The tombs of Atuan is the second book in the Earthsea Cycle, and is told from the point of view of Arha, the Eaten One. As a child, Arha was known as Tenar, but she is the Priestess of the Nameless Ones, who have eaten her soul.

Sparrowhawk, the Wizard from the first book, comes seeking the other half of the ring of Erreth-Akbe, hidden in the Labyrinth of the Nameless Ones. Although he is captured by Arha, he wins her trust and she cannot make herself kill him.

This is an interesting story, in which we see how a young girl can be shaped by forces outside her control, into what is expected of her. Yet there is still something inside which can be coaxed out, something that is her and no one else.

The descriptions of the desert, the tombs, and the Labyrinth create an atmosphere of timelessness. The unchanging service of the Nameless Ones. The disruption caused by the coming of Sparrowhawk is both jarring and yet also expected. After all, if it simply continued the same way through the entire book, there really wouldn't be a story.

The Tombs of Atuan is another wonderful, strange and classic fantasy novel in the Earthsea cycle, and very satisfying to read.