Desolation

Powers Legacy #1

by Starr Z. Davies

They were born with power. But in a broken world, power isn’t always enough.

Paige and Gavin Powers are the legacy of a legend—the children of the savior of Elpis. Gavin can bend matter, wield energy, and absorb knowledge like a machine. He’s everything Elpis could hope for. Paige is just trying to prove she belongs.

Paige is tired of being underestimated. Tired of her father's disappointment. And when a mysterious signal suggests there may be life beyond the desolate wasteland, she finally gets her shot. Alongside her brother and a team of elite recruits, Paige ventures beyond the city’s borders into a dead world filled with dangerous secrets.

But what they find out there changes everything—and survival may demand more than power. It may demand sacrifice.

Desolation is the explosive first book in the Powers Legacy series — a genre-bending blend of dystopian grit, post-apocalyptic danger, and superpowered stakes. Perfect for fans of Red Queen, The Maze Runner, and The Darkest Minds.

Genres: Post Apocalyptic, Dystopia, Science Fiction

290 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 29, 2023

About the author

Starr Z. Davies is a bestselling author and winner of numerous book awards.

She writes by the lake, dreaming up new ways to torture her characters. She's best known for her soul-crushing historical fantasy and genre-blending dystopian worlds of futuristic cities and fantasy realms. ​She has recently shifted into the realm of epic fantasy novels, where she expects to settle for a long time to come.

Starr's an avid reader with a Bachelor's in writing and publishing. During undergrad, she gained a reputation as the Character Assassin, because she knew how to destroy (and often kill) her characters with impunity.

She's proficient at producing action-packed, character-rich stories that her readers love.

Reviews

[Herman Steuernagel · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible read!

I've read Davies' Powers series, and loved it, so naturally I was excited to hear that Starr had another series in the same universe coming out.

But WOW this book caught me off guard.

Told from three points of view, Desolation takes place a generation after the Powers series ends. You do not need to read the Powers series first, Davies does a great job at bringing you up to speed, and this is truly a separate story. (However, you should still read the Powers series, because it's great).

Other comments have mentioned it starts slow, but I disagree. The beginning may not be laden with action, but I never once thought things were dragging along, and the second half makes up for any pulse-pounding action you may have felt you missed.

Typically, I am not a fan of multiple first person POV stories. It is incredibly difficult for authors to keep their own voices out enough to make each character sound distinct from one another. But I never once felt that way throughout this book and not once had to check back to see who's POV I was in. Each character had their own unique voice, and Starr executed this extremely well.

I connected so well with each of the characters, and each are given their own set of motives, fears and desires that comes through eloquently on the page. The world-building is on point, and brought to life in vivid detail.

Not only is this my favourite book by Davies (so far), this honestly will likely be one of my top reads of this year, and I will absolutely be grabbing the next in series.
Do not miss this one!

[Lori Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received as an audio review copy from Story Origin, this is an honest review. Wonderfully narrated by Cole Robert Eubanks, Desolation is the story of what's has come since Eugene Powers and trusted cohorts forever changed Elpis from the day they challenged their ruthless, structured government. Now it's Eugene's children Gavin and Paige to begin to make their upon Elpis. It begins when a mysterious signal is discovered that could mean of those that call Elpis home, there many be other humans outside of their sheltered walls. The dangerous mission finds both Gavin and Paige proving their worth to each other along with showing their superiors they are far more than just the children of the legendary Eugene Powers. What is discovered beyond a crumbled world is individuals on the hunt for new recruits and tributes for a hidden kingdom that Paige finds herself embroiled in that could alter far more than future of Elpis. Poignant, intense and captivating, Desolation is your complex adventure of the summer.

Highly recommended.

[Laura Juntunen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a fun story and I cannot wait to dive into book two!

One of my favorite things in this book is that the two major regions of survivors have such different lives. One group is massive and highly advanced, while the other side seems more primal and stuck in the dark ages. This is really interesting to see side-by-side in a dystopian, sci-fi.

The characters drew me in throughout the story. I'm excited to see the relationships build in the next book.

[Molly Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Wow, this book was a ride for sure. Desolation is the first book in a new series by the author Starr Z. Davies that is called Powers Legacy. From the start we are trown into the story and world building of this dystopian world after an apocalyptic event that changed the world as we know it. The writing was super good and the concept was captivating but I’m gonna be honest, the first two chapters did keep my attention fully and I was so exited to continue but after that the book does become more slow. Even tough it is a quick read I found some of that first 50% sometimes tedious or too slow for me. Don’t get me wrong I did like the story and some chapters were truly interesting but I wished there would be more action In that part. After that first 50% everything started picking up and I could put the book down, it was twist after twist, revelation after revelation and so much action. After that I understood that all that slow story in the beginning had a purpose and I was super exited to continues reading. This book truly made me feel all the emotion from absolutely hating some characters like I have never hated a character before to loving others I tough I wouldn’t like. It made me feel happiness, despair, hatred, sadness and so much more. This book truly was an amazing first installment to this series. I can’t wait to read more about the characters and the story. If you are looking for a dystopian read with a society built around powers then this book is for you. I absolutely recommend this book and recommend to anyone that feels like I did in the first half to continue the story because it truly becomes incredible and it is a story worth sticking around for. Congratulation to the author for writing this amazing world and I’m exited to read the next book in this series.

[Nancy (The Avid Reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Desolation is the first book in the Powers Legacy series and it starts off with a blast right from the first page. Bullets are flying everywhere as Desolation starts off. Once I read that first page I was hooked. The action kept me glued to my seat. It never let up from the first page to the last. There was some sort of action on just about every page.

Desolation tells the story of Ugene Powers' children, Paige and Gavin’s story. I loved delving into Paige and Gavin’s story. Paige wants to show her parents that she has what it takes to be a Powers and that she is just as good as her brothers. Gavin’s only thoughts are just to keep his sister safe.

They get a signal that makes them believe that they may not be the only ones in the universe. Paige joins a mission to find out if there is anyone out there. Paige and her team set out to find where this mysterious signal is coming from and who it may be. Brother Gavin tags along so he can keep an eye on his sister.

I sorely loved reading about Ugene’s children and seeing how far they have come in the world. I enjoyed following along on their mission. When I was reading Desolation I could see it all playing out in my mind’s little eye.

When I was reading Desolation I kept seeing the world of Vikings and The 100. When I am reading a story I guess I relate it to what I am watching at the moment. Well, that is if they are relatable of course.

I would like to see Desolation made into a TV show. I do believe that Desolation would make a great TV show. I can’t wait for the next book to see where the world of the Powers Legacy goes next.

I love this world and all of its characters and I highly recommend Desolation to all dystopian and post-apocalyptic fans! Grab your copy of Desolation today!

[Priscila]

It's really rare for me to do this, and I'm sorry about it, but this is a DNF for me. The world and the premise of this story sound really intriguing (and are what caught my attention in the first place), and since this came recommended by a trusted Dystopian author, I thought I'd give it a go. Yes, there's language, but I was willing to overlook it since this enhanced Earth society seemed interesting, especially with the main characters (Paige and Gavin) being the kids from a Superior who rebelled against the higher-ups and created, in a way, a new society. However, I didn't know (read: it wasn't in the blurb, nor in the Amazon ranks, nor in the Goodreads genres, nor in any of the reviews that I read) that this book had LGBTQ+ representation since Gavin is gay. I debated whether to continue with this book, since, again, the plot is intriguing, the action hooks you from the first chapters, Gavin is a super genius and Paige has some really cool powers, but based on that aforementioned detail, I know I'm not the intended public for this story. After all, reading is meant to be enjoyed, not endured. I'm just sorry I didn't know sooner, so I wouldn't have requested a code. However, since it was given to me "in good faith that [I'd] leave a fair and unbiased review", here we are.
Also, a note on the narrator, he's really good with giving different voices to the characters, but maybe he could work a bit more on the female ones. His strength is clearly in the male ones.
So, if you're looking for a dystopian read and do not have the same issues as me, I'm pretty sure this is the book for you. As for me, so long with this author.

[TaniaRina · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘People are more important than knowledge’
But are they really? In how many countless situations do scientists and/or government leaders choose “the learning” over humanity? Do we *really* need to know how to do X, Y, Z when we haven’t yet figured out a cure for the common cold or how to feed everyone?

‘I’ll be “darned” if anyone…will hold me back from using what I have.’
A curvilinear relationship with time is not a weakness, but rather gift. We NeuroDivergents (NDs) can concentrate much deeper and for longer than NeuroTypicals (NTs), forgoing our biological needs in order to get the job done. You’re welcome.

I read the prequel earlier this year and can honestly say that I can still relate to the characters. Paige and Gavin have grown up (or older?) and their personalities really come through. They have a healthy sibling relationship.

There are different types of strength. Gavin wants to protect his sister…and she works in Security. Physical security. He thinks highly of her, yet recognizes that situations demand specific skills:
‘But there are dangers out there that can’t be beaten with fists and feet.’
When somebody compliments him on the strength he exhibited during a meeting, his first thoughts were that his sister was ‘the strong one, the brave one’ – not him.
‘You are just as powerful without Powers as you are with. Just remember they aren’t the answer to everything.’

Fave quote:
‘Sometimes, before we can fix something, we have to tear it apart.’

The ending is complete, yet clearly sets up the subsequent book ‘Infiltration’.

[Melanie S · Rating 5 out of 5]

The future of starting over

Here begins an epic tale of a broken, post-apocalyptic Earth, concerning two groups of survivors: the city of Elpis,a democracy where Powers are normal; and the Kingdom of Tides, an empire where Powers are rare, reserved for Royalty, and a terrorized population hides their Power possessing children from royal enslavement. Neither entity is aware of the existence of the other. A rare energy event triggers Elpis to send an exploratory team outside the city, to learn more about it. Gavin and Paige, children of the hero of Elvis democracy, are on the team. Simultaneously, The king of Tided has died, along with his eldest son and heir. The crown has passed, irregularly, to the second prince, who sends his despised bastard brother Zephyr on a kingdom-wide search for Power-possessing Tribute - subjects to be royal soldier-slaves (male) or royal concubines and breeders (female). Inevitably the two expeditions cross paths with deadly and disastrous results, which serve as harbinger for yet more dire perils for all the known world, and Gavin, Paige, and Zephyr in particular.
The world-building is stunning, densely detailed with a history, geopolitical entities whose existence destines them for conflict; and individual characters - major and minor - who stand out vividly as individuals and serve as archetypes in the coming struggle. Reading this story is a full-on immersion experience, powerful, gripping - and intensely frustrating when the cliffhanger ending crashes into the reading experience. There is no help for this: the reader is in the enthralling grip of an alt/future saga centuries in the making, and it will not, cannot, be resolved within the confines of a modern novel. As much as I hate cliffhangers, this is one of those utterly necessary Tolkien-esque devices that breaks the overpowering whole into human-scale bits. There can be no other way to write, or read, this story, and I am on pins and needles awaiting the next turn of the world.
This voluntary, unbiased ARC review is an invitation for the brave and adventurous reader to begin an epic journey into an unknown future. Join me.

[Ruby Ridge · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given this book complimentary from BookSirens in e-book form in return for my honest review. Everything stated in this review is of my own opinion and I was not compensated monetarily for providing this review.
To be clear, a three star rating is not a bad rating - it is neutral. The story is slow and this is due to the current thing where every book has to be a trilogy and when they say trilogy they mean take what should be a decent sized novel, bloat it, then chop it into three. A trilogy has three distinct sections (eg. "Lord of the Rings") this is not a trilogy.
That being said this is not a bad book although a little bland but it really picks up in the last 10% - enough to make you feel quite cheated when it comes to an abrupt halt.
Apparently there are three books prior to this one but this does not affect this one - I did not feel at a disadvantage for not having read them before. Almost like this should be the second novel in a trilogy!
If you like dystopian post apocalyptical books you could do a lot worse.

[Kate Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

First in a new series that is also a spinoff (BUT you don’t have to have finished the previous series), Desolation follows the children of Eugene Powers (from the original series) as they navigate a new set of threats. Set in a post-apocalyptic world where everyone has powers, the Powers series focuses on heroes - unlikely or not - who do everything in their “power” to make the world a better place.

When a post-apocalyptic civilization that thinks they’re alone in the world gets an unlikely signal informing them of the possibility of other life, they’re desperate to locate more survivors. Unfortunately, they don’t know what kind of power struggle they’re walking into, which leads to battles, intrigue, and so much more.

A young adult dystopian novel with great world building and characters, Desolation will have you wanting more!

[Jocelyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first installment in the Powers Legacy Series, a sequel to the Powers Series, following the children of Ugene Powers, the Minister and Hero of Elpis. This is a great mystery YA Sci-Fi Dystopian Saga. Paige and Gavin's story is entertaining and captivating. They are both interesting characters. The supporting characters are intriguing. The storyline is complex, original, intense, and enthralling. I liked the characters, the world building, the action, and the twists and turns. Cole Robert Eubanks did an outstanding job bringing this story to life. I enjoyed it. The story ends with a cliffhanger, and I am looking forward to listening to Infiltration, the next installment in the series. #StoryOrigin

[Sentinelle23 · Rating 4 out of 5]

🌄🌇😰A good post-apocalyptic dystopia.



Paige raced down the mountain, easily overcoming obstacles. Her team was trying to follow her with difficulty.

It was supposed to be a routine operation, but they had come under fire...
Where did it come from?...

----‐-------------

A good dystopia that allows us to follow three main characters in a post-apocalyptic world in which a majority of people have undergone genetic enhancements.

I much preferred the character of Paige than that of Gavin or Zephyr.

I found the plot mysterious and attractive.
I wonder what will happen in volume 2...

I recommend this first volume of this new dystopian series full of twists and turns.
🌄🌇😰

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook: I enjoyed this first book in the "Powers Legacy" series that featured the trials and tribulations of Paige and Gavin Powers. Both children have a lot of expectations to deal with as the children of Ugene Powers, who was now the Minister of Elpis. I liked the characters. I appreciated the relationship between the two siblings. The story was so absorbing that I listened to the audiobook in one sitting. This book ended on a cliffhanger, and I'm looking forward to the next book with great excitement. Cole Robert Eubanks' narration was fine as his voice was pleasant. I was given a free copy of the audiobook, and I have voluntarily posted this review.

[Lisa Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a fun read in so many ways. I would recommend reading The Power Series first, but this book can also stand on its own. The author did a great job bringing the reader into the story and building it to a fiery crescendo. The characters were likeable, the writing flowed and the narrative kept me intrigued. I will definitely continue on to book two to find out what happens to Paige, Gavin and Zephyr. This is a great series for YA and adult readers who enjoy the likes of The Maze Runner and Divergent.

[Shannon Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed getting to see the world through Paige, Gavin, and Zephyr' eyes. It is interesting to see how the different places handled the changes and the fallout. I like seeing the use of powers in the world and stories, and I am excited for the next part of the story. I am really enjoying the plot, characters, and world!

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay this book is SOOO good! I am hooked. I realized there is so much more to the Powers World, a whole other series actually! I can’t wait to dive in to each one of the books in this world. The author did an amazing job building characters and growing this world in a way that you feel connected to everything as it happens!

[Tatyana (The Literature Llama) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a fun and wonderful book! I loved all the little pieces from the first series and the world building. Griffin and Paige are the perfect set of siblings and I loved how different their personalities were. The cast of characters were all so unique and wonderful. This was the perfect dystopian book with the best twists and turns.

[Kirsty Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing starter of a series. Really caught my attention and I look forward to more. There was just enough back story to the characters to keep me intrigued and wanting more. I would definitely recommend this series.

[Lynn Dignan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Storyline is different than what I’m use to so it took me a little to get into but the moment I got into it I couldn’t stop it. Great story, cannot wait to to continue. The narrator did a great job in separating the different characters by individualizing each person.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Desolation (Powers Legacy #1) by Starr Z Davies is a well written start to this post dystopian series. I totally recommend and look forward to reading more.