Prize of the Warlord

Dark Rulers, Book 3

By: Rebecca F. Kenney

Narrated by: Lulu Russell

When Ixiana is kidnapped from her family's fortress by a brutal warlord, she fears physical harm of the worst kind. But the warlord is after a ransom, something to change the fate of his people. Ixiana is simply a means to an end—an annoying captive whose weakness frustrates him. When he starts teaching her to fight, it's painful for both of them—until their mutual anger and frustration ignites a new kind of fire.

Contains mature themes. Trigger and content warnings are available on the author's website.

©2022 Rebecca F. Kenney (P)2024 Tantor Media

strength and weakness

I am never disappointed by a Rebecca book.
the narrators are always perfection. portraying the characters and their heightened emotions exactly as my mind perceives them.
this is a story of a frail but caring high societies daughter who is taken by a brutal warl9rd to be used as a bargaining chip to gain back his ancestral lands only he gets more than he planned on. her sass and the way she weasels into his thoughts and being change everything. he contarnyl underestimates her but she holds her ground.and yes it's sort of a slow burn but the tortures space has the absolute best payout for those wondering

Performance on Audible is great

The Audible narrator is really good at making you feel the angst and terror and grief of the MC’s emotions. Performance is 5/5!!

left pirates behind & moved to Viking Warlords :)

I’m a big fan of Rebecca F. Kenney’s books. While this particular series isn’t my absolute favorite of hers, The Prize of the Warlord is still a great escapist read.

Ixiana, the heroine, is kidnapped by her father’s rival, an intimidating warlord named Cronan. She suffers from chronic health conditions like asthma and what seems to be IBS, and at first, Cronan treats her with harsh disdain, mocking her perceived weaknesses and making it clear he wants nothing to do with her. Of course, fate has other plans as they’re fated mates, and his attitude shifts pretty quickly.

Cronan definitely leans into the alpha-hole archetype, especially in this first book. The story is told entirely from Ixiana’s POV, which means Cronan remains somewhat of an enigma. However, the next book in the series, The Warlord’s Treasure, retells this same story through Cronan’s eyes. It offers more depth to his character and expands the overall narrative, making both books together a more complete and satisfying experience.

I highly recommend reading (or listening to) both books to get the full, well-rounded tale. The narration was fantastic and really brought the story to life.