“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: Only kissing & flirting, crude jokes and innuendo, mild language, violence and gore, murder, torture, death, trauma, abuse(both physical, verbal and emotional), emotional themes, classism
“My pretty Pae, what have you done to me?”
— Lauren Robert’s, Powerless
Book Synopsis:
She is the very thing he’s spent his whole life hunting.
He is the very thing she’s spent her whole life pretending to be.
Only the extraordinary belong in the kingdom of Ilya—the exceptional, the empowered, the Elites. The powers these Elites have possessed for decades were graciously gifted to them by the Plague, though not all were fortunate enough to both survive the sickness and reap the reward. Those born Ordinary are just that—ordinary. And when the king decreed that all Ordinaries be banished to preserve his Elite society, lacking an ability suddenly became a crime—making Paedyn Gray a felon by fate and a thief by necessity.
Surviving in the slums as an Ordinary is no simple task, and Paedyn knows this better than most. Having been trained by her father to be keenly observant since she was a child, Paedyn poses as a Psychic in the crowded city, blending in with the Elites as best she can to stay alive and out of trouble…easier said than done.
When Paedyn unsuspectingly saves one of Ilya’s princes, she finds herself thrown into the Purging Trials. The brutal competition exists to showcase the Elites’ powers—the very thing Paedyn lacks. If the Trials and the opponents within them don’t kill her, the prince she’s fighting feelings for certainly will if he discovers what she is…completely Ordinary.
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
Click this Link to read my review on the next book in the series “Reckless”
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