Powerless

Written by Lauren Roberts

Narrated by Chase Brown and Cecily Bednar Schmidt

A New York Times bestseller!

This sparkling edition includes 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 life 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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Nov 7, 2023
• ISBN: 9781797170923

Lauren Roberts

When Lauren Roberts isn’t writing about fantasy worlds and bantering love interests, she can likely be found burrowed in bed reading about them. Lauren has lived in Michigan her whole life, making her very familiar with potholes, snow, and various lake activities. She has the hobbies of both a grandmother and a child, i.e., knitting, laser tag, hammocking, word searches, and coloring. She’s the author of Powerless, and she hopes to have the privilege of writing pretty words for the rest of her life. If you enjoy ranting, reading, and writing, Lauren can be found on both TikTok and Instagram @LaurenRobertsLibrary for your entertainment.

Reviews for Powerless

[Sabrina Walters · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I flew through this and am left feeling totally bereft until the next one is released! 10/10 chemistry between the characters. So good!

[treasure.fowler01 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Listened to the whole book in one day, was really good. Cannot wait for the next one!!!

[Rebecca · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

100% recommend this book! It's got so much of everything good... love and intrigue and found family. The characters are vibrant and the banter is on point!

[Desiree Betterman · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved!!!!!! Can’t wait for book two!!! Kai you’re my favorite!!! (Don’t make me regret saying that please)

[Jennifer Frady · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Such an interesting read. It was hard through the first 1/3 of the book to separate it from HG serious but once you do it’s like WOW!! The first trial is very similar but after that things change. The fact they come back to and forth, having the balls as a mix to the experience changes the flow. Plus the fact that the whole over all theme is actually that the King wants to have the control of those with powers and eliminate those who don’t just to have a “powerful kingdom” , with only citizens who have power. I did find the pull of the relationships with both princes interesting in the fact at times you almost didn’t know who to like more and who she was falling for. The end of the book was so hard to read and I wonder if they even understood that Kia killed her father. For me this makes a huge difference. I may have missed something and they know, but I feel as though they do not. The other that took wanting to yeet the book was Adena’s death. I know as soon as the king said someone to be killed she would be there. I’m surprised that both brothers let this happen with as much passion as they had for Pae. She literally has no one. And yet they’re so upset about their father. So much I want to dive into about this and how it’s made me feel.

All in all a great read and can’t wait to continue this story and the next turn of events for those 3 powerful characters!!

[Kristen Forget · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

This book is a chat gpt version of the hunger games, red queen, and the divergent series. So unoriginal. Good luck

[Diana Rise · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Let me start by saying the narration for the book was excellent; Chase Brown definitely has a future in book narration. The characters were good ; however I feel like they were taken from elements of many of my fave fantasy characters they werent unique. The idea of "powerless" or maybe not yet awakened power by a female (Shadow and Bone / Bring Me your Midnight ) a female avenging the death of a loved one by a resistance ( Ember in the Ashes series) while fighting to the death trial..( also Ember in the Ashes: Helene and Leia were unforgettable female characters fighting for a cause to right wrong and overthrow a ruler who was supported by an elite class. HungerGames/ Divergent )Throw in royal balls (Stephanie Garber Caraval series / Once Upon A Broken Heart) and Hunger games elements Lauren Roberts wrote a decent book but not unique. The audiobook narrators were the only reason i kept reading , if it was a physical book i would have scimmed to the end . Story line 3 ⭐ narration brought it up .

[linagenre900 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good pace. Plenty of action and tension between the MMC and FMC. Find it kind of funny that although the brother, Kit, was also infatuated with Payden, Kai and Kit never discussed their feelings about her (like a bros code thing) since they’re so close, especially when they each flirt with her so openly lol

[vegas.chronister · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3.75
Really great, but parts were so similar to hunger games and some other YA’s. Nevertheless, it had its own twists and turns and i would def recommend!

[DeeVarr · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Outstanding. This was so good from beginning to end. Interesting story, great writing and character development. I’m dying to read the next book in the series

[Jackie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So good! I definitely enjoyed and it pulled me out of my book hangover ?

[bianca · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Stellar! Perfect story, suspense magic and young love. Definitely YA but loved it none the less. Wow, can't wait for the 2nd one. Narration was fantastic!

[Ashley Cousins · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved thos better than all the trndy fantasy novels. The audio was perfect!! Can not wait for the next.

[Flora Ortiz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The most riveting book I've come across this year so far!!

[Angela K · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good book, leaves you hanging. G rated in comparison to other new fantasy novels, more appropriate for youth. A bit of a Hunger Games vibe.

[Theresa Smith · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Definitely hunger games vibes with a sprinkle of magic. Love love loved the book. I can’t wait for the next to come out! ?

[Aaliyah Marie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great plot and storyline
Good characters
And tension
Perfect narration

[Hailey Moore Begg · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved it! Can’t wait for the next one this summer!

[kristiacolebooks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow wow wow this book is just wow! I loved it!

[Renee Farmer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is great to have on in the background. Felt very hunger games ish to me until the end.

[Stephanie Najera · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Gives off some strong hunger game vibes absolutely loved the book and the writing. Even the narrator did a great job. I devoured this book in two days.

[Julia Flute Player · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It gives red queen and hunger games vibes. However , I had a hard time finishing it. The narrators did a good job.

[madiunderwood · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved the ending, it makes every fantasy book worth reading

[gilley.catherine · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Narrator for Kia is awesome. Don’t want to say more and spoil anything but he does a great job.

[ccnshannah · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book starts off fun, gets kinda stagnant throughout the trials, and then picks up right at the end. Honestly I'd recommend reading it just to get to the last few chapters, they're the best part of the book. This is not one of those books where the female lead forgets herself and her values just because she finds a boy she likes, that's for sure. I loved that.

[Jo E Gallagher · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Awesome book. Great characters and relationship building. The poetry winding throughout was incredible and the love scenes written with expertise without any actual sex. Well done, very effective.

[Kate Cloutier · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I liked the premise and overall story. I found the writing to be predictable and cringey. I will probably finish the book.

[lenoralewisbradshaw · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I LOVED this book!! The morally gray characters were amazing, had so much depth, and their banter was my favorite! I’m in a book hangover right now and can’t wait for the second! Also, the audio book was such an auditory delight. The voices were so rich and the way they changed tone/pitch/drawl for certain situations, different characters, and inner monologue was an art. The audible version was my guilty pleasure and I found myself listening over reading the words.

[Jamie Creasey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

That was PHENOMENAL!

Seriously, I am thoroughly impressed by this book being this authors debut. The writing was so incredibly well done, great world building without it being overly drawn out and dull, and I was captivated the entire time. I absolutely love the main character Paedyn. She’s what I want in a female heroine. She’s truly badass, confident in who she is, stubborn, strong willed, and whitty! The banter between her and Kai had me laughing out loud, and then in the next moment squealing out loud. I LIVE for their banter and literally kicking each other’s ass while flirting…just addicting.

This book was so fast paced between the fight scenes training for the trials, the trials themselves, the constantly evolving relationships, brawls at Balls, and just constant fighting to survive. There were no dull moments. A lot of elements similar to the Hunger Games, I kept thinking of Effie from Hunger Games when with teal hair whenever Tealah was introducing the competitors interviews or the trials lol. The plot was still mostly unique though, so I didn’t mind the similarities.

I really am excited to see where book 2 takes us, it will no doubt be a wild ride, but with the way this book ended I have ZERO predictions. I thought I had an idea, but now I just have no clue. I have no idea how things will go for Pae, Kai, or Kitt. They’re all lost, and with that, so am I, but it leave such an opening for anything to happen! I’m eager to see! Come on July! I need book 2 like NOW.

[Haleigh Loughry · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I don’t know what to think of the ending except that I need book two!!!! I loved this book.