“Your manuscript is both good and original, but the parts that are good are not original.” This is the quote people on Tiktok have posted about Lauren Roberts hit series “Powerless.” Many people claim it has blatantly plagiarized Victoria Aveyard’s book “Red Queen.”
“Red Queen” is the first book in an adult dystopian novel series; it was published on February 10, 2015. It is true: “Red Queen” and “Powerless” share striking similarities, including the idea of a caste system in which one group has powers and another does not, plotlines involving the protagonist discovering her own power and character dynamics involving princes.
Red Queen is about a young girl named Mare Burrows who lives in a world categorized by people with powers and those without. While living in this world, Mare lives in the “Sticks” until she is forced to fake having powers to compete in a series of trials for the prince’s hand in marriage. While competing, the protagonist falls in love with two brothers and has a hard time choosing between them. Eventually, she uses the younger brother to help her lead a revolution against those with powers for the way they treat others they deem inferior.
In Lauren Roberts book “Powerless,” the main character is named Payden Gray. Payden lives in the “Slums” as an ordinary, one who is without powers. In this world, ordinaries are executed on sight to preserve the purity of elites’ (people with powers) bloodlines. Payden is seen fighting in the slums and is assumed to be an elite, she is then forced to compete in trials to prove the supposed strength of elites. While competing in the trials, she meets two brothers who both express interest in Payden. Payden (like in Red Queen) uses one of the brothers to help lead a revolution against the Elites. At the end of the book, Payden is forced to flee after being betrayed and is told by one brother that she will be hunted down and executed.
Both characters have mirroring character details. The main characters in both books share striking similarities, including their roles within their respective societies. When reading, it becomes evident there is also a glaring copying of the “Red Queens” plot line. “Powerless” mirrors that of “Red Queen”, with similar twists and developments that make it hard to dismiss as mere coincidence.
While a publisher would usually go over and check for these things, “Powerless” was self published and then later joined a publishing group when the book became popular. Some say that people should be more generous in understanding that Roberts was only 18 when she self-published her book and would not have known better. Others have mentioned that the later books in the series are different so it makes the copying less noticeable. Many claim that the third book in each series differs in plot and romantic storyline more than anything. Many people point out that the difference in the third book matters because the ending of the whole series is very different.
While Roberts has not commented on the allegations, Aveyard has taken to social media, posting comments that vaguely reference the plagiarism without specifically mentioning Roberts book.
The striking similarities between “Powerless” and “Red Queen” have left many readers, including myself, questioning the originality of Roberts’ work. While inspiration is common, the amount of “inspiration” taken for Aveyards book is over the top. While Roberts adds more romance to the storyline and has an overall better execution of the plot, she should give credit to Victoria’s Aveyard’s original storyline.
