The initial three books form a tight narrative arc concerning the life of Ged (Sparrowhawk). They are founded on the Taoist concept of balance, but a balance enforced by a male, hierarchical priesthood.
The Earthsea cycle is unique in speculative fiction because it allows the reader to witness the author’s own ideological evolution. Written over a span of nearly thirty years (1968 to 2001), the series does not simply continue a narrative; it critiques its own foundations. To understand the "order" of Earthsea is to understand the shift from a patriarchal hierarchy of power to a holistic, eco-centric view of equilibrium (Le Guin, 2004).
In the second installment, Le Guin subverts the quest narrative by shifting the perspective to Tenar, a priestess of the Nameless Ones. While the first book explored "light" and power, this book explores "darkness" and the ancient, chthonic powers that the wizards of Roke dismiss or fear. It is the necessary counterweight to the first book, introducing the feminine principle that Ged must rescue, and be rescued by. It complicates the hierarchy established in the first book, suggesting that powers exist outside the wizardly canon.
