Powerless Summary - Full recap of Powerless by Lauren Roberts

Read a Powerless summary with spoilers! Below is a recap of Powerless, the first book in The Powerless Trilogy by Lauren Roberts. If you’re looking for what happened in Powerless, then you are in the right place!

Special thanks to Erica for providing this Powerless summary! Check her out on Instagram at @itsneverthelastchapter or on her book blog or her personal blog.

Author
Lauren Roberts

Ratings
4.4 stars on Amazon
4.07 stars on Goodreads
Add Powerless at Goodreads

The Powerless Trilogy
#1 Powerless summary (this page)
#2 Reckless (synopsis)
#3 Fearless (synopsis) – Coming in April!

***** Everything below is a SPOILER *****

What happened in Powerless?

A Powerless summary:

Seventeen-year-old Paedyn (Pae) lives in Loot Alley, the slums, with her only friend, Adena, a seamstress. She is Ordinary, powerless, and trying to survive in a kingdom of powerful people.

When a sickness plagued the kingdom, it was isolated for years to keep from spreading to the surrounding cities, and only the strongest in Ilya survived the disease that altered the very structure of humans. The fast became exceptionally faster. The strong became unbeatable, and those who lurked in the shadows could become the shadows. The people had dozens of supernatural abilities, all varying in strength, purpose, and power.

Those who survived the Plague and developed supernatural powers became the Elite. They are extraordinary and exceptional. The Elites are further divided into Elites, Defensive and Mundane abilities. The Ordinaries are known as people with no gifted abilities. To get rid of the Ordinaries, King Edric declared that they were no longer fit to live in his kingdom and that extended exposure to them became harmful to Elites and their powers. So, the Purge was announced to weed them out. After the Purging, when Ordinaries were banished to the Scorches, a desert, the king decreed that any remaining Ordinaries found in the kingdom would be executed. Any Elites harboring an Ordinary were made to cross the Scorches to the cities on the other side – Dor and Tando – where there would be no harm.

Kai and Kitt are half-brothers and princes to the throne. Kitt has the power of fire, and Kai, a Wielder and the future Enforcer, can control the other person’s abilities. Kitt is soon-to-be-king, while Kai prefers to be on the battlefield.

In honor of the Purging, the Trails were created about three decades ago to showcase the supernatural abilities of the Elites. Pae hates this show because it overshadows the loss and justifies murder of the innocent. Elites who compete are born into it, but Mundanes are also chosen to participate. Pae wonders who will represent Loot Alley this year.

She goes about her day’s thievery pretending to be a Mundane with Psychic powers if any of the Imperials (the king’s guards) catch her. This way, nobody knows that she is an ordinary.

One day, Kai is sent to Loot Valley to find an Ordinary. Pae, oblivious to his identity without his royal clothing, pickpockets him. After their encounter, they go their separate ways. When Kai is attacked by goons for the same reason and overpowered by a Silencer who has the ability to suppress his power, she rescues him because she is reminded of her father. Her father died at the hands of the king, and she still doesn’t know why. She fights the Silencer and almost kills him. Her rage showing in every blow. Only after she defeats him she realizes that Kai is a prince and is even more furious with herself for saving the future Enforcer, the deliverer of death.

Kai catches her before she slips away and demands to understand her powers. He is unable to read her or channel her powers. Panicked, she explains she is a psychic and gets away with it. But she tells him her name and nothing more.

The next day, people begin calling her the “silver-haired girl.” Then, she sees a banner with the names of those selected for this year’s Trials. Hers is one of them.

Meanwhile, Kai captures the Silencer who attacked. The king thinks his son was attacked as part of the Resistance–a group formed to fight against the injustice towards Ordinaries. But Kai’s thoughts are occupied by Pae.

When the contestants enter the palace for the Trails, Kai is surprised to see Pae. They fall into a pattern of bickering and banter. His brother, Kitt, too, grows inquisitive about Pae. Both the brothers take to her quickly, one out of curiosity and the other out of interest. However, Pae can’t seem to look Kai’s brother, Kitt, in his eyes because they resemble the king’s.

In the palace, Blaire, one of the contestants vying for the brothers’ attention, shows her dislike for Pae loud and clear. During training, Pae keeps to herself, punching a tree, while the others practice their powers. In a showdown between Kai and Pae, Pae wins. But she can’t handle the proximity to the future Enforcer.

As part of tradition, the contestants must attend the ball with a partner. Kitt asks Pae to join him while Blaire catches hold of Kai before anyone else can.

Kai offers to secretly teach Pae to dance. They soon engage in midnight lessons where each feels closer to the other. Kai keeps this secret even from his brother. Pae’s maid informs her that she can choose to have a personal seamstress to stitch her dress for the ball. That’s when she decides to bring Adena to the palace. Guilty that she had forgotten about her best friend. Adena is over the moon to be a part of the Trails. Pae chooses a silver gown for the ball to stand out from the crowd. While all the other women are dressed in shades of green, the city’s color, Kai can’t keep his eyes off Pae. Throughout the event, Pae avoids eye contact with Kitt and tries to keep her façade up by asking him questions or looking everywhere but at him. When he steps away to get her a drink, Kai swoops in to dance with her. He admits to himself that he’s jealous she isn’t his partner.

As they dance, Pae looks around and recognizes a man by his hair, whom she had stolen from back in Loot before the Trails. She remembers he also had a note with the address to her old house. She watches as he walks around with a tray, serving drinks. She also spots Kitt watching her and Kai dance. Suddenly, there’s an explosion. Pae catches men in leather masks and vests and realizes the man she stole from is probably responsible. She also notices that they use handmade bombs and daggers, not powers, meaning they are Ordinaries, like her. Kai orders her and Kitt to safety while he runs back into the action. Kitt is upset that his brother fights while he, the future king, must always stay hidden safely. While locked in with the king, queen, contestants, and other guests, Pae tries to get answers from Kitt. Kitt reveals that this group of Ordinaries are called the Rebellion. It started as a small, harmless group but has now grown into a resistance. When Pae sneaks off to see the damage in the ballroom, she finds Kai with a knife in his back. She helps him by removing it and talking him through the pain.

Kai wakes up much later, finding himself in a forest called the Whispers. It turns out that this year’s Trails are different, as Tealah implied during the interviews. This year, it would not be held in front of the people, in the Bowl. The contestants had to fight one another to collect black leather bands and make it out alive at dawn. Kai encounters Braxton, a Brawny, first. Their fight ends in both burning the other slightly and with Kai taking his leather band.

Kai builds a fire near the water, so he’s out of sight but close to his opponents. Next, Pae walks through the forest toward the water. When she reaches it, she sees Kitt, beheaded and dead, floating. She screams, afraid. That’s when Ace, one of the contestants, shows himself and clears the illusion. He toys with her more by creating multiple versions of herself from the slums and stabbing her. But Pae manages to stab his leg back and flee. She spots the fire and approaches it, unaware of the fact that it’s Kai’s camp. Kai comes forward but refuses to fight her. She raises a bow and arrow she found but fires at his feet, unwilling to hurt him. Kai nurses her to health with balm he found in the forest. When she wakes up, she notices his charred skin from his fight with Braxton. Surprised he used all the balm on her, she makes her own, showing her skills as a healer’s daughter. She and Kai decided to partner up for the Trials. During the Trials, Sights move around silently, recording everything happening, to be telecasted later to the public.

Later in the night, Kai and Pae encounter wolves but survive. While spending time alone, Kai asks Pae to dance with him and share stories. While they are distracted, Hera, a girl whose ability is to disappear, interrupts them. While fighting, Hera almost kills Pae. In response, Kai murders her. He takes Hera away to be buried respectfully. Then, he and Pae fall asleep together by the fire. On the last day, they receive a note from a Sight telling them to make it to the border of the Whispers by dawn. On their way, they meet Jax and Andy, who seem to have teamed up. Both pairs share their stories of survival. But, with just a little distance to cover, Blair, Ace, and Braxton come forward, ready to fight for bands.

While fighting Ace, Kai is fooled into plunging a knife into his cousin Jax’s chest. Blaire fights against Pae, while Andy fights against Braxton. Kai, realizing his mistake, rushes with Jax in his arms to the border, hoping he can tap into a Healer’s power and cure him before he loses his life. Luckily, he does so.

After the first Trial, they are invited to the Bowl to sit together and watch a recap of the events on a screen with a live audience. Pae is embarrassed when she sees clips of her and Kai being playful. While the crowd eats it up, she realizes how oblivious they both seem to be being recorded.

Pae spends the next few days keeping her distance from Kai. One day, after dinner, Kitt sneaks her off to the palace gardens. While walking with her, he finally confronts her about why she can’t look at him. Pae lies and says that he reminds her of someone from her past. They talk about the Trials, the Plague, how Ordinaries are considered diseased, and the Resistance, and Kitt expresses that he wants to do more for his kingdom. She begins to see that he might not be exactly like his father and that she judged him too soon. Finally, she’s able to look him in the eyes, and playful banter ensues. But it’s also when she decides the Resistance might be where she belongs.

She sneaks off to her old house in Loot, remembering that was the meeting place mentioned in the note she picked off the curly-haired boy. When she sneaks in, she is surprised to find Lenny, the Imperial who stands outside her door in the palace. He shows her a hidden door in her father’s study that leads to a basement. The basement turns out to be the headquarters of the operations for years – even when she was a child. She is introduced to the core members – Lenny, Finn, Leena, Calum, and Calum’s daughter Mira. She learns that her father, Adam, was one of the original leaders of the Resistance. They explain that during the Purging three decades ago, more Ordinaries remained in llya after the banishment than initially believed. They hid in secret, right under the king’s nose. The leaders of the Resistance cannot meet due to the risks of exposure. But they communicate nonetheless. Pae discovers that the Silencer she rescued Kai from was part of the Resistance. Calum explains that the Resistance wants the king to admit that Ordinaries do not weaken the Elites. They’ve been living in hiding, and there is no proof of weakening yet. But, lack of proof is the problem. The Resistance are not radicals. They want justice and the truth to be told. To not be hunted or killed for things they cannot control. To be free. Pae agrees with their mission. But she wonders why they attacked the Elites at the ball. Lenny clarifies that it was never the plan, and now that incident alone has villainized the Resistance. The Ordinaries who got caught at the ball were equipped with low-damage bombs and suicide capsules to escape captivity. Lenny also shares that they are looking for an entrance into the Bowl, where the final Trial will be held. The Resistance plans to show themselves. While he has found one end of it, he cannot find the other. This is where they ask Pae to help by gaining Kitt’s trust. She agrees.

Kai begins to feel jealous that Pae is spending time with Kitt. Pae is oblivious to either brother’s feelings for her. She sees Kitt as a friend and Kai as someone she is attracted to. Pae tries to get Kitt to escape the palace with her just so she can find the hidden tunnels, but he is hesitant. The king is unhappy about Pae’s association with his sons and makes it extremely clear to her that she will never win. But that only fuels her to prove him wrong.

During the second ball, Pae wears a red gown, stunning everyone again. At the end of the ball, the king announces a brawl and calls all the contestants. They are paired randomly, with Paedyn going against Blaire. Kai gives Pae advice before she enters the ring. Although against the rules, Blaire uses weapons around to attack her. But Pae beats her and wins the brawl.

When Kai wakes up the next morning, he finds himself with Blair, Braxton, and Andy. Pae is paired with Ace and Jax. It is a group trial to climb a mountain and reach the top. Both teams face challenges while climbing. Andy is bitten by a snake, and Ace tricks Pae into believing she will get bit, too. Once both teams reach the top, they notice a green flag. The Sights inform them that one person must get to the flag to win. As a fight ensues, Braxton is killed by Blaire’s attack, although aimed at Pae but secretly redirected by Kai, and Pae disarms Ace. She hands Ace over to Kai, and he encourages her to get the flag. Much to the king’s dismay, Pae wins, which he makes very clear to Kai after the Trial.

One day, Kitt comes to Pae’s room and asks her to take him to Loot. He shows her the way out through the tunnels and, unsuspecting of hidden intentions, reveals where the other passages lead. Pae passes on this information to the Resistance soon after and gears up for the next ball and final Trial.

Just before the final ball, Pae finds Kai struggling and screaming in his sleep. She helps wake him and calm him down. They both realize how strong their feelings are for the other, but before anything can happen the next morning, Pae excuses herself. During the final ball, she avoids Kai as much as possible until he finds her in the garden. Finally, they give in to their feelings for each other but are interrupted by an Imperial. Kai is taken to the king, who expresses his displeasure with his son’s actions. Kai refuses to let go of his feelings for Pae.

How did Powerless end? – Powerless Summary

The last Trial is held in the Bowl with a moving maze. The contestants must get to the center and kill a prisoner. Only when Pae reaches the center does she realize the prisoner is her best friend, Adena. Kai arrives at the same time, but before either can move, Blaire uses her ability to stab Adena with a branch. Adena dies in Pae’s hands. Suddenly, there’s a commotion outside the maze. The Resistance enters the Bowl. When Pae recovers from the shock of her best friend’s death, her eyes meet Kitt’s. He knows she betrayed him and broke his trust. Silencers use their power to control the Elites and suppress them while Calum speaks. He threatens the king to accept that he lied to his people or his sons would die. Pae is stunned because she wasn’t told this part of the plan. She didn’t know they would kill the princes.

Nobody is prepared for Kai to overpower a Silencer. But when he does, the tables turn, and a fight ensues. Kitt, angered by the betrayal, mirrors his father’s rage. He uses his fire to light aflame the enemy. On the other hand, Kai wonders how, if so many Ordinaries lived for a long time among them, none of the Elites would have become weaker. He fights Ordinaries with his bare hands, believing in an equal fight.

Pae escapes the Bowl, fearing for her life. But before she can run to Loot, she detours to the castle to grab the vest Adena made for her. On her way back, she encounters the king. He reveals that it wasn’t he who killed her father, but Kai. It was Kai’s first kill. Pae is shocked but fights the king. He injures her, bruises her, and slashes one side of her face. He also brands her with his sword right above her heart. But she throws him off balance, grabbing the sword and driving it through him for her father and Adena. Then she uses her dagger to stab his throat for her. Looking up, she catches a Sight recording everything for all to see. The Sight runs away before Pae can do or say anything. Just as she begins running away, a blade grazes her arm. She turns around to see Kai taking in what she has done.

He allows her to run, promising to find her but not feeling anything for her when he does. Over the next three days, the king is buried, and Kitt takes the throne. His relationship with Kai changes. He changes from the kind, approachable boy into his father—angry and out to punish. With Kai as his enforcer, he assigns him the first mission—to find Paedyn Gray and bring her to him.

There you go! There’s your Powerless summary.

Special thanks to Erica for providing this Powerless summary! Check her out on Instagram at @itsneverthelastchapter or on her book blog or her personal blog.

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