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A review by proudtobeabookaholic
Powerless by Lauren Roberts
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
In the kingdom of Ilya there's only place for the Elites - those who have magical powers. If you don't have powers, if you're an Ordinary, you either get banned from Ilya or killed. Paedyn Gray is well aware of the risks, since she's an Ordinary pretending to be Elite with psychic abilities. When she, without knowing who he is, saves Kai Azer, one of Ilya's princes, she gets thrown into the Purging Trials. How will Paedyn survive this brutal competition without any powers?
Sometimes you know right away that the book you started will be a "hit"! This was the case with Powerless; I fell in love with the characters from the first chapter! Paedyn, orphaned when she was thirteen, survives by stealing. She's very skilled with both bow and knife, and can handle herself in a fight, but she doesn't have magical powers. Kai, whose half-brother Kit will be king one day, have been trained all his life to be the king's enforcer. He can wield others powers, as long as they’re within a certain distance, and he can sense what kind of power you possess. Kai is definitely a morally grey character and that makes him even more interesting!
I'm not completely satisfied with the ending and I thought about lowering my grade a tiny bit, but since it really felt like a five star book up until then I let the five stars remain. The ending was also quite expected and I'm looking forward to reading the next book when it's out!
Sometimes you know right away that the book you started will be a "hit"! This was the case with Powerless; I fell in love with the characters from the first chapter! Paedyn, orphaned when she was thirteen, survives by stealing. She's very skilled with both bow and knife, and can handle herself in a fight, but she doesn't have magical powers. Kai, whose half-brother Kit will be king one day, have been trained all his life to be the king's enforcer. He can wield others powers, as long as they’re within a certain distance, and he can sense what kind of power you possess. Kai is definitely a morally grey character and that makes him even more interesting!
I'm not completely satisfied with the ending and I thought about lowering my grade a tiny bit, but since it really felt like a five star book up until then I let the five stars remain. The ending was also quite expected and I'm looking forward to reading the next book when it's out!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Classism, Death, Emotional abuse, and Grief