Powers

Annals of the Western Shore, Book 3

By: Ursula K. Le Guin

Narrated by: Andy Paris

Nebula Award Winner, Novel, 2008

Young Gavie sometimes "remembers" the future. But as a slave living among those who feel threatened by the powers of the Marsh people, Gavie must hide his abilities. And then tragic events force the grief-stricken Gavie to flee the only world he's ever known. In his perilous quest for freedom, Gavie must learn to harness his unique gifts, or he may never find a place he can call home.

Ursula K. Le Guin's haunting epic of survival, selfdiscovery, and hope is third in a sequence that begins with her PEN Award-winning Gifts.

Listen to Gifts.©2007 Ursula K. Le Guin (P)2007 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

• 2008 Nebula Award, Best Novel

"Powers has been published as a young adult novel, but reviewers agree that anyone will enjoy Le Guin's complex characters, fascinating worlds, and explorations of power and learning." (Bookmarks magazine)

Masterful but too realistic

Ursula K. Le Guin writes pristine prose. And she knows a lot about human interactions. In many ways, this book is about how we can find a way to live in unjust circumstances. But it's also a little too realistic: there is no resolution and no refuge from injustice. The ending, for that reason, felt really flat. I don't regret listening to this, but I don't know if I can recommend it.

Powers? what powers?

Virtually NOTHING happens the first half of the book...then very very little happens. There is minimal character development, but not enough to make this even close to worth the time. Maybe it is leading up to something in book seven. Ursula Le Guin has written amazing books - but this is not one of those. Still the prose are fine.

awesome story

this would be my second time listening to the book and each time it is good to me yes warmly familiar. about a young man following his dreams and the trials he endures.
I will let my memories fade and listen to perhaps in about a year it will still be great

2008 Nebula Award Winner

I had never heard of this series and thought I'd take a chance on them because of the author. These are well written, thoughtful books that really deserve as much attention as her other works. Each audio reader does a good job. Each book could stand on its own, too. The stories are complex (I mean that in a good way - as in, not simplistic). It's just good literature. (...hence the Nebula award.) She respects the intelligence of the reader/listener and the maturity of her characters' thoughts and actions reflects that.

I really enjoyed Le Guin's Earthsea trilogy, so for those of you looking to compare them, this has a less dark theme and these are more about the people than about the magic - if that matters to you. As I listened to all three books, I found myself thinking, "These are really good books!" as I got into each. And they stayed good right to the ending of each. They really deserve just as much attention as other bestsellers in the field.

a delight!

my favorite in this series is Voices, the second book, but this one is also a delight; a long, thorough tale, with sadness and love and adventure...very well read, too.

Just Right

This book is so interesting that I can barely find words to summarize it. It defies summation. It convinced me that Ursula K Le Gun truly deserves all the critical praise and adulation. Each of the previous two books in this trilogy had a crucial flaw. In this volume, Le Guin manages to combine the best aspects of Gifts and Voices and leave out all the problems.

Don't go into this book expecting high fantasy adventure or magnificent displays of magical might. This is a book that explores the idea of freedom and self agency (of personal power). It doesn't lecture you. It simply uses every word of its story to reinforce a central idea: if everyone in a society isn't free then no one is truly free.

Le Guin's best!

This book is easily the best Le Guin book I have ever read. After finishing it, I immediately shared it with my wife who also fell in love with it. Though it takes place in the Western Shore series, it completely stands alone, with only cameos of the characters from the earlier books. It also outshines the others so much that if you only ever read one, by all means read this one!

Astoundingly good.

Excellent narration. I felt that I was with the protagonist every step of the way as he grew through the joys and tragedies of his life as a slave then through his journey of discovering on fleeing that life. The ending was heartbreakingly beautiful. I don't understand the poor reviews. One of LeGuin's finest most touching works. I often find 1st person narrative difficult and contrived. Here it worked seamlessly as I felt I travelled a lifetime with this young man.

Another Amazing tale by Ursula LeGuin

Annals of the Western Shore is mesmerizing Saga in three books. I never tire of reading or listening to the writing of Ursula K. LeGuin.

OK

Not her best work. Story was too slow in developing and left too many loose ends.