I loved this novel. It was an excellent representation of what fantasy is, and it was well written to boot. After reading this book, I feel that I can look to Le Guin as a model of how to write fantasy novels. As someone who is trying to write her own novel, I enjoyed the book on an extra level, as it provided many examples for accomplishing certain aspects within a story. I loved the way she introduced Sparrowhawk, and how he was a pretty unlikeable character at first, and the way she transformed him into a sympathetic character. His character was fairly simple too--he had simple motivations, feelings, and reactions. She didn't overcomplicate him or her story, and in that way as well, it was a very refreshing read.