A Wizard of Earthsea vs The Wind's Twelve Quarters: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Science Fiction, Fiction
A Wizard of Earthsea
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…
vs
The Wind's Twelve Quarters
This is a collection containing, among other stories, the short story that started the Earthsea series." Along with "The Rule of Names," the story establishes the world and characters of Earthsea. First published in…
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- A Wizard of Earthsea is the quickest read — about 3 hours vs 5 for The Wind's Twelve Quarters.
- A Wizard of Earthsea has the widest readership — 374862 ratings behind its score.
- The Wind's Twelve Quarters runs the darker storyline; A Wizard of Earthsea stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Want a one-evening read?
A Wizard of Earthsea
≈ 3h vs 5h for The Wind's Twelve Quarters
Want the crowd-tested pick?
A Wizard of Earthsea
374862 ratings vs 8243 for The Wind's Twelve Quarters
New to the genre?
A Wizard of Earthsea
Light vs Moderate for The Wind's Twelve Quarters
In the mood for something dark?
The Wind's Twelve Quarters
a darker storyline than A Wizard of Earthsea
Want something lighter?
A Wizard of Earthsea
an easier tone than The Wind's Twelve Quarters
Scores by source
| A Wizard of Earthsea | The Wind's Twelve Quarters | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.0 (374862) | 4.1 (8243) |
| Hardcover | 3.9 (1535) | 4.1 (48) |
| Google Books | 1.0 (1) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (216) | 4.5 (23) |
Reception
| A Wizard of Earthsea | The Wind's Twelve Quarters | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 374862 | 8243 |
| Editions | 87 | 33 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 342214 | 11762 |
| Reading it now | — | 1633 |
| Written reviews | 22239 | 913 |
| Wikipedia attention | 18721 | 1985 |
| Pages | 191 | 303 |