In the kingdom of Ilya only the Elites are allowed - if you don’t have a power you are banished or killed. Paedyn survives being an ‘Ordinary”, being able to pass as a Psychic by using her powers of observation. When she steps in and saves the life of the Prince she suddenly finds herself part of The Trials in the palace of where her secret could cost her life..
It’s not a completely new concept but the strength here lies in the characters and world building, I found the first quarter slow going but picked up the pace after that. Interested to see where this goes in the next book

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review!

I adored this book - such a refreshing new fantasy and the world building was just perfect. I loved that it wasn’t too detailed and in depth - it was intricate but simple. The storyline was solid and the whole ‘trial’ plot was enticing and fast paced.

In this book you’ll find:

🖤 Enemies to lovers
🩶 Love triangle (don’t normally like this trope but actually loved it here)
🖤 Slow burn romance
🩶 Trials (think Hunger Games)
🖤 Strong FMC with traumatic history
🩶 Secrets and historical character links
🖤 Morally grey male characters
🩶 Royalty
🖤 Politics
🩶 Balls - love the glamour and the dresses!
🖤 Action! It’s full of action and death 💀

Overall this was a perfect fantasy romance for me - I can’t wait for the next book!

My thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schhuster UK publishers for the opportunity to review this book.
A fabulous gripping emotional roller coaster. What's not to love. I highly recommend this book .

3.5

Paedyn has spent her short pretending to be just like everyone else, posing as an Elite. After a plague swept through her country most survivors found themselves possessed of special powers: strength, speed, healing, mindreading, shapechanging etc. Those that didn't emerge from the plague with powers are known as ordinaries and for years they existed comfortably alongside Elites until the king accused them of spreading diseases that weakened Elite powers and they were banished, any remaining executed on discovery. Trained by her father to pass as a psychic, Paedyn has lived on the streets since his murder, surviving by pickpocketing - until she picks the wrong pocket and finds herself nominated for the purging trials, an often deadly contest to mark the purging of the ordinaries.
Powerless has many of the hallmarks of YA fantasy: first person present, a beautiful but doesn't know it yet and kickass heroine, a love triangle, a murderous governement comfortable with massacring its brightest and best, an evil tyrant etc. It's not super original but it is entertaining, the dual viewpoint stops it feeling too breathless in narration and the end suitably twisty, setting up a must read sequel. It would have been an easy four stars but felt a little overlong and under edited - on one scene every characer must have sighed at least ten times each and this should have been picked up in copy editing. But if you like super heroes, bloody contests and twists and turns you'll enjoy this,

I really enjoyed this one, dual pov, definitely a slow burn in romance and the plot was intense, the ending especially, desperately need to know what happens next in the story and the ending for Kai & Pae!

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Children's UK for the ARC!⠀
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Although the premise is not new, I like it; especially when reading it gave me a very strong Red Queen and Hunger Games vibe; I enjoy both books, therefore I had great hopes for this one. ⠀
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However, the plot is muddled, and some important details simply vanish. Aside from that, the characters lack personality. I struggled to finish it.⠀
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I have very mixed feelings about this one - I really struggled getting through the first 25% because I thought it was boring and kind of slow but once I hit that 25% mark things picked up quite rapidly and I became engrossed in the story.

There’s a lot of similarities with The Hunger Games throughout and at first it was a bit off putting because I felt as if I was just reading THG again, however the more I read the more invested I became and I believe the strong similarities are what kept me reading and had me eventually enjoying the book.

I know the author is quite young and it’s her debut novel, but the writing was sometimes a bit off putting and grammatical errors were littered throughout - which I believe would be rectified with a good editor!

All in all, I’d give this 3 stars because while I didn’t LOVE it, it excited me enough to continue reading and I would quite like to pick up the next book when it comes out.

I love a Romantasy book so as soon as I saw the blurb, I knew I had to read this book. The story is told from both the perspectives of Pae and Kai. It has enemy to lovers’ vibes with dash of slow burn. Basically, some of my favourite romance troupes.

Kai is the future King’s enforcer (AKA executioner) and is responsible for going on missions and taking out people the King deems a threat. Pae is an Ordinary, meaning she has no elite power is hiding among the Elites masquerading as a psychic.

Pae and Kai meet during an attempted mugging in which Pae saves Kai’s life. Which give her favour with the people who end up voting for to take part in the trials. Which I Kai is also a part of.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, it was such an easy read fantasy, the world building was great, and I have a thorough understanding of the way Ilya works. The trials element was fine I must admit that this type of troupe is a little done to death but, they didn’t drag on forever so that’s plus.

The relationship between in Kai and Pae is developed slowly over the whole book, there’s not much spice here but you can feel the tension between them, and their feelings about each other is easy to pick on in terms of their interactions.

The last few chapters are when the story really picks up and there is a bit of a twist that I didn’t see coming which was great. I do enjoy it when a book can surprise me.

In summary I would recommend this book, it kept me hooked to the very last page and I cannot wait to read the next book.

Thank you to Netgalley for an e-ark!
A world split in 2, those who have power, and those who don’t.
Anyone that has no powers will be killed to remove risk to others.
This book is dual pov-
Paedyn has been living in the streets for 5 years trying to disguise her lack of powers.
One day she saves the Prince, whose job it is to kill those who are powerless.

Fate brings them together again, as they get closer will they fall in love or will he kill her if he discovers her secret?

This book also has a slight love triangle going on.

I very much enjoyed this book, I read it in one day.
It was fairly predictable but fun, I love the two main characters.
Not so sure on the heir as I can see where his story may go.

There was quite a bit of repetition, such as many mentions of how differently the 2 princes were treated by the king but it wasn’t enough to distract from the book.

I’m looking for ward to the next in the series.

This was an intriguing book, Has all the tropes that I love in a fantasy, the slow burn romance was done perfectly. Gave me all the hunger game vibes and the writing was beautiful and the plot was well thought out. I really enjoyed powerless and looking forward to book 2.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an arc.

Thanks for the chance to review

So I hadn’t realised the hype that existed around this author and book. I’m a bit absent from the Booktok world and it would appear she is like a celebrity.

I have to say I’m glad I didn’t know that going into the book because sometimes all the hype can put me off. And it would have been a deep shame to have missed out on this book. I loved it.

The characters, plot and pacing are fantastic and this had me hooked from start to finish. The ending is heartbreaking

I can’t wait for the next one

I was really excited to receive a copy of this as the synopsis sounded like something I would love.

But for me, the style of writing was far too repetitive (jaws flexing, hands in pockets, masks, ocean eyes) which reminded me of other authors' work far too much. There was also a lot of repeated comparisons that became very tiresome:
"Pretty but sharp. Cool but deadly. Captivating but cutting",
"Not until I looked into a pair of ocean blue eyes and realized that perhaps drowning was a beautiful thing. Not until I looked into a pair of fiery blue eyes and realized that perhaps burning was a painless thing. Not until I looked into a pair of sky blue eyes and realized that perhaps falling was a peaceful thing."
This style is sorely over-used throughout the book, and I did feel myself thinking; just pick one already!

I also didn't believe that the enforcer was such a hated and feared person as we were introduced to him and his brother relaxed, laughing and joking around with the staff. At the end of the book I believed him to be the feared enforcer he was written to be in the beginning.

This book would be good for someone just entering the YA fantasy genre, as it cycles through the typical tropes. I really did get invested in the love interest(s) of the main character, and found that the last chapter is what actually hooked me into thinking 'Well, now I need to know what happens next!'

So, upon reflection, I enjoyed the characters, and the story. I just felt I was rolling my eyes every time a phrase was repeated for the 20th time. But it would be fantastic with some further editing!

I was really hoping to love this since the premise was intriguing however this book wasn’t for me.

I did get reminded of Aladdin and Throne Of Glass for some reason just don’t ask me why 😂

I would say that still give the book a try if it piqué’s your interest as you might end up enjoying it.

People without powers are being hunted by those who have them, and Paedyn is one of the powerless. She accidentally gets embroiled in a dangerous set of challenges that test her to her limits, all whilst falling for a rich boy with powers.

I really didn't connect with this book - it felt very young and I didn't care particularly about any of the characters. The plot felt rote - nothing was surprising or engaging and finishing was a struggle!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Paedyn is an Ordinary. In the kingdom of Ilya where the Elites have power and Ordinary are killed on sight, she must keep her identity a secret. But when she saves the life of a price of the kingdom, she is thrust into a deathly game—the Trials. She'll compete against other Elites in three trials where they are supposed to stab each other in the back. But Kai, the prince she saved, makes her feel something, and she's also getting closer to his brother Kitt, the heir to the throne. But when she learns of the Resistance, a group made up of Ordinary and Elites who don't believe in the king's spiel, she needs to understand what she stands for and if she's willing to betray the people she's starting to care for.

I haven't read such an intriguing YA in a while. I kept turning page after page, and I can't wait to read the next book in this series.

Um this was just the perfect slow burn romance I've read in awhile. Some things felt a bit tropey & clichéd but still loved every moment of it 😄 Eagerly waiting for book 2! If you liked Hunger Games & Fourth Wing, I think you'd enjoy this too!

Special thanks to Simon & Schuster UK and Netgalley for providing me an advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

This book is 50% 'Hunger Games' and 50% 'Fourth Wing!' ⚔️

🗡️ 'Powerless' by Lauren Roberts is the first in a trilogy set in a fantasy realm where some people have magic powers but others don't. The 'ordinary' people are hunted by those who have powers. The story follows Paedyn (ordinary, poor) and Kai (magic, privileged) as they're thrown together in a competition where they have to fight for survival.

📚 I loved 'The Hunger Games.' I thought 'Fourth Wing' was fun. So why couldn't I get into this? I think it was because very little in this book felt original. Even down to one of the challenges, which was set in an enchanted maze (Goblet of Fire, anyone?) - the world-building and storyline didn't feel fresh.

🏹 I don't think I can read another novel which features a "silver-haired, petite, scrappy female main character who is skilled with a bow and arrow and has had to fend for herself after the death of her parents" who falls for a "tall, dark, tattooed male main character who is perceived as highly dangerous until you get to know him." It's been done to death.

✍️ I struggled to warm to the characters and couldn't get invested in their relationship. It read like a tick-list of 'tropes.' If you choose books based off what tropes feature in them ('who did this to you,' 'enemies to lovers,' etc) you're spoilt for choice with this. I'm not ready to start the conversation over whether 'tropes' are just another word for 'clichés,' but maybe another time.

👑 The revolution / rebellion storyline felt like an afterthought. There wasn't enough groundwork put into exploring the political workings of the realm to make it seem convincing.

📖 Overall, this wasn't for me, but if you don't mind cliché and love 'romantasy' as a genre, you might fare better with this than I did. I didn't have anything against the author's writing style & would read her if she published something in a different genre.

🎁 Advance reader copy kindly sent by @Netgalley & @simonschusteruk

🗓️ 'Powerless' is out on 11th July 2023

- Katie

[Review posted to Instagram at @katiespencebooks]

This absolutely blew me away. I’m obsessed with a capital O! It’s got action, romance and politics galore and the characters are a dangerous bunch. Paedyn is the unlikely heroine, a homeless young woman without powers in a land where that’s a death sentence, she built a life in the slums with her best friend - the only one who knows her secret. I was hooked on Paedyn’s fiery, stubborn and vicious personality and all the complexities of her situation. She has a need for revenge against the one man who’s almost impossible to touch though the story focuses more so on the deadly trials and her relationships with Princes Kai and Kitt. The flirting and chemistry between Kai and Paedyn was delicious and there were times when I was sure I’d spontaneously combust. They’re the Romeo and Juliet of Ilya, locked in a power struggle and thoroughly overwhelmed by each other. I couldn’t get enough. We don’t see much of the other characters but I enjoyed what we did see. There’s a good mix of sweet and charming characters to have a soft spot for and the violent, dangerous ones that make up the villains - of which there are several throughout. I can’t wait for the next book in the series, especially after an incredibly dramatic and incendiary ending!

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

A plague - magic. A kingdom. Beautifully written fantasy and sure to be a hit of 2023!

Thanks NetGalley and publishers for the arc.

I have never been through such an emotional rollercoaster as I have with this book and I cannot wait for the second one.

This book is set in the kingdom of Ilya, where decades prior to our story taking place a plague swept through the kingdom killing thousands. Many of the people who survived the plague were gifted with supernatural abilities making them the Elites whilst those who survived but gained no such abilities are ordinaries.. and being ordinary is a crime.

The first few chapters seemed quite slow, but once our main characters Paedyn and Kai meet each other things become much more interesting very quickly. I loved the romance elements between Paedyn and Kai and I thoroughly enjoyed their chemistry.

This book is definitely a slow burn, with Kai and Paedyn not even truly getting together in the first book but it was such an enjoyable read.

I cannot wait to read more of Paedyn and Kai’s story