Adored by the Alien Warlord by Ava Ross

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

An alien trying to overcome the shame of his past. A woman lost on a distant planet. Will true love bring them together or drive them apart?

Maggie: After my twin sister and I are kidnapped from Earth, we’re separated. When the ship transporting me crashes on a distant planet, I’m captured and sold to a lizard alien. Now I’m trapped, forced to dance in a bar under the watchful gaze of a tyrant. I’ve resigned myself to never seeing my sister again when a blue-skinned Zuldruxian named Davon is hired as a bouncer at the bar. He’s fierce and kind, with teal-colored eyes that hold secrets, and he watches out for me. It doesn’t take me long to start falling in love. He says he’s been sent by my sister, that he’s going to help me escape. Can I trust him with my safety and my heart?

Davon: As the leader of my clan, I’ve roamed the vast deserts of my world, seeking a purpose beyond the pain of my past. When I meet a human woman in search of her sister, I vow to find her. Maybe this will make up for the shame I caused my clan. I follow the trail of her ship and find her held captive in the Veerenad city. She’s not just a dancer in a bar, she’s the mate the gods promised me. I vow to free her, and our attraction deepens. Can I protect her from the dangers of this world and earn her trust or will my inner darkness betray us?

Adored by the Alien Warlord

The plot was a bit slow.

The bones of this story are strong — compelling characters, a high-stakes premise, and a dual narration that adds dimension. Alexandra Cohler and Ross Pendleton deliver solid performances, with Cohler capturing Maggie’s grit and vulnerability. Pendleton’s voice, while deeper and older-sounding than I imagined for Davon, lends a steady gravitas that suits his protector role well.

Maggie stands out as a fierce and resilient heroine. After losing her parents, she and her twin sister built a life around their shared passion for dance — only to be abducted by robotic enforcers and hurled into a galaxy ruled by the alien Zuldruxians. Separated from her sister and sold to a reptilian club owner, Maggie endures a brutal routine of forced dancing and confinement. It’s bleak, repetitive, and emotionally draining — and that’s where the pacing falters.

Enter Davon, a towering blue Zuldrux warrior with unexpected tenderness. Sent by Maggie’s sister, he becomes the club’s bouncer and her lifeline. His quiet acts of care — bathing her, feeding her, offering clothes and dignity — spark the first flicker of hope Maggie’s had in ages. Their slow-burn alliance is touching, but the narrative lingers too long in the grind of captivity. I found myself craving momentum, yearning for the escape to come sooner and the plot to shift gears.

The concept is rich with potential: survival, sisterhood, and interspecies trust in a hostile world. But the execution leans heavily on repetition, which dulled the tension and made the middle stretch feel stagnant. I didn’t dislike the book — far from it — but I wanted more urgency, more action, and a faster payoff.

If you’re drawn to character-driven sci-fi with emotional stakes and don’t mind a slower pace, this might resonate. Just be prepared to wade through the grind before the gears finally shift.

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