If you liked
Books like Powerless
Powerless gave you Paedyn, Kai, the Purging Trials and a lot of yearning, with almost no spice.
These picks share the trials, the forbidden royal or the enemies-to-lovers pull. Some are spicier, and every one shows its score.
12 books like Powerless
- Fourth Wing
Rebecca Yarros
Hotter than Powerless · 2023 · The Empyrean · Spice 3/5 · Darkness 3/5 · Trigger warnings
A deadly school, a heroine everyone underestimates and enemies to lovers. More spice.
- Shield of Sparrows
Devney Perry
Hotter than Powerless · 2025 · Shield of Sparrows · Spice 3/5 · Darkness 2/5 · Trigger warnings
A royal match, monsters and slow-burn tension.
- Lightlark
Alex Aster
Same spice as Powerless · 2022 · The Lightlark Saga · Spice 1/5 · Darkness 2/5 · Trigger warnings
A deadly game, secrets and a love triangle, with low spice.
- The Prison Healer
Lynette Noni
Same spice as Powerless · 2021 · The Prison Healer · Spice 1/5 · Darkness 3/5 · Trigger warnings
Deadly trials and a heroine hiding who she is.
- The Cruel Prince
Holly Black
Same spice as Powerless · 2018 · The Folk of the Air · Spice 1/5 · Darkness 3/5 · Trigger warnings
A heroine who doesn't belong and a prince who hates her.
- Throne of Glass
Sarah J. Maas
Same spice as Powerless · 2012 · Throne of Glass · Spice 1/5 · Darkness 2/5 · Trigger warnings
A competition, a lethal heroine and a prince.
- Divine Rivals
Rebecca Ross
Same spice as Powerless · 2023 · Letters of Enchantment · Spice 1/5 · Darkness 2/5 · Trigger warnings
Rivals to lovers with very low spice.
- A Dawn of Onyx
Kate Golden
Hotter than Powerless · 2022 · The Sacred Stones Trilogy · Spice 3/5 · Darkness 3/5 · Trigger warnings
War and a king she shouldn't trust. More spice.
- The Serpent & the Wings of Night
Carissa Broadbent
Hotter than Powerless · 2022 · Crowns of Nyaxia · Spice 3/5 · Darkness 3/5 · Trigger warnings
A deadly tournament and an enemy she starts to want. More spice.
- Six of Crows
Leigh Bardugo
Same spice as Powerless · 2015 · Six of Crows duology · Spice 1/5 · Darkness 3/5 · Trigger warnings
A sharp heist crew and a slow-burn romance.
- Gild
Raven Kennedy
Hotter than Powerless · 2020 · The Plated Prisoner · Spice 3/5 · Darkness 3/5 · Trigger warnings
A trapped heroine and a slow escape. More spice.
- Red Queen
Victoria Aveyard
Same spice as Powerless · 2015 · Red Queen · Spice 1/5 · Darkness 2/5 · Trigger warnings
A girl with a power she shouldn't have, hidden inside a royal court.
Read the warnings first
Every pick links to its own warning page, and the trigger warnings A to Z explains every flag we use. Filter the whole library by spice and darkness.
Questions readers actually ask
Is Powerless spicy?
No. Powerless scores 1 out of 5 on our spice scale. Kissing and a lot of tension, but no explicit scenes.
What order do the Powerless books go in?
Powerless, then Reckless, then Fearless. There is also a short novella, Powerful.
Is Powerless like The Hunger Games?
It shares the idea of deadly, televised-style trials, but the romance gets far more of the page.