The Other Wind vs The Tombs of Atuan: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Wizards in fiction, Magic in fiction, American Fantasy fiction, Wizards, Magic, Fantasy fiction
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 -…
The Tombs of Atuan
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Arha's isolated existence as high priestess in the tombs of Atuan is jarred by a thief who seeks a special treasure.
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Tombs of Atuan has the widest readership — 141012 ratings behind its score.
- The Tombs of Atuan runs the darker storyline; The Other Wind stays the lighter read.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| The Other Wind | The Tombs of Atuan | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.2 (34522) | 4.1 (141012) |
| Hardcover | 4.0 (189) | 4.1 (672) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (28) | 4.5 (263) |
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Reception
| The Other Wind | The Tombs of Atuan | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 34522 | 141012 |
| Editions | 30 | 67 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | — | 49252 |
| Reading it now | — | 3569 |
| Written reviews | — | 7831 |
| Wikipedia attention | 3071 | 4771 |
| Pages | 276 | 181 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: The Other Wind or The Tombs of Atuan?
The Other Wind has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Other Wind 4.2/5, The Tombs of Atuan 4.1/5).
Which is shorter to read: The Other Wind or The Tombs of Atuan?
The Tombs of Atuan is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Tombs of Atuan (181 pages, ≈ 3 h 21 m); The Other Wind (276 pages, ≈ 5 h 07 m).
Which is harder to read: The Other Wind or The Tombs of Atuan?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The Other Wind: Moderate; The Tombs of Atuan: Light.