The second book of the Earthsea Cycle takes us to new lands and new protagonists. Arha, meaning "The Eaten One", is the high priestess of the Nameless One, an Old Power of the Earth who inhabits a temple complex above an ancient labyrinth. She is the first and only priestess, endlessly reincarnated to serve her dark masters. She is also a little girl who used to be named Tenar, who was taken from her family to an isolated desert compound of embittered women and eunuchs. Her faith is old and powerful, and she is the only member of her religion.

Arha is in her late teens when she discovers a thief in the labyrinth she guards, a wizard named Ged. Her duty is to kill him, but she decides instead to prolong his life, to talk about the world, and eventually to lose her faith. Arha's temple conceal half of a great treasure, an ancient ring of power, and Ged has the other half. The two learn to trust each other and make an escape, though Arha's happy ending is partial. Liberty is terrifying.

This is a more subtle and thoughtful novel than the first book, Arha female imprisonment a quieter cry for help than Ged's more traditional quest towards power and knowledge. The final essay by Le Guin is the best part of a good book.