Alien in the Depths: Thryal Mates, Book 2 by Celia Kyle

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

She went looking for adventure . . . and found the biggest one yet—love.

While exploring ancient catacombs on the alien planet Thryal, Sofia crosses paths with Zaraq, an alien fugitive hiding in the depths. While their meeting might have been odd . . . it also seemed like fate, especially when sparks instantly flew between them.

When Zaraq is accused of a murder he didn’t commit, Sofia puts her own life at risk to prove his innocence. She’s willing to do anything to prove Zaraq is innocent—no matter the cost.

To clear his name, they must stop a killer who enjoys framing others and targeting those Zaraq loves most.

To save each other, Sofia and Zaraq must risk everything.

But can their newfound love survive this trial by fire? Or will the murderer extinguish their future before it’s begun?

Celia Kyle

An Engaging Sci-Fi Romance with a Murder to Solve

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙💛💚❤️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘
World building: 🌏🌍🌎
Character development: 😋🙂😁😘
Narrator(s): 🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration type: Dual Narration

Character Backgrounds and Plot Summary

Sofia travels to the alien planet Thryal looking for adventure, and that is exactly what she gets when she wanders into the ancient catacombs beneath the surface. Instead of uncovering forgotten ruins, she finds Zaraq, an alien hiding in the depths after being accused of a murder he insists he did not commit. Their first meeting is tense, but the attraction between them is immediate, and the story quickly shifts into a race to uncover the truth before the real killer strikes again.

What I liked most was that Sofia never became a passive heroine. Once she decides she believes Zaraq, she throws herself into proving his innocence even though helping him paints a target on her own back. I enjoyed watching them investigate together while dodging danger in the tunnels and trying to stay one step ahead of someone determined to frame Zaraq. The romance grows alongside the mystery, which kept me invested in both sides of the story.

Highlights and Limitations

The murder mystery gave this installment more momentum than I expected. Instead of relying entirely on the romance, the plot revolves around figuring out who is orchestrating the attacks and why Zaraq has become the perfect scapegoat. I especially liked the scenes where Sofia refuses to back down despite the obvious danger. Those moments made it feel like she earned Zaraq’s trust instead of simply falling into a romance because the plot demanded it.

Zaraq was another highlight for me. He is protective without completely overshadowing Sofia, and I appreciated that he trusted her judgment instead of constantly trying to push her out of harm’s way. Their partnership felt balanced, which made the relationship more believable.

If I had one complaint, I wished the investigation had been a little more layered. The pacing moves quickly, and while that kept the audiobook entertaining, I would have liked a few more clues or twists before the final reveal. The mystery was enjoyable, but I found myself wanting just a bit more complexity before everything came together. Especially when Zaraq does something that makes him TSTL.

Narration

Rachel Woods and Elliott Sands made a strong narration team. Rachel Woods captured Sofia’s curiosity and determination, especially during the early exploration of the catacombs and the scenes where she chooses to stand by Zaraq despite everyone else believing he is guilty. Though there is a nasal quality about her voice which wasn’t my favorite. Elliott Sands gave Zaraq a calm, steady confidence that fit his character well. Their performances complemented each other, and the dual narration made the conversations between Sofia and Zaraq feel natural rather than staged.

Final Opinion

Alien in the Depths was a fun mix of sci-fi romance and mystery that kept me listening because I genuinely wanted to know who was framing Zaraq. The romance never completely overshadowed the suspense, and I appreciated that Sofia contributed just as much to solving the mystery as Zaraq did. The catacomb setting also gave the story a different atmosphere than many alien romances, making it feel like an adventure as much as a love story.

While I would have enjoyed a slightly more intricate mystery, I still finished the audiobook satisfied. Between the engaging leads, the fast pacing, and the dual narration, this was an entertaining installment in the Thryal Mates series, and it definitely left me interested in seeing where the series goes next.

The book was good enough, though it does suffer from one of my biggest pet peeves, which is when the characters on the cover don’t represent the way they are described in the book. The character of Zaraq has long hair in the book and short on the cover, and Sophia is Latina in the book but not on the cover. She is also in better shape in the book; she is an avid hiker and camper.

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