Savage: A Sci-Fi Alien Warrior Romance by Tana Stone

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Waking up with a gorgeous alien barbarian and discovering he’d kidnapped her was bad enough. But she’s also trapped in the middle of a desert where no one can find her.

The cherry on top? No matter how much Caro protests, he’s convinced she’s his fated mate. And he won’t let her go until he’s claimed her.

Caro thought the Dothveks, who helped them when they crash-landed on the planet, were big and brawny and intimidating. But the barbarian who kidnaps her is even scarier. He’s a disgraced Dothvek who’s been exiled from the clan for murder, and he’s been living by himself in the desert. Apparently, he thinks she’s his to take. Not if she has anything to say about it.

Rukken has been by himself on the sands for years, when he hears of the human females living with his former clan. The moment he sees Caro, he knows she’s meant to be his mate. Too bad she isn’t convinced. He’ll just have to keep her hidden until she realizes she belongs to him. Even if it means tying her up. If only he could restrain his own desires as easily as he can restrain the small female.

Savage

Desert Heat and a Dangerous Mate

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙💛💚🖤
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏
Character development: 😋🙂😁😎🥰
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Duet Narration

Character Backgrounds and Plot Summary

Caro is the pilot of the all-female bounty hunter crew stranded on the sand planet, and by this point she has become deeply attached to the women she considers family. Rukken is a Dothvek warrior living in exile after being accused of a murder he insists he did not commit. He has spent years alone in the desert, so when he sees Caro and immediately recognizes the empathic connection that tells him she is his mate, he acts on instinct and takes her from the camp.

Of course, Caro is absolutely furious about being kidnapped. Her first priority is getting back to her crew, and she makes several attempts to escape Rukken’s desert camp. I actually liked that she didn’t immediately accept the whole fated-mate idea just because Rukken did. She pushes back against him and questions everything, which felt very true to the independent pilot we’ve seen throughout the series.

What really pulled me into their story was Rukken’s history. He isn’t simply some dangerous warrior hiding in the desert. He’s a man who lost his home and clan because someone framed him for murder. As Caro learns more about what happened, her feelings toward him begin to change, especially as she sees how protective and honorable he can be beneath that intimidating exterior.

Highlights and Limitations

The relationship between Caro and Rukken was definitely the highlight for me. I enjoyed watching Caro slowly move from “I need to escape this crazy alien” to actually questioning whether leaving him is what she truly wants. Rukken also has some surprisingly funny moments because he understands very little about human women and assumes that if he provides for Caro and keeps her safe, she should understand exactly how he feels.

I especially enjoyed the scenes where Rukken teaches Caro how to hunt and shows her the realities of surviving in the desert. Those quieter moments gave their relationship more substance than the steamy scenes alone could have. I also liked seeing the larger mystery surrounding Rukken’s exile develop alongside the romance. Once it becomes clear that the person responsible for his downfall may still be a threat, the story gains another layer of urgency.

One thing that frustrated me was Caro’s prolonged resistance once her feelings for Rukken were becoming obvious. I understood why she struggled with trusting a man who had literally kidnapped her, but there were moments when I wanted her to simply talk to him rather than retreat into her own doubts. I also wished Rukken had communicated more clearly instead of making decisions for both of them. His reaction after overhearing Caro discussing leaving particularly bothered me because talking to her could have prevented a lot of unnecessary hurt.

The return of Tori was another fun addition, especially because her arrival creates more movement in the story and gives Caro someone familiar to interact with.

Narration

Sierra Grace and Tristan Josiah were a great combination for this audiobook. Sierra Grace gave Caro the determination and emotional vulnerability she needed, particularly during the scenes where Caro was angry, frightened, or conflicted about Rukken. Tristan Josiah’s performance suited Rukken’s more commanding personality while still allowing his softer side to come through when he was dealing with Caro.

I also liked the continuity of having these narrators return for another installment in the series. The audiobook runs about 5 hours and 48 minutes, and the narration kept the story moving without making the shorter length feel rushed.

Final Opinion

I had a lot of fun listening to Savage. Rukken’s exile, Caro’s determination to get back to her crew, the mystery surrounding the murder accusation, and the developing mate bond gave the story enough going on that I stayed invested.

What I enjoyed most was seeing Rukken’s lonely existence gradually change once Caro entered it. For someone who had spent years isolated from his people, watching him try to figure out how to keep this stubborn human woman happy was genuinely entertaining. Caro also grew on me because she didn’t simply surrender her independence once she realized she was attracted to him.

This was a steamy, action-filled addition to the Barbarians of the Sand Planet series, and I particularly liked how the romance was tied into Rukken’s search for justice and belonging. I did wish some of their emotional conversations had been handled differently, but overall, I was invested in Caro and Rukken and enjoyed the ride.

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