A Wizard of Earthsea (The Earthsea Cycle Series Book 1)

When we talked with author Becky Chambers last week for our 300th episode What Should I Read Next celebration, she mentioned as an inspiration. This is the first of the Earthsea series. From the publisher: "Ged was the greatest sorcerer in Earthsea, but in his youth he was the reckless Sparrowhawk. In his hunger for power and knowledge, he tampered with long-held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon the world. This is the tumultuous tale of his testing, how he mastered the mighty words of power, tamed an ancient dragon, and crossed death's threshold to restore the balance."