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adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Murder
Minor: Torture
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Derivative (Hunger Games, Throne of Glass and a bit of Harry Potter!), lots of typos and grammatical errors, but I thoroughly enjoyed it nonetheless!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, Blood, Death of parent
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
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:
Yes
the first time i read this book, it was my everything, mainly because it was the first book to make me cry, and i cried multiple times before finally sobbing at the end. i loved the banter, the plot, the tension, but upon this reread my feelings have changed. so without further ado, my final review!
THE WRITING💜
usually i would try to go in alphebtical order for the elements of the book, i.e., characters, plot, then writing, but this was my biggest issue with the book and something worth touching on. i am also listing it here to get my ranting out of the way. starting with, HOW MANY TIMES CAN YOU USE THE PHRASE "SHELL OF HER EAR?!??" like, no, just no. i counted it at least three times in this book alone, and once was already enough for me. there are plenty of ways to desribe whispering into someone's ear or being super close to someone, and this is just not it. another issue i had was the constant three-word repetition. at first i really enjoyed it as it added to the lyrical prose of the novel, but as the book wore on, it was more and more overused and lost its initial impact. dear miss lauren roberts, it does not need to be used on every. single. PAGE. my last problem on the writing was the misspelling of the word "eyeing." in the book it was "eying" and i still cannot believe i caught that, but it did, so yes, i have to agree with some of the lower-ranking reviews: this book needs an editor. now for the positives: i absolutely ADORED the description. as mentioned above it is lyrical and poetic but also detailed and engaging with the senses. overall with the writing, i suppose i cannot be too harsh because this is her debut novel, but these are just some things i have kept in mind.
THE WRITING💜
usually i would try to go in alphebtical order for the elements of the book, i.e., characters, plot, then writing, but this was my biggest issue with the book and something worth touching on. i am also listing it here to get my ranting out of the way. starting with, HOW MANY TIMES CAN YOU USE THE PHRASE "SHELL OF HER EAR?!??" like, no, just no. i counted it at least three times in this book alone, and once was already enough for me. there are plenty of ways to desribe whispering into someone's ear or being super close to someone, and this is just not it. another issue i had was the constant three-word repetition. at first i really enjoyed it as it added to the lyrical prose of the novel, but as the book wore on, it was more and more overused and lost its initial impact. dear miss lauren roberts, it does not need to be used on every. single. PAGE. my last problem on the writing was the misspelling of the word "eyeing." in the book it was "eying" and i still cannot believe i caught that, but it did, so yes, i have to agree with some of the lower-ranking reviews: this book needs an editor. now for the positives: i absolutely ADORED the description. as mentioned above it is lyrical and poetic but also detailed and engaging with the senses. overall with the writing, i suppose i cannot be too harsh because this is her debut novel, but these are just some things i have kept in mind.
"and that's when i smell it. honey. the same honey that belongs to the sticky buns oozing out of the many pockets in my ragged vest and dripping down my arms..."
THE CHARACTERS💜
the best part in my opinion.
paedyn gray: GIRLLLL, I LOVE YOU!!!! OUR WONDERFUL SILVER SAVIOR, YOU ARE SO STRONG AND AAAAACCKKKKKKK🤍✨ her character is very consistent throught especially in regards to her feelings with kai, and i just love her so much.
kai azer: MY POET!! i really have no words for him and the way he is so in love with paedyn. he has been through IT and yet the way he continues moving on, and his soft spot for kids??? again, no words, but maybe i will find them again for my fearless review.
"i'd never thought about what my favorite color was before. it never seemed important. not until i looked into a pair of ocean-blue eyes and realized that perhaps drowning was a beautiful thing... i'd never thought about what my favorite color was before becasue i hadn't seen one that was worthy of the title. until now, that is. 'blue,' i say, my voice low"💙
kitt azer: i actually liked you,
note: adena is not mentioned here because she is in my powerful review, which i tandem read with this one.
THE PLOT💜
as with everyone else, i also have mixed feelings about this plot because it is quite similar to the hunger games and supposedly even more so to the red queen. yes, there are less original ideas in tis world, but it... just... argh.
FINAL THOUGHTS💜
i know i just straight up roasted this book in the review, but i still recommend it for the ya, true enemies-to-lovers, fantasy fans out there. i think you will enjoy it🙂
p.s. i wish i could share my three hour long playlist on here, but i suppose i will be fine with just sharing a few songs.
yellow by coldplay
demons by imagine dragons
teeth by 5 seconds of summer
hero by david kushner
"i let her go."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Death of parent
Minor: Child death, Alcohol
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Torture, Murder, Alcohol
adventurous
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Classism
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Torture, Alcohol
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, Violence, Murder, War
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My love. My favourite book. The best thing that I have ever read. I understand people will disagree, but I believe everything in this is beautiful. Beautiful characters; beautiful storyline; beautiful, beautiful banter. Will always be worth the read, and I can't wait for Fearless in (as I'm writing this) eight days.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Classism
Minor: Torture, Alcohol
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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:
Yes
Powerless completely swept me away. From the first page, Lauren Roberts crafted a world that felt both dangerous and exhilarating, filled with high stakes, heart-stopping tension, and characters I couldn’t get enough of.
Paedyn is the kind of heroine I adore—fiercely determined, clever, and constantly toeing the line between survival and discovery. Watching her navigate the cutthroat trials as a supposedly “Powerless” girl in a world dominated by the elite was gripping. And don’t even get me started on Kai. The tension, the banter, the slow unraveling of trust and attraction—perfection.
The pacing was relentless in the best way, making it impossible to put the book down. The twists? Some I saw coming, others left me absolutely reeling. And that ending? I started powerful and Reckless immediately.
If you love high-stakes competitions, electric romance, and a protagonist who refuses to break, this book is for you. I’m obsessed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Grief, Death of parent
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Loses points for feeling like a Hunger Games rip-off, gains points for being the slowest burn and the ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Torture
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
Good book, but took a while to finish. Otherwise, I'd reccomend!!
Adena, my baby :( I love her so much, of course the most innocent character has to die.
Kai got pissed when his abusive father died, but he lutteraly killed Paes? How tf does that make any sense!!
Kai got pissed when his abusive father died, but he lutteraly killed Paes? How tf does that make any sense!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Torture, Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent
Minor: Vomit, Sexual harassment