Tehanu was written many years after the original trilogy, and is a very different type of book. Where the other books tell of adventures, Tehanu is much more reflective and conversational on the world the characters inhabit. Still fantastic, but fantastic in the way that the real world is already fantastic.

The world of Earthsea is infused with the power of words; it’s appropriate that while reading I recorded words that I didn’t know how to use well. (For example, I understand the word “ire”, but wouldn’t use it myself because I know there was more of an implication than just “anger”.) Below are the words and definitions, mostly as a reference for myself, but maybe you’d like one as well.

Definitions from Princeton Wordnet (I think)

ire

anger: a strong emotion; a feeling that is oriented toward some real or supposed grievance
wrath: belligerence aroused by a real or supposed wrong (personified as one of the deadly sins)

Usage: “the witch accepted her due with unending ire”

wheedle

influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering

usage: “a wheedling kindness”

gnomic

relating to or containing gnomes

This definition is a little disappointing. I thought it would be more explicitly about the earth rather than just about gnomes.

sagacity

the mental ability to understand and discriminate between relations

exigency

a pressing or urgent situation

Usage: “the indifference of a man towards the exigencies that rule a woman”

larder

a supply of food especially for a household

Usage: “living off his larder”

calumny

noun: a false accusation of an offense or a malicious misrepresentation of someone’s words or actions

Usage: “casting calumny and lies”

candor

fairness: ability to make judgments free from discrimination or dishonesty

rebuke

an act or expression of criticism and censure

auspice

a favorable omen

Usage: “and it sounds as if all auspices and events were fortunate”

diffident

showing modest reserve

Usage: “he said it in a diffident way”

This past weeks words were all religious. I liked one particular:

eremite (AIR-uh-myt) noun

A recluse, especially for religious reasons.

[From Latin eremita, from Greek eremia (desert), from eremos (solitary).]

I hadn’t known that the word “hermit” was based off of a different word.

Before that, the subject was fear and desire. I often I have this desire.

onomatomania (on-uh-mat-uh-MAY-nee-uh) noun

An obsession with particular words or names and desire to recall or repeat
them.

[Via Latin, from Greek onoma (name) + -mania (excessive enthusiasm or craze).]

I like this from reading Baudrillard’s Simulacra and Simulation. I don’t know if I understood a word of it, but it left an impression.

simulacrum (sim-yuh-LAY-krum) noun

1. An image or representation.

2. A vague resemblance to something.

[From Latin simulare (to simulate), from similis (like). Ultimately from
the Indo-European root sem- (one) that is also the source of simultaneous,
assemble, simple, Sanskrit sandhi (union), Russian samovar (a metal urn,
literally, self-boiler), and Greek hamadryad (a wood nymph, who lives in
a tree and dies when it dies).]

Something I fear being.

nihilarian (nih-i-LAR-ee-uhn) noun

One who does useless work.

[From Latin nihil (nothing).]

“You may find yourself worrying that you’re turning into a nihilarian.”
Sian Prior; Ineffable; The Age (Melbourne, Australia); Dec 16, 2002.

A word using roots of a word I’m familiar with

cacography (kuh-KOG-ruh-fee) noun

1. Bad handwriting.

2. Incorrect spelling.

[From caco- (bad), from Greek kakos (bad) + -graphy (writing). Caco is
ultimately from the Indo-European root kakka-/kaka- (to defecate) which
also gave us poppycock, cacophony, and cucking stool
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cucking_stool . Opposites of today's word are
calligraphy (beautiful handwriting) and orthography (correct spelling).
A related word is cacology http://wordsmith.org/words/cacology.html ]

ugh

dibs (dibz) noun

The right or claim on something.

[From shortening of dibstones, a children's game played with pebbles.]