The wizard Alder travels from Roke to the island of Gont to seek Archmage Ged, formerly known as Sparrowhawk.
The man who was once the most powerful mage in the Archipelago now lives quietly with his wife and their adopted daughter.
Alder needs his help: his beloved wife has died and appears to him in dreams from the land of the dead, asking him to be reunited with her. But now he is also haunted by all the dead, who seek his aid in crossing over into the world of the living in Earthsea — something that deeply troubles the wizards.
What is at stake here is far more than the sleep of Alder, a minor mage: the dragons of Earthsea have risen, claiming the land that once belonged to them. Only Tenar, herself the daughter of a dragon, can speak with them.
Perhaps in Alder’s dreams lies the key to the survival of Earthsea and its peoples.
