Powerless

By: Lauren Roberts

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS

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.

MY REVIEW

Powerless by Lauren Roberts was everything and more! The storyline and characters were magnificent. Every year the Purging Trials occur in the kingdom of Ilya to showcase people's supernatural powers. However, this year it will be different and more deadly. Paedyn Gray, an ordinary living in the Slums, is chosen to compete by the people and now must play against others with lethal advantages. While fighting to stay alive, she begins to hear whispers of a resistance that might have the answers to all her questions. She also runs into Kai Azer, the future enforcer, and begins to fall for him. 

The characters were definitely one of my highlights in this book. Paedyn is a witty and fearless person. Throughout the novel, you start to understand why she is the way she is and her story. To give a bit of background, she is a thief in the slums of Ilya. When she was young her father was murdered and her mother died early on. So, she now lives on the streets with her best friend. She is also an ordinary. An ordinary is a person who doesn’t have a supernatural ability. This gets introduced early on, so I promise I’m not giving any spoilers! The only thing that wasn’t my favorite about her character was how she was the “different girl”. The author highlighted throughout the book that she wasn’t like everyone else. She broke the rules and dressed differently, she didn’t have any powers, and she didn’t say the phrase everyone mentions in their interview. Kai is also my new book boyfriend! He is so caring towards her and helps her when she is injured. However, he is the future enforcer, or executioner, in Ilya. This means he is responsible for torturing people who betray the king and kill off the remaining ordinary’s. That might not be some people’s cup of tea so I just wanted to mention it. 

Also, Payden and Kai have some top-tier chemistry. The slow burn was magnificent and their banter was adorable. The “who did this to you” boy met the “I will stab you” girl and caused a fiery relationship between the two. The knife against the throat, the stares, and the midnight slow dances did it for me! My only note is what’s up their obsession with eyes? Every time they see each other they comment on their ocean eyes. It gets to be a little much sometimes but I enjoyed it!

Overall, I loved the book and I am desperate for the second book! The writing was incredible and the characters were so entertaining. I am going to rate this a five out of five stars and definitely recommend this. 

Rating: 5/5

Reading Format: Kindle