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.

Why oh why did I read this?!? 😩Powerful is a novella within the Powerless book series. It serves as number 1.5 and should be read between book one, Powerless, and book two, Reckless.Powerful tells the background story of a character who actually dies at the end of Powerless. So going into reading this short novella, we already know the character has died. It shouldn’t completely destroy us again to read the same ending, right?WRONG.This book ruined me, just like it did my teen daughter. We get this very sweet, innocent, beautiful story about a beloved character only to have our hearts ripped out… again.I know I needed to read Powerful because the storyline will weave in and out of future books, but I almost wish I had skipped it because it was just so sad. Why do the most sunshine characters have to be the ones sacrificed?!I did recently attend an event where author Lauren Roberts shared that her favorite quote from the entire series is actually in Powerful, so I’m grateful I understand what she means… See you in the sky. 🩵

In love with this book series. This novella was amazing and even made me emotional. Great YA series! The special edition sprayed edge is a nice touch too.

Not amazons fault but the book is small and this was better than the series 😂

The media could not be loaded. It arrived faster than they said it would. Good quality, looks beautiful, I recommend you buy it. It really adds to the plot and it's a really good book!!

I was really dreading reading this before finally moving on Fearless, but it was great! it was such a bittersweet and quick story. i couldn't put it down and read it all in one night. I wish we could've gotten more of their story together!

”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!!

This book is heartbreaking from the beginning.Definitely don’t read unless you are in a masochistic mood and want to feel your soul leave your body.This book is not optional it must be read before moving in to Fearless.