The plot of the second book of Ursula LeGuin’s Earthsea series, The Tombs of Atuan, revolves around a maze. The purpose of the maze is to protect the sacred treasure of a sect of priestesses. Sparrowhawk, the hero of the trilogy, winds up trapped in the maze while searching for a magical artifact. The maze contains a lethal trap but the real threat is the multitude of twisting, branching passages which Sparrowhawk attempts to navigate in total darkness while dying if thirst.
