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!
Written by Carlie Renee
