[Book Review] Powerless by Lauren Roberts

Summary

Only the extraordinary belong in the kingdom of Ilya . . . Red Queen meets The Hunger Games in the most epic and sizzling fantasy romance book of the year. 

The Elites have possessed powers for decades, gifted to them by the Plague, while those born Ordinary are just that, banished from the kingdom of Ilya and shunned from society.

No one knows this better than Paedyn Gray, an Ordinary posing as a Psychic to blend in with the Elites. When she unsuspectingly saves one of Ilya’s princes, Kai Azer, she’s thrown into the Purging Trials, a brutal competition showcasing the Elites’ powers.

If the Trials and the opponents within them don’t kill her, the prince she’s fighting feelings for will if he discovers what Paedyn is . . . completely Ordinary.

Be swept away by the first in the romantasy trilogy taking the world by storm, containing a special sneak peek of the second book, coming in May 2024 and available to pre-order now! 

Facts

Published: July 2023
Length: 528
Genre: Romantasy
Format: e-ARC

🌀 I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review 🌀

Review

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 an enemy-to-lovers vibes with a dash of slow burn. Basically, some of my favorite 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 and 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 gives her favour with the people who end up voting for her to take part in the trials. Which 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 trial 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 a plus.

The relationship between Kai and Pae develops 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 are 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.

My Rating: 4/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟

About the Author

When Lauren isn’t writing about fantasy worlds and bantering love interests, she can likely be found burrowed in bed reading about them. Lauren has lived in Michigan her whole life, making her very familiar with potholes, snow, and various lake activities. She has the hobbies of both a grandmother and a child, i.e., knitting, laser tag, hammocking, word searches, and coloring. Powerless is her debut novel, and she hopes to have the privilege of writing pretty words for the rest of her life. If you enjoy ranting, reading, and writing, Lauren can be found on both TikTok and Instagram @Laurens1ibrary for your entertainment.