The Alpha Heir

Kingdom of Askara, Book 2

By: Victoria Sue

Narrated by: Joel Leslie

Length: 7 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's Summary

Man and wolf. Sworn enemies in the battle for Askara. Can hate and betrayal ever lead to love?

Caleb Harken has spent six years wrongfully imprisoned for his father's treachery. Tortured and reviled by the very wolf pack he should have been leading as alpha, he is not surprised to learn he’s finally to meet his death at the hands of the human rebel leader, Taegan Callan.

Taegan gave up his dreams of a life-mate and a family after seeing too many humans butchered at the hands of the wolves - even if Caleb doesn’t seem to be the bloodthirsty savage he expects, and even if he starts to long for a different kind of future with the wolf.

Can Caleb become the alpha he was always meant to be and lead his pack, or will he finally realize that winning his freedom means nothing when he has already lost his heart?

©2017 Victoria Sue (P)2017 Victoria Sue

Hurt/Comfort

The Alpha Heir is the second in the Kingdom of Askara series, but it actually runs concurrently with book one, The Alpha King. Told from both Caleb and Taegan’s points of view there is slightly less world-building and a bit more romance than The Alpha King.

Victoria Sue certainly knows how to put her characters through hell and bring them through to the other side. I loved that it is a human who hates wolves that bonds with Caleb and untimatley helps him heal from the mistreatment of his own kind.

While The Alpha Heir contains some pretty graphic descriptions of torture, the hurt/comfort in this is strong with some really good character development and a wonderfully paced romance considering what Caleb has been through.

Joel Leslie captures the emotion of the story well with crisp pacing and easily distinguishable character voices.

I wish the ending didn’t feel so rushed…I would have liked to have had more time with Caleb and Taegan as mates, but there is some set up to the third book, The Alpha Prince, which will hopefully tie up some loose ends.

Overall this was an entertaining listen, but I would recommend reading/listening to The Alpha King before starting this.

*NOTE* There is no mpreg in this.

I love this series

you will not be disappointed it is one of my favorites! I love love this series you don't now how much

Another great book!

When I read this story, it tore me up, but listening to this book broke my heart. The suffering that he went through came through loud and clear thanks to Joel Leslie. I had to stop at certain points, because it kind of became too much, but I couldn't stay away for too long. I love this series and can't wait for the next one!

In love with this series!!

Every time I read one of Victoria Sue's books I fall in love with the story and the characters. The happiness, the hurt, the anger, and the love. Then to have Joel Leslie narrating her books it just brings the emotions out even more. Joel just does an amazing job in bring any character to life and I love listening to him narrate a book. Caleb and Taegan story is one of my favorite and Joel just made me fall in love even more!!

I SIMPLY LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH

From the first moment I met Caleb, he completely stole my heart... He made me cry, made me cheer for his future, and for a future where he and Taegan could be more than enemies... Their story is not an easy one, but these amazing guys will take you into a great journey into their lives, fears, hopes and into their hearts...

All the hurt, pain and misery of being imprisoned and treated as less than a slave for years, lead Caleb into what he thought would be his only chance at freedom... to die at the hands of Taegan, the human rebel leader. Taegan wanted revenge, to vindicate the lost lives of his friends and family that were killed by the wolves, they were enemies and nothing would stay in his path of revenge... or so he thought...

Caleb and Taegan couldn't be more different... they were from different species, they were enemies, but they found in each other, the strength they didn't knew they were missing.

Victoria Sue knows how to keep us enthralled from the first page of her books until the last one, and to leave us wanting more!!!

The Alpha Heir is one more amazing addition to this series and I can't wait for the next book.

Awesome narration!!! Joel did the book justice! I love his narration so very much <3

Fabulous voice performance of a great book.

I read this book back in September and was thrilled to receive a copy of the audio book to review. Joe Leslie completely changed my view on audio books. I always thought they'd put me to sleep but his performance of several books I've now listened to completely changed that opinion.

When I got the code to download this book I was really sick and wasn't sure if I'd be able to listen to it. What I discovered though, is while I couldn't concentrate to read a book, listening to one was an entirely different thing. I was soothed listening to Joel Leslie's voice and he brought the story back to life for me again. Below is the review I left of the digital book back in September.

When I read the first book in this series, The Alpha King, I didn't know it would be a series. I was so happy to later learn that Victoria Sue would be writing more stories in this world. You don't need to have read the Alpha King to enjoy this new story but you really should because it is such a great book.

Victoria Sue loves to put her characters through hell but she never fails to bring them back again. This story contains some pretty graphic descriptions of torture but rest assured that everything comes out OK in the end.

This love story between a human and his sworn enemy, a werewolf, is filled with words that had me laughing, crying, wincing and everything in between. There is no doubt that Taegan and Caleb are meant to be together but at times I wondered how in the world it would ever happen. The Alpha Heir is also filled with love of family and friends and the lengths they will go to in order to protect the ones that they love.

Victoria Sue writes stories that grab my emotions and The Alpha Heir is no exception. I can't wait for the next one in this series; The Alpha Prince is coming in November.

Volume levels between chapters are terrible! WTF?

Author Victoria Sue tears my heart into a dozen pieces and rebuilds it one piece at a time with 'The Alpha Heir, Kingdom of Askara Book 2'. In it, readers will encounter the saddest, sorriest werewolf imaginable! Caleb Harken had been wrongfully imprisoned, woefully neglected, and horribly tortured when he finds himself facing the sweet release of death at the hand of human rebel leader Teagan Callan. Caleb has never shifted so Teagan is unaware that he will face a wolf with far less strength than he possesses but fate intervenes in what would be a fight that would end in Caleb's death. Other rebels bust in on his pack's festivities where his death at the hands of a human was to serve as principal entertainment and the heir apparent is killed. Teagan takes him along to use as bargaining leverage not quite realizing that Caleb was an unwanted prisoner in his own pack.
It is fairly easy for Teagan's mother to discern the gentle nature and nurturing quality Caleb possesses as she cares for the injuries he suffered during his six years of imprisonment. When it is clear Caleb is incapable of those things innate to werewolves, Teagan relaxes his role as a prison warden and grows close to him. With more time spent with Caleb, Teagan begins to question an existence filled with rebelling against werewolves and considers a different life for his mother and himself with Caleb by his side. But Teagan discovers that Caleb's uncle, who is currently running the pack, is desperate to regain custody of Caleb. Evidence points to the uncle's wife using black magic in hopes of transferring the Alpha power from Caleb in a ritual sacrifice, but they have misunderstood historical records.
Ancient Askaran documents suggest that current werewolves were a direct result of human experimentation with wolves in an effort to create a superbeing who had extraordinary strength, an ability to heal from injury, and a capacity to mentally control others all while possessing the ingenuity and intellect of a man. Being double-minded about the results, the populace split with 'the scientists' leaving to start lives in another location and 'the purests' remaining to continue with their current society relatively free from their reliance on technology or magic. When the aunt and uncle are killed before they are successful with the ritual sacrifice, Caleb regains his rightful position as the pack's alpha though he had no intention of mate-bonding with an omega. As an alpha heir, his gift of giving comfort and encouraging others manifested without such a union.
The writer contributes greatly to the world-building for the Kingdom of Askara by adding to its history in the narrative. Readers are treated to a rationale for the existence of werewolves and the reason for the hostilities between humans and werewolves. In addition to outstanding world-building, the character development for this book is amazing! We have a rebel who grows to love a werewolf, a werewolf who grows in courage, and some positive changes that occur among several secondary players! With extraordinary pacing and outstanding balance, Victoria Sue makes this novel another page-turning addition to the series.

In spite of the annoying volume level discrepancies, Joel Leslie renders an incredible performance and remains one of my favorite narrators.

love this series

I can't wait to listen to the next one after binge listening the first 2!

Loved It, My Favorite in Kingdom of Askara series

I enjoyed this book very much. Enemies to lovers, Hurt/Comfort and hard earned HEA made this book a captivating listen. I loved both Caleb and Taegan and enjoyed following their relationship develop from enemies to lovers to mates. The entire world of Askara is very well created and Caleb's story has few very interesting twists and surprises. Narrator did a good job with voices for each and every character as well as with the story overall. This was a great listening experience and will be on my re-listen list.

Love is all that matters

Caleb has spent years being oppressed and abused and when he is captured by humans and abused again, he doesn't really care much.

Teagan is a human who has fought against the wolves and all that they stand for and when his men captures one, he doesn't really expect his opinions to start changing.

But, all is not as it seems and one battered wolf is all it takes to open Teagans eyes that oppression knows no class or form.
All that matters is love and as it slowly blooms between Caleb and Teagan, they both learn to heal from their pasts, grow into the men they were meant to be and reclaim their future and become the leaders they are supposed to be for their people.

This being the second book in the series, its best listend to after Alpha King as the storyline and characters do overlap.

Joel does a fantastic job with the narration and the emotions were vocalized splendidly.

stunning follow up to book one!

*Audible purchase, Jan 2020*

This is book two in the series, and you don't NEED to have read/listened to book one, The Alpha King, but personally I would recommend you do. It will give you a better picture of this world, how things currently work, and how things begin to change.

Caleb has been kept away from everything and everyone but humans and his tormentors for 6 years. Faced with his death at the hands of the leader of the human rebels seems a fitting end to his miserable exsistence. Taegan, however, when realising WHO Caleb is to the current Alpha, doesn't kill him, but takes him captive as a ransom for the missing children. There follows a huge learning curve for both Caleb and Taegan, and when they realise what the children were taken for, Caleb knows he must give himself up to save them. Taegan isn't too keen on that idea, especially since Caleb has stolen his heart.

While The Alpha King was a stunning 5 star listen, I think THIS one is my favourite of the two. But then again, I have The Alpha Prince on my list to be listened to, so I might change my mind again!

Caleb and Taegan's relationship grows, at a steady rate through the book, and I loved how that sort of developed for both of them. There wasn't really that *MINE* moment you get with wolves, and I loved that. Well CALEB (being the wolf) doesn't get it, but Taegan has a dawning realisation early on that there may be something between them, but being human he can't voice it. It takes another, much older wolf, to explain to Taegan what is happening and what it means. I loved that part that Silas (Cyrus? maybe, sorry, I listened and I wasn't quite sure!) played in the whole book, and they way things played out for Taegan and him.

While there is some talk of the new Alpha King, Luca only pops up right near the end, and so does his best friend, Sam. But it's really a brief visit, just enough for Caleb to thoroughly and amusingly embarass himself! It will be interesting to see who pops up in the next book.

Joel Leslie continues to narrate and apart from Silas/Cyrus thing, I LOVED the narration again. It's my only comment, really, and that's not really Leslie's fault, it's just my shitty hearing!

The voices for each character are SPOT on though! When you start the listen to the descriptions of the characters, as they start to tell their story, you build a picture, and then Leslie puts a voice to them, and it blows your picture out the window, because Leslie's voices for Caleb and Taegan fit so much better than the ones I originally heard!

I had no trouble with the emotions these men gave out, and no trouble with the multi person conversations. I loved that Leslie is able to allow me to enjoy listening to books, even as my hearing gets worse. There are few who can, to be honest, keep my fully, totally and utterly engaged. Of course, Leslie reading the words of Victoria Sue help a great deal!

I look forward to listening to book 3, The Alpha Prince, which is next up on my list.

5 stars for the book
5 stars for the narration

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**

Amazing & Beautiful ☺️

Excellent story. The MC’s just ‘grab’ you and pull you into the storyline.

Very moving 😢🥰

Joel Leslie excellently narrates this audiobook as expected! 😊

Can’t wait to hear book 3 ‘The Alpha Prince’ next 😁

Definitely worth 5🌟’s

Caleb 💜

Caleb is an Alpha wrongly jailed. But a kidnapping turned into rescue saves his life. Teagan, the rebel leader, doesn’t know what to do with a wolf. He know he needs his help but he is at war with his heart. I loved that Caleb is not the huge Alpha everyone expects but his kindness and leadership has no bounds. He is the Alpha Heir and boy, does he fit the bill. I cried and applauded the story. Great story telling by Ms Victoria Sue and narrating by Mr Lesly.

Highly enjoyable shifter series

This is the second, highly enjoyable, instalment in the Kingdom of Askara trilogy. Written by Victoria Sue and again, narrated by the talented performer Joel Leslie, I enjoyed this even more than the first book. This instalment is about a different set of characters and so can be read/ listened to as a standalone, though we do get a brief appearance of a couple of characters from book 1. Again we are dealing with a kingdom at war, the wolves against the humans. Caleb Harken has been captured and tortured for six years. Heartbreakingly so by his own pack, of which he should be Alpha Heir. Caleb can't shift and so he doesn't believe he can be the alpha heir. His situation is heartbreaking, he just wants to die to end his suffering, Joel does an amazing job of capturing how broken and desperate Caleb is.

Taeghan Callan is the human rebel leader and after an altercation he captures Caleb with a view to ransoming/ bargaining him back to the wolves. Caleb now fully embraces his death, he knows the wolves won't want him back. My heart just about broke for Caleb and all he endured. However, he and Taegan find themselves forming an unlikely connection and the slow burn relationship that forms had me rooting for them. A lot happens in this instalment and the plot thickens, but it's easy to follow. The secondary characters are well voiced, especially the older wolf Silas and the younger children. That's total kudos to the extensive repertoire of Joel Leslie as he brings these books and this brilliant shifter world to life. I thoroughly enjoyed this heart wrenching, but ultimately heart warming story. Total rec!

Wonderful narration of a great book

I really loved the narration for the Alpha Heir. The story had an engaging plot making it an great read independent of the developing relationship between the MCs, which was well paced and full of emotion. I’ve read this in paperback but it’s elevated with Joel Leslie’s narration which allows both Caleb’s and Taegan’s personalities to fully show, at the same time as developing individual voices for the supporting characters. A great listen.

Wonderful world building

As usual wonderful world building and heart wrenching story of love and hope. Joel Leslie adds his superlative skills to make it so captivating. Many times I just stopped what I was doing to just listen, totally absorbed.