Reckless is the second installment in The Powerless Trilogy by American author Lauren Roberts. Published in July 2024, it follows Powerless (2023) and precedes Fearless (scheduled for 2025 release) The series also includes a stand-alone novel, Powerful (2024), set in the same universe. This young adult fantasy series first gained popularity on social media, where Roberts shared her writing journey and amassed a large readership. The popularity of her work stems from her reliance on the conventions of the dystopian genre and typical young adult romance tropes.

Set just a few days after the events depicted in Powerless, Reckless follows protagonists Kai Azer and Paedyn Gray as they navigate their complicated relationship and uncover the secrets of their kingdom’s history. In a country where magically gifted Elites rule over powerless Ordinaries, Paedyn’s lack of supernatural abilities has made her a target. After murdering the king at the end of the previous book, Paedyn is now on the run from Kai, the new king’s Enforcer, who has been tasked with bringing her to justice. The novel explores the complexities of their romantic relationship and themes related to power, duty, and truth.

This guide refers to the 2024 Kindle edition of the book.

Content Warning: The novel includes graphic depictions of violence and death.

Plot Summary

The first book in the series, Powerless, introduces Paedyn as an Ordinary who has been faking a Psychic ability to avoid being detected and killed. Kai, on the other hand, is Ilya’s prince and Enforcer, or the king’s right-hand man and assassin, and is tasked with hunting down Ordinaries. Kai and Paedyn strike an unlikely relationship after Paedyn is selected to participate in the Trials, a series of deadly tasks from which she emerges victorious. However, at the end of the book, her true identity is discovered, and while she tries to flee, the king ambushes her. She kills him in self-defense after learning that Kai assassinated her own father years earlier. Kai witnesses his father’s murder at Paedyn’s hands but lets her run. His older brother, Kitt, has been crowned king but gradually descends into paranoia because of Paedyn’s betrayal and the pressure of his new role.

Now tasked with finding and killing Paedyn, whom he still has feelings for, Kai sets out to find her. Paedyn flees to Dor, a nearby kingdom that lacks supernaturally gifted people. As a result, their social order doesn’t rely on oppressive violence, which upends the power dynamic between Paedyn and Kai. In Dor, Paedyn tries to make a living by becoming an underground fighter. However, Kai soon finds her and insists on fighting her. Unable to defeat her, Kai reveals to the crowd that she’s a fugitive, forcing her to ally with the prince to fight her way out. After she tries to escape, Kai captures her and takes her back to his men.

The next day, the group sets out to cross the desert to return to Ilya, but Paedyn is rescued by a group of her friends. Lenny, Leena, and Finn are former resistance members who appeared in Powerless. They lead Paedyn and Kai to a group of refugees called Partials, or people who have limited abilities because they’re the offspring of Elites and Ordinaries. They plan to exchange Kai’s life for Paedyn’s freedom but are ambushed by Rafael, the man in charge of the fighting ring where Paedyn worked.

Chained together and thrown in a cell, Kai and Paedyn forge a temporary alliance in order to escape. They flee through the sewer, but the water soon starts rising dangerously. After narrowly escaping death and saving each other’s lives, in a vulnerable moment, they almost confess their love for each other. However, Kai uses Paedyn’s distraction to chain her to him. He decides to take them back to Ilya through the Sanctuary of Souls, a barren terrain inhabited only by bandits. On their way, they agree to spend one last moment of freedom from their duties together and have a romantic moment in a secluded grove.

In addition, they peruse Paedyn’s father’s journal, which she took from her childhood home before fleeing Ilya. His writings detail the king’s lies about the Ordinaries, which he spread to commit genocide and consolidate his power. Kai resolves to return to Ilya to investigate these claims, and Paedyn chooses to go with him. At the end of the story, they return to Ilya together in an openly romantic relationship, determined to learn the truth. However, in a final plot twist, Kitt asks Paedyn to marry him in order to consolidate his own power.