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In the third book of the Earthsea Cycle, Earthsea suffers a potentially disastrous epidemic. People all over the world are having their joy sucked out of them, getting into a semi-vegetative state and dying. After some thorough research, Ged, now Archmage of Earthsea, finds that they are being lured into the kingdom of the dead, from which they cannot return to life. And so Ged and Arren, a young prince and descendant of Earthsea's most legendary hero, set out to find a way into the kingdom of the dead and challenge the person responsible for the 'epidemic'. But who is he, where can he be found, and how can they stop something as fundamental as death taking over life? After a long quest, they meet their villain, and a spectacular finale ensues.

The problem with The Farthest Shore is that it takes Ged and Arren a very long time to get to the kingdom of the dead. Of course, this is understandable; I wouldn't know how to get there either, short of jumping in front of a train (an approach which wouldn't have helped Ged much, if they had had trains in Earthsea). And yes, I'm aware that in this kind of story, it's usually about the journey rather than the destination, but somehow the journey doesn't really work for me here. Sure, it's nice to see more of Earthsea and get better acquainted with its inhabitants, and it's interesting to watch Ged (the teacher) and Arren (his pupil) interact, but it doesn't really propel the story forwards. As a result, the book has a meandering feel that is not entirely made up for by the excellent final chapters. So I'm giving the book three and a half stars, generously rounded up to four because I do like the mood of the story and the ending.