A Wizard of Earthsea vs The Other Wind: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Earthsea, Wizards in fiction, Magic in fiction, Wizards, Magic, Fantasy fiction
A Wizard of Earthsea
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The first novel of Ursula K. Le Guin's must-read Earthsea Cycle. "The magic of Earthsea is primal; the lessons of Earthsea remain as potent, as wise, and as necessary as anyone could dream." (Neil Gaiman) Ged was the…
The Other Wind
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"The sorcerer Alder fears sleep. He dreams of the land of death, of his wife who died young and longs to return to him so much that she kissed him across the low stone wall that separates our world from the Dry Land -…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- A Wizard of Earthsea has the widest readership — 374862 ratings behind its score.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| A Wizard of Earthsea | The Other Wind | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.0 (374862) | 4.2 (34522) |
| Hardcover | 3.9 (1535) | 4.0 (189) |
| Google Books | 1.0 (1) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (216) | 4.5 (28) |
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Reception
| A Wizard of Earthsea | The Other Wind | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 374862 | 34522 |
| Editions | 87 | 30 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 342214 | — |
| Written reviews | 22239 | — |
| Wikipedia attention | 18721 | 3071 |
| Pages | 191 | 276 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: A Wizard of Earthsea or The Other Wind?
The Other Wind has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Other Wind 4.2/5, A Wizard of Earthsea 4.0/5).
Which is shorter to read: A Wizard of Earthsea or The Other Wind?
A Wizard of Earthsea is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: A Wizard of Earthsea (191 pages, ≈ 3 h 32 m); The Other Wind (276 pages, ≈ 5 h 07 m).
Which is harder to read: A Wizard of Earthsea or The Other Wind?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — A Wizard of Earthsea: Light; The Other Wind: Moderate.