History YMMV / Earthsea

* WriterOnBoard: Le Guin was always a feminist, but between writing the third and fourth books of the series, she came to view many of the classic fantasy tropes she'd used in the original trilogy as sexist. The fourth book, ''Tehanu'', has a drastically different tone and perspective, and some readers ended up feeling like they were being told they were wrong and stupid for having liked the earlier books. The fifth book, ''The Other Wind'', follows up on the themes from ''Tehanu'' but strikes some readers as markedly less preachy.

* FlatCharacter: Aspen seems to exist simply to be there so ''Tehanu'' can have more in-universe feminist themes and a driving antagonist. As a character, it doesn't seem he has ''[[StrawMisogynist any real motives]]'' for completely hating women at all.

** The entire concept of ''The Farthest Shore''. Magic is fading in all of the world, people are obsessed with their mortality and going insane (especially wizards), and [[spoiler: there is ''someone'' behind what's happening, someone powerful enough to be able to defeat the dragons and have control on the dead]]. Most people seem to be on the verge on a Main/DespairEventHorizon for almost the whole book.

* TearJerker: "Firelight", as it's about [[spoiler:Ged's last days, looking back at his adventures and noting how everything came full circle in the end before sailing off to the afterlife in the Lookfar]]. The RealitySubtext of this being the last Earthsea story and published posthumously just makes it hit all the harder.

* {{Anvilicious}}: [[WriterOnBoard The feminist themes]] in ''Tehanu'' are the complete opposite of subtle. Thankfully toned down much more in ''The Other Wind''.

* TearJerker: "Firelight", as it's about [[spoiler:Ged's last days, looking back at his adventures and noting how everything came full circle in the end before sailing off to the afterlife in the Lookfar.]]. The RealitySubtext of this being the last Earthsea story and published posthumously just makes it hit all the harder.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: Ged didn't even appear in the sequel stories despite playing an important role in Tenar's development as a person.

* TearJerker: "Firelight", as it's about [[spoiler:Ged's last days, looking back at his adventures and noting how everything came full circle in the end before sailing off to the afterlife in the Lookfar.]]. The RealitySubtext of this being the last Earthsea story and published after LeGuin's death just makes it hit all the harder.

** From the other direction, some Harry Potter are of the opinion that where Rowling's books improved as she went as she wrote them, Le Guin's suffer SeasonalRot.

* WriterOnBoard: Le Guin was always a feminist, but between writing the third and fourth books of the series, she came to view many of the classic fantasy tropes she'd used in the original trilogy as sexist. The fourth book, ''Tehanu'', has a drastically different tone and perspective, and many readers ended up feeling like they were being told they were wrong and stupid for having liked the earlier books. The fifth book, ''The Other Wind'', follows up on the themes from ''Tehanu'' but strikes most readers as markedly less preachy.

** From the other direction, Harry Potter fans find the later Le Guin books go out of their way to demonize male characters, and where Rowling's books improved as she went as she wrote them, Le Guin's suffer SeasonalRot.

* WriterOnBoard: Le Guin was always a feminist, but between writing the third and fourth books of the series, she came to view many of the classic fantasy tropes she'd used in the original trilogy as sexist.The fourth book, ''Tehanu'', has a drastically different tone and perspective, and many readers ended up feeling like they were being told they were wrong and stupid for having liked the earlier books. The fifth book, ''The Other Wind'', follows up on the themes from ''Tehanu'' but strikes most readers as markedly less preachy.

** Considering how sexist the earlier Earthsea books are and how a lot of real life women still suffer from the same limitations, probably a case of SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped.

** Aspen's motivations was clear enough: he was [[DragonAscendant a follower of Cob]] and jealous of Ogion's trust in Tenar. He used Earthsea's common prejudices against witches (that had been established as far back as the first book) as one of multiple methods by which to attack her, and by extension Ged, and undermine their authority.

* WriterOnBoard: Le Guin was always a feminist, but between writing the third and fourth books of the series, she came to view many of the classic fantasy tropes she'd used in the original trilogy as sexist. Which, to be fair, they totally were. What else could you call a world that bars women from one of its most important callings (magical education) and has "weak/wicked as women's magic" as a common saying? The fourth book, ''Tehanu'', has a drastically different tone and perspective, and many readers ended up feeling like they were being told they were wrong and stupid for having liked the earlier books. The fifth book, ''The Other Wind'', follows up on the themes from ''Tehanu'' but strikes most readers as markedly less preachy.

* FandomRivalry: A little with ''Literature/HarryPotter''; inevitable given the two series' similar premises and that popular things will always be compared to everything. Earthsea fans feel that it was popularity-snubbed in favor of the (to them) more poorly-written/unliterary ''Potter''. It doesn't help that Le Guin herself has criticized the series.
** Most of her venom seems reserved for clueless reporters who don't realize how much Rowling adapted/borrowed from old fantasies (including this one)... Quoth Le Guin, "I read a review that called the Harry Potter Books a great, original work. I agree with the first part."

** FridgeBrilliance: [[MakesSenseInContext Makes sense]] when you consider who [[UnreliableNarrator the main character]] of ''Tehanu'' and most of ''The Other Wind'' is.