Week 49 Review: Powerless

From Goodreads:

This sparkling edition will include a special case stamping, bonus content, and a teaser to book two in this heart-pounding series!

Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, this young adult fantasy follows the forbidden romance between a powerful prince and an ordinary girl as they try to survive their kingdom's grueling laws pitting them against each other.

She is the very thing he's spent his whole life hunting.

He is the very thing she's spent her whole live 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 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 keenly observant since she was a child, Paedyn poses as a Psychic in the crowded city, blending in with the Elites as best she can to stay alive and out of trouble…easier said than done.

When Paeydn unsuspectingly saves one of Ilya's 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:
Oh, this was such a fantastic book! I loved getting to know these characters, and I cared for the situations that they were in, and I had to know what was going to happen next! Just the banter between Paeydn and Kai was so hilarious to read! 

This world with that plague that created Elites, and left behind Ordinaries, was so fantastic, with all the different powers. That Paeydn is an Ordinaries, but is hiding it by pretending to be a psychic, adds a layer of tension. Not to mention the fact that the king's war against Orinaries, touting the line that it causes Elities to lose powers is an absolute lie. Given the events of this book, I doubt we'll find out the reason besides control and power, but I'm pretty sure that the truth will come out. 

I did very much feel some influences, that interview scene reminded me of Hunger Games, and the two princes reminded me of Red Queen. So I really felt those influences in this book, which I hope aren't as present in the sequel, because this is it's own book, and it did feel a little weird. Like, I want each book to stand on it's own, you know?

Watching as the trials were progressing, and Paeydn and Kai were spending time together, well, he was more obvious in his feelings, in being more obsessed with her then she was with him, which was pretty entertaining to read. Which just made all those reveals at the end hit harder, and the anticipation for the sequel to see what happens next is high! 

Loved reading this book and I can't wait to continue on with the sequel! 

Author: Lauren Roberts
Series: The Powerless Trilogy #1
Read: December 5th, 2023
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Sounded really good, and it's a DAC Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2023 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published: November 7th 2023

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars