Powers

I first started reading this book about 3 years ago, immediately after the prior two books. I distinctly remember what I'd read- the early parts depicting Givar's childhood learning and playing, which to my memory was about half of the book, but apparently it was only around 1/4th- unfortunately, as much as I was enjoying the book, it was due at the library and somehow it took me three years to come back to it.

In a way, I'm thankful I was able to save this book a little longer, being able to look forward to it for years. I found myself returning to it with perfect timing. After a few recent disappointing reads, and a longing for some Le Guin, I read Powers at the exact right time. What I found was a complex work, very low on fantasy (Powers feels like a slightly misleading title. The powers are only mentioned off-hand a couple times until the last part of the story, and it never felt like the novel's focus), but big on characters.

Imperialism, slavery, reading, culture, memories, utopia, ideologies, rebellion, revolutions, grief, freedom, learning, justice, work, societies, hierarchies, (betrayal of) trust, morality, ... Whereas books like Earthsea are mythological tales, the annals of the western shore are deeply personal novels of normal people living their life, and Powers exemplifies this most of all. It's a great travel story.

Le Guin at some of her most direct (without ever getting too obvious, like in The Word for World is Forest) and humanist.