A – Z Book Reviews

The Powerless Trilogy – Novel #2

Paedyn Gray has done the unexpected. She has survived the Trials as an Ordinary pitted against Elites. She has conspired against the government and led the Resistance into their stronghold. Although the Resistance failed as a whole, Paedyn ended the fight by stabbing the King through the heart and a dagger in his neck. Only to be discovered by the one she hoped would be her savior, Kai.

That’s where we left off on Novel #1.

We pick up in Novel #2 with Paedyn on the run and Kai sent by the new King to hunt her down.

We follow Paedyn as she escapes through the desert Scorches and into the unknown territory of Dor. She knows Kai follows close behind and she has a bulls eye on her back from the reward placed on her head. Paedyn’s journey is lonely, difficult and a test of her will to survive.

When Kai finally does catch up to Paedyn, he must ask himself where his true loyalties reside. Does he truly wish to bring Paedyn back to an unknown future at the hands of an unstable King? Or, should he succumb to his desires and whisk her away for a life of freedom for them both.

The bulk of the story follows this internal battle they both face (acknowledging their true feelings for each other) and the building of their relationship story line.

While the majority of Reckless does not necessarily move the plot forward a tremendous amount, it does further define Kai and Pae’s relationship and it ends with a MAJOR bang. Kai and Paedyn are front and center through the entire novel. Their banter, flirting and constant conflict with their feelings is the primary focus.

Towards the end, they both begin to finally acknowledge their feelings – no more “pretending”. Which is what makes the ending SUCH a show-stopper!

What I liked about Reckless

I enjoyed getting to know Paedyn’s character and her history with her father in a bit more detail. It was interesting to see her emotions tied to the death of her best friend and her father, along with how their deaths have affected her. I also loved that Lenny came back into the story and was able to contribute to Paedyn’s flight from capture.

Even though some secondary characters were present (like Lenny and Kit), I think we can safely say that the primary focus was on further developing Kai and Paedyn’s relationship.

I’ll admit I am a bit of a sucker when it comes to the romance side of Romantasy. I loved the banter between the two and their witty flirting. I found myself rooting for Kai and Pae from the start of the first novel, so it’s no surprise that I loved having them front and center in this sequel. I somewhat could not believe that Kai persisted with his chase of Paedyn and maintained his commitment to her capture. Even though every rational thought leads us to believe he will whisk her away to freedom, Kai’s commitment to his King/ brother surprisingly come first. That kept me on my toes a bit. Poor Paedyn just can’t catch a break!

What I disliked about Reckless

Although I loved the relationship side of the story, it did feel as though things stalled a bit in this novel. Despite an entire novel having finished, we seem to be right back where we started! Paedyn and Kai admit their feelings for each other only to be blindsided by some unexpected events outside of their control.

It felt as though this were more of a filler novel than a true second novel of a powerful trilogy. On that side of things, I was a bit disappointed. Despite the action packed journey and the unexpected ending, there were times when I felt the novel drag and become repetitive. There were some phrases that felt overused (possibly purposefully, but became overdone by the end), scenarios that felt like repeated moments and experiences… just overall quite a lot of repetition.

I also did not enjoy Kit’s POV chapters much, either. As a Prince and future King his entire life, I would think he should have been better equipped to step into the role (no matter how it occurred). Instead, his dive into an emotional downward spiral again left us feeling “stuck” with his progress of stepping into his position. His is another story line that did not move forward in the entirety of the novel. Which was also a bit disappointing, when compared to how much I enjoyed him in the first book.

What I would rate Reckless

Reckless earns a 3 out of 5 stars for me.