The Quill & The Cross

Summary

Only the extraordinary belong in the kingdom of Ilya–the Elites, the ones with the powers gifted to them by the Plague. Though not all were fortunate enough to gain those gifts… Paedyn Gray, born Ordinary, is posing as a Psychic in the slums, blending in as best she can to stay alive. But when Paedyn unsuspectedly saves one of Ilya’s princes, she finds herself thrown into the Purging Trials, the brutal competition existing to showcase the Elites’ powers. If the Trials and her opponents don’t kill her, the prince she’s beginning to fall in love with will if he discovers what she is… completely Ordinary.

My Review

My Rating: 4.5/5

My Recommended Age: 15+

Things To Be Aware Of

Violence: 4/5 (Many people have unique powers–flame-control, telekinesis, etc–and use those to fight. Lots of hand to hand combat, sword fights, stabbing, all described in detail. Fist fights resulting in broken noses and limbs. Talk of young children whipped for stealing. Torture is alluded to and occasionally described. Many descriptions of bloody wounds. Characters are said to be covered in blood many times. Violence shows up a lot throughout the book.)

Sexual Content: 3/5 (There is romantic tension throughout the whole book between the two main characters, Kai and Paedyn. They never actually kiss: they have intimate moments, with some touching, and they fall asleep together, but it’s more about the tension than anything else.)

Language: 3/5 (Many uses of d**m, b**tard, b**ch, a**, h*ll, and the s-word.)

Other Negative Content: 2/5 (One of the main characters is the palace’s main torturer, and has a rather cold-blooded view of killing.)

My Take

This book has been so hyped up for so long, and so I was a little apprehensive starting it… but it did not disappoint! The plot is very similar to The Hunger Games–oppressive government forcing young people to fight a brutal game (the people fighting are older than in The Hunger Games)–except now we are in a fantasy world where the people fighting have magical powers. Honestly? I didn’t mind the similarities. It’s a thrilling, high-stakes plot that perfectly suited the characters and the world.

Now the relationship between Kai and Paedyn… this has been so hyped up too and I never really understood why… but now I get it. The way Lauren Roberts writes these two is just fantastic: their banter is witty and their dynamic is absolutely electric! I was laughing at some points and almost crying at others!

The book is pretty violent (the central theme is a fight-to-the-death type game) and the language, while not as bad as it could be, is pretty frequent and unnecessary. However, I don’t remember them taking the name of the Lord in vain, and if they do, it wasn’t frequent.

If you’re looking for a high-stakes, epic, intense fantasy read with an awesome FMC, rich world-building and storyline, and a fabulous romance, Powerless is definitely for you!