Powers Audiobook By Ursula K. Le Guin cover art

Powers

Annals of the Western Shore, Book 3

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Powers

By: Ursula K. Le Guin
Narrated by: Andy Paris
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Winner of the Nebula Award for Best Novel: A young man tries to come to grips with his strange gifts as he sets out on a dangerous journey.

Brought up in comfort as a house slave for a great family, young Gavir can recall the page of a book after seeing it once. Sometimes he even “remembers” things that are going to happen in the future—a power Gav cannot explain or control, and one that his beloved older sister wisely advises him to keep secret. But when tragedy destroys his trust in all he has ever known, he flees in blind grief, setting off on a treacherous journey towards a goal he does not understand. Is Gav seeking freedom? Or his own people? Then there is the greatest mystery of all: the true use of his powers.

“This follow-up to Gifts and Voices may be the series’ best installment,” raved Booklist, while the Toronto Star praised Le Guin for “her facility in world making and her interest in human nature” in “a good, long trek of a fantasy.”

Shortlisted for a Locus Award, the third book of the Annals of the Western Shore is an epic story of survival and self-discovery that brings its hero home at last to a place where he has never been before.

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

Accolades & Awards

Nebula Award
2008
Difficult Situations Nebula Award Literature & Fiction Racism & Discrimination Fiction Fantasy Science Fiction & Fantasy Discrimination Family & Relationships Family

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)
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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.

Masterful but too realistic

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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.

Powers? what powers?

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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

awesome story

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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.

2008 Nebula Award Winner

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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.

a delight!

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