The Last Book In The Powerless Trilogy Needs To Rectify The Biggest Problem With Reckless

Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Reckless by Lauren Roberts.

Summary

• Fearless
  needs to rectify the plot shortcomings of
  Reckless
  and delve deeper into the conflict between Elites and Ordinaries.
• The final book of
  The Powerless Trilogy
  must properly address the consequences of Paedyn’s actions and resolve the oppression of Ordinaries.
• Fearless
  has no choice but to address the unresolved plot points from
  Reckless
  and must balance romance with a heavier focus on the main story.

The Powerless Trilogy will conclude with Fearless in April 2025, and the last book in Lauren Roberts’ fantasy series needs to rectify the biggest problem with Reckless. The follow-up to Roberts’ 2023 debut, Reckless was one of the most-anticipated fantasy books of July 2024. Given how popular Powerless was on BookTok in 2023, it’s really no surprise that its sequel stirred up so much excitement. Unfortunately, Roberts’ series isn’t one of those trilogies where the second book is the best. While there are things to love about Reckless, it doesn’t quite reach Powerless’ heights.

Powerless introduces Paedyn and Kai, two very different people living in a world where magic reigns supreme. Dubbed Elites, these individuals believe that Ordinaries — those without powers — are a threat to their safety and well-being. Being an Ordinary in Ilya can get a person killed, which is why Paedyn works so hard to hide her truth. Unfortunately, it comes out after she saves Prince Kai and is thrown into the Purging Trials in Powerless. And although the first book’s ending promises thrilling things to come, Reckless doesn’t fully deliver on that.

Reckless Barely Moves The Plot Of The Powerless Trilogy Forward (& That’s A Big Problem)

The Second Book Focuses Too Heavily On Paedyn & Kai’s Romance

With Paedyn killing the king and being exposed as an Ordinary at the end of Powerless, it seemed certain that Reckless would be another thrilling ride. Paedyn is on the run when Reckless opens, and Kai is the one tracking her down. The stakes seem destined to grow in this sequel, but Reckless proves that assumption wrong. Rather than hammering home the consequences of Paedyn’s actions, Reckless barely moves the plot of The Powerless Trilogy forward in its 300+ pages. That’s a shame, as there are major questions to address.

Rather than hammering home the consequences of Paedyn’s actions,
Reckless
barely moves the plot of
The Powerless
Trilogy
forward in its 300+ pages.

Reckless should have dug deeper into the political tensions between the Elites and the Ordinaries, revealing how Paedyn’s actions affected each division. Instead, the second installment spends most of its run following Kai and Paedyn on their journey back to Ilya. And although their romance is a highlight of Reckless, it’s not enough to overlook the poor pacing and plotting. Even Kitt’s chapters, which break up Kai and Paedyn’s interactions, don’t do much to expand the story or world until the very end. Fearless has a lot to do when it comes to the main storyline.

The Final Book In The Powerless Trilogy Needs To Make Up For Reckless’ Biggest Flaw

Fearless Needs To Focus More On The Overarching Plot

Fearless is coming out in April 2025, and the final book in The Powerless Trilogy must make up for Reckless’ biggest flaw. With Reckless hardly addressing the Elites vs. Ordinaries conflict, Fearless will need to work doubly hard when it comes to the overarching plot. The third installment must properly show the consequences of Paedyn’s actions, and it also needs to resolve the oppression of the Ordinaries. If Fearless wants to reimmerse readers in this world, it needs to ramp up the action and political tensions. It could be hard to cover everything it needs to in one book.

This is especially true when you consider that Fearless also needs to deal with Kai and Paedyn’s romance storyline. Paedyn’s marriage to Kitt will undoubtedly factor into the main story, as the king of Ilya likely has ulterior motives for wedding his father’s killer. But with Paedyn’s engagement complicating things for her and Kai, Fearless will need to juggle the main story with the books’ central romance. Hopefully, it strikes a better balance than its predecessor.

Fearless
by Lauren Roberts comes out on April 8, 2025.

Reckless’ Story Problems Should Make Fearless A Much More Plot-Heavy Book

The Final Book Has No Choice But To Address What Reckless Didn’t

While Fearless could struggle to strike the right balance between plot and romance, Reckless’ story issues make this outcome less likely. Since Reckless fails to address many of the major plot points of The Powerless Trilogy, its sequel will have no choice but to tackle them head-on. With Fearless being the conclusion to Roberts’ series, there won’t be another chance to do so. Even if Roberts continues writing in this world, she’ll need to deliver a satisfactory ending to Paedyn and Kai’s story — and that includes the non-romantic elements of it.

Since
Reckless
fails to address many of the major plot points of
The Powerless Trilogy,
its sequel will have no choice but to tackle them head-on.

Unfortunately, Roberts concluding the narrative and tackling things that should have been handled in Reckless could make the final Powerless book feel rushed. Pacing will need to be treated with care if Fearless has any hope of sticking the landing. Given how invested so many readers are in The Powerless Trilogy, getting the ending right is important. Fingers crossed the last book turns out to be gripping and satisfying.