Rating: 
Summary: Different from the first three, but not inferior!
Review: A lot of people seem to have disliked this book, and I can see why people with a narrow taste for the original three books in the Earthsea series wouldn't care for such a different offering as Tehanu. I happened to enjoy this book a lot. What's different about Tehanu? First of all, it was written ten or fifteen years after The Farthest Shore, and the author changed. Le Guin became a "born again feminist" and sought to make up for the patriarchy of the first three Earthsea books. Tehanu is an exploration of the struggle of a woman in a patriarchal society where women are routinely dismissed. The feminist message is kinda anti-male for my tastes, and men are described as hollow shells with power inside, that become empty when the power runs out, while the power of women is deep-rooted and irradicable. Ged arrives on Gont (astride the dragon Kalessin) a man who has poured all his power out and has no magic or self-worth left. Anyone who has read the first three books, in which Ged uses power only when it is needful and doesn't over-identify with his magery, will see the problem with his suddenly being lost and confused without it as though it had been the essential part of him. It's not a too great a stretch of the imagination to think he's suffered a deep loss, but I can't help but feel like Le Guin betrayed Ged to a degree for the sake of the feminist message. Tehanu is also a radical departure from the mythic coming-of-age stories of the first three Earthsea books. It's about starting over in midlife, and it encompasses no quest and little magic. It's different stylistically too -- one of the things I most admire about the other books is that the prose is extraordinarily tight and spare. Tehanu is more modern in its wordiness, though not to the extent that I would say there's a lot of flab in it... it's just stylistically a somewhat different animal. None of this is a bad thing if you can handle the difference; it's every bit as extraordinarily well-crafted as the other books, and in some ways maybe better. A mature and sophisticated reader with sympathy for Le Guin's feminist leanings should enjoy the terrific characterizations of Tehanu, and a truly well-crafted story. Some readers have called the ending abrupt and unsatisfying, "draco ex machina," but if you understand then about Therru and who she is (and will be), I don't see how you can argue with it too much. If you've been paying attention to the rest of the book you should be able to fill in most of the blanks, and Le Guin is too good a writer to stoop to rehashing things. There are a few loose threads, but the subtitle "The Last Book of Earthsea" is doubly a misnomer since the short story collection Tales of Earthsea has just been released, including a story that bridges from the end of Tehanu to the next novel (yep, a *fifth* book in the "trilogy"), The Other Wind, due this fall.
Rating:
Summary: A good wrap-up of the series
Review: Some who read the trilogy might be dissappointed to find that this book is not the same as the first three. As is so often the case, people become disappointed when they are given something new, instead of the same tried-and-true old thing. This book goes to places that the other books did not, and explores the final place that we all must eventually travel... mid life. The book explores the trials and rewards of being middle aged, which some may find more frightening than facing any fire-breathing dragon. Indeed, when Ged realizes that he has lost his powers as a mage, the prospect of living a "powerless" existence causes him to declare that he wished he had died with the completion of his last spell that did this to him, instead of live as an "ordinary" man. Tenar, having settled down to explore herself after her husband dies, finds him, and starts to see Ged's moping and whining as tiresome, having forsaken her magical realm long ago. Together, the two find that their previous existences, Tenar as a mother and wife, and Ged as a powerful archmage, while satisfying in their own way, do not compare to the wonders of a quiet life, growing old together. This is not your typical fantasy novel, because few authors choose to explore the adventures of mid life. Perhaps if more authors did as LeGuin, not as many people would have the manic fear of aging that they do. This book offers closure and explains quite a few things that I had wondered about after reading the first three books, and is exciting and satisfying fantasy, despite the subject matter.
Rating: 
Summary: Couldn't this have been done better?
Review: I was very disappointed in this fourth book. In fact, I don't really consider it a part of the series. I think that authors can and should have fun dealing with whatever issues they see fit in their stories, but I also believe this: If you're writing a story, WRITE A STORY! I think that Le Guin could have brought us back to Tenar with a story that actually did more than remind us that Tenar was alive. The book dragged. There wasn't that much excitement to it. Plot? Hmm...maybe. I forget. The fact that I've remembered the plot to the first three books for over fifteen years yet I can't remember much of what went on in this book (I read it when it came out) goes to show that it didn't give me the sense of wonder that I rely the fantasy genre to give me. Yay! Tenar's alive. But was it worth reading? To me, no. To children just coming off of The Farthest Shore, no. I KNOW that this author could have entertained AND given us her philosophical viewpoints much better than this book actually turned out. Other authors have done it. To sum up: Words cannot really express my disappointment with this novel. Be aware that there isn't much thrilling stuff here for those of you who read for the wonder of it.
Rating: 
Summary: dragging.. dragging
Review: I hoped that this book, which won the nebula, would be a great wrap-up to the series. There is definitely a sense of closure at the end of the book, and loose ends are tied up... but the book was flat out too boring for me. As another reviewer said, don't look for a plot. Don't look for any major developments either, until the last, what, 10 pages?? I was dissapointed as well.
Rating:
Summary: A Major Disappointment
Review: The first three books of the Earthsea Trilogy were phenomenal. They were stirring high fantasy that stand as masterpieces. Then Tehanu came out and collapsed the whole thing. I don't know what issues the author was struggling with, but it would seem that the tone of the book is one of bitterness. Judging by the harsh tones toward men, I can only assume a divorce or death. It is unfortunate, if this is the case, that the author could not filter her pain in a more creative manner, instead of wearing it like an open wound. I am very disappointed in what destroyed a wonderful series.
Rating:
Summary: Not what I expected.
Review: I first read Tehanu at the time of its release in 1991. I was expecting the same tenor and style that had entranced me with the first three books of the Earthsea tetralogy. The changes in the presentation baffled me. I read the book in haste and was disappointed. Still, I had to return to Earthsea; it begs to be savored regularly. This time, I read slowly. This is an incredible piece of literature. The adventure is within. Like raising children, if you do not give them your full attention when they present themselves you will not KNOW what they were saying. I feel very fortunate to have had a second chance to recognize how much Tehanu had to say to me. Child-rearing (like many other activities) is not for everyone. Neither is Tehanu. The author, the book, and I have aged and, hopefully, grown. Perhaps this is why I react to it so differently now. Tehanu is a masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: Sacrificing the magic of Earthsea
Review: This book is a betrayal of all that came before. It should never have been written. The first three were works of wonder, touching on universal themes: sublime, compelling, cogent and inspiring. They asked large questions and arrived at honest answers, but they did so gently and gracefully. The quiet unhurried voice is one that this author has honed to perfection. Her world of Earthsea ranks among the very classics, alongside Middle Earth, Narnia and Avalon. Here, everything that made Earthsea so inspiring and evocative is sacrificed to make a point. Le Guin has decided that the fourth book of the series shall be a polemic - an undisguised and prolonged treatise directed at female empowerment and decrying child abuse. Are these worthy moral pursuits? Of course they are. Do they belong in the world of Earthsea? Not even remotely. This book was one of the most excruciating and disappointing reads I have ever undertaken. It's not the writing or the skill - the author's proficiency remains unparalleled - but the desecration of what was magnificent. The skill with which this work is written actually adds to the anguish; we remember what this skill was harnessed to build and cannot help but contrast it to what it is now being used to destroy. Reading this book, one is struck by how fragile a fantasy world like Earthsea really is. Earthsea works because, like all myth, it is founded in a successful illusion. When an author creates such a world, she makes a pact with the reader: "Accept this illusion, and we will journey to a place more vital than any you have known." If the author ever forgets this promise, if she ever turns from the myth to the commonplace, the illusion collapses and the world disintegrates. In this novel, Earthsea suffers precisely such a fate. The mysterious is rendered mundane, fantasy is replaced with reality, imagination is sacrificed to treatise, and the philosophical is surrendered to the prosaic. In the process, Earthsea is reduced to plain old earth. Our imagination is arrested in mid flight and we land with a shattering thump. The third book of the series was a magnificent work. The hero must save Earthsea from the death of its magic. He succeeds, but at great personal cost. In this book, the magic of Earthsea truly dies, but the death comes at the hands of its author and for reasons that are unworthy. This is one of the few books that actively destroys what has gone before. This destruction is so complete that I wish I had never read it and that the memory of Earthsea had been preserved for me unstained.
Rating:
Summary: If you don't like books with a plot, this one's for you.
Review: After reading Tehanu, I decided to check the reviews here. After seeing a number of 5* rankings, I wondered what I had missed. So I reread it. I came to the conclusion that I didn't miss a thing. You can skip to the last 12 pages of the book and not only not miss any action, but also understand the overall point. After droning about the nature of female power for what seems like an eternity, she puts us out of our misery with an anticlimactic non-event. Terry Goodkind has the same intrinsic problem in that he writes diatribes about the evils of communism. However, formulaic as his books are, they at least have plots. I find it tragic that she abused a beautifully developed (and best-selling) fantasy trilogy to write a treatise on feminism. The first three books of the series were very enjoyable. I would recommend them to anyone who likes fantasy. I would recommend this one to anyone who needs a bird cage liner.
Rating:
Summary: Rambling and Pointless
Review: I picked up this book with expectations, which were not fulfilled in the slightest. This tale is rambling, and boring and is a convenient soapbox for the author's feminist views. The EarthSea series always held a special attraction for me. Although they weren't my favorite fantasy series, they were good. With this book, Mrs. Leguin kills the charm of her series for me. The book is without a plot of any kind, just 250+ pages of philosophizing by Tenar about Ged, women, and a burned child. Mrs. LeGuin sets out to expand the role of women in her world, and to make them worthy heroes as well. Unfortunately, she conceives the idea that the best way to do this is to cut down the male heroes she has built up. Ged is turned into a caricature, his power all gone; the remaining men (with the sole exception of Ogion, who dies anyways) are mostly deceitful, cunning, cruel and full of bad intentions towards her as a woman. Old Aunty Moss rambles on the mysteries of being a woman ("who can say how far back a woman goes? who dares question the dark?" who cares?) and declaims men for being flitting creatures, "full of their grand man-meat", poor things. I was disappointed with this follow-upto the EarthSea trilogy. the only things going for it were her still-poetic language and some moments of genuine thoughtfulness. The rest of the book isn't interesting in the least.
Rating:
Summary: Quiet- maybe too much
Review: All of the previous Earth-Sea books are very quiet and thoughtful, almost down to earth, compared to other fantasy books. Tolkien's majestic poetry and nostalgic beauty is missing; so is C.S. Lewis' charm and wit. But the books had an appeal of their own- thoughtful and earthy, they quietly grew upon the reader. The Tombs of Atuan was my favorite. However, by the third book (the Farthest Shore) I was getting a little confused by the choppy narrative and the confusing way the book was put together with the constant character voicing. By the end the imagery had left me behind; also, i was a little fed up with Ged, who was growing more inscrutable than ever. With Tehanu, LeGuin completely gets rid of Ged (for all practical purposes). This is much more similar to all her later short stories. Tehanu isn't really fantasy at all; it deals with human emotions almost ecxlusively. By the middle of the book I was getting fed up once again. Not only was there no plot to speak of(things just 'happened'), character development was more confusing than ever (I have always found this a problem with LeGuin, in that many of her later works are rather enigmatic. Just try reading some of her short stories.) By the end, I didn't really care about the characters or what happened to them. I have to be disappointed with this book; the EarthSea books should probably have been left alone.
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