Power

This curated selection of titles examines the concept of power and its role in shaping society. The texts in the Power Collection draw upon a wide range of literary traditions and genres to explore concepts related to power and its pursuit, such as equality and injustice, colonialism, authority, and conflict.

The Whistler

by John Grisham

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Femininity, Teamwork, Siblings, Friendship, Loyalty & Betrayal, Justice, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Social Justice, Crime & Law, Politics & Government

The 2016 novel The Whistler by American author John Grisham is a legal thriller that centers on an investigation of corrupt business operations involving Native American gaming. The novel is based on the real-life corruption of US casinos in which entities outside the Native American community illegally offer financial incentives in exchange for long-term profit.This is the 29th of Grisham’s adult novels, which are primarily legal thrillers but also include contemporary and humorous fiction. In... Read The Whistler Summary

The White Devil

by John Webster

Publication year 1612

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Revenge, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Femininity, Social Class, Politics & Government, Justice, Religion & Spirituality

Tags Tragedy, Jacobean Era

First performed onstage in 1612, The White Devil is a revenge tragedy that is loosely based on the murder of Vittoria Accoramboni in Italy in 1585. The full title of the play is The White Divel; or, The Tragedy of Paulo Giordano Ursini, Duke of Bracciano. With The Life and Death of Vittoria Corombona the famous Venetian Curtizan). The play has been performed many times but has not been adapted for film. This guide refers... Read The White Devil Summary

The White Tiger

by Aravind Adiga

Publication year 2008

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Globalization, Power & Greed, Loyalty & Betrayal, Politics & Government, Social Class, Family, Self Discovery

Tags Indian Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature, Poverty, Social Class, Coming of Age

Aravind Adiga’s The White Tiger was published in 2008. Adiga’s first novel, The White Tiger won the Man Booker Prize and was adapted into a movie in 2021. Born in Chennai, India, Adiga has lived in India and Australia, and attended Columbia University in New York and Oxford University in England. A coming-of-age story told through a first-person narrator and letters addressed to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, The White Tiger examines the conflict between tradition... Read The White Tiger Summary

The Wicked King

by Holly Black

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Power & Greed, Death, Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Siblings, Hate & Anger, Daughters & Sons, Family, Revenge, Fear, Trust & Doubt, Politics & Government, Appearance & Reality, Truth & Lies, Shame & Pride, Conflict, Fathers, Perseverance, Wins & Losses

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Magical Realism, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction

... Read The Wicked King Summary

The Widow

by John Grisham

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Fear, Loneliness, Shame & Pride, Midlife, Death, Appearance & Reality, Friendship, Teamwork, Social Class, Community, Economics, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense

... Read The Widow Summary

The Wind Knows My Name

by Isabel Allende

Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Guilt, Apathy, Shame & Pride, Family, Justice, Equality, Good & Evil, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Politics & Government, Immigration

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, World War II, Holocaust, Social Class, World History, History of the Americas, US History, Immigration & Refugeeism, Military & War, Politics & Government, Social Justice, Music, Trauma & Abuse, Race & Racism

... Read The Wind Knows My Name Summary

The Wings of the Dove

by Henry James

Publication year 1902

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Love, Death, Social Class, Power & Greed

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Classic Fiction

The Wings of the Dove (1902) by Henry James tells the story of Milly Theale, a young, wealthy, orphaned New York heiress who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. Seeking to live life to the fullest before she dies, she travels to London with her middle-aged companion, Susan Stringham, where she meets the ambitious and scheming Maud Lowder and her niece, Kate Croy. Kate is secretly engaged to the charming yet penniless Merton Densher... Read The Wings of the Dove Summary

The Wings That Bind

by Briar Boleyn

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Friendship, Power & Greed

Tags Romance, Fantasy

Published in 2026, Briar Boleyn’s The Wings That Bind is the third installment in the Bloodwing Academy books, a popular dark romantasy series. Set in the dark academia-inspired world of Sangratha, the novel follows embattled lovers Medra Pendragon, a half-fae from another realm, and Blake Drakharrow, a highblood vampire prince. After a brutal coup, the magical academy of Bloodwing falls under the tyrannical control of Blake’s cruel uncle, Viktor, forcing Medra and Blake to navigate... Read The Wings That Bind Summary

The Witch Collector

by Charissa Weaks

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Guilt, Hope, Love, Memory, Revenge, Disability, Language, Coming of Age, Future, The Past, Appearance & Reality, Place, Family, Friendship, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Community, Politics & Government, War, Fate, Good & Evil, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Fantasy

... Read The Witch Collector Summary

The Wives

by Tarryn Fisher

Publication year 2019

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Sexual Identity, Femininity, Gender Identity, Power & Greed, Marriage

Tags Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

... Read The Wives Summary

The Wolf and the Crown of Blood

by Elizabeth May

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Revenge, Justice, Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Romance

This dark fantasy romance, the first in a series, is set in a world divided by the Shroud, a magical barrier separating Vartena, the human realm, from Scillari, the realm of the gods. Three hundred years earlier, Amalthea Devaliant drove a ceremonial blade into her own chest and mingled her blood with that of Alexios, the God of Storms, creating the Shroud and establishing the Accords, a peace treaty requiring regular blood tithes to maintain... Read The Wolf and the Crown of Blood Summary

The Woman in Suite 11

by Ruth Ware

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Memory, Mental Health, Midlife, Death, Future, The Past, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Politics & Government, Fate, Good & Evil, Justice, Literature, Loyalty & Betrayal, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Horror & Suspense

... Read The Woman in Suite 11 Summary