Powerless Series: The Powerless Trilogy #1 Published by Simon and Schuster on November 7, 2023
Genres: Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Dark Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Romance, Young Adult Fiction / Social Themes / Class Differences
Pages: 497
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Reading Challenges: All booksThis sparkling edition includes a special case stamping, bonus content, and a teaser to book two in this heart-pounding series!
A New York Times bestseller!
This explosive first book in the New York Times bestselling Powerless trilogy follows the forbidden romance between a powerful prince and an ordinary girl as they try to survive their kingdom’s grueling laws pitting them against each other.
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 Paedyn 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.
If there was ever a book designed to make me cancel my plans, ignore my responsibilities, and repeatedly whisper “just one more chapter,” it was Powerless.
Paedyn Gray is exactly the kind of heroine I can’t help but root for. She’s clever instead of overpowered, survives on wit alone, and spends the entire book walking the tightrope between life and death while hiding the one secret that could get her executed. Every conversation felt like a game of chess, and I was completely invested.
And then there’s Kai.
Sir… respectfully… how dare you be this charming while technically hunting the very girl you’re falling for? The banter? Elite. The tension? Absolutely criminal. Every interaction had me grinning like an idiot one minute and questioning my emotional stability the next.
The trials kept the pacing flying, the political tension constantly raised the stakes, and I loved how every victory came with another impossible choice. Even when I thought I knew where things were headed, Lauren Roberts found another way to twist the knife.
The world isn’t the most groundbreaking fantasy setting you’ll ever read, but it didn’t need to be. The characters carried this story, and I happily followed them straight into chaos. By the final chapters, I was emotionally attached, thoroughly stressed, and immediately reaching for the sequel.
That ending?
Rude.
Completely and utterly rude.
If you love forbidden romance, deadly competitions, slow-burn tension, and morally conflicted characters who make terrible decisions for excellent reasons, clear your schedule before you start this one. You’re not reading Powerless—you’re surviving it.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
