A Wizard of Earthsea
by Ursula Le Guin (Puffin)

A superbly constructed fantasy world in which young, fearless and proud Sparrowhawk gradually rises to become a wizard. His journey is far from straight forward and he encounters obstacles in himself as much as in the magical world that surrounds him. The first in the tales of Earthsea introduces us to a rich fantastical world where wizards and cultures alike have distinctive identities.