Reckless

Reckless follows the shocking events of the previous book, Powerless. In an act of self-defense and revenge, rebel traitor Paedyn Gray kills the King. To escape punishment, Paedyn flees Ilya, leaving the kingdom — and its princes — reeling in her wake. Crown Prince Kitt, shaken by his friend’s betrayal, becomes increasingly paranoid and withdrawn, refusing to leave his room. Prince Kai, Ilya’s Enforcer, swears to hunt Paedyn down, even if he once loved her.   

Kai tracks Paedyn to the nearby kingdom, Dor, where she has become an underground fighter. With his men, Kai captures Paedyn and forces her to hike through barren desert land to return to Ilya. However, a group of rebels captures them, hoping to trade Kai’s release for Paedyn’s pardon. Their plans are subverted when Rafael, Paedyn’s old boss at the fighting ring, captures her and Kai. To escape, Paedyn and Kai must set aside their differences and work together. In the process, forbidden feelings threaten to return, forcing the ultimate choice between old duty and new love.  

Paedyn is an underdog, relying on her wits to stay one step ahead of an entire government that is calling for her arrest, dead or alive. She often prioritizes survival over morality, though not without guilt. For example, she hesitates to steal from the hardworking people of Dor, yet ultimately does, lacking any other means to support herself. While Paedyn is dedicated to the rebel cause of seeking to uplift Ordinaries from Elite oppression, her lack of resolve may frustrate some readers. Despite swearing multiple times that she will kill Prince Kai, Paedyn does not do so. On an emotional level, readers will sympathize with Paedyn’s inability to harm someone she once cared deeply for. However, considering the greater good, Paedyn’s choices unintentionally come off as selfish, prioritizing her personal feelings over the survival of her people.   

Likewise, Kai’s charming and witty nature often clashes with the grim reality of his mission, which he rarely takes seriously. For example, Kai often flirts with Paedyn, which diminishes both the severity of his objective and his relationship with his late father. Readers looking for a fun enemies-to-lovers story, in which characters claim murderous intent but instead reignite their romance with a passionate kiss, will find much to appreciate in Kai’s character and his romance with Paedyn. While Kai often falls on the wrong side of the conflict, siding with the Elite, readers will understand that he is not an inherently bad person, but rather forced into a morally compromising position by his family. Readers will root for him to break free of his late father’s corrosive influence. However, a more cynical eye will question whether Kai can truly love the same person who killed his father, traumatized his brother, and threw his kingdom into chaos.  

Reckless focuses on the progression of Kai and Paedyn’s relationship as they fluctuate between enemies and lovers, against the backdrop of a country on the brink of revolution and ruin. In the kingdom of Dor, where the people do not have supernatural abilities, Ordinary Paedyn and Elite Kai are finally on even footing. In captivity, faced with a more pressing threat than their mutual animosity, Paedyn and Kai become reluctant allies with the potential for romance. While the conflict between the rebels and the established hierarchy provides thrilling action sequences, it contributes more to the development of Kai and Paedyn’s relationship than to the advancement of the plot. Large portions of the plot are repetitive and do not further the story, instead falling into a cycle of capture, escape, capture, escape, capture, escape – thereby negating any significance of the capture or the escape.  

This story is told from the dual points of view of Paedyn and Kai. Both rehash the major conflict of the previous book — the struggle between duty and love. They are forced to ask themselves if pursuing a romance is worth jeopardizing their worldviews, morals, familial obligations, and the future of their kingdom. Readers who instantly answer no will not enjoy this book. Due to the lack of stakes and consequences – unlike the major character deaths and world-shaking revelations featured in the previous book – Reckless ultimately feels like a placeholder for the conclusion of the series, Fearless.  

Sexual Content   

• After agreeing to a temporary alliance, Kai and Paedyn share an angsty, yet steamy kiss. Kai describes, “Our mouths crash together. I can taste the loathing on her lips, the anger in each swipe of her tongue. She kisses me hard, biting my lip to draw blood… Her fingers are buried in my hair while mine dig into her hips. This kiss is deep and anything but tender.”  On the brink of death, Kai and Paedyn share another passionate kiss. Kai describes, “I kiss her frantically, memorizing the feel of her lips against mine. . . Her arms slide from my wrists to wrap around my neck. She’s clinging to me as though I’m an anchor she’s willing to sink with.”  
• The kiss is then described from Paedyn’s perspective. “I sigh against his mouth when his tongue meets mine… His teeth pull at my bottom lip… The action sets my body ablaze, spreading fire through every vein. My mouth moves in time with his, matching every swipe of his tongue, every move of his lips.” The scene lasts two pages. 
• Kai’s inner monologue frequently emphasizes his attraction to Paedyn; however, he is often tormented by it. For example, he thinks, “She’s unbearable, really. But not in the way that makes it any easier to look away. No, everything about her is a bold sort of beauty, like a rose proudly displaying its thorns. She’s alluring in the way that most deadly things are. It’s captivating.” Paedyn is more reluctant to admit her feelings, though her heart often “beats hard” in Kai’s presence.     

Violence   

• Kai and Paedyn falsely promise to kill each other. Upon gaining an opportunity to kill Kai, Paedyn thinks, “I could kill him… I’m hesitating… he makes his way out of the alley… I won’t hesitate again.”  
• When pressed on whether he will complete his mission, which will presumably result in Paedyn’s execution, considering the severity of her crime, Kai sincerely replies, “Of course. It’s my duty.”  
• To prevent Paedyn from running away, Kai throws a dagger at her. He describes, “with the flick of my wrist, I send the knife flying toward her… it meets its mark, slicing through her thigh as she leaps. Her cry of pain makes me flinch… she staggers to her feet, blood streaming down her leg.” The wound is superficial, leading to no serious long-term injury. 
• In self-defense, Paedyn kills a guard attempting to collect her bounty. During a brief, yet bloody fight, “the back of his skull collides with my [Paedyn’s] nose. I cry out, already feeling blood… The guard throws me onto my back, his weight pressing down on me nearly as hard as his hands crushing my windpipe… I can barely see what it is I do next. The blade slides easily into his heart.”  
• Kai and Paedyn attempt to escape Rafael, Paedyn’s ex-boss. After getting trapped in a tunnel filling with water, Kai and Paedyn believe they will drown. However, at the last moment, they escape into an alley.  
• While working as an underground fighter, Paedyn fights. For example, during a match against a fan favorite, Slick, Paedyn describes, “Slick is persistent, raining down… He blocks my jab before barreling into me, pushing me hard against the cage… my foot finds the inside of his knee, kicking hard… Slick bites down a scream… [he is] clutching what is likely a dislocated kneecap… His elbow strains as I pull his arm down unnaturally, hyperextending the joint.” Paedyn wins the fight, which lasts around three pages. The gory action is interwoven with descriptions and brief flashbacks of her friendship with Adena, a character who died in the previous book.  
• Ambushed by bandits while traveling through the desert, Paedyn witnesses an arrow strike Kai’s arm. He “slowly sinks to his knees, displaying the deep gash stretching across the length of his shoulder. I saw the flash of an arrow before it tore through his skin, splitting flesh in an instant.” Kai makes a full recovery, although he is left with a scar. 

Drugs and Alcohol   

• After Kai and Paedyn are unable to remember important details of their capture, Kai speculates that “they may have drugged us.”  

Language  

• Profanity is used often. Profanity includes damn, hell, ass, shit, and bitch. For example, before Paedyn kills a guard, he calls her a “crazy bitch.”   
• As a result of getting back together, Kai tells Paedyn he now “believe[s] in a God” because she is “paradise.”  

Supernatural  

• The Elites have superhuman abilities. For example, a “brawny” is an Elite with superhuman strength, depicted as smashing through a door.  

Spiritual Content   

• None  

by Kerry Lum