Matcha & Motifs Rating 5/5  

Ilya’s Enforcer’s first mission is to capture Paedyn, the Ordinary, who is on the run after committing treason, after killing their king. As they uncover Ilya’s and each other’s secrets, Paedyn and Kai must decide whether they will follow their duty or their hearts.  

***CONTAINS SPOILERS!!!***

You know how I said my heart was so full in the last book? Well, my heart feels like it’s being diced into tiny little pieces in this book. The betrayals and ongoing self-persuasions to end one another are tormenting, yet addicting. I have yet to read book 3, but book 2 has been declared my favorite. 

Welcome to 5 minutes of me fangirling. 

Plot

The plot feels secondary to romance in Reckless, but not in a lousy way. It follows an uncovering of our characters and their adventure together. It’s essentially a runaway Paedyn and a hunter Kai, and I enjoyed it immensely. 

In trilogies, I feel that the first book is usually highly focused, while the subsequent books expand, revealing world-building and the trilogy’s plot. However, this one feels the opposite. Book two of the Powerless series feels more focused on Kai and Paedyn, even more than book one. There are a few trilogy series that I enjoy more in the second book; this is one of them. 

Good books tie the past to the present, even if the characters and readers don’t know it yet. Additionally, good books introduce characters, no matter how minuscule, who are or become relevant to the plot. Reckless does both of these things, for example, in Powerless, we learn that Kai is responsible for murdering Paedyn’s father at the order of the King. On the other hand, we know that after Kai’s first kill, he was sick afterwards, and that he never enjoyed his role of killing Ordinaries. It’s beautifully cruel that Paedyn’s and Kai’s lives were intertwined before they even knew each other, destined to be enemies and each other’s fuel for violence, each other’s reason to live. Another example of this was when the red-headed girl that Kai was supposed to kill survives the Scorches, and she leads him right to Paedyn in Reckless. See? It’s plot, thought-out, interwoven, “of course” plot. And I love it. 

Writing 

The writing in this book feels more developed as well, and there are fewer of those cringey lines. Additionally, Robert’s work of poetry is ever-growing, and all the same aspects that I loved so much in Powerless are present here as well. 

This book is told from dual perspectives, similar to Powerless. I can’t believe I forgot to mention that in my review of the first book. I am a sucker for a dual perspective. Most YA Romances are written from the FMC’s perspective, and it’s usually great, until you get an exclusive chapter from the MMC’s perspective that you realize he’s been in love with her this whole timeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Anyways, it works wonders in this book because they were separated in the beginning. Yet, we can still hear their churning inner thoughts, and what emotions they’re fighting to keep down. It also switches strategically to create mystery, even though we’re in their head. For example, when Kai put the chain around Paedyn’s ankle, we didn’t know until it was already locked in place. (That was devastating, because he used her attraction against her, breaking a bit of trust that was gained, gah, an arrow to my heart!) 

A moment for Robert’s writing: 

“He tastes like longing. Like regret and relief. Like nothing matters but this moment.

It’s fervent, like a sinner’s final prayer.

And maybe that is what this kiss is.

Repentance.

—

She tastes like a piece of the heaven I won’t be going to.

Kissing her is relief.

It’s a delicate sort of demand.” 

Romance 

Reckless does a fantastic job of pitting their desire against their duty. It lives up to its name. There’s a lot of that back and forth, and it makes for such a gripping, heart-wrenching read. 

This book was everything it was in book one: survival, fighting, banter, but it’s even better because now they’re each other’s enemies. In Powerless, it feels like the development of their relationship. Getting to know one another beyond the masks, but there are still so many secrets between them. Powerless ends with uncovering secrets that one might not ever be able to forgive and betrayal that leads them to become enemies. The tension was so great that you could cut it with a knife. The ongoing battle between duty and desire makes this such an engaging read. I think I am just a sucker for enemies to lovers, and yes they always were this, but the lack of knowledge from Kai’s perspective meant it wasn’t entirely in place. This whole book is just Kai and Paedyn, and it’s so satisfying and indulgent that I am drunk on love. It is heartbreaking tension and the inability to resist one another. There are tender moments, vulnerable moments, moments of understanding in a way no one else will, all under the facade of a mission.

Funny moments of friendship: 

“You’re stepping on my hand.”

Her boot is crushing the fingers I have wrapped around the ladder’s rung. “Oh. Oops.”

“Yeah, oops.”

Moments of banter: 

“And my hand?” he asks. “Just wanted to hold that, too?”

I had forgotten my fingers were still laced with his and quickly untangle them. “I liked you much better when you were asleep,” I say sweetly.

“Good to hear you liked me at all.”

The way they’re always on each other’s minds, yearning for one another, and caring about each other. I’m grinning from ear to ear. I can feel myself blushing. Oh, to be Paedyn. 

Sweet, silent yearning:

“Her head is crushing my arm. And I fear I’d never move again if it meant she stayed beside me.” 

Final thoughts: I ran through this book in two days. I read Powerless and Reckless in four days. Four days of straight happiness. I was thrilled to read the third book when I discovered it hadn’t been published yet! I was genuinely tweaking. I was destroyed all over again. But no worries, I have now acquired book three and I am so scared (and ready) to be ruined.