Book Description
Ilya is a Kingdom where only the Elites, those who are powerful and extraordinary are accepted.
The powers given to the Elites were the result of the Plague, a sickness that overcame the Kingdom which many did not survive. However not everyone was blessed with powers, those who did not have any were called the Ordinaries. To maintain his Elite society the King ordered the Ordinaries to be Banished, which makes Paedyn Gray’s entire existence in Ilya a crime.
To go undetected. Paedyn lives as a thief in the slums and poses as a psychic, a skill her father taught her as a child, along with physical combat. But hiding in plain sight is no easy task.
Forced to enter the Purging Trials after saving a Prince of the Kingdom, Paedyn has to find a way to survive these brutal trials while keeping her secret hidden. There is no time to develop confusing feelings. Especially for a Prince who will definitely kill her if he discovers exactly what she is… an Ordinary.
Review
Was it the most original? No. Was the world-building the best? No. Was I obsessed and happily eating up every single world? Yes!
Picture every popular fantasy book you’ve ever read with all the popular tropes you love, now combine that with the trials and basic set-up of The Hunger Games, and you will get Powerless. The plot, the characters and even the world-building felt so typical that I should have been bored. I should have read this and felt nothing, but instead, I felt absolutely EVERYTHING!
Paedyn is an amalgamation of all the badass female characters that came before her. She’s fierce, stubborn, clever and resourceful. All these traits were further honed in her years as a successful thief fighting to survive the slums of Ilya. Because of this, she’s also highly confident in her abilities and stubborn to a fault, which sometimes gets her into trouble. Despite Paedyn putting on a cold and closed-off front, she’s highly empathetic and cares deeply for the people she considers family. We get to see that in her relationship with her best friend Adena. They grew up together in the slums and with no family of their own they leaned on each other and carved out a life for themselves as a makeshift family of two.
Paedyn’s relationship with Adena was beautiful to read. Their loyalty and love for one another were enviable. Adena in many ways, was the opposite of Paedyn. She was a ball of positivity with a zest for life and a passion for fashion that brought her joy. It’s clear that her time in the slums however gruelling hadn’t snuffed out her ability to always look on the brighter side of any given situation. In dark moments, Paedyn finds comfort in her insatiable positivity… I mean hello who wouldn’t? Everyone needs an Adena when times are tough.
The major selling point of this book was the slow-burn romance between Kai and Paedyn. This was by far the best slow-burn romance I have ever read! Lauren Roberts undoubtedly captured the essence of what it means to long for someone till you gradually become infatuated with their entire being. Their flirty banter was fun to read but not nearly as impactful as the moments where they found solace in each other. They’re both closed-off individuals and are not big on sharing their problems, so seeing them confide in one another was touching. Nothing physical happened and let me be clear, it didn’t need to. The tension was so strong between the two that it felt palpable. It was like a love straight-up out of a Jane Austen novel.
Criticism
As much as I loved the story the plot could have done with a little more extra work in explaining the purpose and backstory of some of the events. For example, I couldn’t wrap my head around the purpose of the purging trials. Purging means to eradicate, so why have a competition in which elites participate, many of whom are powerful and have high status? Why not just have those with less powerful abilities compete? Wouldn’t creating an environment where elites with powerful abilities die be problematic if the King aims to form a kingdom with only powerful elites? To me, it sounds counterproductive unless I’m missing something completely, and if so please enlighten me.
Final Thoughts
What an amazing debut from Lauren Roberts! I can understand why the BookTok community is having a field day with it. If you’re big on unique plots and intricate world-building, then this book might not be for you. BUT if you’re someone who wants to experience the best slow-burn romance of your life in a fantasy world made up of all your favourite books and tropes of this genre… then congratulations. You’ve just discovered your next favourite read!
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