Thursday, June 12, 2008

Powers--Ursula K. Le Guin

Title: Powers
Author: Ursula K. Le Guin
Pages: 502 p.
Publisher: Harcourt
ISBN: 9780152057701

This is the third book in the Annals of the Western Shore series. The first was Gifts
The second one was Voices and I have somehow not posted it here. I must have been pregnant.

Powers is about a young slave boy named Gavir who is able to both remember the past exactly (photographic memory) and remember things that haven't happened yet (predict the future). He doesn't understand his visions until after they have already happened. He is happy enough for a slave, trusting his "Family" completely, until a tragedy strikes and he questions his entire existence. He escapes slavery and begins looking for his true home and identity.

Le Guin is a good story teller and has created a likable, albeit naive character. All of her main characters are flawed in some way--Orrec, Memer (from Voices) and now Gavir. The ending of this book links it to the previous two and hints at more stories to come. It looks as though Le Guin is gathering her heroes... perhaps in the end they will change their oppressive world and get rid of the conflict of occupied countries and slavery?

Although the story itself does stand alone, fans of the first two will want to read this one as well.
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