I was very kindly sent these Earthsea Cycle special editions from The Folio Society and they are gorgeous! This is a review of these specific special editions, so if you are looking for reviews of Ursula K. Le Guin’s books, here are a few useful links:
- Ursula K. Le Guin – All Book Reviews
- A Wizard of Earthsea – Book Review
- The Tombs of Atuan – Book Review
These hardbacks look incredible on my shelves, displayed in their slipcases for protection, so I can’t wait to get into the review.
The Covers
Never judge a book by its cover. I hear that all the time but I’ve spent my whole reading life doing just that and I’ve been happy with my choices so far. These books are no exception.
Earthsea Cycle special editions from The Folio Society are hardbacks and come in neat slipcases. There are two things to talk about when it comes to the covers; the look and the texture.
Illustrated by David Lupton, all the images throughout the book are beautiful, and the covers are no exception. You can see for yourself how strongly the illustrations convey the atmosphere of the world Le Guin created. I could stare at these things for hours!
And the texture is so interesting – in a good way! The covers are almost rough to touch, but in a kind of soothing way… I don’t really know how else to describe them. I think the material used is called blocked buckram, which is a type of fabric.
Inside the Books
All three of the Earthsea Cycle special editions open to printed map endpapers which are beautiful. The endpapers are thick and durable, so you can spend as long as you like pouring over the fantasy map, as many of us fantasy book lovers do sometimes!
Included are 6-7 colour illustrations by David Lupton that capture moments in the books and add so much to the story. Much like when reading Tolkien’s work and then seeing Alan Lee’s depictions of events in his art, Lupton’s interpretations of the text are jaw-dropping.
The books are 9˝ x 5¾˝ and set in Garamond with Dulcinea Serif display which looks professional and suits the tone of the books. They are easy to read, with the spacing between words and letters making it almost impossible to lose your place.
In Closing
This is my first time reviewing products on the site, so if there is anything else you want to know about the Earthsea Cycle special editions, please let me know in the comments.
The Folio Society Earthsea Cycle series is illustrated by David Lupton and exclusively available from The Folio Society.
All bookshots are credited to © The Folio Society.
