Reckless (The Powerless Trilogy, #2)

by Lauren Roberts

“It’s a good thing you’re not here,” he says softly, a tone I never thought I’d hear from him again. “Because I still haven’t found my courage.”

Does he not recognized the place he killed her father?? Does he understand the reason why she hated his father yet, or are things not clicking? Wouldn't it be hard to forget where he committed his first execution/murder??

“Hate me enough to make me want you.” I cup her jaw, feeling her eyes burning into mine. “Ruin me.”

Swoon!

But starting right now, I’ve never seen anything realer.

"Realer"? Wow. The editor should be fired for not catching this... I can't even believe the author would use this instead of "more real". This didn't even roll off the tongue well.

“What, you just gonna sit there all day or get over here and give me a hug?” Lenny asks, raising a skeptical pair of eyebrows. I glance at the Enforcer glaring up at me when a sharp voice answers the question I hadn’t voiced. “I’ve got him, Paedyn, don’t worry.” Smiling, I look up to find Leena doing the same. She has a crossbow trained on the prince while a sly grin plays at her lips. Her long black hair is tied at the nape of her neck and flung over a shoulder. She is tiny and terrifying and I’m tearing up just looking at her. I don’t hesitate before scrambling to my feet. With my eyes locked on Lenny, I’m stumbling toward him, bare feet shifting in the sand. Then I’m staggering to a stop, staring up at the face I thought I’d never see again. “All right.” He spreads his arms open with a slight shrug. “Come here.” I nod, letting the knife slip from my hand before stepping into his embrace. My forehead meets his chest with a comical thump. I feel his laugh vibrate through me as he wraps his arms around my back to give me an awkward pat. “I missed you, too, Princess,” he says into my hair before pulling away to look at me. “I didn’t know if I’d ever see you again. At least”—he looks away, suddenly serious—“at least not before the rest of Ilya saw you.” “Yeah, me too,” I whisper, blinking back stubborn tears. Then I’m hugging Leena while she holds a loaded crossbow in hand, which somehow feels fitting. “It’s good to see you,” she breathes. I nod, smiling as another figure st...

She barely knows these people and acting like they're family.... relationships feel so forced. Also hard to believe Kai wouldn't just fight his way out - he has fought through worse odds so this is underwhelming.

Lenny shakes his head before running a hand over his face. “There… there are rumors.” “Rumors?” I repeat. “The whole kingdom is talking about it,” Finn chimes in, riding up beside us. “He’s gone mad. Simple as that.” “That,” Lenny throws him a look, “is the rumor. All we know is that he hasn’t left his office since the death of the king, and servants talk. They say they can hear him mumbling through the walls and always find his food tossed from the window.” He shrugs. “Maybe he’s just grieving, and it will all be over soon. Or maybe…” “Maybe this is the future of Ilya,” Leena says softly. It’s suddenly difficult to swallow. I know firsthand how affected Kitt was by his father when he was alive. And now that I’ve killed him… “How is Ilya? The people?” I manage after clearing my throat. Lenny shrugs. “Well, not great. The Elites are also mourning the ruler that single-handedly made Ilya the strongest kingdom by banishing the Ordinaries.” “There are a lot of people who hate you—let’s just say that.” Finn’s tone is joking, though the topic is anything but. I look away, shaking my head. “I’m not surprised. Not only do they hate what I did, but they also hate what I am.” “The people are restless,” Leena says softly. “Our new king has yet to show his face to the kingdom, and it’s made many feel neglected in a way.” “The queen isn’t doing well either,” Finn adds. “They think it’s only a matter of time now.” My eyes trail to the prince ahead of us. His eyes are on the sky, watchin...

So it's smart to just talk so openly in front of the enemy? And then bring him straight to a safe haven????? HOW DOES THIS MAKE SENSE????

evening and ride through the night. Then, a few days later, once we get close to Ilya, I’ll go ahead and inform the king that we have his Enforcer.” With a sigh, he adds, “I’ll tell him to meet us in the field near the Sanctuary of Souls with, what, no more than three Imperials? That should avoid the ambush that would certainly happen if we all tried to walk into the throne room. We will keep our crossbows aimed on the leverage”—a nod at Kai—“the whole time to ensure that there is no funny business. And that is when we’ll exchange our prince here for your freedom.” He claps his hands together, looking cheery. “After that, we return to Dor and live happily ever after.”

Again, revealing plans in front of the Enforcer???