Challenged by the Alien Captain: Warrior Mates of Zivon, Book 6 by Presley Hall

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’m supposed to bring down the Zivonian warriors…not fall for one of them. 

The Kruul who captured me and my sister promised me they’ll let her live if I do one thing for infiltrate the Zivonians’ ship and find a way to destroy it.

I’d do anything to protect Maya, so I have no choice but to accept their bargain. The only problem is, the Zivonians are nothing like I expected—especially Siro, the gorgeous alien captain.

He’s honorable, powerful, and protective, and for some reason, he seems as drawn to me as I am to him.

Getting close to him will give me the best chance to carry out my sabotage of the ship, but with every minute we spend together, I can feel my resolve wavering.

If I don’t go through with my mission, the Kruul will kill my sister.

But how can I betray the man I’m starting to fall in love with?

Challenged by the Alien Captain

Moral dilemmas, resilience in adversity, and a spaceship setting!

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 🖤💙❤️💚🩵
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘📔
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌍🌏
Character development: 🙁😋😘🥰
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Dual Narration

The heroine: Darcy – she and her younger sister Maya lived in Los Angelos and went to an audition for a modeling job. Their mom forced them into modeling, and they have since left home, but continued with their careers. When they get to the place they are called to the audition, they feel things are fishy and try to leave, when the doors are locked. Aliens kidnap them along with a group of girls. They are shot with tranquilizers and wake up in cages, are implanted with translators and find that they will be sold as sex slaves. Darcy and Maya are sold at auction to the Kruul.

The Hero: Siro – he is the captain of the Oasis ship and right-hand man of the commander. The Oasis is a huge spaceship where what’s left of Zivonian people have lived for the past five years. The Zivonians need to find a permanent home on a new planet. The Oasis is not in the best shape after flying nonstop for so long after the Kruul destroyed their planet with toxic fire, killing the majority of their people.

The Story: The Kruul intend to use Darcy as a spy against the Zivonians. They are kept in a cold cell on the spaceship owned by the Kruul. Darcy is a few years older than Maya and has always looked out for her, she would do anything to keep Maya safe. When the Kruul tell Darcy that if she wants to keep her sister alive, she has to go aboard the Zivonian ship and find a way to destroy the ship and everyone on it, she does what she must. She is put aboard a small ship which is disabled in the area the Kruul think the Zivonians will be and sending out a distress signal.

When the Oasis picks up the distress signal, Siro goes to check it out and is more than surprised to find it occupied by a lone Terran woman. Darcy is immediately attracted to the darkly handsome man. Siro helps her by taking her on his shuttle to the mothership, the Oasis, where she faints from lack of food and water after spending weeks aboard the small vessel. Siro carries her to the med bay, noticing how he feels drawn to her.

I liked the story in this book; Darcy’s conflict was one that anyone can feel for. She wants to protect her sister, but she quickly finds out that the Zivonian’s are good people and there are also other human women aboard, who were once in a similar situation to her and are happy on the Oasis. Not to mention her fear that her true intentions might be discovered. Especially by Siro, since she has trouble keeping secrets from him. The world building has been done very well in this series, and I have really liked all the characters.

This plot is gripping! It offers layers of tension and character development that are both compelling and relatable—Darcy’s protective love for her sister and her internal conflict as she’s torn between survival and morality are really powerful themes. The Kruul add an ominous element that raises the stakes, while Siro’s character sounds like a fascinating mix of strength, resilience, and compassion—perfect for the hero of such a story.

The one thing I didn’t like was the fact that Darcy felt guilt for what she was doing, but she didn’t seem to take into account that destroying the Oasis was also killing over 100 good people. I wouldn’t do that, even to save a sister. Not to mention the fact that there is no way she can trust the Kruul not to kill Maya anyway.

It’s also intriguing how the world-building complements the narrative, creating an immersive environment with the Oasis ship and the plight of the Zivonians. The dual narration adds an extra layer, letting listeners connect deeply with both perspectives. It really enriches the emotional weight of the audiobook! C.J. Grey and Stefanie Kay narrated; both are very good narrators. C.J. Grey has a deep, gravelly voice which works well for alien romance. Stefanie Kay has a clear, feminine voice and sounds the right age for the heroine.

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