- First published
- 1968
- Audience
- Young Adult / Crossover
- Series position
- 1 of 6
- Series status
- Complete series
- Commitment
- Medium series
- Profile basis
- Individual book
- Series
- Earthsea
Taste profile
At a glance
- Tone
- Mythic
- Pace
- Measured
- Magic
- High
- Prose
- Literary
- Romance
- None
A gifted young mage must confront the shadow released by his own pride.
The book is short but not slight. Its prose and themes require more attention than its direct plot structure suggests.
Best if you want
- A compact coming-of-age story with philosophical weight.
- Magic rooted in names, balance, and consequence.
Think twice if you need
- Detailed tactical spell mechanics.
- A large relationship-driven cast.
Fantasy Fit Matrix
A Wizard of Earthsea
Individual book / mythic tone / measured pace
Taste intensity
Political intrigue
1/ 5
Darkness
3/ 5
Character focus
4/ 5
Plot complexity
2/ 5
Worldbuilding depth
4/ 5
Taste categories
- Prose difficulty
- LiteraryAccessible / Moderate / Literary
- Romance role
- NoneNone / Subplot / Major thread / Central
- Magic presence
- HighLow / Medium / High
- Magic-system type
- HybridNone / Soft / Hard / Hybrid
Reading commitment
- Series status
- Complete series
- Series commitment
- Medium series
- 6 published books
Outside the score
Reader context
Audience and content guidance help prevent unsuitable matches. They do not change what a Matrix value means.
- Intended audience
- Young Adult / Crossover
- Written for its primary audience, but commonly suitable across age groups.
- Profile basis
- Individual book
- The Matrix values describe this volume, not an average for the whole series.
- Series context
- Earthsea
- Volume 1 of 6 published books.
Reader advisories
- Violence
- Grief and loss
This is practical guidance, not an exhaustive content-warning list.
Data quality
Editorial record
Matrix v1.0 / calibrated / high confidence / reviewed 2026-07-22
If you liked A Wizard of Earthsea, start here.
The closest matches in the current library, calculated with Matrix v1.0. Scores reflect taste similarity and audience suitability. Books from this series are excluded, and each recommended series appears only once.
82.8%
Calculated fit
Complete series
The Riddle-Master of Hed
by Patricia A. McKillip / Riddle-Master
- Best if you want
- Lyrical, compressed fantasy that feels like an old tale.
- Think twice if you need
- Direct explanations or a large ensemble fellowship.
- Closest match
- The strongest alignment is in worldbuilding depth and character focus.
- Biggest difference
- The clearest shift is in plot complexity and political intrigue.
75.6%
Calculated fit
Ongoing series
Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow
by Jessica Townsend / Nevermoor
- Best if you want
- A welcoming but dangerous magical city full of spectacle and secrets.
- Think twice if you need
- A completed series.
- Closest match
- The strongest alignment is in worldbuilding depth and character focus.
- Biggest difference
- The clearest shift is in prose difficulty and subgenre.
75%
Calculated fit
Standalone
The Hobbit
by J. R. R. Tolkien
- Best if you want
- A classic quest with warmth, danger, and a storyteller's voice.
- Think twice if you need
- Modern pacing or psychologically dense characterization.
- Closest match
- The strongest alignment is in worldbuilding depth and political intrigue.
- Biggest difference
- The clearest shift is in prose difficulty and magic presence.
73.6%
Calculated fit
Complete series
Aru Shah and the End of Time
by Roshani Chokshi / Pandava Quintet
- Best if you want
- A completed mythology adventure with humor, puzzles, and friendship.
- Think twice if you need
- Adult romance or grim realism.
- Closest match
- The strongest alignment is in worldbuilding depth and character focus.
- Biggest difference
- The clearest shift is in prose difficulty and subgenre.
73%
Calculated fit
Complete series
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
by J. K. Rowling / Harry Potter
- Best if you want
- School-year discovery and accessible magical wonder.
- Think twice if you need
- Adult moral complexity or political density.
- Closest match
- The strongest alignment is in worldbuilding depth and political intrigue.
- Biggest difference
- The clearest shift is in prose difficulty and darkness.