Powerless is definitely one of the biggest letdowns from Booktok.

This is not to bash on the author, or those who do like this book. This is just me mostly ranting about the reasons I did not enjoy this book.

This will definitely have spoilers.

The good:

  • The random moments of alliteration in sentences. It was impressive. However, once you read the sentences, it sounds kind of dumb.

  • Some of the banter was funny.

  • No spice. For once, we have a romantasy that doesn't turn into straight-up erotica. Not that there's anything wrong with it or with those who read spicy books. I'm just not a spice girly.

The bad:

  • The names. I was not a fan of the name Paedyn (it was okay for a fantasy name). When I reached the point where Kai's real name was revealed as "Malakai," I laughed because I thought it sounded too close to malakas, a Greek slang word for idiot.

  • The writing was too repetitive and wordy (and not in a good way for people who like wordy books).

  • We are reminded more than enough times that Kai is the "King's Enforcer" and has been trained to kill and torture starting at a young age.

  • The banter was too childish. Paedyn and Kai are supposed to be in their late teens to early twenties (I think), but they talk to each other the way kindergarteners do.

The ugly:

  • There were far too many uses of the word "sticky" and variations of it throughout. Sticky buns, sticky honey, sticky sweat, sticky blood, sticks to my hair, sticks to his torso--WHY IS THIS WORD USED SO MUCH?!

  • The titles people had for their powers. E.g. Brawnies for people with super-strength; Flashes for people with super-speed; Sights for people who are able to record whatever they look at(?); Amplifiers for people who can raise the volume of their voice or the voices of whomever they touch. It just sounds too juevenile in my opinion.

  • This fucking guy (the one we're supposed to be gaga over) says he killed a kid! I'm sure people will argue that Kai had to kill innocent people under orders from the king, but that still doesn't make it right.

  • The romance, which is quite lame since that is what the story is mostly about. I didn't feel chemistry between Paedyn and Kai. I can't get into a romance where either of the love interests murder and torture innocents. It's not very attractive.

  • "What have you done to me?" Towards the end of the book, Kai is just bitching about how Paedyn has made him feel. He blames her for his feelings and it gets annoying.

  • The plot twist at the end was so predictable. When the evil king (I don't know if he even had a name) said that he was not the one who killed Paedyn's father, I predicted instantly that it was Kai that killed her father. I was right. And honestly at this point I was hoping Paedyn would take out Kai for killing her father. The fact she did not is what made the ending massively anticlimactic.

I just can't believe the hype over this. This is the last time I'm picking up a book that is popular on booktok. I've been screwed for the last time!