Prisoner: Raider Warlords of the Vandar, Book 8 by Tana Stone

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What’s more dangerous than joining the Vandar to crush the Zagrath? Being taken captive by the deadly creatures who rule the sector—and consider prisoners to be expendable.

Cassie is eager to join her fellow resistance fighters when they team up with the Vandar hordes, but working on the Vandar ship means she’s now colleagues with the tough aliens and answers to the new warlord, Raas Aydan. She’s used to the Vandar being scary, but the Lost Vandar are different, and she’s never had a man look at her the way Raas Ayden does. 

When a mission to the lawless Jarvelon sector goes awry, the Vandar raiders are the least of Cassie’s worries. The mercenary gang that captures her and Thea is only interested in trading her to the empire so the Vandar can be lured to their destruction. But when Raas Ayden arrives to rescue her, she realizes that he might be the most dangerous creature after her.

Prisoner is a full-length sci-fi romance novel with a HEA and no cheating. It features steamy scenes in an enemy prison ship, alien horde space battles, and some serious heat.

If you like dominant alien warriors, alien abduction to seduction romance, and fated mates with a happily ever after, you’ll love Prisoner, the eighth book in Tana Stone’s sci-fi romance Raider Warlords of the Vandar series.

Possessive Instincts in a War‑Torn Galaxy

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙💜💚❤️
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏
Character development: 😋😀😍😎🥰
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Duet Narration

🎧 Audiobook Review: Prisoner (Raider Warlords of the Vandar, #8)

Author: Tana Stone
Genre: Science Fiction Romance / Alien Romance
Narrators: Marcio Catalano and Aubrey Vincent

📚 Characters & Background

Raas Ayden leads a horde of Kyrie Vandar warriors—descendants of the exiled Vandar who defied their government generations ago. Their fathers were banished, their mothers were Seelee, and their white hair marks them as outsiders even among their own people. Ayden once served as first mate to Raas Ronan, but with Ronan now off rallying other Vandar hordes to face the still‑surviving Zagrath Empire, Ayden has stepped into leadership.

Cassie, a skilled navigator with the Valox resistance, is close friends with Sloane—the only pilot who believed the Zagrath threat wasn’t truly gone. After Sloane mated with Ronan, Cassie and her friends began working alongside the Vandar. Cassie had been casually involved with a human superior who insisted on keeping their relationship secret, a red flag her friends immediately called out. Realizing he wanted the benefits without the commitment, she cut things off.

Ayden, already drawn to Cassie, bristled at how the human man treated her and quietly set plans in motion to remove him from her orbit. But before Ayden can make his move, Cassie and the other women are ambushed by Zagrath forces, shot down, and crash‑land on the planet Zengolas—where they’re quickly captured by mercenaries.

🌟 Strengths

• The story delivers a strong blend of action, danger, and forward momentum, anchored by a capable, resilient heroine.
• The supporting cast shines, weaving together familiar faces from earlier books with compelling new characters who expand the world and deepen the stakes.

💔 Limitations

• The heavy emphasis on action leaves the central romance feeling a bit underfed; more emotional and physical connection between Ayden and Cassie would have strengthened the payoff.
• The title suggests a longer or more intense captivity arc, but the mercenary “prisoner” element is brief and not as central as expected.

🎙️ Narration

The duet narration by Marcio Catalano and Aubrey Vincent elevates the story’s emotional depth. Catalano’s smooth, grounded delivery embodies Ayden’s authority and quiet protectiveness, while Vincent brings Cassie’s determination, vulnerability, and intelligence into sharp focus. Their performances complement each other beautifully, making the alternating perspectives feel seamless and immersive.

💬 Final Assessment

This installment offers a fast‑paced, danger‑filled adventure with a strong heroine and a compelling expansion of the Vandar universe. While the romance takes a back seat to the action—and could have used more heat and emotional development—the world‑building, character dynamics, and high‑stakes tension keep the story engaging. Fans of the series will appreciate the continuity, the evolving political landscape, and the groundwork laid for future conflicts. It’s a solid, entertaining entry that delivers on action and character growth, even if the romantic spark burns a little quieter than expected.

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