Powerless by Lauren Roberts: A Book Review

When I think of a thief, I always picture a thuggish-looking man in the back of my mind, with a thick balaclava, black-and-white striped clothing, and an enormous sac full of stolen money. I often imagine the stereotypical ‘thief’ as a direct resemblance to both Harry and Marv from Home Alone – idiotic and with no other purpose than just being a comic relief. Sometimes viewing Swiper the Fox as a thief seems reasonable. Well, he has the bandana and all, but my five-year-old self would argue that he’s not a ‘bad guy’ and instead entirely misunderstood…However, I would have never though that a thief would take the form of a young woman called Paedyn Gray, stealing for the sake of survival and a ton of freshly baked sticky buns…

In Lauren Roberts’ bestselling novel ‘Powerless’, stealing is the only way for an Ordinary like Paedyn to survive in the Kingdom of Ilya, where lacking power – where not simply being an Elite – is a crime punishable by death. For as long as she can remember, Paedyn has posed as a Psychic in the slums of Loot Alley, hoping to always “hide her facade” like her father said, hoping nothing would ever come near her or her only dear friend, Adena…until she unsuspectingly saves Kai Azer. With dark wavy hair and intense grey eyes, he is the prince and Enforcer of the ruthless Kingdom – not to mention the reason as to how Paedyn is thrown into the Purging Trials: a brutal, televised Hunger Games-esque competition that showcases the Elites’ powers.

Armed with only her instincts and daggers, Paedyn must not be killed in the Trials. However, Kai, who is tasked with hunting down Ordinaries like herself, becomes the very person who she is falling feelings for. As the arena forces them into an alliance, her true identity is at risk if he discovers what Paedyn really is…powerless.

As the first book in the epic fantasy-romance trilogy series, Powerless is a must-read for teens, young adults, and anyone who loves slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance (because at the end of the day, who doesn’t?)

By Ruby C, Year 10