Welcome, readers, to another book review! In this post, I’ll be talking about Powerless by Lauren Roberts, a popular YA fantasy novel! This is a highly requested review, so I hope you enjoy!

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Blurb

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 Paeydn 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.

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Personal Review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wow, Powerless was a fun read! Fantasy is my favorite genre, and this book did not disappoint.

The characters were great. Paedyn had a strong personality, and so did Kai. I also really liked Adena and Kitt. Personally, I find Kitt to be a better fit for Paedyn, and I loved him so much more than Kai, but whatever.

I could definitely see why the internet loved Kai. Dark, morally gray, bad-boy with swoon worthy banter– what more could Booktok ask for? However, I personally don’t like the dark characters. I prefer the sunshine-y ones. I didn’t mind Kai as a character, but I didn’t love him.

The romance was interesting, but also really weird and unbalanced. I was honestly kind of confused during it. There were so many chapters that were completely unnecessary and felt like fan service. But the banter was incredibly fun to read.

The plot was great, and super fast paced. While it was mostly unoriginal (think Hunger Games and Red Queen), it certainly kept me reading.

Overall, I really enjoyed this read, and I can see why the internet loves it.

Tropes

• Morally gray love interest
• Deadly trials
• Royal x Thief
• Enemies to Lovers
• Dual POVs
• Superpowers
• Dystopian Society

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Content Review

Spice

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Very lusty. One kiss (that I remember), described heavily. Lots of touching. Characters sleep in the same bed (both fully clothed, nothing happens). Subtle references. Steamy scenes. A character rips and slit in another character’s skirt. A character unties the back of another character’s dress, the dress does not fall off, nothing happens.

Language

💬💬💬💬

Strong cusswords used. In every chapter. Taking the Lord’s name in vain.

Violence

🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️

Very violent. Detailed. Lots of blood and gore. Deaths.

Religion

One character “prays to a higher power”, and when their prayer is answered, thinks that they should pray more. Other than that, none discussed.

Positive Messages/Influences

Characters refusing to give up. Best friend characters.

Negative Messages/Influences

Killing, backstabbing, no remorse. Lust. Toxic parent-child relationship.

Age Rating: 16+

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Thank you so much for reading! Did you enjoy this review? Have you read Powerless? Is there anything I should add?

Have a blessed day!