Powerless

“She greedily claws the silk from my hands, running her fingers through the soft folds of the fabric. Peeking up through the curly bangs hanging in her hazel eyes, she looks at me as though I’ve just single-handedly eradicated the Plague rather than stolen fabric from a woman not much better off than we are. Like I’m the hero and not the villain.”

Paedyn’s relationship with Adena serves to characterize Paedyn as caring and passionate yet emotionally guarded. Their friendship is developed throughout the novel, building up to Adena being used by the king to assert dominance over Paedyn. Additionally, Paedyn’s belief that she is a “villain” reveals her self-loathing, which contrasts with Adena’s unconditional love.

“The idea of thanking the Plague that killed thousands of Ilyans makes me lose my appetite for even sticky buns. Thanking the thing that caused so much pain and death and discrimination. But all anyone cares about now is who the Plague didn’t kill. The kingdom was isolated for years to keep the sickness from spreading to the surrounding cities, and only the strongest in Ilya survived […] Dozens of supernatural abilities were bestowed upon Ilyans alone, all varying in strength, purpose, and power.”

At the beginning of the novel, Paedyn introduces a lot of background information about the history of Ilya and its current social organization. This passage, for instance, explains Paedyn’s disgust with the phrase “Thank the Plague,” which is commonly used in the kingdom, because it is rooted in oppression and genocide. She also explains the consequences of that Plague on the kingdom’s population, now divided into power-wielding Elites and powerless Ordinaries.

“Because not all those who survived the Plague were fortunate enough to be gifted with abilities. No, the Ordinaries were just that—ordinary. And over the next several decades following the Plague, the Ordinaries and Elites lived in peace. Until King Edric decreed that Ordinaries were no longer fit to live in his kingdom. It was over three decades ago when sickness swept through the land. Due to the outbreak of what was likely a common illness, the king’s Healers used the opportunity to claim that Ordinaries were carrying an undetectable disease, saying it was likely the reason they hadn’t developed abilities. Extended exposure to them became harmful to both Elites and their powers, and over time, the Ordinaries were dwindling the abilities Elites are so protective of.”

Building on the previous quote, this passage explains the current Social Hierarchy and Oppression at play in Ilya. The narrative makes it clear that Paedyn does not believe King Edric’s deception and propaganda about the supposed disease carried by the Ordinaries, which characterizes her as rational and just, but it also explains a primary source of her anger at the upper class and some of her internalized shame about her identity.

“Hide your feelings, hide your fear, and most importantly, hide behind your facade. No one can know, Paedy. Trust no one and nothing but your instincts.”

Throughout the novel, Paedyn often reflects on her father’s advice about surviving as an Ordinary in an Elite-dominated world. She reminisces about this quote when she realizes that her friendship with Adena puts the latter at risk. This characterizes Paedyn as caring and protective, but it also foreshadows Adena’s role at the end of the story. This also explains why she is so emotionally guarded.

“A ball of fire skims past my face, nearly singeing my hair off. I barely have the time to duck when I feel a second wave of heat rippling toward me.”

In a significant parallel with the first chapter, Chapter 2 opens with another suspenseful red herring. This time narrated by Kai, the chapter depicts him engaging in playful sparring with his brother rather than amid battle as the statement suggests. Similarly, this foreshadows Kai’s role and his participation in the Trials.

 “THE SIXTH PURGING TRIALS IS ABOUT TO BEGIN

REMEMBER THE PURGING. THANK THE PLAGUE.

HONOR TO YOUR KINGDOM, YOUR FAMILY, AND YOURSELF.

YOU COULD BE THE NEXT VICTORIOUS ELITE.”

This message, which is posted on a public message board in Loot, announces the narrative’s main plot point, the Purging Trials. It sets up the significance and scale of the event while playing into the king’s propaganda about the Plague and its consequences. In addition, the direct address to the readers of the message, which in this moment is Paedyn, hints at her upcoming role in the Trials.

“I glance down at my battered tank beneath the olive-green vest atop it. Everything changed the day Adena made me the pocketed vest, knowing that it would serve me well as a thief. That was the day an uneasy alliance began to blossom into an easy friendship.”

Paedyn’s vest, which was made by Adena to help them survive in Loot Alley, is a recurring symbol of their friendship. At the end of the story, Adena makes Paedyn promise to wear the vest just before she dies, a last wish that provides Paedyn with a physical token of their friendship.

“I snatch up my dagger and tuck it into my boot, brushing my fingers along the swirling, silver handle. It’s the only other keepsake I have from Father besides his ring—both of which I never go without.”

Paedyn owns two items that are symbols of her connection with her father: his dagger and ring. Throughout the story, she is depicted fidgeting with the ring when she is anxious or worried and using the dagger to defend herself. Both symbols hint at her father’s role in teaching her to hide her identity and protect herself.

“I spy a man with dark blue hair and a glittering watch adorning his thick wrist before quickly deciding to make him my next target. Peering down the packed street, I spot a few others with abnormally colored hair dotting the crowd, evidence that a genetic-altering Plague comes with more perks than just supernatural abilities. Though, even with the mop of silver hair atop my head, I still wasn’t gifted a power to accompany it.”

This quote contributes to the world building in the Powerless series by highlighting one of the Ilyans’ unusual physical traits. Through magic or mutation, the Plague has led people to develop new natural hair colors that include Paedyn’s silver hair, Blair’s lilac hair, and Andy’s crimson hair, for example. Those particularities contribute to characterization; for example, Paedyn’s silver hair connects her to the silver ring and dagger from her father.

“I slip out my dagger and cut the bindings around his wrists in one swift movement, meeting his gaze as I say, ‘I don’t kill children.’ Hypocrite. As if that is not exactly what I’m doing. In fact, I’m only prolonging the inevitable. But at least they will all get to be together in the end—a mockery of mercy that I only bestow upon children.”

This quote contributes to Kai’s characterization as a morally ambivalent protagonist. Despite being trained as an assassin, he keeps to a semblance of morality by refusing to kill children. Additionally, the morality of his actions is complicated by his awareness that although he does not murder children directly, he still contributes to an oppressive social and political system.

“We watch each other for a long moment. Her gaze is unwavering, reminding me of the still ocean, the calm before the storm. ‘Mark my words, Prince, I will be your undoing.’ I lean in, ignoring the knife against my throat as I murmur, ‘Oh, darling, I look forward to it.’”

This exchange between Paedyn and Kai foreshadows their complex, conflicted relationship. On the one hand, Paedyn’s description as Kai’s “undoing” can be read in a romantic light, with the prince admitting his developing feelings toward her. On the other hand, it can also hint at their climactic confrontation at the end of the book, which sets up the second book in the series.

“I take a deep breath, knowing that this detail is very important for everyone to understand, to believe. ‘Well, Tealah, I’m a Psychic. It’s a mental ability that allows me to sense strong emotions from others and get flashes of information. And because of that, I have the power to guard my head, keep it safe from people like the Silencers.’ I smile slightly before adding, ‘And apparently, people like Prince Kai, since he can’t use or sense my small ability.’”

This passage illustrates Paedyn’s well-rehearsed lie about her power. Her performance has enabled her to survive in an Elite-dominated world until now, and it has now ironically become an actual performance in front of an audience. In turn, the audience’s belief can afford her more credibility and power during the Trials.

“This is all a game to them. But if I want to stay alive, I have to play my part. I have to play them. Being a pawn in their game is the price I have to pay to survive. Make them believe I like this, and in turn, they will like me. So I straighten, holding my head a little higher as I smile a little brighter. I am no one’s pawn.”

This passage further illustrates Paedyn’s calculated strategy to survive the Trials. She is depicted as smart, cunning, and determined to retain her free will. This emphasizes the callousness of the upper-class Elites, as they will only like her if she is easily controlled and gives into their violent desires. It also contributes to her later decision to help the Resistance, whose cause she sympathizes with.

“A smile lifts my lips at the image of a former Slummer and future ruler hand in hand, the perfect picture of polar opposites. The most powerful man paired with the most powerless woman.”

This quote plays into the theme of the Definition of Power by contrasting Paedyn’s and Kitt’s roles in the story. The two characters illustrate the injustice and artificiality of Ilya’s Social Hierarchy and Oppression since, despite their differing status, both characters possess different kinds of powers that enable them to navigate the world and gain success. However, Paedyn still exhibits the traces of internalized condescension toward her background, as she sarcastically refers to herself as a “Slummer” and describes herself as powerless. She still doesn’t exhibit an acceptance of her identity and strength.

“I know I should shut my mouth, should nod my agreement instead of risking speaking treason. But something about this boy brings out a recklessness in me, a need to show him how wrong he is, how twisted his kingdom is. ‘That is what I know,’ he says softly, looking me in the eyes until I tear mine away, unable to unsee my father’s murderer in them. ‘And yet, you can know something and not believe it.’ My voice sounds shaky, and I hope he believes it to be from fear and not anger. ‘You have a choice, Kitt. You always have a choice.’”

This passage depicts Paedyn’s first attempt to sway Kitt’s perspective and encourage him to exercise critical thinking. Throughout the novel, both she and Kai repeatedly push Kitt to think for himself rather than following his father’s rules, each of them motivated by a different agenda. Kitt’s character arc hinges on his eventual decision about whether to follow in the king’s footsteps or not, thus creating narrative tension until the Epilogue.

“Never forget that your wit is a weapon to be wielded if only your mind is as sharp as your blade.”

Throughout the story, Paedyn often reflects on this statement, uttered by her father while he was training her to survive. She uses his advice to get out of difficult situations or find motivation, which highlights her loving, trusting relationship with her father and her desire to uphold his legacy.

“‘I’m not afraid of myself anymore,’ I whisper. That girl—that haunted, weak girl begging for help, for love—is me. Without her, I wouldn’t be who I am today. I’m still haunted, maybe even still hoping for love, but I am no longer weak because of it.”

This quote depicts Ace trying to trick Paedyn with illusions of herself a second time after she found herself helpless against them in the first Trial. The passage symbolizes Paedyn’s embrace of her identity, which in turn leads her to resist Ace’s illusions. This highlights her character growth, as she gains confidence and self-acceptance over the course of the story.

“‘I think you will make a great king, Kitt,’ I say quietly, cutting through his words. ‘And I will proudly serve you. But you need to learn to think on your own because one day, Father won’t be there to do it for you. So, I suggest you start figuring out what you think is for the best.’”

Echoing Paedyn’s advice, Kai urges his brother to think critically about his responsibility to his subjects. This emphasizes that Kitt’s desire to please his father leads him to reinforce the oppressive status quo. Both Paedyn and Kai, who care about him and his potential as the future king, encourage him to challenge his ignorance and naivety to grow.

“Our lives seem to share sad similarities, unfortunate fates. Both our childhoods consisted of training to become what we had to be, neither of us growing up the way we wished. Except, the fathers who raised us couldn’t be more different—one doing everything out of love, the other out of greed.”

The parallels between Paedyn and Kai are developed throughout the book to emphasize their conflicted feelings toward each other. The tension between them highlights both their differences and their similarities, thus building up to the climactic revelation about who they are to each other. In this quote, Paedyn points out, for instance, that despite their similar upbringings, their fathers’ differing motivations led them to develop ruthless skills and grow through adversity.

“What am I doing? I can’t just walk into his room. Right? Wrong. This is a bad idea. Yes, but this is a bad idea I want to do.”

This quote illustrates a recurring literary technique used to illustrate the protagonists’ ambivalent state of mind. Such passages are narrated like an internal dialogue between the character’s conflicting impulses. In this example, Paedyn’s sense of self-preservation is trying to resist her desire to comfort Kai, who is having a nightmare. Claiming that she wants to do it shows how she craves a sense of agency in her life, which has thus far been guided by circumstances out of her control.

“He holds my gaze, looking so hurt, so horrified, so full of hatred. His eyes are so cold that I nearly shiver under his stare. The boy glaring down at me is devoid of every bit of warmth, every bit of charm I’ve come to know. He is cold. He is callous. He is like this because of me. He is his father.”

This depicts the end of Kitt’s character arc and the climax of his moral dilemma within this installment of the series. Throughout the book, Paedyn often remarks upon the similarities between Kitt and his father, which repulse her at first. When she gets to know Kitt better, she starts noticing their differences instead. However, after she has betrayed him, he symbolically chooses his father’s side once more. Though Paedyn’s involvement with the Resistance is sympathetic, this subplot shows how even good intentions have negative consequences when mixed with actions like a breach of trust.

“The symmetry in their deaths is sickening. Both run through in the chest. Both bleeding out before me. Both left lying on the ground, left to rot without a burial. Both deaths ending in me running.”

Paedyn’s comment about the symmetry of her father’s and the king’s deaths further emphasizes the parallels between her and Kai. The narration reinforces this symmetry through anaphora, so the sentence structure mimics the idea of repetition and symbolic parallels. It also raises the motif of cyclical violence and the moral qualms associated with it. Despite the king’s antagonism, Paedyn still feels negatively about his inability to be buried with respect, showing an uncertainty about the results of her revenge.

“Why does it feel wrong to fight an Ordinary in an extraordinary way? So far, I’ve used only my own strength to kill them, avoiding the use of an ability. It feels like cheating for some reason, and I like to win my fights fairly.”

In this passage, Kai wonders whether fighting Ordinaries with his supernatural abilities is fair or ethical. This reinforces his moral dilemma, as he grows more and more aware of the kingdom’s unjust Social Hierarchy and Oppression over the course of the story. Since this realization takes place at the end of the novel, it sets up Kai’s continued character growth in the following book in the series.