Great job with the sprayed edging and embossed dust jacket!
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.
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Powerful by Lauren RobertsMy Book Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (not my favorite, but it’s good!)SPOILER FREE REVIEW: what an absolute pleasant surprise! I actually REALLY liked this read. I had no idea that I needed Adena’s story and now I’m sitting here wondering how I ever read Powerless without it. Seriously considering restarting the series with a tandem read! Added waaayyy more to Adena’s character that I only now realized we were so sorely lacking. If you’ve read Powerless then the ending to Powerful is pretty much spoiled for you…don’t let that stop you! This book introduces a new character that I could easily see becoming more relevant in book three. Give it a shot!I’ve seen the Powerless Triology suggested alongside a lot of other books with smut. I believe Lauren has stated that she will be keeping this trilogy YA. But seriously don’t let that stop you. This was such a fun, light read!COVER/JACKET - I’m a big stickler for keeping design elements consistent over the length of a series…uuggghh. Where to start. Okay, okay. I realize this is a novella so I’ll cut it SOME slack. But…man. I just wish they would have chosen some different elements for this book. To start, I think the cover is beautiful and so perfectly illustrated Aden’a story. It doesn’t quite match the design elements of Powerless/Reckless. But again…novella. So I’ll let it slide. Under the jacket the front hardcover is blank. Why?? I wish they would have continued the simplistic design of the other two and added the needle/thread in silver on the front. I feel like that was a sore miss. On the spine, text treatment seems similar to the other two (won’t get into the Powerless/Reckless differences here…), but why the gap between author and title??? And the book size. AGAIN. Novella. But… :( I could have easily seen this differentiated enough just by being white and the same size as the others. All of this is nitpicky, but this might be the final straw in teaching myself how to book bind just so I can have a copy of the same size as the others for my shelf! 😂PRODUCT/SHIPPING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Arrived on time in great condition.
Soooo soo good and equally heartbreaking. Definitely recommend reading after first book. This book does not disappoint- couldn’t read it fast enough!
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.
Working perfectly
My rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Swearing: 🗣️🗣️🗣️Tropes:⚒️Rivals to lovers🧵Tragedy⚒️Grumpy x sunshine🧵Slow burn⚒️Lover x fighter🧵”always run to me”Oh. My. Gosh. Saying I loved this book would be an understatement. Adena and Mak are probably my favorite, yes i know the main story is Kai and Paedyn but I love these two just as much. Makoto Khitan has my heart. I love Mak so much, even though this story is sad it is still beautiful. You get to see both Adena and Mak grow together, they have nothing but eachother and that is amazing. This book was so so good but it did leave me crying. Which is a good indicator it was well written. I still wont get over the quote “See you in the sky”, I love them so much.
Why did this book have to be written? I read powerless, loved it, but wasn’t affected by Adena’s death because I didn’t really get to know her character too much. But after reading this?! Here death became much sadder at the end! And poor Mak! My heart breaks for him :( it should be illegal to make people this sad over a book. But in all seriousness, I loved the book just like I loved the first one. Can’t wait to keep reading the rest of the series.
Completely satisfied there was sprayed edges!! There is a design on the hardcover so now it matches the rest of the books cover and the height of the rest of the books.
This was an aptly named book. I wanted so much for a different ending, but wow do you fall even more in love with Adena and this brand new character that it seems impossible we haven’t heard of before, but look forward to again. I’m still holding onto hope for Adena, but thank you for this fuller insight into her life.
3.5 ⭐️ I’m so freaking sad. I need more works to meet the review minimum but that’s literally all I’ve got. I’m sad dude.
I both loved and h a t e d this book. I loved that Adena and Mak were able to meet, and that Adena was able to be a light for Mak. I also love that Mak accepted Adena, and loved her for who she is. Mak’s dry sense of humor and sarcasm were the best. But I absolutely HATED that we got to experience Adena dying from both of their POV. That was honestly the worst. I haven’t cried while reading a book in a while. If you want something short to read that will make you want to throw you phone/ereader/book, this is the one for you.
My only regret was not tandem reading this with the first book, I think it would've made the experience more better rather than kind of knowing the ending before starting it 😔 . DEF WORTH THE READ BUT TANDEM IF YOU CAN WITH POWERFUL !
I absolutely loved reading Adenas story and I assume Mak will be in the next book, Reckless. It was so great to see what happened to her throughout Powerless and truly getting to know all that was her. And can I just say that even though I knew what was to come of the ending it hit so much harder!
🥹 Quotes 🥹I had never known happiness before her. But if there is to be an after in which she doesn’t exist, I know I never will again.If darkness is the absence of light, then that is what I am when she is not around. And I wonder how I’ve stumbled this long without her to guide me.Falling is not what I do. No, I trip into love, unable to slow down long enough to question these feelings or the person I’ve dumped them on.If there is a God, this man is certainly proof that He has His favorites.“But you… you’re the embodiment of everything I am not. And yet, here I am, crawling back to you as though I’ve left a piece of myself behind.”“I regret not buying that blue shirt from you, if only so I had your attention long enough to convince you that red suits you better. I regret not telling you how much I like it when you blow those bangs out of your eyes, or the way you clap after finishing a row of stitches. I regret smothering every smile you made me want to give you. And I regret not telling you the truth. But most of all, not saying goodbye.”“You make even the stars envious, Because one day—far from now—you will be up there beside them, outshining every single one.”“You are the sweetest thing I have never tasted. And I doubt I’ve craved anything more.”“See you in the sky.”And there she is, outshining everyone. In a way, she’s always been the sun. Always the brightness that existed despite the presence of such darkness.
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!
New book in good packaging. Bought for a family member and they enjoyed it immensely
I fell in love with Adena's sunshiny personality and love for sticky buns in Powerless. I was so sad at the end of Powerless reading what happens to Adena from Paedyn's POV, but reading it from Mak's POV was even more sad and soul crushing.Adena is the epitome of an optimist, and I am so happy that we got to know her more and be with her on her journey of getting to know and fall in love with Mak. This was definitely a grumpy/sunshine for sure.Mak is a good person, he just doesn't know how to let others in or trust others after the childhood he had. But when he gets to know Adena more, and spend so much time with her, he realizes that he doesn't always have to be so grumpy.Even knowing what happens in the end, I still cried. Mak & Adena did not get enough time or get their HEA, and it makes me so sad.
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.
I love this series and I was excited to get this novella. However the only thing I didn't like was that is it way smaller than the rest of the series in height which is one of my bugaboos when it comes to my books. That aside I loved this book. I even cried and was mad at the end even though I knew what was coming since I had already read the first book in the series. This novella is told in Adena's point of view. My only recommendation is that you tandem read the First book and this novella if you want a better experience. Very well written and amazing story line from both perspectives in the first book and in this novella. Considering the author said she wrote the first book at 19 and just went with it, it is an absolute must read!!! Can't wait for the 3rd book to come out soon. I Have also already read the 2nd book. I loved seeing Adena's point of view and a little bit of her back story as well.
