I was excited to see a graphic adaptation of Ursula K. LeGuin's work, and explore her worlds. However, I was hesitant to read an adaptation by Fred Fordham, as I was disappointed by both his Great Gatsby and Brave New World.

The adaptation and pacing of the story were done well, showing the contemplative side of a fantasy world. But I was bothered by the contrast between the gorgeously illustrated ocean page-spreads and the panels too dark to see what was happening. Living in a world of darkness is fine, but I couldn't tell who is doing what in many of the panels. The climax felt like a letdown as I flipped through multiple pages of shimmering lights...?

Thank you HarperCollins Children's Books, Clarion Books, and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this book. I really enjoyed this graphic novel adaptation, probably even more than the original. The illustrations are stunning and are very much in tune with the text, sticking very close to the original. Those who pick up this copy and are unaware that the original story came way before, would never know. That’s how seamlessly the story and art intertwine. Looking forward to the rest of the series in this format!

GORGEOUS take on A Wizard of Earthsea. Highly recommend for anyone who loved this series growing up as a kid. I don't think the text was edited too much, and that art is beautiful

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free e-graphic novel arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I did not read the Tales of Earthsea series, but figured I would dip my toes in the water before investing in the novels, and after reading the graphic novel, I am 100% in on starting the series!

The story is about a young boy named Sparrowhawk who comes into his magical powers and is determined to learn more and prove himself and become a great wizard. The story leans into self-reflection and is very philosophical in nature. Sometimes the writing is a little "flowery" in the old fantasy way, but it provides a charm to it.

The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous, and the illustrator really helped to create a detailed journey with Sparrowhawk.

I think anyone who has read the series will really enjoy this, and even if you're like me and have never read the first book, give it a try as it may pique your interest to start!

Beautiful adaptation of the beloved series! I am a longtime fan of Ursula K Le Guin and especially the Earths series, so when I saw that it was getting a graphic novel adaptation, I was thrilled. This is perfect for new and old fans alike!

It's been long-told that LeGuin's Earthsea series is a great alternative to a certain other boy wizard we no longer discuss, so its been on my TBR for a long time. When I saw a graphic novel version of book one on Netgalley, I jumped on it. And I'm so glad I did!

The story follows Ged in the fictional lans of Earthsea. Ged discovers early on that he in magical and is apprenticed to a wizard. From there, he travels to the wizarding school on Roke Island where it's implied that he might be the most powerful wizard in the world. While being taunted by a classmate, he awakens an evil, unnamed shadow that hunts him for his power. In book one, he must confront his shadow in order to be free of it.

For starters, the artwork and graphic storytelling is phenomenal. Fordham has done an amazing job adapting this to the format.

I'm intrigued by the world LeGuin created and drawn to Ged, who is incredibly powerful but also still just a boy who gets cocky, impatient, and makes mistakes.

I'm hopeful that Fordham will make book two. Either way, I plan on continuing to explore the series.

I received this ARC from @netgalley and publisher @harperkids. The opinions are my own.

A Wizard of Earthsea: A Graphic Novel will be released on March 11, 2025.

This graphic novel is not just an absolute feast for the eyes, which it absolutely is: the watercolor work is both magical and absolutely rock-solid, creating a sense of place so real that you believe in in instantly. It's also a damn good adaptation: a way to experience a story known and beloved by many in a manner that's full of love to and care for Ursula le Guin's text. I read them side by side, the novel and the graphic novel, and I had to admire the precision with which the lines were lifted -- and what scenes the artists drew to carry those lines -- to make the experience feel so true to the book. It had to leave out and condense some things, by the limitations of medium and page size, but I think it makes a strong adaptation regardless, especially in the first 2/3 rds of the story. If I had to nitpick, maybe the ending (or the last third) feeled a little too compressed? But it also fits so much development and journeying, both internal and external, for the protagonist that I can see why that aspect would feel harder to render. I would happily buy this on paper as a gift for myself and friends, the art is simply too gorgeous.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an early copy for review. It was a delightful read.

I received an electronic ARC from HarperCollins Children's Books through NetGalley.
I felt this adaptation stayed true to the first book in the series. Obviously, it could not capture every episode but it kept the storyline. The artwork was interesting to study with a mysterious feel. The characters were realistically drawn but readers could still shape them to their own imaginings. Ged's humanness and his powers were presented well.

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.