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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
LOVEDDD THE CHARACTERSSSS
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Tandem reading this with Powerful made the twists more heart hitting, and it felt complete that way
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Whilst I’ve been patiently waiting for the paperback version of Fearless, which I'm still annoyed about. I decided to read Powerful, I wasn’t expecting much from it with it being a novella, it was sweet, but I think it would have made an impact if it was added to the first book.
This book has two points of view. The first is Adena and she gets a story as she attempts to survive on the streets of Loot and falls for a mysterious and dangerous Elite. Adena and Paedyn have always been inseparable. Fate brought them together when they were young, but friendship ensured they would always protect each other and the home they built in the slums of Loot. But now Paedyn – an Ordinary – has been selected for the Purging Trials, which means almost certain death. Now alone in Loot, Adena must fend for herself. After attempting to steal, she’s rescued by a mysterious man from the market. The second point of view is Mak, and his shadowy past and secretive power set him apart from the other low-level Elites of Loot. And as the pair team up to try and see their loved ones before the Trials, the quest tests their loyalty, their love and their lives.
I liked the side quest and how we got to see more of Adena’s personality during this book, and we got to see how she was doing after Paedyn had left for the trials. I wanted to hug Adena throughout this whole book, her best friend is gone, she is hungry, and she nearly got attacked several times. Mak took a minute to grow on me mainly because I went into this book without reading anything about it as I usually do, so was thinking he was there to make Adena’s life more miserable. I understood he need not to open up to people, but he just needed to be more truthful with her. I liked seeing what was going on in village whilst the trials were happening because we didn’t see a lot of that in the first book.
I think this could have been added to the first book to make it more interesting and heart-tugging during the first book, as I felt like it could have been multiple POVs. I have no clue what’s going to happen to Mak now, I have a feeling he is going to be in Fearless as he wasn’t mentioned in Reckless and why bring him up if we are never going to see him again. With the book being so short, I didn’t really feel the romance from Mak’s side besides the ending of it. With Adena, she was just too trusting and is like a golden retriever that she falls for anyone. I'm surprised there hasn’t been a love triangle with Pae, Adena and Kai.
Overall, it was enjoyable, but it felt like it was like Lauren Roberts forgot some bits and realized people loved Adena that she decided to soften the blow with the ending and it was just more heartbreaking. I’m intrigued to see if or when Mak makes an appearance, but for now, I'm sat patiently waiting for Fearless and Fearful as a paperback. So you’ll probably see my reviews for those two books at the end of 2026 at this rate.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood
Moderate: Torture, Grief, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cursing, Death of parent, Sexual harassment
adventurous
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Adena 😭😭. Lauren Roberts knows how to write an ending. I read the first book for my teenage cousin. Now I'm reading the rest for myself. "Just count the stars." 🥹⭐
DNF :( was bored by the lameness of this self loathing crybaby hot boy who somehow kept getting pobrecito princess treatment. adena, sunshine, u can't fix him
adventurous
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No