Adrik's Desire

Mitran Warlord Protectors, Book 2

De: Ella Blake

Narrado por: Eric Michael Summerer, Dani California

Lise

When I'm assigned to report on the alien bride program, I'm thrilled to get a break from the crowded city. No noisy apartment building. No synthesized food. But Mitra is nothing like I thought it would be. It's beautiful, yes, but it's also a rugged land on the border of enemy territory. It all changes when the warlord rescues me from being trampled by a ugris. Adrik is big and gruff and everything I never wanted in a man, but he's all I can think about.

Adrik

Only one of the females from Earth interests me and it's the one who isn't here to find a mate. While the lovely journalist is busy writing and taking pictures, our enemies to the north are consolidating their forces along the border I defend. When the females at our Thrail fall ill and our communications are cut off, I need Lise's technology and wits to win a battle that could devastate the Thrail. But I need Lise in other ways, and I am determined to show her that she belongs with me.

Contains mature themes.

©2024 Ella Blake (P)2025 Tantor Media

Duty, Desire, and Medical Mystery on Mitra

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💚💜💙
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏
Character development: 😋🙂☺️😘
Narrator(s): 🎙🎙🎙
Narration type: Dual Narration

🛡️ Audiobook Review: Adrik’s Desire

Series: Mitran Warlord Protectors
Genre: Science Fiction Romance
Narrators: Dani California and Eric Michael Summerer

🌍 Story & World-Building

Lise, a determined journalist, is reluctantly assigned to cover the tribute bride program — a story she considers fluff compared to the hard-hitting journalism she craves. Her assignment takes her to Mitra, a planet inhabited by towering red-skinned Mitran warriors. There, she finds herself under the protection of Adrik, the warlord of the thrail (city) she’s reporting on.

Adrik is a leader burdened with responsibility: defending his people against the encroaching Desakins, managing the fragile peace of his thrail, and grappling with a devastating crisis — Mitran females in his city are unable to carry pregnancies to term, often with tragic consequences. This mystery sets the stage for a subplot that intertwines medical intrigue with cultural tension.

While the premise has potential, the execution feels uneven. The narrative raises compelling questions — why are human women needed when Mitran females still exist, and why is Adrik’s thrail uniquely afflicted? — but doesn’t fully explore them. Still, the medical storyline adds a layer of urgency and emotional weight that kept me invested.

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💔 Characters & Romance

• Lise: Strong-willed, skeptical, and refreshingly resistant to being swept into a romance without substance. Her journalistic lens adds a grounded perspective.
• Adrik: Stoic yet unexpectedly vulnerable, torn between duty and desire. His attraction to Lise feels organic, though at times underdeveloped.


Their dynamic has sparks, but the romance occasionally takes a backseat to world-building and external conflicts.

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🎙️ Narration & Performance

This audiobook is presented in dual POV narration, performed by Dani California and Eric Michael Summerer.

• Eric Michael Summerer: His deep voice is pleasant and authoritative, well-suited to Adrik’s commanding presence. However, his delivery sometimes feels overly formal, lacking natural warmth.
• Dani California: Her voice is pleasant, but her performance leans stiff, making Lise’s sharp wit and determination less impactful than they could be.

Overall, the narration is serviceable but not immersive. Both narrators could benefit from more emotional expressiveness to elevate the story’s tension and intimacy.

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✨ Final Thoughts

This audiobook offers an intriguing blend of romance, alien culture, and medical mystery, but it doesn’t fully capitalize on its potential. The world-building raises fascinating stakes, yet some plot points feel underdeveloped. The narration, while competent, lacks the emotional nuance needed to make the story truly shine.

Verdict: A decent listen if you enjoy sci-fi romance with a touch of mystery, but not particularly groundbreaking.