* Spoiler Alert *

Hmm…

This book both frustrates and enthralls me in equal measure. I find myself trying to piece together my thoughts, which have exploded into tiny fragments—because this story? It pulls you in, leaves you gasping, and yet somehow manages to keep you on edge.

It’s filled with all the tropes that make you weak at the knees. But by now, you’d think I’d be used to the trajectory of these slow burn romances, right? Clearly, that reminder escapes me because here I am—again—wishing for two characters to collide, only to be left wanting more. Yepp, patience is not my strong suit when it comes to romantasies.

Paedyn is fierce, sharp-witted, kick ass and completely self-sufficient—an ordinary with no magic in a world where powers define status. Her deep-seated trauma from her father’s murder has left her untrusting and stubborn, making her slow to open up to potential allies. Still, her grit and determination make her a force to be reckoned with and I love that she saved the Prince (with no powers might I add). Serious girl-power vibes—but it’s her vulnerability and humanity that makes her relatable.

Paedyn is playing a dangerous game. While her quest for revenge and a better world for her fellow ordinaries is understandable, the cost is heavy, and as the story progresses, that cost will have you shedding tears. You can’t help but question her decisions.

Then there’s Kai - Malakai - the Prince. Trained as a weapon but trying to do the right thing in a broken system designed by his Father, the King. He’s that dangerous type that hooks you from the start. The banter, the smouldering looks, the fleeting touches, the touch-her-and-d!e energy, the heartfelt declarations, the dimples (!!!)—Kai completely won me over. Paedyn might take a hot minute to realise it, but me? Kai had me at ‘Darling’.

Kitt, Prince, Heir to the throne. An absolute sweetheart, he’s truly adorable. I was holding so much hope that Paedyns influence would stick (and I actually believed it was starting to). We saw his empathy, compassion and kindness on so many occasions. Instead, the story takes him in a direction that’s heart rendering and I can’t help but think Paedyn’s betrayal had a big hand in it.

What puzzled me, though, was how quickly Paedyn integrated into the resistance. There wasn’t much build-up there—one minute she’s an outsider, and the next, she’s fully in. The resistance felt underdeveloped, especially considering its importance to the plot. I needed more substance, more interaction, to feel that part of the story come to life.

It was also surprising that Kai didn’t leave more of an impression on Paedyn, considering everything he did for her—saving her life, practically offering his heart on a platter—and yet, she remains distant all the while kinda saying she likes him too. I know it’s intentional, but I couldn’t help thinking about how different things might have been if she had just trusted him enough to confide in him.

I had to resist the urge to Google character fates as the story grew more intense. The twists thicken to a point where my anxiety was off the charts, and I just knew something terrible was about to happen.

And then the ending—that twist. Why? My heart feels like it’s been shattered. The delicate dance between love and hate driving the characters apart now more relevant than ever, the inner turmoil, it all builds to this explosive revelation. Learning what Kai did? It sent me into a spiral. I was perfectly happy believing it was the king. Honestly, I’m torn between wanting to hurl the book across the room in frustration and being utterly mesmerised by the storytelling.

And with that, you have me hooked.

We have a world where a plague left a proportion of the Kingdom of Ilya with powers, The Elites, and a proportion without, The Ordinaries. The king wants to eliminate The Ordinaries from the kingdom. Our main female character is an Oridinary who inadvertently saves Prince Kai's life and then finds herself competing in the trials. I don't really understand why there are trials, the reason in the book seemed a bit flimsy, maybe there are better answers to come though. I found the development of powers interesting and I thought it was good how Paedyn faked her "powers". There's some nice flirting between our main characters and I really like both Pae and Kai. There are some similarities to The Hunger Games and The Red Queen. The pacing was a bit slow for me hower I loved the ending of the book and it has made me want to read the next one.

I found this book very hard to put down in fact I started reading it at around 3.30 in the afternoon with my usual flat white coffee treat and a piece of cake , well I was reluctant to put it down to get myself some dinner later at around 6pm !! yes I was hooked .. I got a ready meal out of the freezer so I didn't have to faff about and waste good reading time so in the microwave it went and was back on my sofa reading , come 11pm I decided to go to bed and read for an hour before going to sleep... By 5.30am I am rubbing my eyes so that I could keep reading !! , made myself go to sleep but was awake again at 8.30 eager to get some toast and get back to this book ... It turned out I did not get dressed just kept reading until later that night I was at the end of book one and diving into the next of this series, So I am 74 years old my husband of 54 years past away not so long ago and I cant remember the last time I read a love story that had such a big effect on my emotions.. The author has captured the essence of a deep relationship that comes from ones very soul yet is also graphic in the brutality of the "enforcers " life where love does not have a place to reside, love is a weakness that his father will not allow his son to feel at any level ...A book that can make me "feel" every emotion the characters experience is powerful and rare yet this book has sent me down that giddy path where I laugh and cry, feel anger and pain, my heart was pounding with hopelessness and fear ... Its true that the loss of my dear husband has made me more vulnerable to these feelings , yet also helped my faith that even at my age I can still me moved by the talents of a great writer ...

“I’m tougher than I look, I assure you. The strongest weapon a woman has at her disposal is that she is often underestimated. And I wield that all the time.”

😭 ahhh this book!! It’s been a while since ive been so submerged in a story and the characters. I savoured this book like a fine wine, I wished it wouldn’t end. The story building is epic, kept me hooked from the very first chapter. My first thought was, this is giving me hunger game vibes which I didn’t dislike as I love hunger games! But I hoped it would open up into its own and I think it did in the ways that count - I think you need to overlook the similarities and enjoy this story for what it is. Hunger games who?! 😉

Paedyn is officially up there with my all time favourite FMC’s!!! She may be labelled as an “ordinary” but this girl is anything but. She is an absolute bad***. She has been through some absolute horror in her life and is now living it out in the slums of Ilya with her best friend Adena. She claims to be psychic to survive and blend in with the elite. She is an epic thief!! Little did she know the guy she saves in the slums is the prince, which leads to her standing out and her name being picked for the the brutal competition - the purging trials. Anyway…..

KAI!!!!! 😍❤️🫶🏼 new book boyfriend alert!! I’m so in love I can’t even. Brought up to be the kings enforcer, Kai has been brutally trained to play his role and execute whomever the king wishes. A killer. Brutal.

“She is a vision, a nightmare, a dream. “

The banter between Kai and Paedyn is everything 😂 I was laughing so much throughout. The flirting and swoonworthy - ness 😍😍 I was here for it all!! But I will say, if you’re looking for any sort of spice, it’s not there. ** spoiler alert**

we didn’t even get one kiss!! Soo damnnnn close!!!! 😫🥲😂 - Lauren you big tease!! You done us dirty there 😜🤣

“She is a devil. She is a deity. She is a man’s downfall in human form. She is my downfall.”

And what with that ending, it might be a while till we get what we’re all waiting for!! But my god, that ending guys 😫😭 we all knew it was coming, but didn’t make it any less harder. I need the next book. Like. Now? 🙏🏼🥺

I hadn’t read any previous books by Lauren Roberts so I had an open mind when starting this series. The reviews I had read seemed a bit mixed but I purchased the book when I saw it drop to 99p on Kindle.

The main character is Paedyn, an 18-year-old orphan, who has been left to fend for herself and works as a pickpocket on the streets of Ilya, after her father's brutal murder. Ilya is a kingdom ruled by a king who wants only the magical Elites to have a place and the powerless Ordinaries to be eradicated. Paedyn is a secret Ordinary and she manages to pass herself off as a Psychic using her powers of observation. Paedyn ends up being entered into the annual Purging Trials where she is forced to compete against a group of Elites, all with their own deadly magical abilities. She makes an unlikely alliance and we see her using her skills to fight to survive the trials and bring down the tyrannical king.

This book was not very original, I got vibes from a combination of many other books but it was easy to read and kept me interested. The characters were good and the pace and storyline was interesting, maybe a bit predictable.The world building was something I wish we had more of but I really enjoyed learning about the different powers the Elites have and how they can be used and what their weaknesses are.

Overall, a good introduction into a new series, it wasn’t amazing but it was interesting enough to make me read the rest of the series at some point.

Beyond the basic premise of Powerless and seeing an aesthetic video on Insta I didn’t know much about this book other than it’s a YA fantasy with a stabby FMC.

Paedyn is an 18-year-old orphan, left to fend for herself and work as a pickpocket on the streets of Ilya, after her father's brutal murder. Ilya is a kingdom ruled by a king who wants only the magical Elites to have a place and the powerless Ordinaries to be eradicated. Of course, Paedyn is an Ordinary in hiding and using her abilities to read her adversaries' weaknesses and pass herself off as a Psychic.

When she picks the pocket and then saves the life of a handsome stranger, Paedyn is entered into the annual Purging Trials. In these survival challenges she is forced to compete against a group of Elites, all with their own deadly magical abilities. Making an unlikely alliance with Kai, the king's second son and personal fixer/assassin, Paedyn must use her skills to fight to survive the trials and bring down the tyrannical king.

I really enjoyed the story and characters but I know if I hadn’t read The Hunger Games I would have loved it so much more. There are so many elements which are a direct parallel to THG that it started to become a bit predictable. For example the contestants are made to gain the Ilyan peoples votes through a public interview (where Paedyn doesn’t say the script she’s meant to follow), royal balls (where of course Paedyn goes against tradition and dresses to stand out) and of course the trials themselves which despite knowing there can be only one winner they form alliances.

For a new YA generation this book does a great job of combining a fast paced fantasy adventure with a very capable female main character, a dark haired morally grey Prince who only has eyes for her and enough slowburn tension to keep the reader wanting more. If like me, you’re an older reader that likes to dip back into YA then this might not be the best choice as it has so many elements of other books that it loses some of its charm and becomes too unoriginal in places.

Overall an enjoyable book and I’ll definitely be reading the other two books in the series.

Ratings

Spice: 0.5🌶

Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐

Kai and paedyn is such a vibe- we love them drunk. As a girl who has read all of the books I recommend! I loved this series so much, it has amazing plot twists and emotional deaths. Kai is a poet and he is the man we all want and desire. Paedyn is what Lenny calls a coach roach always evading death. Paedyn is a diva and we love her, she passes all of Edrics 3 b's.

SPOILERS!!

I was sobbing at Kitts, Denas and Maks death. Poor Kitt was so lost without his brother, he was too young to be king and was also lost without his father. Dena and Mak didn't deserve death. I was so shocked when I found out that Pae and Kitt was half siblings (But dont worry not related to Kai! (well Paedyn)), I hate Edric and Calum. I love Kai and Paes banter they are so cute!

This romantasy epic has it all. Drama, tension, a love triangle, betrayal, murder, slowest of slow burn passion... And I absolutely loved it! Paedyn is an Ordinary living on the streets of Loot, hiding her lack of Elite powers with lies her late father instilled in her. She's a fierce, stabby FMC who isn't afraid to do whatever it takes to ensure the survival of her and her only friend. Kai, Prince Kai, is being raised to be his father's Enforcer - a mercenary, a trained killer. A chance meeting sees Paedyn save Kai's life, and as a (dubious!) reward for her efforts, her neighbours in Loot choose to nominate her for the Purging Trials - pitting her against several others, including Kai himself. There is a clear attraction between the two of them - but Kai's instructions are clear, and Paedyn has another goal in mind, that involves tricking Kai's brother Kitt, heir to the throne, and righting the wrongs being done to the Ordinaries - so what will happen?

Whilst Paedyn is an absolute badass FMC, my favourite character in this book was Kai. He's in such a complicated place - raised to be a murderer against all his own wishes, despising his father, hopeful that his brother will be a totally different kind of ruler - and falling hopelessly for a girl he can never have. He fights it, and she fights it - the slow burn and banter are delectable. The concept of the trials is a little bit Hunger Games, a little bit Triwizard Tournament, but still enjoyable. I'm really looking forward to book two!

OBSESSED

‘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.’

What on earth did I just finish reading?! There are 3 types of books, books that has a storyline that are not that interesting and you skim through, books you like reading during the night when you have time, and books you HAVE to read both during the day and night, because your obsessed, your not living in this world anymore but your lost in the book. THIS book is that kind of Obsession!!

‘If I am to be her enemy, I want it to be because she loathes herself for wanting me.’

The story line is good, the caracters are great. The TENSION in this book is on different level, trust me, Ive read like 500 books, and I never thought I would read a book full of soooo much FEELING, and the best thing about it…there was no lust or disgusting thoughts/feelings, it was all adorable and sweet and swoony…I cannot remember how many times I swooned, smiled, sighed and giggled. The dance lessons at night, the thumb war, the saving in the trials, the first meeting, the nightmare scene…I can go on and on and on…

He tilts his head to the side, eyes roaming over my face. ‘Tell me,’ he murmurs, ‘what do you want me to call you?’ My eyes slowly meet his, confused by his question. ‘What do YOU want to call me?’

‘I want to call you mine.’

That banter between the main caracters, deserve an Oscar, it was not short banter you usually get, I loved every word!

You cannot stop FEELING! The WANT, the LONGING, the HEARTPOUNDING looks and words, especially said by Kai, he is arrogant, cocky but still so fierce, intense, full of feelings.

And the way he WANTS, I wish every boy could WANT nd FEEL that way!!

Not until I looked into a pair of ocean blue eyes and realized that perhaps drowning was a beautiful thing. Not until I looked into a pair of fiery blue eyes and realized that perhaps burning was a painless thing. Not until I looked into a pair of sky blue eyes and realized that perhaps falling was a peaceful thing.

And then she’s laughing loudly. I hold my breath, watching the way her head tips towards the sky, her silver hair cascades down her back, her eyes crinkle with amusement. She looks back at me too quickly, and I hope I’ve wiped the look of wanting from my face fast enough.

The heart shattering ending full of hurt has me craving the next book like a maniac. I cannot wait!!

From their first meeting to their last in the book, you will love every moment, just grab the book and read!!!

‘I didn’t realize you had watched me so closely.’ ‘Watched? Darling, I’ve never stopped.’

ماقدرت اكملها الرواية بالمرهههههه طفولية مره والبطلة كريههه والاحداث خايسه انا غصبت نفسي اقراه عشان احداث وان عندهم زي حقت الالعاب الجوع قلت بشوف اكيد بتجي تحمس وحرفيا ماتكلمت عن الالعاب بس مركزه على البطل و البطلة🥲 اعطيها 5/2 وكمان جودة الكتاب مره كويسه وجميل مره الغلاف عل الواقع 😻 بعطيهم خمس نجمات عشان الغلاف بس

Love love loved this book, the novella that recently came out I couldn't get into but I cannot wait for more of the main story.

I loved the world building, the story line, it had me in tears at the end. My heart shattered by decisions made, but the second book release is creeping up and I cannot wait to pick it up.

The story follow Paedyn, she lives in the slums, she's bottom of the food chain. She's what they called an "Ordinary" but no one knows this, because if they did it would cost her life. An Ordinary is someone who doesn't have powers, instead she has taught herself, well her father at first taught her, to be extremely observant and she pretends to be a physic. Which she successfully fools everyone.

Now bring in the storyline, Paedyn is a thief, and thiefs steal. She so happens to steal from the younger prince, the future enforcer. But later in the day she sees that the prince is struggling to fight against a really powerful person who has the ability to almost overwhelm someone by stripping them of their power. Now since Paedyn doesn't have powers, she's able to save the prince. But instead, she lands herself as a contestant for the Purging Trials. Which kind of reminds me of Hunger games.

Through these trials she gets to know the prince she saved, but also the other prince as well, the future king. Now that is all I am about to say about the story because you've just got to read it to experience it. Its enticing, its a little slow to begin with but I legitimately could not put the book down for the second half.

Ho trovato Powerless un bellissimo YA, capace di catturarmi fin dalle prime pagine. La scrittura è fluida e scorrevole, si legge con piacere senza mai risultare pesante. I personaggi sono ben caratterizzati e la storia mantiene viva la curiosità fino alla fine. Un libro che consiglio a chi cerca una lettura avvincente e coinvolgente nel panorama young adult.

A very lovely book, took me a while to finish it, but it was definitely worth it loved the ending