It’s supposed to be another quick and easy steal the PulXar—an antique spaceship—and make gobs of money. That’s assuming nothing goes wrong.
Prisoner of the Alien Prince
And of course, something always goes wrong.
As a pirate, Willow Jackson has stolen hundreds of ships, if not thousands, but this ship is the first with someone on board. Trigg Lorrz, brother of the ship’s owner and son of the king of Lorr, a powerful alien race, is… her hostage?
He also happens to be Willow’s one-night stand from the night before, the hottest lay she’s ever had, and pretty much the epitome of her type.
But they’re both about to become hostages of Jorvlen attackers, who have a grudge against them both: Willow, for stealing massive amounts of currency, and Trigg—or rather Trigg’s brother—for snubbing a Jorvlen princess by choosing a human mate instead.
They’re placed in the middle of one of the most diabolical trafficking rings in the galaxy. The ship where they’re taken hostage has a huge cache of the deadly drug Motley. Now, they have an opportunity to take down the evil Umbrosis Corporation if they can manage to stay alive long enough to intercept them and deliver them on a credit-plated platter.
Their success or failure all depends on whether they can trust each other enough to work together and whether they can keep their hands off each other long enough to get the job done
A Prince, a Pirate, and Plenty of Trouble
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
Willow Jackson is a human and a space pirate who has made a very successful career out of stealing spaceships, so taking the antique PulXar seems like another straightforward payday. Willow is independent, confident, adventurous, and clearly knows how to handle herself in a dangerous universe. Unfortunately, this particular theft comes with an unexpected complication: someone is actually aboard the ship. That someone is Trigg Lorrz, the son of the king of Lorr and brother of the ship’s owner.
As if discovering a passenger weren’t enough, Trigg happens to be the same alien warrior Willow spent a rather memorable night with just before attempting to steal his ship. Talk about an awkward reunion! Trigg is powerful, arrogant, incredibly attractive, and definitely not the sort of hostage Willow expected to find.
Before either can figure out how to handle their unusual predicament, they are nearly captured by Jorvlen attackers with grudges against both of them. Willow has attracted their attention through her considerable theft record, while Trigg’s family has become entangled in political trouble involving a Jorvlen princess who was rejected in favor of a human mate.
They end up on the Jorvlen ship and their lives take an even darker turn when they discover they are caught up in a massive trafficking operation involving the deadly drug Motley and the Umbrosis Corporation. Suddenly, escaping isn’t the only priority. They have an opportunity to strike back against a dangerous organization, but doing so means putting their trust in each other.
Highlights and Limitations
One of my favorite aspects of this setup is the reversal of expectations between Willow and Trigg. Willow is the pirate who initially has Trigg at her mercy, but their circumstances change quickly, putting them on much less equal footing than either probably anticipated. I enjoyed the idea of a heroine who isn’t simply waiting around for an alien warrior to rescue her. Willow has her own experience, confidence, and criminal reputation, and I liked that her background as a space pirate gives her something meaningful to contribute to their predicament.
The previous one-night stand also adds an entertaining complication to their relationship. They aren’t strangers awkwardly discovering an attraction while trapped together. They already know there is chemistry, which makes having to cooperate under such uncomfortable circumstances even more interesting. I particularly enjoyed the contrast between their immediate physical attraction and the much bigger question of whether either can actually trust the other.
I also appreciated that the danger extends beyond their personal relationship. The Jorvlen attackers, the trafficking operation, and the involvement of the Umbrosis Corporation give the story an external conflict that raises the stakes. The discovery of a huge cache of Motley aboard the captured ship adds another disturbing dimension to the situation.
My preference would have been for a little more time devoted to the larger political and criminal world surrounding these characters. There is plenty of interesting material here, particularly involving the Lorr royal family and the Jorvlen’s motivations, that I would have enjoyed exploring in greater depth. I also would have welcomed more development of the emotional connection between Willow and Trigg alongside the physical attraction. Still, the combination of action, danger, humor, and steamy alien romance makes for an entertaining adventure.
Narration
Elle Sonali and Todd McLaren make a good pairing for this audiobook. Elle brings Willow’s personality to life, capturing the confidence and attitude of a woman who is accustomed to getting herself out of trouble. Todd is a fitting choice for Trigg, bringing the masculine presence and commanding quality that suit an alien prince with royal responsibilities.
Both narrators help establish the personalities of the main characters and make the romantic tension enjoyable. I also appreciated having two different voices for a story featuring a human pirate and a powerful alien warrior. Their performances complement the combination of action, romance, and mature content without making the characters feel interchangeable.
Final Opinion
Prisoner of the Alien Prince was an enjoyable addition to the Rogue Warriors of Lorr series. Willow and Trigg make an entertaining couple, especially because their relationship begins with an unexpected connection and quickly turns into a complicated situation involving stolen ships, unwanted hostages, dangerous enemies, and a criminal operation that is much bigger than either anticipated.
I especially liked Willow as a heroine. Her pirate background gives her a refreshing amount of independence, and I enjoyed that Trigg wasn’t simply dealing with a helpless human woman who needed him to solve everything. Their chemistry provides plenty of heat, while the larger conflict keeps things moving beyond the bedroom.
This is a steamy sci-fi alien romance with an entertaining premise, attractive alien royalty, a capable human heroine, and enough action to keep the story from becoming entirely romance-focused. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy alien warrior romances with strong heroines, forced proximity, plenty of sexual tension, and a little criminal adventure thrown into the mix. I’m looking forward to spending more time in the world of Lorr!
