“I don’t give a damn if you forget who I am in title, so long as you remember who I am to you.”
Only the Elites belong to the Kingdom of Ilya. The powerful, the extraordinary. When plagues sweeped the whole kingdom, not everyone is fortunate to survive and receive their own power. Those who stayed powerless are called the Ordinaries where the King is driven to get rid of. Paedyn Gray lived in the slums after the death of her father trying to survive as a thief and posing as a Psychic. When she unknowingly saves one of the Ilya's Prince, Malakai Azer, she finds herself competing in the kingdom's Trial. When her only goal is to win the Trial and to survive, hide her Ordinary identity to the Prince she is fighting feelings for.
For a debut novel, this book is definitely hit the great start. Powerless already got me after reading the book description, a female lead who is literally powerless and only has his sharp tongue and wits is definitely a breath of fresh air for me. She lives in the slums and has been a tricky thief. It was an unordinary way to set a character's foundation but along the story, I realised that it was the best and actually beneficial for Paedyn's character.
The storyline is definitely tropey but this is the type of book that uses trope not in a cliche way. It has a lot of similarities with The Hunger Games with the 'Trial' plot, however I can still see the author's personal touch.
Paedyn Gray is undoubtedly my favourite character! She is just so sassy and witty. Her banter with Kitt (the first prince, heir to the throne) and Kai (the second prince, the Enforcer) was really fun to read. What I like most about Paedyn besides her wit and smart remarks was her self-awareness and her openness to vulnerability. She can acknowledge her lacks as an Ordinary and finds no shame about it, personally her self-awareness was more emphasised when she realised she almost forgot her best friend, Adena. Her comfortability in vulnerability was seen throughout the book, mentioning the death of his father and how she finds refuge and motivation because of it. Another thing I liked is her anger. She wasn't easily swayed, she is firm to her justice for her father and other struggling Ordinaries.
Kai Azer is the second prince, the Enforcer, the right hand man of the King who sought and hunted the Ordinaries, banished , or killed them to the King's liking. In the book, it was mentioned Kai's struggles to be the Enforcer her father wanted him to be, as much as they try to convey Kai's tragic back , I hardly empathise with him. I think it was because of more telling, than showing Kai's tragedy. Additionally, Kai and Paedyn definitely have a fierce chemistry between them. Their banter is repetitive but also hilarious. Their romance is slow-burn, the "who did this to you?" "why do you care?" really makes me giggle while reading them. Both lead characters are so carved out well!
“You’ve had a knife in your back this whole time and you just let me talk?” I’m sputtering.A dimple accompanies his crooked grin. “Oh, but the sound of your voice was such a welcome distraction from the pain.”
Also, I want to talk about Kit (the heir to the throne). Personally, as much as the author tries to make a sweet connection with Kitt and Paedyn and Kitt is portrayed as the proper, smart, kingly-like, Kitt doesn't sit well with me. Beside that he is aware of the attraction between Kai and Paedyn, he is trying to pull Paedyn from Kai. I am not sure if there will be a love triangle element in the upcoming books (I hope not, please, don't have the love triangle. But in Powerless, I assure you, there is no love triangle.) But I am looking forward to Kitt's character and how he will develop further. Will he be a villain or a hero?
The book as a whole is a fast paced fantasy-romance which I love, I do not think I could handle a slow pace with slow burn romance. The world building wasn't the best but I don't think It lacks epithet. Though it makes for the elemental power the characters have. The romance is top tier, there are also action-packed scenes, and so many emotions. Overall, I love this book and looking forward to the next installments. I hope the next book won't flop. I would want to see how the storyline goes, when and how the romance would pick up after the cliff-hangers, betrayal, hate, and hurt that happened.
For the lovers of The Hunger Games, Red Queen, slow burn romance, I highly recommend Powerless!
RATE
★★★★★
I rated Powerless with five stars!
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