Powerless

Article Written By: Lindsey

Disclaimer** This review may contain spoilers and is firmly based on my opinion**

Title: Powerless ~ #1 in the Powerless Trilogy

Author: Lauren Roberts 

Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2023

Category & Genre:  Fantasy

Page number: 528

Tropes:  enemies to lovers, fight for survival and power, slow burn, even the weakest can have power

Synopsis from the book jacket:

"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."

Why did I choose this book to read?

I was looking through the Target bookshelves when the cover caught my eye. I read the book jacket, and it seemed pretty interesting, so I figured I'd see if the BookTok communities had taken a gander at it. I watched reviews, I saw people reacting to it, and overall, it seemed like people loved this book, making it a perfect YA Know It candidate.

What did I like about Powerless?

I loved the premise. The Elites vs. The Mundanes is nicely written, and I enjoyed the world's lore. I love how flawed the characters are, each in their way. I loved the different types of powers; they were cool and interesting, especially Kai's. I loved the banter between Kai and Paedyn; their chemistry was captivating. The slow burn of their romance was well planned out and timed nicely. I didn't get bored and felt like their conversations drove the plot forward.

Where did Powerless go wrong for me?

The purging trials were too reminiscent of The Hunger Games series to be original to me. That took away from the book overall, and it felt like used material. Granted, there are no original ideas in literature anymore, but the way Powerless did them was too obvious for my taste, so much so that it felt like a retelling at certain points. 

I also wasn't a fan of Paedyn's fake power. It felt hollow and could be easily picked apart. On multiple occasions, I felt the other characters must be incredibly stupid to have not caught her. No one is that good at reading people that quickly and in detail, and it didn't feel believable. 

Here are some of my favorite quotes…

"If I cannot be better than them, I will become so much worse."

"I am going to keep on defying you. I am going to shame you with my defiance. You remind me that I am a mere mortal and you are a prince of Faerie. Well, let me remind you that means you have much to lose and I have nothing. You may win in the end, you may ensorcell me and hurt me and humiliate me, but I will make sure you lose everything I can take from you on the way down. I promise you this is the least of what I can do."

"That's what comes of hungering for something; you forget to check if it's rotten before you gobble it down"

My character connection…

I enjoyed Kai's character. His connection to Paedyn is so strong, and he understands her perfectly as both a love interest and a friend. I felt his character's flaws, but I enjoyed that he is so painfully self-aware. He knows he does monstrous things and has been turned into a weapon, and while he resents it, he continues to follow his duty and do bad things due to service. I also loved his relationship with his brother and the bond between them.

Star Rating: 3 stars

Spice Rating: 2 stars

Final Verdict: 

It was a fun read. I got attached to the main characters and felt sad for them when bad things happened, but I wasn't brought to tears or torn apart by them either. I enjoyed the world, but I didn't get lost in it. I read through it quickly but didn't sail through it. Overall, this book coasted on the middle ground. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it, and I would read the other books in the series.