Powerful: A Powerless Story (The Powerless Trilogy) Hardcover – April 30, 2024

Powerful by Lauren Roberts is a companion novella to Powerless, offering a deeper exploration of Adena’s journey and emotional growth. This book shifts focus from the high-stakes trials of Powerless to a more intimate, character-driven story set in the unforgiving world of Loot. Through its themes of resilience, love, and self-discovery, Powerful delivers an emotional punch despite its shorter length.Adena – Once sheltered and dependent on others, Adena is thrust into a world where survival is no longer a luxury. Her kindness, empathy, and determination remain her defining traits, making her an easy character to root for. Her growth from someone who needs protection to someone capable of standing on her own is one of the novella’s biggest strengths.Makoto (Mak) Khitan – The grumpy blacksmith with a hidden heart of gold, Mak is the perfect contrast to Adena’s warmth. His past is shrouded in mystery, and his reluctance to let anyone in adds a layer of tension to their growing relationship. His quiet yet unwavering devotion makes him a compelling love interest.Unlike the controlled setting of the trials in Powerless, Powerful takes place in the slums of Loot, where survival is uncertain, and danger lurks in every corner. The setting adds urgency to Adena’s journey, making her growth feel earned. The story trades large-scale conflicts for personal stakes, focusing on survival, companionship, and self-worth.Lauren Roberts excels at evoking emotions, making even the quiet moments between characters feel impactful. The prose remains as vivid and immersive as in Powerless, painting a rich picture of both setting and emotions. While the book is short, the story feels complete, with a satisfying arc for Adena and Mak. The novella balances hope and heartbreak, making the emotional moments hit hard. The relationship between Adena and Mak carries the story, full of tension, longing, and quiet understanding. At its core, this is a story of finding strength in the face of adversity.Strengths✔ Strong Character Development – Adena’s transformation is inspiring, and Mak’s layers make him an unforgettable character.✔ Emotional Depth – The book captures love, loss, and resilience beautifully.✔ Engaging Romance – The grumpy-sunshine dynamic between Adena and Mak is both heartwarming and compelling.✔ Well-Written for a Novella – Despite its brevity, the story feels rich and complete.Powerful is a beautifully written, emotionally resonant novella that expands on the world of Powerless while standing on its own as a heartfelt story of survival and love. Adena and Mak’s journey is one of growth, healing, and quiet strength, making this a must-read for fans of the series. Though it lacks the fast-paced action of Powerless, its emotional impact more than makes up for it.I literally could not crying in my class and they stare at me like "why is this girl crying?". Powerful stole my heart and now I cannot wait for Fearless⭐5/5 – A tender and emotional companion novel that shines with strong character development and romance.

You should absolutely tandem read this with Powerless. (Tandem reading is doing both at the same time) There are guides if you look it up. It’s so amazing and adds so much to the story in my opinion when you read them together. I loved following the story from other POV’s and really getting the emotional connections to side characters. So well done and a must read in the series.

”I don’t fall for someone. I trip uncontrollably toward them before inevitably hitting the ground.”“Well, I would catch you, Dena, but it seems we’re going down together.”This book may be small, but she packs a mighty punch to the gut!! I'm not even kidding when I say I was sobbing when I finished this book. I knew what happened because I've read all the books in the series, but I just loved Adena so much!!I loved that we got to see what Adena was doing while Pae was doing the trials. It made me appreciate her character so much more, being able to read from her point of view. I loved her in the first book, but reading this book made me love her that much more. Also, can we talk about her mans? Oh my freaking god I loved them. I could not get over them, and was crushed when she died in the book. I read Fearless before this, so seeing him in that, and then reading this book, made it hurt so much more!!! So thanks for that, Lauren, I'll be sending you my therapy bills.Mak is underrated, I fear. I loved him so much! Both Adena and Mak had been through so much that I was so sad they didn't get their happy ending when they deserved it! Mak watching Adena die was so tragic, and he didn't deserve that. He literally went to find Adena so he could sit with her!!!! and then she ends up in the trials!!!Overall, this was an amazing novel, and I couldn't recommend it enough!!

Pleasantly surprised, entertained and heartbroken. What a whirlwind this little 1.5 was. It was a redemption arc for Lauren Roberts, for me. While Powerless started out strong and whimpered out for me, Powerful held my attention and then broke my heart. I didn't expect much from this series, and now I'm back on board. Ready to give Reckless a solid try and will keep my pretty hardcover editions on my shelf. :) If you were disappointed with the hyped up Powerless - don't fret - Adena and Mak are here to save us.

A friend recommended this series of books. I was hooked from the first chapter. I loved that each chapter was from another characters point of view. There is an interesting twist that you find out about early, but the characters do not until the end. This is an interesting and easy series to read.

Adena:In the end, it was all light and dark, loud and soft. I knew nothing but the memory of those I loved. One, a friend. The other, unfinished. And that alone is what I took with me into the next life. But I watched, warm and bright and high above. Just as he promised.This book left me devastatingly heartbroken!Just when I thought I couldn't love anyone more than Kai and Paedyn here comes Adena and Makoto!The slow burn between them was everything and the way they just seemed made for each other left me feeling giddy every time they got near each other but as we got deeper into this book I knew a love as great as them couldn't last forever and just like that my heart was shattered.Overall I loved every moment of this book and while this book is a great stand alone I would highly recommend reading this in tandem with Powerless! I can't wait for the last book in the series I'm literally counting down the days!

Even though it’s a novella, it gives great insight into Adena’s character and adds depth to the Powerless world. A must-read for fans of the series who want to know more about the people left behind.