Powerless Paperback – 30 Jan. 2023

The story is very good, fast-paced with some very clear similarities between the Hunger Games, Blood and Ash, and A Court of Thorns and Roses. For this reason, I'd give it 4 stars out of 5. I really enjoyed the fantasy aspect, and the places and people are well described. The last half of the book was a definite page turner. I loved the dynamics of the characters, and I could feel their emotions, love, and desire and betrayal and hurt. I am really looking forward to the next book!

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.RatingsSpice: 0.5🌶Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐

Brilliant book a must read!! Couldn't put the book downTook me a couple of days to readEven though I read the second book first this one made so much sense cannot wait to start reading reckless

“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? 🙏🏼🥺

"This is not my life to take." - Chapter 43, Page 362What a surprise this was.Powerless follows Paedyn Gray, whom is a thief and Ordinary (has no powers in a world where this is standard). Her father died by the King’s orders when she was young and she has grown up since with a shield of survival and anger. When Pardyn helps a man dying at the hands of a power silencer (self-explanatory) in the streets of the slums, she later finds out it was the King’s son she saved.Thrust into the kingdoms annual Trials due to her show of bravery and strength, Paedyn must use her survival skills and unexpected connections with the King’s sons, Kai and Kitt, to make it out alive.Pleasantly surprised by the bind this book had me in, I enjoyed every bit of the grief, tension, and dark themes created to enhance the character development of this story. It is heavily character driven, so please know that before diving in, in case that is not your style of writing. It is veryyyyy similar to The Hunger Games, but Lauren Roberts does such a wonderful job making it her own and creating an interesting and exciting setting that brought the book to life. Kai and Kitt were tremendous MMCs. Kai had an equally traumatic childhood and they trauma bonded throughout the book, leading him to care about her in a way he hadn’t been able to do with others before. Watching Kai’s shields come down was quite entertaining and this storyline was a GREAT time! Kitt might lowkey be my favorite character. I feel like he will have a lot of growing to do in Reckless, and I am so excited to watch his development as a character.The areas of opportunity for the book were in the small grammatical errors (so the editing) and the world building. I wanted more from the world. While the characters had me in a chokehold, the setting felt like a bit of an afterthought. That being said, I gave it 4.75 stars for a reason - Lauren, this debut was magnificent and it can only get better from here so I am really looking forward to continuing on in this world. This is a series I will reread again.

Não sabia o que esperar e fiquei surpresa. Boa leitura, ótima dinâmica entre os personagens. Ansiosa para a continuação.

Sin duda es uno de mis libros favoritos hasta ahora y lo súper recomiendo, además de que la entrega fue excelente, la calidad del libro es hermosa; sin duda una de mis mejores compras de libros en este año

Now THIS is how you write tension!! Hats off to Lauren Roberts for physically having me on the edge of my seat while reading this book. This is an absolutely astounding debut novel, I found myself completely immersed, devouring it in practically one sitting because it was just that addicting!I felt very Hunger Games meets The Serpent and the Wings of Night vibes from the beginning, but don't be fooled, this is a masterpiece all in it's own!!This is a book is truly designed for those who crave a true romantic fantasy, it encompasses every element that I love with a few more that I didn't even realize I needed! As a devout fan of the forbidden love trope, this one hit all the right notes. Paedyn and Kai were utterly captivating, I couldn't get enough of their interactions. The tension and banter were not only fulfilling but also entertaining! There is the perfect combination of action, tension, romance and intrigue to keep the reader hooked the entire way through.Paedyn, as the leading female character, was a force to be reckoned with. Her storyline will have you on her side from the very beginning, she is courageous, tenacious and has a heart of gold! She embodied a refreshing and fun character, and I can't wait to see the twists and turns that this series has in store for her. Kai is intriguing and incredibly charming, his interactions with Pae allowed the reader to feel their palpable chemistry. His own intriguing backstory only adds to the excitement, and I'm eagerly anticipating more of his character's development. We also get to meet a host of side characters, some who I really hope are a larger part of the next part in this series!This book is a must-read for anyone enamored with romantasy! It seamlessly weaves together all of the essential elements while still feeling fresh and unique in it’s own way!

So oft gibt es heutzutage Liebesromane mit furchtbarer, an den Haaren herbeigezogener Handlung, die null interessant und oft einfach nur dämlich ist. Erfrischenderweise ist das hier nicht der Fall.Powerless hat mich von der ersten Seite an in seinen Bann gezogen und ich konnte das Buch kaum weglegen. Zugegeben, an manchen Stellen erinnert die Handlung stark an 'Die Tribute von Panem', aber da mir die auch gut gefallen haben, ist das kein Problem für mich.Das Ende des ersten Teils hätte ich mir zwar in der Umsetzung etwas anders gewünscht, aber gut, gibt ja noch zwei weitere Teile, die ich definitiv so schnell wie möglich ebenfalls lesen werde.Also von mir eine klare Kaufempfehlung!