Rating: 
Summary: An interesting perspective
Review: Though the Earthsea trilogy is, at it's core, a the tale of Earthsea itself, it is also the story of the wizard Ged and his travels and trials throughout the magic world that Le Guin created. This second novel takes an interesting turn in the trilogy, regulating Ged to the supporting cast.The book is admittedly very slow starting, tooling along for sometime before anything of interest steps up. Finally, as Tenar (the young girl who is the main character of this tale) begins exploring the realm that is hers, the tale picks up. As Ged finally makes his first appearance, the magic of the rest of the trilogy shines through, pulling the reader into the struggle with the dark ones, and of Ged and Tenars oddly developing kinship. A wonderful read that only shows itself at the end, this is a fitting second book to a classic trilogy.
Rating:
Summary: Return to the world of Earthsea
Review: The second book of Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea Cycle, "Tombs of Atuan," is very different from the first book. It features a different coming-of-age tale from Ged Sparrowhawk's, this time of a spirited girl who has been given everything except freedom. More contemplative and disturbing, this is almost as good as "Wizard of Earthsea." As a little child, Tenar was taken from her family by the priestesses, who said she was the reborn High Princess of the Nameless Ones, the dark, ruthless powers who are in the Tombs of Atuan. Her name is taken away and she was afterwards called Arha (which means that she was "eaten," spiritually), and she is raised in the cold, uninviting temple. When Arha is fifteen, she finds that a wizard has somehow gained entrance to the massive mazelike Labyrinth, committing sacrilege and polluting the "center of darkness" with his staff's light. He's searching for half of a powerful ring; he has one half, she has the other. She takes the wizard Sparrowhawk prisoner, and for some reason doesn't want to kill him. Instead she listens to his stories about dragons, magic and his home -- until a vengeful priestess learns that Arha is keeping the wizard alive. To escape horrible deaths, they must escape together from the Nameless Ones, and Tenar will be set free in more ways than one. Ursula Le Guin's worldbuilding was masterful in the first book, and it's no less so in "Tombs of Atuan." The decayed, corrupted, darkness-obsessed religion and culture that Tenar is raised in seems very real. The only spot of warmth and life is Penthe, a childhood pal of Tenar's, who longs to get away from the temple and go live a normal, happy life. Le Guin's writing is both spare and descriptive; she makes you feel like you know the characters with only a few pages. Her elegantly understated descriptions bring the grey, cold temple and tombs to life. Themes like religion, disbelief, loyalty, redemption, freedom, and enslavement are woven in, but not preachily. The book suffers somewhat when Ged and Tenar are getting to know each other; even during a crisis, Ged spends a lot of time talking about his past and the Ring. It's less a conversation than an infodump. The relationship between Tenar and Ged is the centerpiece of the book. At first they are enemies, then gradually grow to trust one another even though rationally neither one should. Tenar is a strong, brave, slightly immature girl whose spirit has been kept enslaved to the Nameless Ones, and Ged is the brave, gentle, strong wizard we got to know in "Wizard." The second book of the Earthsea cycle, while not as strong as the first, is still a compelling book. The dark, tense "Tombs of Atuan" remains a modern fantasy classic. And does it ever deserve it.
Rating: 
Summary: The best in the trilogy!
Review: Return to Ursula LeGuin's world of Earthsea, a world of wizards, mystic god-like dragons, and strange religions.
The plot follows Tenar, priestess slave of the nameless gods, who has been stripped of her name, which is restored by the wizard Ged in his quest for the other half of a mythical ring.
Good.Not as much eastern philosophical prattling as in TFS, hardly as confusing as WoE.
Overall, four and a half stars would do this book justice.
Rating:
Summary: Through the tomb and a short beginning.
Review: The story takes place after few more adventures of the mage, Sparrowhawk, who is already known as the greatest wizard and only Dragonlord of all Earthsea. He travels to the north east and enter the scared realm of the Tombs of Atuan, where the Darkness lies and workshipped by the people. Sparrowhawk plans to steal the greatest treasure hidden in the tombs, however, a young priestess called Arha hesistates to stop him... and kill him.
Overall the story is well written and a great ending as the first book of Earthsea, but it is not as exciting and thrilling... Due to the many chapters of long descriptions of the sacred rituals and temples. Everything is very slow until the mage enters the story. But it is still worth reading and complete the Earthsea Trilogy.
Rating:
Summary: Unexpectedly gripping.
Review: This is the second volume in the Earthsea quartet (following A Wizard of Earthsea and followed by The Farthest Shore and Tehanu). The story takes place on the desert island of Atuan. There, in a terrifying ritual, a five-year-old little girl becomes Arha, the Eaten One. As the years go by in the Place of the Tombs, among an odd community of young scholar girls, old women and eunuchs, she learns the sacred dances and songs devoted to the Nameless Ones. At the age of fourteen, she finally becomes the One Priestess, the guardian of the Great Treasure, and the only one to know the ways of the Labyrinth, a place of utter darkness where men are not allowed and cruelly put to death if found there. The story was beginning to bore me, I was watching Arha becoming more arrogant, and old Kossil meaner, by the day and I was reluctantly facing the fact that I didn't care much for her... until the middle of the book, until Arha one day comes across a dim light in the pitch black of the Labyrinth. And as it brings a complete upheaval in Arha's well-ordered and dull life, with it the story also becomes enthralling and finally I almost couldn't put the book down. I hope The Farthest Shore won't disappoint me...
Rating:
Summary: A Great Book to Read
Review: I had read the first book of this great series and I found myself not being able to put the book down. And when I started reading the second book I only thought there was no way this could be as good, however I had the same great time reading it as I did the first book. I believe that everyone should read this book even if you have not read any others from this series, because in essence this book is really based on people growing up, finding themselves and learning what they want to accomplish in life. This book also shows a great friendship between two people and overall it is just a wonderful book. I suggest everyone to read it.
Rating:
Summary: Return to the world of Earthsea
Review: The second book of Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea Cycle, "Tombs of Atuan," is very different from the first book. It features a different coming-of-age tale from Ged Sparrowhawk's, this time of a spirited girl who has been given everything except freedom. More contemplative and disturbing, this is almost as good as "Wizard of Earthsea." As a little child, Tenar was taken from her family by the priestesses, who said she was the reborn High Princess of the Nameless Ones, the dark, ruthless powers who are in the Tombs of Atuan. Her name is taken away and she was afterwards called Arha (which means that she was "eaten," spiritually), and she is raised in the cold, uninviting temple. When Arha is fifteen, she finds that a wizard has somehow gained entrance to the massive mazelike Labyrinth, committing sacrilege and polluting the "center of darkness" with his staff's light. He's searching for half of a powerful ring; he has one half, she has the other. She takes the wizard Sparrowhawk prisoner, and for some reason doesn't want to kill him. Instead she listens to his stories about dragons, magic and his home -- until a vengeful priestess learns that Arha is keeping the wizard alive. To escape horrible deaths, they must escape together from the Nameless Ones, and Tenar will be set free in more ways than one. Ursula Le Guin's worldbuilding was masterful in the first book, and it's no less so in "Tombs of Atuan." The decayed, corrupted, darkness-obsessed religion and culture that Tenar is raised in seems very real. The only spot of warmth and life is Penthe, a childhood pal of Tenar's, who longs to get away from the temple and go live a normal, happy life. Le Guin's writing is both spare and descriptive; she makes you feel like you know the characters with only a few pages. Her elegantly understated descriptions bring the grey, cold temple and tombs to life. Themes like religion, disbelief, loyalty, redemption, freedom, and enslavement are woven in, but not preachily. The book suffers somewhat when Ged and Tenar are getting to know each other; even during a crisis, Ged spends a lot of time talking about his past and the Ring. It's less a conversation than an infodump. The relationship between Tenar and Ged is the centerpiece of the book. At first they are enemies, then gradually grow to trust one another even though rationally neither one should. Tenar is a strong, brave, slightly immature girl whose spirit has been kept enslaved to the Nameless Ones, and Ged is the brave, gentle, strong wizard we got to know in "Wizard." The second book of the Earthsea cycle, while not as strong as the first, is still a compelling book. The dark, tense "Tombs of Atuan" remains a modern fantasy classic. And does it ever deserve it.
Rating:
Summary: Mysterious and fascinating
Review: Of all the books in the Earthsea series, 'The Tombs Of Atuan' is my favourite. The setting of the book is dark and mysterious, it's unusually well thought out and described. As you read about the Eaten One (Tenar) you feel as if reading about ancient, mythical rituals that can't NOT have been true. Le Guin is amazing at describing them and making one feel absolutely taken with the moment she's writing about. The utterly surprising thing about the book is that it is unmistakably sexual, somehow. There's is nothing that could even be open to such interpretation, but the feeling is definitely there; the revealing of Ged's name seems to be an undescribably intimate moment. In my opinion, 'The Tombs Of Atuan' seems to be the greatest out of the Earthsea books, if you're not looking THAT much for open symbolism, but rather for that searching and mystical feeling...
Rating:
Summary: The Tombs of Atuan
Review: The second book in the EarthSea trilogy, The Tombs of Atuan is a great book for all those who delve into the world of fantasy. The Author of this book is Ursula K. Le Guin. Le Guin wrote the Earthsea trilogy which became a well known series for all audiances. Though it would be better understood and probably more forfilling if the first book was read of the series. I believe the theme to have been Man vs. Nature as Sparrowhawk the main character, a wizard from the island of Gount seeks out an ancient treasure in the Tombs of Atuan. He meets the high preistess of Atuan. They must battle against the spirits with the tomb. In my opion it was a book that forced me to ponder about the morales in my life. It's rather a short book but it has a great ending despite that, that makes you search for the last book in the series. Some people may consider it slow in the beginning but I must say that it's building the plot thick and strong in the begining. Overall Le Guin is a great writer and that the second book is as good and brilliant as the first.
Rating: 
Summary: tombs of atuan: not as good as expected
Review: The Tombs of Atuan was not as interesting as I expected it to be.I wanted a good, exciting, action-packed book, and the second book of the Earthsea Cycle trilogy didn't do that for me.it was exciting at places, such as in the labrynth maze. but all in all, i wasn't impressed.
the story line was great, fresh, and original, but Ms. Le Guin could've presented it in a better form. the order in which the events happened wasn't exciting. it wasnt like a book that i couldnt put down, such as the Pendragon series kind of realistic fantasy. i read the wrong book.
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