Tehanu (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 4) vs The barbed coil: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Wizards, Fantasy, Fiction
Tehanu (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 4)
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In this final episode of "The Earthsea Cycle", the widowed Tenar finds and nurses her aging friend, Sparrowhawk, a magician who has lost his powers.
The barbed coil
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Tessa McCamfrey, young and rootless resident of Southern California, has never found much in life that interests her. All of that changes when she stumbles upon a ring that transports her to a distant time and place.…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Tehanu (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 4) is the quickest read — about 4 hours vs 11 for The barbed coil.
- Tehanu (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 4) has the widest readership — 62295 ratings behind its score.
- The barbed coil runs the darker storyline; Tehanu (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 4) stays the lighter read.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| Tehanu (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 4) | The barbed coil | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.1 (62295) | 3.9 (2612) |
| Hardcover | 4.0 (316) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (183) | — |
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Reception
| Tehanu (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 4) | The barbed coil | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 62295 | 2612 |
| Editions | 30 | 14 |
| Film adaptations | — | 1 |
| Want to read | — | 1471 |
| Reading it now | — | 45 |
| Written reviews | — | 102 |
| Wikipedia attention | — | 81 |
| Pages | 255 | 624 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Tehanu (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 4) or The barbed coil?
Tehanu (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 4) has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Tehanu (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 4) 4.1/5, The barbed coil 3.9/5).
Which is shorter to read: Tehanu (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 4) or The barbed coil?
Tehanu (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 4) is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Tehanu (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 4) (255 pages, ≈ 4 h 43 m); The barbed coil (624 pages, ≈ 11 h 33 m).
Which is harder to read: Tehanu (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 4) or The barbed coil?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Tehanu (The Earthsea Cycle, Book 4): Moderate; The barbed coil: Moderate.