The Books of Earthsea (1968)

Six books, totaling 1000+ pages. I read them in one go, one after the other, lying on a beach on Redang Island. The first three books are setting up this fantasy world, full of magic and dark teenagers (yes, it's very much "young adult"). The three last books dive into deeper topics and place a critical lens on a world that had so far revolved around men.

Ursula K. Le Guin wrote the first book of the series in 1968. The last book was completed in 2001. In the space of 33 years, a lot has changed in her way of thinking and seeing things. She was able to seamlessly inject these new ideas and values into this existing world, enriching it beyond the original young adult setup.

The first trilogy of books is good. The second trilogy is outstanding.