A Book Review, The Earthsea Quartet – The Tombs of Atuan

Alone she lords over nothing, her existence a lie

As an avid reader of most of Urzula Le Guin’s books such as the infamous A Wizard of Earthsea, I decided to read the Earthsea Quartet, which is a complete saga of the four books in one volume. It comprises of A Wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan, The Farthest Shore and Tehanu. Following the first saga the second tells the tale of Arha (Tenar) who – according to the priestesses of the tombs – is the reincarnation of the former Priestess of Atuan. Chosen by fate and misfortune, and taken from her real parents, Arha who was born on the day of the Priestess’s death, became the successor of the former Priestess to be presented to the Godking of Awabath. And to give her name back to the Nameless Ones, and thus the Priestess ever reborn.

As Arha grew older, her memories of her real parents started to fade as if she had always belonged amongst the ruins of Atuan, its eunuchs and the priestesses who live to continue the existence of a long forgotten era and its traditions. The Eaten One (Arha later on Tenar) had two high priestesses Kossil and Thar as her guardians who groomed her to becoming the next Priestess of the Tombs. Clouded by her surroundings and the people around her, she occasionally questioned what lies outside the tombs of Atuan. But this was often left unanswered due to her youth and the naivety of other young girls surrounding her. In most days, Arha would spend the day learning the sacred songs and dances, the histories of the Kargad land and the mysteries of gods they were dedicated to – the Godking of Awabath, or the Twin Brothers, Atwah and Wuluah. In this case, Arha would spend an hour in the company of Thar – the High Priestess of the Twin Gods – learning the rites of the Nameless Ones.

And as Arha remained in the company of the priestesses, the eunuchs and the dark entities that reside underneath the temples, the time had come for her to explore the labyrinth where the Nameless Ones dwell. Together with Kossil, they ventured into the residence of the Nameless Ones, which seemed like oblivion itself. At age fifteen she was granted the power of the One Priestess of Atuan – the highest Priestess of all high priestesses -, her subjects knelt and bowed before her during the ritual of her ascent to becoming the Priestess of the Tombs, which meant even the Godking himself had no power over her. But despite the powers bestowed upon Arha, it remained as though she was powerless within the realms of the Nameless Ones. Together with Kossil, they made their first attempt to explore the dark realms but it seemed the High Priestess was afraid of what they might see.

The events that followed tell the tale of the Priestess discovering the hidden truth behind the Nameless Ones, her collision with Kossil, meeting the Archmage of Earthsea and reuniting the shattered pieces of the Ring Of Erreth-Akbe, and the destruction of the tombs, but most importantly reclaiming her true name. The tale of The Tombs of Atuan, truly follows the excitement that I got from reading the first saga and is a good re-introduction of Sparrowhawk and his upcoming role in the following stories. It is indeed a must read for those fascinated by the mysteries of antiquity and lives of fallen priestesses.