Tales from Earthsea (earthsea)
by Ursula K LeGuin
If you have never read an Earthsea book, this collection isn't the place to start, as the author points out in her thoughtful foreword; begin with A Wizard of Earthsea . If you insist on starting with Tales of Earthsea , read the foreword and the appended "Description of Earthsea" before proceeding to the five stories (three of which are original to this book).