zober 's review for:

Powers by Ursula K. Le Guin

4.0

adventurous reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I enjoyed this coming-of-age fantasy story. It follows Gavir's life through various phases/settings, which I won't list in order to avoid spoilers. It's fairly slow, and thought-provoking. Definitely a departure from the plot-focused fantasy best sellers of the current era, but I welcomed it.

Quotes I enjoyed:

Sometimes, they told me, a boy, refusing his second initiation, chose to return to the women's village and live there as a woman the rest of his life.

yesss Ursula with a trans-friendly culture, somewhat implied to be indigenous in nature

I thought of her beautiful sister, and wondered if Melle too would be beautiful. I found myself thinking, "Let her be spared that!"

reminiscent of Daisy hoping her daughter will be a "beautiful little fool" in Great Gatsby, except... a different take on the fact that society only values women for their beauty