Powered

In 1950s Augusta, Georgia, superpowers are real—but becoming a hero depends on more than what you can do.

Eric Whitman has dreamed of heroism since his powers first appeared. Gifted with extraordinary crystal energy but unable to fully control it, he has spent years being treated as a liability instead of a hero.

Carfey Freeman has the opposite problem.

Quiet, disciplined, and far more powerful than anyone realizes, Carfey can reshape metal, stone, earth, and nearly anything he touches. But as a Black man in a system built to decide who may lead and who must follow, power alone will never guarantee him the title of hero.

When Eric and Carfey form an unlikely partnership, their path leads them through dangerous training, violent rivalries, buried family histories, and a federal registration system that measures more than strength. Bloodlines matter. Classification matters. And some people are allowed to become heroes while others are expected to remain sidekicks.

As secrets surrounding Carfeys ancestry begin to surface, both men must confront what power truly means—and whether a system designed to control them deserves their obedience.

POWERED, the debut novel by A. Watkins, is a historical superhero story blending action, friendship, race, legacy, family, and social conflict in a world where extraordinary abilities do not erase ordinary injustice.

Because sometimes the most powerful person in the room is the one the system refuses to call a hero.