Powers (novel)

Powers (2007) is the third installment in Ursula K. Le Guin's young adult trilogy, Annals of the Western Shore, following Gifts (2004) and Voices (2006). The novel begins in the city-state of Etra, a society modeled on the Roman Republic where wealthy families own slaves. The protagonist, Gavir, and his sister are slaves of the prominent Arcamand household. Gavir possesses an extraordinary memory and is trained as a teacher, growing up believing his owners are kind. After his sister is raped and killed, he flees the city in grief. Pursued by a slavecatcher, he journeys through various communities in search of a home. The book won the 2008 Nebula Award for Best Novel and earned positive reviews for its examination of power and freedom within society, with critics noting that Le Guin crafted a believable world. Many reviewers felt the novel offered a sense of hope to young readers navigating their own place in the world.

The setting of Powers is the fictional world of the Western Shore, first introduced in Gifts (set in the northern Uplands) and Voices (set in the southern city of Ansul). This civilization was founded by people who crossed a desert from the east, and it comprises several city-states and nomadic groups along the desert's edge. Etra, where the story opens, mirrors the Roman Republic in its political structure. Slaves, considered to have no ancestors, are not permitted to keep their children. Gavir and his sister Sallo, originally from the marsh-dwelling Rassiu people, were kidnapped as children and raised in the Arcamand household alongside the family's own children.

Gavir's gift is an exceptional memory, occasionally allowing him to foresee future events. As a young child, he "remembers" things that have not yet happened, but Sallo warns him to keep this ability secret. All children in the household, both free and enslaved, are taught by an elderly slave named Everra, who prepares Gavir to take over his role. Gavir is treated well by Yaven, the eldest son of the family, but as they grow older, he is often bullied by Yaven's brother Torm and their half-brother Hoby, who was born to a slave woman. When Everra tries to discipline Hoby, Torm challenges him and accidentally kills a younger boy. Torm is sent for military training, and the children pass several quiet years.