Powerless Series Review: Is Lauren Roberts' Romantasy Worth the Hype?

💫🎤 Book Spotlight: The Powerless Series by Lauren Roberts

Genre: Fantasy • Romantasy • YA Fantasy • Dystopian • Enemies to Lovers • Slow Burn

A Quick Note Before We Dive In

Before we get into this review, I want to acknowledge the ongoing conversation surrounding the Powerless series. This review is intentionally focused on my experience reading the books themselves, not the controversy surrounding them.

I'll be sharing my thoughts on the similarities, comparisons, and broader discussion in a separate post where I can give that topic the attention it deserves. For now, these are simply my thoughts on the story, the characters, and whether or not I enjoyed reading the series.

☕ Book Details & Rating

Format: Audiobooks

Series: Powerless Series

Books Reviewed: Powerless, Powerful, Reckless, Fearless, and Fearful

Individual Ratings:

• ⚔️ Powerless – ☕☕☕☕ (4 Coffees)

• 🗡️ Powerful – ☕☕☕☕ (4 Coffees)

• 👑 Reckless – ☕☕☕☕ (4 Coffees)

• 🔥 Fearless – ☕☕☕☕ (4 Coffees)

• 📜 Fearful – ☕☕ (2 Coffees)

Overall Series Rating: ☕☕☕☕ (4 Coffees)

🥤 Coffee Pairing: Midnight Rose Mocha

Dark chocolate, raspberry, and a touch of rose.

Elegant, mysterious, and undeniably romantic. The rich mocha reflects the danger lurking beneath every choice, while the raspberry and rose capture the slow-burning romance at the heart of the series. Beautiful on the surface, but with plenty of thorns hidden underneath.

About the Series

In the kingdom of Ilya, power is everything. Those born with extraordinary abilities are celebrated, while those without them are hunted.

Paedyn Gray has spent her entire life hiding the truth: she's an Ordinary living among the Elite. When an unexpected act of bravery thrusts her into the kingdom's deadly Purging Trials, she's forced to compete alongside the very people who would kill her if they discovered her secret.

As alliances shift, enemies become something far more complicated, and long-buried truths begin to surface. What starts as a fight for survival quickly grows into a story of loyalty, sacrifice, rebellion, and impossible choices. Across three novels and two companion novellas, the Powerless series explores what it truly means to have power... and what you're willing to risk for the people you love.

My Thoughts

As a reminder, this will only take into account the books alone, none of the controversy. When I started the series, I knew of the controversy of alleged plagiarism, however, I did not know the books or authors that were said to be ripped off. I went in blind. It became VERY apparent early on in the book one of the two books and that's all I'll say for now on that in this post. Powerless would have gotten a 5 star if not for that.

The series as a whole was great. Powerless by far was the best of all the books. Followed closely by Fearless. Like many dystopian fantasy stories, Powerless is built around a rigid class system. Elites and Ordinaries. Even within the Elites, there is a class system. Some Elites have great power that is seen as top tier. Among the Elites are the Mundanes, individuals whose abilities are considered weak or insignificant. Paedyn survives by hiding among them, pretending to possess psychic abilities. There is a quiet uprising among the Ordinaries with a few Elites as sympathizers. This series explores what happens when the oppressed start to fight back.

One of the series' greatest strengths is its character development. Paedyn, Kai, and Kitt all evolve dramatically over the course of the story, and none of them end where they began. Lauren Roberts also does an excellent job bringing the kingdom of Ilya to life. The settings are vivid, the action is fast-paced, and every book feels like it's moving the larger story forward without unnecessary filler.

Paedyn is an Ordinary hiding among the Mundane in the slums. Her father taught her how to read people so she could fake being a psychic. She is also scrappy and can fight her way out of any situation. She carries a special hatred for the Elites. Her father was killed by their Enforcer. As the series progresses, we see Paedyn learn what it really means to survive.

Kai, is the kingdom's Enforcer. He is in charge of keeping the kingdom in line. If there is an Ordinary found, he is to purge them. He is the most powerful Elite. He can sense other people's abilities and use them. He is the king's second son behind his brother, Kitt. Kitt's mom died and the king married Kai's mom. We see Kai struggle with his identity and who he really wants to be throughout the series. He starts uncovering secrets that were long buried.

Kai and Paedyn struggle with their feelings for one another. They are supposed to be enemies but their hearts keep coming back together. In Reckless, he is sent to track her down for the agregous act of treason she committed. When he brings her back, he thought he was bringing her back to be slaughtered. Kitt had other plans in mind.

Kitt ended up being one of the most fascinating characters in the series. While most character arcs move toward growth and redemption, Kitt's travels in the opposite direction. We watch a kind, compassionate prince slowly become consumed by power and control. His transformation doesn't happen overnight, which makes it all the more believable and heartbreaking to witness.

At its core, Powerless isn't just about magical abilities or political rebellion. It's about identity. Every major character is forced to confront who they are apart from the expectations placed upon them, and those choices ripple through every relationship, alliance, and betrayal in the series. That emotional foundation is what elevates the story beyond its action and fantasy elements.

he romance between Kai and Paedyn is far more complex than a typical enemies-to-lovers story. While they begin on opposite sides of a deeply divided society, the more they learn about one another, the more they realize they're fighting many of the same internal battles. Both have spent their lives shaped by lies, expectations, and the roles others assigned to them.

Kai's journey is especially compelling as he begins to question everything he believed about his father, his brother, and the kingdom he swore to protect. At the same time, Paedyn carries the weight of hiding her biggest secret: that she's an Ordinary. When the truth finally comes to light, Kai's sense of betrayal feels earned, creating conflict that goes far beyond a simple misunderstanding.

What I loved most about their relationship is that neither of them changes for the other. Instead, they challenge each other's beliefs, encourage one another to question what they've always accepted as truth, and then give each other the space to decide who they want to become. They're supportive without trying to "fix" one another, which makes their romance feel authentic. Their love grows alongside their individual character arcs rather than replacing them, making it feel richer than a standard enemies-to-lovers storyline.

Final Thoughts

Taken on its own merits, the Powerless series was an incredibly enjoyable read. Lauren Roberts created a fast-paced fantasy with memorable characters, high-stakes action, political intrigue, and a romance that felt earned rather than forced. While I enjoyed all three novels, Powerless remains my favorite of the series, with Fearless coming in a close second.

No series is perfect. I wasn't as impressed with Fearful as I was with the rest of the books, and there are certainly aspects of the series that deserve a broader conversation. But setting those discussions aside, I found myself completely invested in the world of Ilya and eager to see what happened next after every book.

If you enjoy fantasy filled with dangerous trials, political conflict, morally complicated characters, and an enemies-to-lovers romance built on mutual growth rather than instant attraction, I think the Powerless series is well worth your time.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, I'll be sharing my thoughts on the controversy surrounding the series in a separate post. This review reflects my experience reading the books themselves, and judged on that experience alone, this series earned a solid four coffees from me.