a well-written fantasy novel set in fascinating world...

short plot description: told from the perspective of Arren, prince of the land Enlad, we follow the chain of events set in motion when Arren brings a message from his father to the wizards of Roke and their archmage Ged Sparrowhawk. The magic of Earthsea is failing and practioners of the magic arts are losing their words of power and their minds. Worried about this development Ged Sparrowhawk and Arren embark on a journey which will bring them to the farthest shore of Earthsea and even beyond...

My thoughts: though there is a sword and sorcery and a quest and dragons this is not your typical sword-and-sorcery book. The pacing is slow and Le Guin goes to some lengths to acquaint us with the charactes and their motivation. This is the third book in the Earthsea cycle so the world is quite settled but again Le Guin has intersting things and people to add to Earthsea.
Again we meet Ged Sparrowhawk, a main character in the first two Earthsea-novels, here as an older man whose youthful fire from the earlier novels has been replaced with wisdom.
Quite philosophical in places about questions of life, death and what it is that makes both of them so awesome and terrifying.

My advice: can be read as a stand-alone book but for a better understanding of Ged Sparrowhawk and the world of Earthsea it's better to start with "A wizard of Earthsea" and continue from there.