Publication: 6th July 2023 – Simon & Schuster Children’s UK
Only the extraordinary belong in the kingdom of Ilya . . . The exceptional. The Elites. The Elites have possessed powers for decades, gifted to them by the Plague, while those born Ordinary are just that, banished from the kingdom and shunned from society.
No one knows this better than Paedyn Gray, an Ordinary posing as an Elite. When she unsuspectingly saves one of Ilya’s princes, Kai Azer, she’s thrown into the Purging Trials, a brutal competition to showcase her ‘Elite’ powers.
If the Trials and the opponents don’t kill her, the prince she’s fighting feelings for will if he discovers what Paedyn really is . . . completely Ordinary.
I adored this novel. It’s an addictive and witty enemies-to-lovers fantasy set in a world in which those with magic powers, the Elites, are convinced that those without magic, Ordinaries, are the source of a plague and for this reason they must be eliminated.
The protagonist, Paedyn Gray, an Ordinary, has spent all her life pretending to have powers in order to survive. Since the death of her father when she was thirteen years old she’s lived on the streets with her best friend Adena, stealing and pickpocketing to survive. One day, she saves the life of prince Kay and she’s entered into the Trials, a competition in which the Elites use their powers to win a series of dangerous challenges.
As the second son of the King of Ilya, Kai Azer has been training all his life to become the future Enforcer, afflicting torture and enduring it himself, and learning to kill without remorse. He entered this year’s Trials with every intention of winning, but he didn’t expect to face the woman who saved his life. As they try to not fall in love with each other, they have to face not only the Trials and some ruthless competitors, but also political intrigue and the secrets that could be their ruin.
I loved Paedyn and Kai. She’s smartass and fierce. Without powers, she plans to win the competition on pure strength and wit. Her past haunts her and she’s out for revenge against those who murdered her father. Kay is smug and arrogant and I couldn’t help but love him. He’s a complicated relationship with his father, while he is very close to his brother and future king. Their romance is slow-burn, swoony, and exciting. I loved when those two got together: the easy banter and the tension kept me glued to the page.
I think that Powerless is an amazing debut. It is well-written, immersive, and intriguing and with an incredible ending that makes me countdown the days until the next book!
A huge thank you to Simon & Schuster Children’s UK and NetGalley for providing me with a proof of this novel.
When Lauren Roberts isn’t writing about fantasy worlds and bantering love interests, she can likely be found burrowed in bed reading about them. Lauren has lived in Michigan her whole life, making her very familiar with potholes, snow, and various lake activities. She has the hobbies of both a grandmother and a child, i.e., knitting, laser tag, hammocking, word searches, and coloring. She’s the author of Powerless, and she hopes to have the privilege of writing pretty words for the rest of her life. If you enjoy ranting, reading, and writing, Lauren can be found on both TikTok and Instagram @Laurens1ibrary for your entertainment.
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