Oh my goodness, I could not put this book down. I’ve just preordered the next book and I’m not sure I can wait.

Morally grey love interest, stabby vengeful FMC, magic, incredible world building… this book has it all.

The twists were so well written I didn’t see them coming, which is quite a feat with books that follow similar tropes.

I really really enjoyed this, every little detail was thoroughly thought out, every world purposeful. I would recommend to anyone!

Paedyn is basically a carbon copy of Katniss from the Hunger Games. While this book may be popular in TikTok I don't particularly see the hype around it. I read this whole book within 2 days and enjoyed it, however I am in no rush for the next one. The book does not really grab your attention and keep it, I think I could have just left this book and never come back..

I've read a lot of people drawing comparisons to The Hunger Games and I didn't really get that vibe. It's fun with a ton of chemistry between Paedyn and Kai, which i'm incredibly excited to read more of. A fantastic book from a brilliant writer, highly recommend.

I am speechless i couldn't put this book down. This book has every banter, fantasy, tension and magic you could want. This truely felt like i was in another world. If you like the hunger games and tension this is the book for you.

Paedyn Gray, an ordinary, who has had to pretend to have powers to stay alive ever since her father died when she was 13. But one day she accidentally saves the life of the prince and is entered into the trials, dangerous games where elites compete with their powers.

Kai Azer, second in line to the throne, has spent his whole life training to be the future enforcer and is in the trials to win it. Until, he starts falling for the girl who stole from him then saved his life.

I love these characters soo much and i love all their different relationships. Paedyn was so strong and powerful even without powers. Kai was so caring and funny. Although their backstories broke my heart. And together they never failed to make me swoon an giggle. This was slow burn enemies to lover and I was OBSESSED!

And that ending... WOW I was not ready and I CAN NOT WAIT for reckless! I'm counting down the days till July.

Thank you soo much Lauren Roberts, Simon and Schuster children's UK and netgalley!!

I couldn't put this book down! Powerless had everything I was looking for: great world building, interesting and fun characters, slow burn romance with tonnes of chemistry and angst. I loved that this is told from point of view of both Paedyn and Kai, her male love interest. There's clear chemistry from the beginning and it's interesting to see how some of the scenes play out for both of them but Roberts kept it interesting so you never felt like you were getting the same story. This was used just the right amount to get us to understand motivations and how diametrically Kai and Paedyn are. The banter between them is really hot and funny. It will definitely make you giddy. It's worth noting that this is YA and so there isn't any spice but there is tonnes of chemistry and tension. Well worth reading if you enjoy men that fall first, bad boys, and forced proximity.
There are some comparisons to Red Queen and The Hunger Games, and whilst I understand the comparisons, you shouldn't be expecting either when you read Powerless. The world-building, pacing and characters are better in my opinion than Red Queen. Romance also plays a huge part in Powerless whereas it is more a subplot in The Hunger Games. Though this isn't the Hunger Games, Roberts writes action scenes really well and I could not tear my eyes away so don't think that romance is all this book has to offer.
I had so much love for the characters and was really excited by their character progression by the end of Powerless. I can't wait for the second installment! I will definitely be recommending.

The download date was unfortunately missed, I would be happy to re-review if it became available again. I have awarded stars for the book cover and description as they both appeal to me. I would be more than happy to re-read and review if a download becomes available. If you would like me to re-review please feel free to contact me at thesecretbookreview@gmail.com or via social media The_secret_bookreview (Instagram) or Secret_bookblog (Twitter). Thank you.

Totally loved this book. Will be eagerly awaiting the next instalment. It was gripping and I consumed it within a day.

A great YA fantasy adventure. The relationship is so fun to read, and teh world building is fascinating. Great humour as well.

An exhilarating cross between hunger game and Mills and Boone...with Magic. Set in a kingdom where Elites who possess powers rule and those without, known as Ordinaries, are exiled or killed, in order to maintain the pure bloodline. Pae has no power, but is incredibly skilled and resourceful and an act of bravery has her nominated for the Purging Trials (aka hunger games). How long can she hide her lack of power, especially when she starts to fall for the king's son, one of the most talented Elites of all?

Overall, I loved this book but there was some room for improvement. I enjoyed the creativity in general, and how the different powers were displayed. The plot was exciting and who doesn't love a strong, talented, stubborn female lead with some interesting love triangles?

That said, considering how imaginative most of the book was, it felt safe to draw such a close comparison with the Hunger games. And the romantic dialogues were far too long, degrading the book to a Mills and Boone level and undermining the strong characters. So with a good dose of editing, I would happily have upgraded my rating. Excited to see where the series will lead.

Powerless reads like an incredibly tropey version of peak 2010 - 2012 YA fantasy. Think, The Hunger games, Red queen and some of Harry Potter thrown in the mix. So, originality wise this book has literally nothing going on for it. Both, the plot and the characters feels like a caricature of something we have already seen done numerous times.

The romance is okayish, some of the banter between two main leads was fun but it also kept on dragging forever and grew tedious towards the end. Anyways, this book is too long than is required.

I think, this book runs purely on nostalgic vibes and readers looking for those will surely enjoy it. I liked the audiobook narration and it is the only reason that I ended up finishing it. No offence, I am just not in the target demographic for this one.

It's not that I didn't like it... I just didn't love it.

Firstly, I would like to congratulate Lauren Roberts for managing to write and get a book published at such a young age. I can completely understand why so many people have followed her journey. Amazing work.

However, as someone who hadn't followed Lauren's journey and simply picked up a copy of this because I liked the premise - I was a little underwhelmed.

I felt like didn'tnt know any of the characters. We arent shown enough of Pae's life before the trials, we are told Kai is a heartless killer and yet we never see that side, we are told the brothers love their younger sibling Jax and yet when his life is in danger half way through the story I just didnt care.

I feel as though I may have liked this book more if I hadn't read the hunger games which it takes so much inspiration from - unfortunately the idea of the "trials" just isnt unique anymore and unlike the hunger games I didnt understand the point of the games. Why are they being run? Why would the people of the slums want their people to enter when they always just die? Why would elites want to fight when there's no real prize?

3/3.5 stars

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!

lauren knows how to write omfg!!!! i need more!

its like lauren read my mind cause kai was everything i wanted to be like his backstory i wanted someone to write and she did it flawlessly!!!

I didn't expect Powerless to become one of my top 2023 reads but it did. It hooked me from the first page and I didn't want to put it down.

Powerless is set in a society where those with power are so terrified of those without that they want to eliminate them. Everyone's power manifests differently and there are a series of trials where those with power compete using their powers. The trials are brutal and we get to see the nastier side of some of the characters. There are moments that had me screaming.

Enter Paedyn who has no power but has been taught to read people in a way that she can claim some psychic powers. And Kaz, the royal tasked with wiping out those without power.

I loved their chemistry. I have come to accept I'm a big fan of an enemies to lovers plot, but so often they're "sort of rivals" rather than sworn enemies. Not here. Kaz and Paedyn truly, deeply loathe each other. I loved the flirting, the banter, the horror they both have as they realise there might be feelings despite their deep hatred.

The ending of this book left me reeling. I cannot wait to get my hands on book two.

I loved this book and cannot wait for the sequel.

This was a great debut and can’t wait to read more from this author.

Thank you, NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Children's UK for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is by far my favourite read of 2023 so fOncece I got into the flow I found it so difficult to put down. I was a bit iffy with the connection to the Red Queen series but my curiosity got the better of me and I'm so thankful for it.

The plot certainhad itsit's own spin on things and I like the idea that there was actually a problem and that it was put into people's minds by someone in Power.

Paedyn was very much like Katniss personality-wise which is where the similarities with The Hunger Games begin but sometimes I felt she was a little flat. Usually when she was wearing her pretty dresses but I feel like this might have been done purposefully to show her discomfort in this situation.

Kai is the typical MMC for this genre of book but I did take to him pretty much straight away which is unusal so there is that.

I would like to see more differences between Kai and Kitts's upbringing as I do think this will make things a little more interesting.

Cant wait for book 2

2.5 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2023/08/31/powerless-by-lauren-roberts/
My Five Word TL:DR Review : This didn’t work for me

I will start this review by stating upfront I don’t think I’m the target audience for this book. Also, there are plenty of glowing reviews out there (although I would mention that a number of the 5* ratings seem to be by people who haven’t yet read the book – to quote Kai “interesting”! I find this perplexing because to be fair I rarely request YA books these days but with all the favourable ratings I was practically seduced into requesting a copy.) Anyway, moving swiftly on, this is a debut and I feel like this author has a lot of promise, but, I did have issues.

Instead of describing the plot I’m going to cut and paste the description:

‘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 in order 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 overly observant since she was a child, Paedyn poses as a Psychic in the crowded city, blending in with the Elites as best she can in order to stay alive and out of trouble. Easier said than done.

When Paeydn unsuspectingly saves one of Ilyas 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.

Okay, my feelings reading this.

The writing shows a lot of promise in many ways. However, this book is way too long for the actual story it delivers. There is a lot of repetition and unnecessary bloating, the dialogue doesn’t really ring true and the plot and characters rely far too much on tropes. On top of this, the story borrows very heavily from The Hunger Games (to such an extent that I initially thought it was maybe fanfic – perhaps it is?).

The characters. I actually liked Pae in many ways. She’s a survivor, she stands up for herself and shows a lot of pluck. Kai, obviously the brooding, dark haired prince who is drawn to her as much as she is drawn to him (even though she has no love for the royalty and every reason in fact to actively dislike them) – well, he’s the mind candy of the piece but he didn’t have enough substance for me. I felt like I was told he was a monster, a killer shaped by his father, the King, but I didn’t feel like there was anything menacing about him. His half brother Kitt was quite interesting in that he has had a different upbringing being the heir. He feels more naive in many ways and also comes across as a little frustrated with his lot in life. I did find his devotion to his father a little unbelievable to be honest, especially given the love he has for his brother Kai who, let’s not mince words,.is treated very poorly by both parents.

The world building is a little weak for my personal tastes – which is also a surprise given the page count because there should be plenty of time for the history, culture, etc, to come across. I felt like this element of the story was very flimsy. To give a very brief outline about this setting. Years ago a plague occurred, following which certain characters who survived had powers ranging from shapeshifting, disappearing, conjuring fire, causing hallucinations, etc. Some of the survivors are much stronger than many of the others who gained powers and they’re known as the Elite. The mundanes make up the rest of the population and have powers that are so weak as to be almost insignificant. Those without powers are known as ‘ordinary’, they are believed to be diseased and on that basis any ‘ordinaries’ found are sentenced to death. What is the purpose of the purge trials? I could understand if ‘ordinary’ people were made to complete but it seems to be more a showcase for the elites. Why would the ‘mundanes’ submit to trials that ultimately lead to death just for the aggrandisement of the powerful? Given the competitiveness and the lack of any real motivation or reward why would the elites want to enter? They can also die? Why would you want to have your son or daughter join in? It just doesn’t ring true for me. This is the type of detail that when lacking frustrates me very much. There would definitely be resentment. And, I think, a lot more backstabbing and politics between the elite and the royals. But, that’s a personal preference on my part after all.

Now, to the romance. I would applaud the author for taking the time for the two main characters (Kai and Pae) to get to know each other. And, for readers who enjoy the enemy to possible lovers trope this will undoubtedly work well. There are plenty of scenes between the two, both as they try one upmanship on each other and make lots of threats with knives, etc. But. Firstly, why the love triangle? Why throw Kitt into the mix when it’s as plain as the nose on your face to everyone with even half an ounce of sense that the two only have eyes for each other? Secondly, dear god, is anyone in this story actually aware of ‘personal space’. The number of times that they accidentally, or purposefully, stumbled into each other resulting in hands on chests, waists, backs, hips, was just unbelievable, and, again, it doesn’t ring true especially as the two supposedly didn’t like each other, it was a bit cringey, it didn’t come across as sexy or scream chemistry to me. Thirdly, why is ‘smirking’ such a big thing in so many stories where there’s romance involved. I just feel like the work ‘smirk’ is greatly overused and I’ve always felt it was a bit of a mean thing to do – if you smirk at someone it feels condescending doesn’t it? And there is a lot of ‘smirking’ going on here. Okay, that’s a very small thing but once something like that gets stuck in your mind you can’t help noticing the repetition. Anyway, in spite of the niggles, I will say that Pae and Kai’s relationship is interesting and where the story ends leaves a lot of potential for the next story.

I don’t want to be overly negative about this one. It has a lot of positively glowing reviews and I think on this occasion it’s more of an ‘it’s me not you’ scenario, and also a case of going into the read with too high expectations, so if you’ve been fancying picking this one up then I certainly wouldn’t discourage you from doing so.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

This is a great book!
It reminded me of the Hunger Games, but is completely different!
We have an oppressive system, and those without magic are being hunted and killed by the king's men.
Paedyn Gray has no magic, but she has skill, and she manages to evade the hunters -- until she inadvertently saves somebody's life, thus suddenly being in the limelight.
Now she has to fight for her life on a whole new level!
She makes friends along the way, even falls in love, but she can*t escape her fate -- or can she?
The world building is fantastic, as are the characters. I enjoyed every minute of it, although it took me so long to read it. If only I had known it was available in audio weeks ago, I would have finished much sooner!

I can hardly wait for the sequel!
I will now listen to the audio book version of Powerless #1, which I just bought (funny, it will only be published in November on audible US. but I could have bought it a month ago here in Germany) I do hope there will be audio versions of the sequels, too.

This book!!! A new urban fantasy series, think Throne of Glass, The Hunger games etc, different but similar themes.

And it’s so good. I cannot wait for the next book, I devoured this one, it’s the start of what I imagine will be a fantastic series!

Absolutely love this book.

It was everything Throne of Glass should have been and more.

Hunger games style read with loads of tension; friendship, love, betrayl, hate. Its all rammed in there and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book!