September Book Club Books
Powerless by Lauren Roberts
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 in order 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 overly observant since she was a child, Paedyn poses as a Psychic in the crowded city, blending in with the Elites as best she can in order to stay alive and out of trouble. Easier said than done.
When Paeydn unsuspectingly saves one of Ilyas 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.
I devoured this book! I couldn't put it down once I had it in my hands. The characters, the tensions, and the plot were all addicting, and I couldn't get enough. Powerless by Lauren Roberts is perfect for The Hunger Games and Red Queen fans. Many books are compared to The Hunger Games, but this is the first one I have read that actually has any similarities. Paedyn Gray and Kai Azer had the perfect chemistry for an enemies-to-lovers book with the right amount of banter and knives to the throat.
Paedyn is a very powerful main character for someone so powerless. She uses wit and observation skills to go unnoticed as Ordinary, instead posing as a Psychic. She embraces the lies that she’s weaved and the disadvantages that the world is constantly throwing at her, and she turns her disadvantages into a weapon.
Kai is the future enforcer of the King; his only job in life is to carry out the mission the King requires of him. He’s a ruthless prince and an even more ruthless fighter with little sympathy for those who get in his way. He has a sharp tongue and a sharp sword, mercilessly cutting down his enemies. And he is utterly smitten with Paedyn Gray.
I would describe Powerless more as a Romantasy than Fantasy because there were more romantic scenes than action/magical-focused scenes. It had a lot of popular tropes that I enjoyed, such as knife-to-the-throat, enemies to lovers, ‘who did this to you’, and many more.
My only real problem with Powerless was the lack of worldbuilding. The concepts of the Elites versus the Ordinary were interesting, but the names for each power were bland and unoriginal. If I’m reading a fantasy book, I expect there to be evidence of a lot of thought being put into each name, but when the powers are labeled as Brawnys’ (superstrength), Volts (electricity), Tele (telekinesis), and Blinks (teleportation), it felt as if not much thought was put into them.
Another part of the worldbuilding that could have made the book better was describing the Purging Trials that the Elites fight in. The author didn’t explain very well why the Purging Trials exist or give much information on them until the characters were already in the Trials. My continuous thought was, “If the Elites are a part of the elite society, why are they fighting each other and not Purging the Ordinaries?” But besides those descriptive worldbuilding fixes, I enjoyed reading about the Purging Trials. It reminded me of the Hunger Games but was also so different with the magical elements.
Even though I predicted the ending, it didn’t hurt any less. The ending left so much room for angst between Paedyn and Kai. And I think their banter will be even better in the next book based on how things ended between the two.
Of course, I have to jump back to the romance! Powerless is an angsty, slow-burn romance that felt like a bone was being dangled before me. It was a YA romance, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the feathered touches, innocent whispers, and the promises of a kiss. Kai and Paedyn fit together perfectly, and I can't wait to see how they develop together in book two!
Powerless by Lauren Roberts is definitely worth the hype, so head over to Paper Leaves to pick up a copy!
The Briar Club by Kate Quinn
Washington, D.C., 1950. Everyone keeps to themselves at Briarwood House, a down-at-the-heels all-female boardinghouse in the heart of the nation’s capital, where secrets hide behind white picket fences. But when the lovely, mysterious widow Grace March moves into the attic, she draws her oddball collection of neighbors into unlikely friendship: poised English beauty Fliss whose facade of perfect wife and mother covers gaping inner wounds; police officer’s daughter Nora, who is entangled with a shadowy gangster; frustrated baseball star Bea, whose career has ended along with the women’s baseball league of WWII; and poisonous, gung-ho Arlene, who has thrown herself into McCarthy’s Red Scare.
Grace’s weekly attic-room dinner parties and window-brewed sun tea become a healing balm on all their lives, but she hides a terrible secret of her own. When a shocking act of violence tears apart the house, the Briar Club women must decide once and for all: Who is the true enemy in their midst?
Kate Quinn’s The Briar Club, a captivating novel set in the 1950s, is a blend of historical fiction and cozy murder mysteries. The touch of suspense in the narrative immediately drew me in, and I found myself deeply engaged as I connected with Quinn's characters, eager to uncover the mystery that lay ahead.
The story starts out by following 13-year-old Peter, who shoulders more responsibility than most kids his age. He is a handyman at the boarding house and a caretaker for his sister. Through his perspective, we meet several residents at the boarding house, including the mysterious, tight-lipped Grace March, who quickly befriends the rest of the residents. Fliss, a young mother whose husband is working in San Diego; Nora, the youngest at age twenty who is having a secret affair with a gangster despite her father being a cop; Beatrice, an ex-baseball player who was forced into retirement because of WW2 and an injury; Reka, an elderly Hungarian immigrant; and Arlene, a devoted supporter of McCarthy’s Red Scare.
Each woman in The Briar Club comes from a different background, and throughout the story, they learn how to battle their demons and regrets. As they gather in Grace’s attic room to mend their emotional scars through the tight bond of friendship and food, they undergo a profound transformation. The women's growth is truly inspiring, making their journey a compelling read.
One of the best parts about this book is how it captures the societal change throughout the era, especially in how it evolves around women's societal roles. And while the story is not fast-paced or intense, the Briar Club focuses more on character development. The styling is intricacy layered with historical details and emotions while dealing with some complex topics such as domestic violence, poverty, homosexuality, discrimination, and abandonment, but the Briar Club made up for it in its many light-hearted moments as the women continued to grow in their friendship.
I really enjoyed this book, but the chapters were insanely long, and nine POVs sometimes felt too much to handle, which made it much harder to connect with the characters. But it was such a fascinating and fun read, especially with the recipes sprinkled throughout. These recipes, often shared during the women's gatherings, not only add a delightful culinary aspect to the story but also serve as a reflection of the characters' emotional journeys. I will definitely be trying some of them soon. Don’t miss out on the Briar Club or any of Kate Quinn’s other books!
Written by Carlie Renee
