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Quick answer: If you loved Lauren Roberts, try Powerless, Reckless, The Hunger Games, Red Queen, The Selection and Fourth Wing. Each one offers a romantasy with deadly trials, hidden powers and enemies-to-lovers tension.
Lauren Roberts is the author of the Powerless trilogy, which began as a self-published hit and became a bestseller. In Powerless, Paedyn Gray is an Ordinary hiding among the powered Elites of Ilya, where people without powers are banished. After she saves Prince Kai Azer, she is forced into the deadly Purging Trials. Readers love its banter, its slow burn and its twists. These books share its romance and its trials.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Heat level | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powerless | Lauren Roberts | Medium | readers new to the series |
| Reckless | Lauren Roberts | Medium | readers who want book two |
| The Hunger Games | Suzanne Collins | Low | readers who want deadly games |
| Red Queen | Victoria Aveyard | Low | readers who like powered elites |
| The Selection | Kiera Cass | Low | readers who like royal competitions |
| Fourth Wing | Rebecca Yarros | High | readers who want dragons and heat |
| Throne of Glass | Sarah J. Maas | Medium | readers who like assassin heroines |
| Caraval | Stephanie Garber | Low | readers who like magical games |
| The Cruel Prince | Holly Black | Medium | readers who like scheming humans among the powerful |
| Shatter Me | Tahereh Mafi | Medium | readers who like dangerous powers |
| An Ember in the Ashes | Sabaa Tahir | Medium | readers who like brutal empires |
| Divergent | Veronica Roth | Low | readers who like factions |
| Heartless Hunter | Kristen Ciccarelli | Medium | readers who like spies in love |
| Quicksilver | Callie Hart | High | readers who want spicier romantasy |
| Divine Rivals | Rebecca Ross | Medium | readers who like rivals |
1. Powerless by Lauren Roberts
An Ordinary hides among the Elites and enters deadly trials.
Best for: readers new to the series.
2. Reckless by Lauren Roberts
Paedyn and Kai's story continues.
Best for: readers who want book two.
3. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
A girl volunteers for a televised death match.
Best for: readers who want deadly games.
4. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
A girl with red blood has a deadly power.
Best for: readers who like powered elites.
5. The Selection by Kiera Cass
Girls compete to marry a prince.
Best for: readers who like royal competitions.
6. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
A young woman enters a dragon war college.
Best for: readers who want dragons and heat.
7. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
An assassin competes to be champion.
Best for: readers who like assassin heroines.
8. Caraval by Stephanie Garber
A girl enters a magical game.
Best for: readers who like magical games.
9. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
A mortal girl schemes at a faerie court.
Best for: readers who like scheming humans among the powerful.
10. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
A girl's touch can kill.
Best for: readers who like dangerous powers.
11. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
A slave spies on a military academy.
Best for: readers who like brutal empires.
12. Divergent by Veronica Roth
A girl fits no faction.
Best for: readers who like factions.
13. Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli
A secret rescuer courts a witch hunter.
Best for: readers who like spies in love.
14. Quicksilver by Callie Hart
A thief is drawn into a faerie realm.
Best for: readers who want spicier romantasy.
15. Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
Two reporters fall in love through letters.
Best for: readers who like rivals.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Lauren Roberts: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Lauren Roberts. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most. If a pick is part of a longer series, read the first book before you commit, and check the age or content notes in the table before passing a book to a younger reader.
How to Choose
Begin with Powerless and continue with Reckless. For deadly trials, The Hunger Games and Red Queen are the closest. If you loved the royal romance, The Selection is lighter, while Fourth Wing and Quicksilver are spicier. An Ember in the Ashes has a similar brutal empire.
Related: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black: Summary and Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Lauren Roberts?
An American author of the Powerless trilogy.
What is Powerless about?
An Ordinary girl hides among powered Elites and is forced into deadly trials.
What order are the Powerless books?
Powerless, Reckless and Fearless.
Is Powerless spicy?
It has romantic tension but is young adult and mostly mild.
Is Powerless like The Hunger Games?
Yes. It has deadly trials and an underdog heroine.
Who is Kai Azer?
The prince and Enforcer who is drawn to Paedyn.
What age is Powerless for?
It suits readers about 14 and up.
Did Powerless start on social media?
Yes. Roberts built a following on TikTok and self-published before a major publisher picked it up.