The world was taken by storm when Lauren Roberts dropped her debut Young Adult Romantasy Powerless back in 2023, and with its ongoing popularity on BookTok, there is no time like the present to take a deep dive into the Kingdom of Ilya.
What Is Powerless About?
After a plague sweeps through the kingdom, some of those that managed to survive were blessed with amazing abilities, while others simply remained ordinary. When the king banishes those who do not have an ability in order to save his empowered society, being an ‘Ordinary’ quickly becomes a crime against the crown, and Paedyn must do whatever she can to survive.
Paedyn Gray was born without a power. Trained from a small age, she filed away small details about every person she met to pose as a mundane with a psychic ability. But when she is chosen to compete in the Purging Trials, a competition showcasing the Elites’ powers, Paedyn will have to do more than blend into the shadows—she’ll have to fight for her life.
Kai Azer is the second prince to the Ilya throne, and he has his priorities in order. Win the Purging Trials to prove himself to the king, become the future Enforcer of Ilya, and stand by his older brother’s side as he trains to become king someday. Kai has everything he could ever need to win these trials, but when a silver-haired thief catches his attention, it’s clear that she has stolen more than just a few coins in her life—she's also stolen his heart.
In a story with secrets, love, and betrayal, Paedyn needs to make sure she can survive the trials while also hiding her lack of abilities, not just from Kai but from the whole kingdom as well, before they realize exactly what she is. Not an Elite. Just an Ordinary.
Is Powerless By Lauren Roberts A Series?
Photo by @prisandherbooks
Powerless is a book series —with three books published in this universe already, and two more on the way. The first book in the Powerless book series was published back in 2023, and we can wait in anticipation for the release of the last book in the trilogy, which will be published before the end of 2025.
Although this series is labeled as a trilogy, Roberts has already published one novella within the universe, titled Powerful, and has plans for another one on the way. Expanding the story with loveable side characters and heart-breaking revelations.
The Powerless Book Series In Order
Here are two different ways I would currently recommend reading the Powerless series.
The first option is to read the novella, Powerful, along with the first book in the series, Powerless, in a tandem read. Then, you can read the second book, Reckless, on its own. The novella takes place during the first book from a different point of view, making this option the best way to read the series in a chronological order. Roberts publishing company, Simon and Schuster, has posted a picture of the ultimate tandem guide on their website to help readers get the most out of this story.
The Ultimate Tandem Reading Guide for Powerless and Powerful! - Simon Teen
Photo by Kaitlin Santiago
If tandem reading isn’t something that works for you, the next best option would be to read Powerless first, followed by Powerful, and then ending with Reckless.
Although it is not necessary to read the novella at all, it does provide the readers with more context about what was happening behind the scenes that our main characters aren't aware of. There is also a possibility that new characters who were introduced in Powerful could be mentioned in the upcoming books, but there has been no confirmation about that yet.
With no official title or release date for the next novella, fans of the Powerless book series should expect Fearless, the last book in the Powerless trilogy, to be the next read in chronological order, unless stated otherwise by Roberts in the future.
Photo by Kaitlin Santiago
Is Powerless Available As An Audiobook?
Although I am very picky about audiobooks, the Powerless book series was one of my favorites to listen to last year. There’s a possibility you may have heard it without even realizing! If you have ever listened to any Powerless-themed sound on Instagram or TikTok, you could probably bet it’s Chase Brown speaking as Kai Azer in the fan-made edits.
Powerless, Powerful, and Reckless have all been adapted into audiobooks, and here are a few places where you can find them:
Free with Premium Spotify Subscription
Free with a Barnes and Noble Audiobook Subscription
Who Is The Target Audience For This Series?
The Powerless Trilogy is categorized as Young Adult Fantasy . The first person writing lets us get up close and personal with the characters, switching between Paedyn and Kai’s point of view. With this structure, we are able to understand each character’s driven purpose through their own thoughts and emotions.
This story is mainly focused on the idea of being strong in the face of adversity. When the universe seems to be throwing every obstacle in Paedyn’s way, she must learn to adapt and have some trust within herself. Proving that being ordinary doesn’t mean being weak.
Kai doesn’t have room to fail. He will fight to reach the top to prove that he is fit to be the kingdom’s next Enforcer. The pure determination between these characters striving towards their goals is an important theme that usually resonates with the high school age group, ages fourteen to eighteen.
Since Paedyn and Kai are both still teenagers, it makes sense that readers around their age would enjoy this story, but that doesn't stop adults from falling head over heels for this new Romantasy couple, just like everyone else. Where this book lacks the spice to be considered an adult novel, the Powerless book series is driven with nail-biting tension and witty YA banter between the two main characters that leave readers hooked.
Is Powerless Spicy?
If we were to rank the Powerless series on the OwlCrate Spice Meter scale, it would fall in the Extra Mild (level 1) range.
With a big focus on the rival-to-lovers trope , Paedyn and Kai both don’t trust themselves enough to commit to a relationship yet, especially when they have bigger problems to focus on.
What makes the series so enjoyable is that, without even having explicit scenes, the main character’s physical connection is still intense! A simple game of thumb wrestling has readers fainting from the giddiness of it all.
Although these books are aimed at young adults, that doesn’t stop Kai from using his colorful vocabulary to make his relationship with Paedyn playful and entertaining for the older readers.
Swoon Worthy Quotes From Powerless (By Kai Azer)
Kai Azer has shot to the top of the unofficial ‘book boyfriend list.’ Kai’s charming good looks and flirtatious quips can be compared to other main male characters like Aaron Warner from Shatter Me and Rhysand from ACOTAR. Here are some quotes from Powerless that have readers giggling and kicking their feet:
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"Every girl deserves something equally as pretty and deadly as they are." |
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[Paedyn] “I could get used to you being a gentleman, Azer.” [Kai] “And I could get used to being one for you, Gray.” |
Young Adult Books Like Powerless By Lauren Roberts
Lightlark by Alex Aster
Each ruler of their respective realms must come together every 100 years and work together to rid themselves of their curses. Except, the only solution to breaking them is the death of one ruler and their entire realm.
The ruler of Wilding, Isla Crown, is attending her first Centennial, and without any magic powers, she needs to be clever, cautious, and brave to survive the five other rulers that may be planning to take her life.
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
In the mythical world of Faerie, Jude Duarte must learn the rules of Elfhame when she is kidnapped from the mortal world. As a human, no fae believes she is capable of doing much of anything. In fact, they treat most humans as their own personal playthings.
With these creatures looking down on her, Jude must work ten times harder to prove that she can be just as ruthless as they are. On her journey to becoming a knight for the royal family, she encounters a young fae prince, who will do everything in his power to remind her just how powerless she really is.
Special Edition Of The Powerless Book Series
OwlCrate’s Powerless Set included an exclusive edition of Powerless, Reckless and Powerful.
Powerless was SIGNED and included a bound-in author letter while Powerless & Reckless included bonus annotated chapters by Lauren Roberts.
THE POWERLESS SET is now sold out. Please join the the waitlist linked below to be notified if any further books become available.
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