What happened in Powerless by Lauren Roberts - Recaptains

The basics

Title: Powerless

Author: Lauren Roberts

Series: Powerless #1

- Powerless (2023)
- Reckless (2024)
- Untitled (2025)

Add it: Goodreads

Goodreads Summary:

Only the extraordinary belong in the kingdom of Ilya—the exceptional, the empowered, the Elites.

The powers these Elites have possessed for decades were graciously gifted to them by the Plague, though not all were fortunate enough to both survive the sickness and reap the reward. Those born Ordinary are just that—ordinary. And when the king decreed that all Ordinaries be banished in order to preserve his Elite society, lacking an ability suddenly became a crime—making Paedyn Gray a felon by fate and a thief by necessity.

Surviving in the slums as an Ordinary is no simple task, and Paedyn knows this better than most. Having been trained by her father to be overly observant since she was a child, Paedyn poses as a Psychic in the crowded city, blending in with the Elites as best she can in order to stay alive and out of trouble. Easier said than done.

When Paeydn unsuspectingly saves one of Ilyas princes, she finds herself thrown into the Purging Trials. The brutal competition exists to showcase the Elites’ powers—the very thing Paedyn lacks. If the Trials and the opponents within them don’t kill her, the prince she’s fighting feelings for certainly will if he discovers what she is—completely Ordinary.

Here is a spoiler summary of what happened in Powerless by Lauren Roberts to help refresh your memory before you read the sequel. If you need help remembering what happened in Powerless then you’re in the right place.

What happened in Powerless?

• Paedyn is living on the streets, in a garbage Fort with her best friend Adena. Paedyn is having to steal things to get by. She often steals fabrics for Adena because her friend is a talented seamstress.
• The Plague that hit a few decades ago gave most people powers. The king initially gave the powerless Ordinaries a chance to leave his kingdom by themselves, but after a few days he started having people executed.
• Prince Kai is the future Enforcer for the crown. His job is to deal with Ordinaries – people with no powers – because his father, the king, has told everyone that the Ordinaries are infecting the population. 
• Prince Kai has the ability to use other people’s powers, which is very handy.
• Kai is tasked with finding an Ordinary who is being housed in the slums. He heads over there with some Imperials and finds a family who adopted an Ordinary. They beg Kai not to hurt the child. Kai tells his Imperials to take the family to the desert while he deals with the Ordinary child. The family are now exiled and will need to cross the desert to reach the free cities.
• Kai secretly takes the child through the alleyways and leaves her with her family to cross the desert with them. He didn’t want to kill her.
• Paedyn comes across Kai as he’s making his way back to his Imperials. She robs him of some silver. 
• Kai is then attacked by some thieves. He manages to fight them off, but is then taken down by a Silencer – someone who can mute people’s powers. Paedyn takes down the Silencer and saves Kai in front of a crowd of people.
• Paedyn is then known as the Silver Saviour. The people nominate her to go through the Trials. Paedyn is taken to the palace to live there for the duration of the trials.
• Paedyn becomes closer with Kai (kind of, they pretend to hate each other), but also meets Prince Kitt, who she also starts to get to know. 
• Prince Kitt is the heir to the throne, and Kai’s half-brother. He’s not really allowed to leave the palace because it’s dangerous outside of the palace walls. 
• The princes also have an adopted brother called Jax, who is 15 and very sweet.
• Paedyn attends her first meal with the other contestants and the royal family. She is disgusted by the amount of food they waste.
• Kai is torturing the Silencer who tried to kill him to try to gain information. It’s not going very well.
• Kai starts giving Paedyn dance lessons for the ball.
• Paedyn asks for Adena to be her personal seamstress throughout the Trials. Adena comes to live at the palace too.
• The ball takes place and the Resistance sets off bombs. Kitt gets annoyed that he can’t be involved in the action and has to be protected in a safe room with everyone else. Paedyn comforts him.
• The first Trial takes place. The contestants are drugged and taken to a forest called the Whispers. They’re required to fight each other for their bands, and whoever collects the most bands wins.
• Paedyn is injured. She and Kai agree to work together. There’s a massive fight towards the end of the trial. Sadie is killed. Jax is hurt, but Kai manages to save him using healing powers from the crowd. The whole thing is recorded by Sights for people to watch later.
• Paedyn heads to Loot to find the Resistance. The Resistance asks her to find an entrance to the tunnels so they can gain access to the palace. Kitt has the key to the entrance on the palace side, so Paedyn will need to get that.
• For the second Trial, the contestants are required to team up on a mountain. This lasts for a little while, and then they have to turn against each other in order to capture the flag. Paedyn wins this one.
• Paedyn sneaks Kitt into Loot so he can see what his subjects are going through. He seems to be greatly affected by this.
• Kai has a nightmare and Paedyn comforts him. They kiss.
• The king asks to see Kai, and tells him that he may need to kill Paedyn during the third Trial.
• The third and final Trial begins. The contestants are required to make their way through a hedge maze. Kai fights Andy. 
• Adena is held captive in the centre of the maze. She is killed. Paedyn is, of course, heartbroken.
• Then the Resistance arrives. They’ve got Silencers with them, and they take out Kai until he is able to use their own power against them. 
• Kitt realises the Resistance came through the tunnels and feels betrayed by Paedyn.
• Paedyn fights the king and kills him. But not before the king reveals that Kai is the one who killed Paedyn’s father, Adam Gray.
• Kai tries to kill or capture Paedyn but he lets her go. He’s quite upset about it.
• Kitt is now the king. He sends Kai after Paedyn and tells him to bring her back to him.

That’s what happened in Powerless! Check out our recap list for more recaps. If you can’t find what you need, you can request a recap from us!