“Mark my words, Prince, I will be your undoing.” I lean in, ignoring the knife against my throat as I murmur, “Oh, darling, I look forward to it.”
– Lauren Robert’s, Powerless
Title: Powerless
Author: Lauren Roberts
Length: 528 pages
Genre: Romantasy, YA fiction
My Rating: 6/5
Age Rating: 13+
Content Notes: Clean, only kissing & flirting, mild language, violence, abuse, emotional themes
“My pretty Pae, what have you done to me?”
– Lauren Robert’s, Powerless
Powerless ~ Book Synopsis
Payden Gray has learnt to survive by hiding the truth. That is a kingdom where power determines worth, she is powerless. But when a moment of instinct throws her into the spotlight, she is forced into the Purging Trials, a deadly competition designed for people far more powerful than her.
As her time in the Trials grows, keeping her secret becomes harder and harder, especially after she crosses paths with Kai Azer. The more their paths twist together, the more important it is that her secret stays a secret.
Surviving the trails is risky enough, but falling for someone she should fear might just cost her everything.
Book Review
I LOVE Powerless. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about this book. More specifically, that I don’t think about Kai, but we can save that small obsession for another time. We might need an entire post just to cover that topic.
I read this book back in August after seeing it suggested EVERYWHERE, and honestly, other than following Jesus of course, reading it was one of the best decisions of my life.
Lauren Roberts paints a world so vividly that you feel like you’re in it, and you’ll never want to leave. The plot development is amazing. I could hardly put this book down, and I stayed up way past a reasonable hour because of it. And the characters, OMgoodness gracious, they stole my heart. The book has a dual point of view, alternating between Kai and Paedyn, which adds so much depth and gives us a direct look into each of them. The writing is captivating, vivid and easy to read. The things the characters say will have you jumping up and down in delight. I could flip to any page and find something that makes me kick my legs and squeal. I’m smiling just thinking about it.
Now, let’s chat about romance. (I’m giddy just bringing it up!) This book is clean, with only kissing and flirting, but it is still packed full of sizzling tension. It has a perfect enemies to lovers vibe, and it is also a slow burn romance, with the relationship growing through trust, danger, vulnerability and shared experiences. The slow build makes the connection feel even stronger. Out of all the books I’ve read (and that’s a lot), this book and the rest of the series have the best romance I’ve ever read. And that’s saying something.
Like I said before, this book is clean, with nothing going past kissing or some scandalous flirting (most of it on Kai’s side). That’s something I love so much about this book. It is the exact clean YA romance I’ve been looking for, It has all the romance and all the heat without ever going too far.
There is a bit of mild language, nothing intense and only scattered throughout. I didn’t even notice any until a friend pointed it out after I recommended the book to her (she loved it just like I did). There is some strong violence, but unless you’re very sensitive to that, it shouldn’t be a problem.There are also themes of abuse in Kai’s point of view, and some emotional moments, though I cried the most while reading Powerful and Fearless. I think 13 is a good minimum age for this book, but there’s no real upper limit. I’m even getting my mom to read it, and she’s enjoying it so far.
Powerless has many good lessons. Paedyn shows a constant never-give-up attitude and cares deeply for her friend, staying loyal even when she could have focused on her new life in the castle. She is brave even when she feels powerless, and she never stops showing compassion. Kai cares deeply about the people he loves, even if he doesn’t always show it. Even though it’s hard for him to question what he’s been taught, he starts to see the truth when someone he loves is being hurt. Through him, you see the importance of loyalty, not only to others but to yourself. You shouldn’t let someone control you when you know it’s wrong or harmful.
I honestly don’t have a critique for this book. I do wish there wasn’t any language at all, even if it is mild, but that is my only note. This book gave me everything I wanted, and anything I thought was missing I found throughout the rest of the series.
I hope you take my word when I say, Read This Book. You won’t regret it.
So go grab a copy, admire the beautiful map, dive into the world Lauren Roberts has crafted and get ready to never want to leave. And maybe prepare for a small crush, if not a full obsession, with Kai. I know I did.
This book changed the way I think about great literature, and the memories from reading it will stay with me forever.
Happy Reading,
Ava
If you want your own Beautiful copy of this book to obsess over, click this Link
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