I originally read the Earthsea series when I was pretty young and I enjoyed it a good deal then. A couple of years ago I decided to reread the series (but I only reread the first two) and what struck me then was how much it read like YA fiction (which, of course, it is). The first book did have a lot of telling but I guess I just accepted that because of it felt targeted to the younger-end of YA??? *shrugs*

I also like Ged but in that same sort of distant telling way. He has an interesting tale, I enjoyed it, but yes. Everything you said. I definitely remember liking the books far, far more when I was 12.

Tehanu & feminist polemic: this makes me sad.