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A review by lianareadss
Powerless by Lauren Roberts
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
i love me a good romantasy <3 i've been looking forward to reading this one since the author started posting about it on tiktok. for a debut novel, it was surprisingly SO good. it was so fun and fast paced so i was hooked from start to finish. if you took out the romance, i probably wouldn't have been as invested in this though because the actual fantasy plot wasn't the greatest and there are a lot of plot holes imo. the romance was *chef's kiss* though and made it ten times better.
to start with the characters, i loved paedyn's determination and fierce personality. she stood by what she believed in and rarely let her emotions for kai stray her from her goals and beliefs. i also loved her relationship with Adena and Adena herself!! she is such a cute side character and i'm so glad lauren decided to give her a little story.
as for kai π« i loved his character. he is flirty, funny, and swoon worthy. his quick remarks and wit made him 10x more attractive. while still being "an Enforcer" and keeping up the whole tough guy persona, he is still in touch with his emotions. kai and paedyn's dynamic and banter was so fun to read. their personalities complimented one another perfectly. was their romance LITTERED with clichΓ© tropes? yes! and you know what? i ate that shit UP. rivals to lovers??? who did this to you??? knife to throat??? i'm seated π§π»ββοΈ
for my dislikes, i think the writing was a little repetitive and amateur (to be fair, it IS a debut novel). a few banter scenes felt forced and were just not necessary (i know i know banter and unnecessary? shouldn't make sense but it will if you read this). i also don't like love triangles and this book had one. i don't know how it will go in the next few books, but i'm hoping it doesn't drag on too long. some characters, like the king, had a few dialogues that just weren't realistic for their ages or positions in power. i think that aspect was underdeveloped as well as the fantasy and world building itself.
lastly, this book reminded me A LOT of the serpent and the wings of night series. it isn't anything original by any means, but it was entertaining enough to get me back into romantasy/fantasy. i can't wait for the second book and to see what lauren does with the rest of the series. highly recommend to fans of the hunger games and romance-heavy fantasy books.
tropes β¨
β taking care of one another when they're hurt
β who did this to you
β rivals/enemies to lovers
β reverse grumpyxsunshine
β love triangle
β knife to throat
β banter
β ballroom dancing
β drunk confessions
to start with the characters, i loved paedyn's determination and fierce personality. she stood by what she believed in and rarely let her emotions for kai stray her from her goals and beliefs. i also loved her relationship with Adena and Adena herself!! she is such a cute side character and i'm so glad lauren decided to give her a little story.
as for kai π« i loved his character. he is flirty, funny, and swoon worthy. his quick remarks and wit made him 10x more attractive. while still being "an Enforcer" and keeping up the whole tough guy persona, he is still in touch with his emotions. kai and paedyn's dynamic and banter was so fun to read. their personalities complimented one another perfectly. was their romance LITTERED with clichΓ© tropes? yes! and you know what? i ate that shit UP. rivals to lovers??? who did this to you??? knife to throat??? i'm seated π§π»ββοΈ
for my dislikes, i think the writing was a little repetitive and amateur (to be fair, it IS a debut novel). a few banter scenes felt forced and were just not necessary (i know i know banter and unnecessary? shouldn't make sense but it will if you read this). i also don't like love triangles and this book had one. i don't know how it will go in the next few books, but i'm hoping it doesn't drag on too long. some characters, like the king, had a few dialogues that just weren't realistic for their ages or positions in power. i think that aspect was underdeveloped as well as the fantasy and world building itself.
lastly, this book reminded me A LOT of the serpent and the wings of night series. it isn't anything original by any means, but it was entertaining enough to get me back into romantasy/fantasy. i can't wait for the second book and to see what lauren does with the rest of the series. highly recommend to fans of the hunger games and romance-heavy fantasy books.
tropes β¨
β taking care of one another when they're hurt
β who did this to you
β rivals/enemies to lovers
β reverse grumpyxsunshine
β love triangle
β knife to throat
β banter
β ballroom dancing
β drunk confessions