Tag: romance

Last year Marshmallow reviewed Powerless and Reckless by Lauren Roberts, the first two books of her Powerless trilogy. As we are getting ready for the release of the third book in the series, she finally decided to take a look at Powerful, a book published in 2024, which is set in the same world as the books of the trilogy, and placed in between the first two books chronologically.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you liked Lauren Roberts’ previous books or enjoy ‘romantasy’ novellas, then this is the book for you!

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): Adena is a seamstress. She and Paedyn found each other whilst living—or trying to continue to do so—in the slums of Ilya. (Both Adena and Paedyn are from Powerless, so readers should probably have read that book before diving into this one.) Since then, they’ve been inseparable. Lauren Roberts’ previous books centered on Paedyn but, in this novella, Adena and Mak are the main characters. Mak is a new addition to the world of the Powerless series. He shows up in this book only (so far), but many fans of the book hope he will make an appearance in the main trilogy. During the main books, Paedyn gets selected to compete in the Trials so Adena is left alone in the slums. Before, Paedyn—an adept thief—would steal food for the both of them, while Adena sold her skilled handiwork. As a result of this arrangement, Adena is unable to procure food alone. So when Mak needs help (and offers to feed her in return), she cautiously accepts. Like Paedyn, Hera who is a person very dear to Mak was also chosen for the Trials. Mak wants Adena’s help in making a guard uniform so he can sneak into the king’s castle and say goodbye to her. He and Adena become allies with a shared goal. Buuuuttt, as expected, they start sharing more than just goals…namely, feelings—the romantic kind. Apparently, their dynamic is regarded as a classic trope: the grumpy sunshine trope. I’m not too into romance, but this was well-executed. Adena is somehow the sweetest person, despite having had to grow up in the slums. Mak is sarcastic, harsh, and (in my opinion) a little too mean to her. But over time, they start to warm to one another and find that they can share things with each other that they haven’t with anyone else. But as the Trials draw to an end, readers of the Powerless series will know, so is Adena.

Marshmallow’s Review: This book, along with the Hunger Games trilogy, is one of the few books that have ever made me cry so hard. 🚨🚨🚨 MASSIVE SPOILER ALERT 🚨🚨🚨 In the main Powerless series, we saw Adena die, but I was in no way, shape, or form prepared for this to be so impactful. Caramel actually read this book before me and said it was really sad. But he must have a higher tolerance because this book made me contemplate how cruel the world is, that of Ilya and our own. This was a heart-shattering novella. Adena’s death in this book was much more impactful, partly because we saw her more. It shows that getting to know someone impacts how much empathy you have for them. I think books like these are necessary so we understand how human everyone is, even if you’re from different places with different beliefs. Even if you’re a bunny. Everyone deserves empathy, even if they’re not as pure and kind as Adena. I would definitely recommend this to everyone, because (like The Hunger Games and A Tale of Two Cities) I think this book has really made me think about what kind of bunny I want to be, how I want to act, how I want to live my life, and how I want to make the world a better place for all bunnies.

But this was such an emotionally devastating experience that I would not recommend it to children younger than fourteen. There is some romantic  tension throughout, but it doesn’t culminate into anything too inappropriate. There is passionate kissing but nothing at the level of the Me series (which in my opinion, was a little too much). The ending is also very graphic and disturbing. Psychologically and philosophically, I found this to be a very disturbing book. This definitely made me think a lot about how humans can be cruel in ways I literally cannot seem to find words for. Again, I would not give this to a child younger than fourteen, unless they’re able to think about and comprehend the moral and emotional implications. Even without thinking about how this reflects on our world, I think this book is an amazing work of art. Considering the meaning makes this a masterpiece that reveals what is left out in so many stories. How many times has the extra who got killed off in season one gotten a story? Adena was more than that for the series, but this book pays homage to all those people who were an afterthought in the plot. 

Marshmallow’s Rating: 100%. 

Today Marshmallow reviews Powerless by Lauren Roberts, first published in 2023.

Marshmallow’s Quick Take: If you like fantasy books about romance or fighting against injustice, or if you just want to read an interesting book about adventure, then this is the book for you.

Marshmallow’s Summary (with Spoilers): Paedyn Gray is an Ordinary, even though she is definitely not ordinary. However, in Ilya, where there are only Elites, being an Ordinary is a crime. Many years ago, a deadly Plague swept the land. Many who survived were gifted powers; these made up the Elites. Elites pass on the status to their descendants, with Elite parents birthing Elite children with powers of their own. However, some who survived the Plague were not given powers. They and their children who are born without powers are Ordinaries. After another outbreak of a common illness, King Edric of Ilya decreed that Ordinaries were responsible and carrying some sort of disease, which is why they hadn’t been given powers. He claimed that Ordinaries suck away the power of Elites, stealing their gifts away. So all Ordinaries in Ilya were banished, killed, exiled to make Ilya stronger and the only, all-Elite kingdom. This was called the Purging, which is why Paedyn must be careful. Even now, Ordinaries and anyone caught helping them are killed or exiled to the desert (under the promise of mercy, of reaching an unreachable kingdom across it).

Paedyn’s mother died when she was young, so when Paedyn’s father, a Healer with magical healing powers, was killed, she fled her house and started living on the streets. Her father was stabbed through the chest, by the king himself, though she doesn’t know why. But before he died, he taught her how to survive by posing as a Psychic, a mundane magical ability that would keep her from being recognized as an Ordinary. On the streets, she is less traceable and lives with Adena, an Elite girl who loves sewing. Adena is a Phaser, meaning she can pass through objects and people (which is how she met Paedyn) if she wants. Adena sews clothes to sell using cloth and materials stolen by Paedyn.

One day, while looking for her next victim, Paedyn decides to rob a wealthy-looking Elite. She finds him intriguing and attractive but carries out the job anyways. Later, this man is attacked by a Silencer, a type of Elite whose power is to suppress the magic of other Elites and is persecuted in Ilya. Paedyn feels sorry for the stranger and saves him, which is quite easy for her since she is well trained in fighting and is not affected by the Silencer’s powers. Soon after, she learns that the stranger was Prince Kai Azer, future Enforcer for the king whose job is to eliminate all and any Ordinaries.

Paedyn is now dubbed the Silver Savior and is entered into the Sixth Purging Trials, a set of competitions designed in honor of the Purging to celebrate and show off the powers of the Elites. And while that’s certainly an issue given the fact that she has no powers, she is also starting to struggle with her growing attraction to Prince Kai (who is also competing). He also appears to reciprocate. But as it says on the book cover, she is hunted by him, the hunter. Now, Paedyn must fight battles on both fronts, the ones in the Trials and the one in her heart. Duh duh duh dun!!!

Marshmallow’s Review: I found Powerless to be a very interesting and intriguing book. I really enjoyed reading it, and I found the plot and the characters to be very well written and well developed. The reader definitely develops a sense of connection to the characters as the book goes on. I really liked how the author shows the perspectives of both of the main characters, Paedyn and Kai. Each chapter is narrated either by one of the two main characters which serves its purpose of showing the story from multiple views.

I think the author also did a very good job of creating a world that was foreign yet familiar at the same time. It is realistic and fantastic at the same time; the author gives the characters a sense of ability despite their challenges being unlike the ones that most people face today. The world discussed in this book is kind of dark, and genocide is a theme throughout: the Ordinaries are killed just because of the way they were born. But for readers who can handle more mature books, this is I think a very good book.

When I started to read Powerless, I had the sense that it would be similar to some other books that turned into intensely romance-oriented novels. And while the budding romantic relationship between Paedyn and Kai is a major part of the plot and the story, I was glad that it was not the only thing that was focused on throughout the book. The plot kept moving, and the romantic aspect stayed relevant all while keeping the focus on the trials the characters faced. There are a lot of scenes in which the two characters are in close contact and touch each other frequently; however, they do not ever actually start to have an official, romantic relationship. While this might seem confusing, let me explain. The two characters are attracted to each other, but they are both trying to stop themselves from falling in love with the other. They tantalize each other with touches, but there is no sexual activity. So in that aspect, it is not necessarily inappropriate for children.

Powerless is dramatic at times and comical at others. So in that sense, too, it is an entertaining read. However, I did find that there was a little bit too much violence for my taste, especially since the author includes very vivid descriptions of fighting, stabbing, gore, and blood. Moreover, I found the relationship between the two main characters to be a bit bizarre because of their desensitization to violence, though perhaps it makes sense; all the characters in the book seem to be somewhat desensitized to violence. and it is probably due to the harsh world they are living in, and in the case of many of the characters, due to the rough nature of their own upbringing. In any case, I feel personally that some descriptions of violent acts were a little too vivid, and that younger bunnies might be horrified or traumatized by the detailed descriptions. So I would recommend this book for bunnies over the age of fourteen.

I know that many readers are waiting for the sequel to this book to come out this summer. I myself am also excited because this book does end in a cliffhanger which made the ending quite unsatisfactory in my opinion. Overall, I think Powerless is a good book even though some parts are a little too graphic for me personally, and I am looking forward to reading the sequel and seeing the characters’ story continue to grow.

Marshmallow’s Rating: 95%.