Voices (2006) is the second book in the trilogy Annals of the Western Shore, a young adult fantasy series by Ursula K. Le Guin.

The story is set in the fictional city of Ansul, once famed as a center of learning, but invaded and subjugated by the Alds, a desert people who believe the written word to be evil.

The book received acclaim from critics, who praised its nuanced portrayal of religion and cultural conflict, the characterization of Memer, and Le Guin's writing and detailed world building.

Scholar Elizabeth Anderson wrote that the book "[encouraged] young adult readers to imaginatively approach their own encounters with religious difference.

[9] The story begins with Memer narrating her earliest memory: of entering a secret room filled with books, to which the door may only be opened by making shapes on the wall.

[21] Some of Ansul's citizens, led by Sulter's friend Desac, hope to rouse the city against the Alds, taking advantage of the struggle between the Gand and his son.

[25] After another of Orrec's performances, Desac and his rebels set the Gand's tent on fire, sparking sporadic fighting across the city through the following night.

[37] Annals of the Western Shore has a number of themes common across the series, including power, responsibility, slavery, justice, and the place of women in society.

In an essay discussing his impact, Le Guin stated that to find a true sense of community, a child had to confront the unexplored parts of its own self, or what Jung referred to as the "collective unconscious".

[38] Another recurring theme in Voices is the power of words and storytelling, illustrated through the character of Orrec, who uses his poetry to spread ideas of freedom.

[43] Her hatred prevents her from engaging with the Alds in any way: she continually refers to them in a negative manner, and when it is suggested that she attend Orrec's performance for the Gand, is initially reluctant because she wants nothing to do with them.

[47] The idea of cultural openness is illustrated by the character of Tirio Actamo: once a well-known citizen of Ansul who was taken to be the concubine of the Gand, she then wins his love and uses her position to bring about an end to the conflict.

[51] Desac symbolizes the idea of retributive action, which is more emotionally satisfying but ultimately unsuccessful, while Orrec offers the more difficult, but successful method.

[52] [6] Scholars have described their motivations as "religious fanaticism", and have suggested that the depiction of the "single-mindedness" of the Alds is a subtle critique of monotheism and imperialism.

[7] The depiction of a polytheistic religion and a critique of monotheism is a recurring feature of Le Guin's work: in contrast to an omniscient and ever-present God, the deities of Ansul are closely linked to the material world and the daily lives of people.

[52] The beliefs of Ansul have been described as a "polytheist and animist version of panentheism", while the presence of ancestor worship has been likened to practices in Confucianism and Buddhism.

"[52] Literature scholar Elizabeth Anderson argues that Le Guin's critique is directed more at religious fundamentalism than at monotheism.

The Alds' beliefs are more complex than Memer believes: while they despise writing, they value poetry and spoken words, and are moved by Orrec's recitations.

A diplomatic settlement is ultimately what ends the conflict, though Memer acknowledges her unsatisfied desire for revenge as Iddor and his followers are escorted out of Ansul to be tried for treason.

[54] Annals of the Western Shore as a whole has been described as part of a renaissance in Le Guin's work since the publishing of The Birthday of the World in 2002, in which the underlying plot of the novel was not subsumed by socially relevant themes.

[14] The San Francisco Chronicle also wrote that the themes of the book were timely, and that while the plot had "high stakes", Le Guin "[kept] her prose calm and free of melodrama.

"[56] Le Guin's prose was likewise praised by a review in The Buffalo News, which said that "The power of the novel lies...in the language that leaps from the pages and into the brain pan, producing a lovely explosion there.

"[57] A review in the science fiction fan magazine Strange Horizons applauded Le Guin, saying that she "takes nearly every trope of the fantasy genre and deliberately sets them aside,"[58] such as by not painting the Alds as "two-dimensional villains."

[57][59] The Sydney Morning Herald stated that though Le Guin's work was "at once more concrete and more ethereal than the Bradbury", and was a demonstration of her "tremendous skill as a writer".

"[59] Anderson praised the book for "[encouraging] young adult readers to imaginatively approach their own encounters with religious difference.

"[2] According to her, Voices is part of a trend within children's writing of drawing on a variety of religious traditions, and of emphasizing reconciliation, rather than defeat and victory.