, his battle with the dragons, are all give appropriate weight and rendered beautifully in the artwork. The art itself aids the adaptation admirably. Careful rendering of details along with vague, almost hazy, watercolor, landscapes grant a palpable sense of scale to the world.
This was a great read and obviously done with a deep understanding of and love for the source material.

This is the graphic novel of Ursula K. Le Guin’s classic A Wizard of Earthsea. The story of the wizard Sparrowhawk gaining knowledge and mastery of magic and of his self. I liked the pacing and space the pages of only art left to give you a few beats to absorb the story – both the adventure and the internal battle. I think it is a great companion to the novel and will inspire new readers to pick it up.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for this DRC.
#AWizardofEarthseaAGraphicNovel #NetGalley

This is the story of Ged, the greatest sorcerer of Earthsea. When he was young, he was known as Sparrowhawk and he was hungry for power. In his quest to gain more power, he accidentally unleashes a shadow onto the world. See how he learns to master his power, tame a dragon, and eventually conquer his shadow.

Thanks to NetGalley and Clarion Books for an advanced copy of A Wizard of Earthsea: A Graphic Novel by Ursula K. Le Guin, adapted by Fred Fordham. It’s been awhile since I read A Wizard of Earthsea, but I thoroughly enjoyed this adaptation! From what I can remember, it does a good job of hitting the main themes and feel of the original story.

I was super impressed with the art in this. Fordham does a great job bringing this story to life, and the art is so detailed. There are multiple sections with no words, but the story is still carried forward with the art. Graphic novel artists are definitely bringing their A game when it comes to art this year.

This seems like it would be a good introduction to Ursula K. Le Guin if you haven’t encountered her work yet. As someone who doesn’t remember a lot from the novel, I didn’t feel like I was lost at any point. The characters and the world come to life nicely in this format, and I’m hopeful that they’ll continue with her other books as well.

If you’re a fan of fantasy graphic novels, definitely check this one out when it comes out in March!

I love the illustrations in A Wizard of Earthsea: A Graphic Novel by Ursula K Le Guin. The illustrator did a great job on them. The story's plot about the greatest sorcerer named Ged was also nice to read. I definitely recommend reading this.

I'm a huge fan of the original Wizard of Earthsea, and while I thought this was a nice interpretation... The pacing felt off, much slower than the original and the emotional beats didn't hit as hard because of it. The text and dialogue felt a little stale too which I think is a trap that typically hits adaptations and unfortunately this one was not immune.

Also, and okay this is a purely me issue so feel absolutely free to ignore. The artwork itself is beautiful but it's not my favorite for a graphic novel which made it a little harder to get into.

Still it is Earthsea so 3/5

This adaptation is… fine. It’s not how I pictured it when I was reading the book. It doesn’t match the Studio Ghibli adaptation. It’s not the most beautiful artwork I’ve ever seen in a graphic novel. It’s okay. Ultimately, I’d rather reread the book.

I didn’t feel like there was enough of a change in wording from the novel to justify this adaptation. And with the lackluster art style, I’m left wondering why it was even made. If the goal is to get new, young readers interested in the world, I guess it could work? It’s definitely simple enough for a middle grade audience. But the Studio Ghibli movie, while a poor adaptation, is infinitely more attractive to look at.

So, I guess it’s fine. It’s average. It’s not what I would reach for on the shelf to buy. I would rather buy the collector’s edition of the whole series again, or a special illustrated edition of the first book.

I came to the Earthsea Cycle, (and Ursula LeGuin’s books in general) just a few years ago, and immediately fell in love. Her world of Earthsea - with its people, and the magic that bound it all together - immediately felt confidently fully-formed in rich complexity the moment that I entered it, and I only became fully immersed from there, hungrily devouring most of the series within the span of just a month or so.

This graphic novel adaptation is a wonderful return to that world, and everything that I wanted it to be. It’s the realm of Earthsea in a vivid new visual dimension that allows me to temporarily inhabit it in an entirely new way. In many ways it is as I have imagined it, and in many ways it’s a wonderful surprise due to the personal creative decisions that Fred Fordham has taken.

I hope that those who have never read “A Wizard of Earthsea” will enjoy it. But I know for a fact that those already familiar with this work will most definitely adore it.

This graphic novel is gorgeous. The watercolour illustrations, particularly during the travel scenes across the oceans, were stunning. It complimented the story so well.

I had never ready anything from Ursula K. Le Guin, and I thought the graphic novel would be an easy first step for me. I fell in love with the voice and the characters almost instantly. It's been so long since I read a classic fantasy like this, and I'm ready for more.

It's easy enough to read that I would recommend it when you're in a reading slump, but also complicated enough that you'll be sure to remember it.

A beautiful interpretation of Ursula Le Guins novel. The story follows Ged as he seeks to become a powerful wizard. But, he ends up facing the consequences of delving too deep. It is a wonderful retelling that keeps to the original story and presents it i. A great mediums for teens to read. The watercolors style art is whimsical and a little melancholy. This perfectly reflects the tone of the book and adds to magic of the graphic novel. Hopefully this will lead to more readers enjoying the full series of Earthsea novels.

A transformative and enriching experience. I can think of no better way to journey back to Earthsea after years away than our story of young Ged paired with truly jaw-dropping art. Easily, one of the most beautiful graphic novels I have read, there are few things more rewarding as a graphic novel reader than revisiting a beloved story in a new medium; and seeing how this new medium delivers or falls short. This is certainly a novel that delivers. While one would never doubt Le Guin and say her novel falls short, there is a special something to see the scale and passion brought to the artwork that brings this telling to a whole new level.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The graphic novel adaptation of A Wizard of Earthsea is stunning and one of the best adaptations of an original book I have seen in a while. The graphic art is clean and really helps to draw the reader in to a book that has been around for a while! The only reason I didn’t rate this book higher is because at times while reading, it felt like it was geared towards a younger age like middle grade instead of young adult into adult. Nevertheless, it was amazing and renewed my love for this book!

Of course a fantastic story, but the graphic novel adaptation was very thoughtful and the artwork was superb.

This graphic novel rendition of the classic is absolutely gorgeous. So much is said through the moody and expressive paintings on the page. The images set the mood, reveal the characters, and move the story along. The landscapes and changing colors were my favorite part. The art really captures the quiet, seeking journey of Ged.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for the digital advanced reader copy of this novel.

This edition takes the words written y Ursula K. Le Guin and blends them gorgeously with illustrations from Fred Fordham.

Ged was the greatest sorcerer in Earthsea, but in his youth he was reckless. He was known as Sparrowhawk in those days, and in his hunger for power and knowledge he did the unthinkable. He released a shadow, terrible and ruthless, into the world when he tampered with long-buried secrets. This is the tale of his testing, his taming of an ancient dragon, and his crossing of death’s threshold to restore the balance of the world.

I will start by saying that I have not read the original Earthsea novel. I chose to request this ARC because I love fantasy and thought the synopsis combined with the artwork fit my preferred reading material. I was impressed with how well the dialogue was used throughout the novel. There were panels that needed no words and they were given the space to breathe. The dialogue used was well written and improved the overall atmosphere of the story rather than the words becoming distracting. It was very well done.

The images in this graphic novel are simply beautiful. I loved that the characters were mostly people of color and that the whole vibe of being in a world of islands was very obvious. It felt as if I were being submerged in the atmosphere. Everything is done in muted earth tones that lend a heavy but somehow comforting feel to the story.

I would recommend this graphic novel adaptation to anyone who loves magic, mystery, and immersion into the world that Le Guin built with her fantasy novels.

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