Prize of the Warlord

Dark Rulers #3

by Rebecca F. Kenney

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.

This adult romance has mild-to-medium heat and spice, with dark themes.

Trigger warnings and content warnings can be found on the author's website or in the front matter of the book.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Romantasy, Fantasy Romance, Spicy, Ebooks

375 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 1, 2023

About the author

Rebecca F. Kenney writes spicy fantasy romance about sassy, strong women and hot guys with tragic backstories... pirates, warlords, demons, Fae, and royals. Her main series are the "Wicked Darlings" series (spicy Fae retellings of the Nutcracker, Wonderland, and Oz), the "Dark Rulers" series (standalones in a shared world), and the "For the Love of the Villain" series of genderbent fairytales. Other books include a post-apocalyptic vampire romance trilogy ("The Vampires Will Save You"), a demon romance "Interior Design for Demons," a dark mermaid fantasy duet, and other spicy retellings.

Rebecca is represented by Eva Scalzo of Speilburg Literary. She lives in upstate South Carolina with her handsome blue-eyed husband and two smart, energetic kids.

For updates and information about upcoming novels, follow on Instagram @rebeccafkenneybooks, on Twitter @RebeccaFKenney1, and on TikTok @rebeccafkenney

Reviews

[Koisty · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Jäkel Stars ⭐️

Thanks to my Lila Darling ❤️ I’ve definitely followed that white rabbit and fallen down to Rebecca F. Kenney's Wonderland! This is the third book in the Dark Rulers series, and what I love about it is that she has maintained the easy readability of her writing but does manage to bring a unique voice and feel to each story that they feel surprisingly different even though they are all set in the same universe.

Whilst not explicitly stated you can feel the Norse/Scandinavian influences, the plot takes place in mostly snow-covered wintery wastelands and the Warlord and Warband remind me of "Thor Look-alike Vikings" with their braids and long blond hair and muscley muscles!

This story follows our weak sickly "little mouse" Ixiana, who is kidnapped by Cronan the Barbarian mighty Warlord. He intends to ransom her to her father and fiance (the third Prince) Havil to change the fate of his clan and lessen their struggles. Ixiana is an annoying captive and as a "punishment," the warlord teaches her how to fight and defend herself, but then things start getting tricky as they start to hear each other's voices in their dreams.

Whilst I did enjoy this it didn't grip me as much as the Captive of the Pirate King.
- This book feels more serious and not as "light-hearted."
- Its plot seemed a little weak and was wrapped up too easily. It's a journey "there" and then two days later, it's a journey "back".
- The characters didn't have too much depth to them and almost the only thing that made Ixiana interesting is that she has some form of asthma and possibly IBS. Cronan, I know hardly anything about and I just read a whole book about him. In my mind, I see him as a caveman with all his grunting, little dialogue and hair-pulling. The next book is from his POV so I guess maybe that will unravel the enigma of his character more.
- The relationship was too convenient, due to the soul bond explaining their instantaneous attraction and love and almost too quick to the "falling part".
- The book is light on the smut and we only get a few brief scenes sprinkled in and one decent scene at the end, "mild to medium" was mentioned in the blurb and it's the perfect description. It was hinted that there might be slight BDSM in their future but none of this is explicit on the page - but Ixiana didn't particularly mind being manacled and crawling to him on her knees.
- The world-building and magic were one of the best parts of this book but it was hardly explored except for a few action scenes...and so I am left with an ache of wanting more.

Overall this was enjoyable, but not something I'd obsess over or reread. If you want a quick "escapism" story with some Viking influences, I don't think you would regret picking this up! It gave me my trope candy of Enemies to Lovers, One Horse and One Bed.... So I was happy 😊

[❁ lilyreadsromance ❁ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Woof. This book reads like a first draft of something.

It feels disjointed, which might be because it was originally a part of Kindle Vella, so the writings left much to be desired. Also, it was very boring despite the kidnapped-and-on-the-road trope that I really like in fantasy romance. How did you make this trope so unbearably boring?

The characters were also dull. The chemistry was janky and sudden. We didn't explore much of the world and the thing with the 'voice in the ether' plot. It was just not as interesting as I thought it would be. Which sucks.

[maga · Rating 2 out of 5]

no tengo ni idea de lo que acabo de leer

[Averie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ixiana is kidnapped from her family home by a rival warlord named Cronan. He kidnaps her in hopes of ransoming her to get his land back from her father. While waiting for negotiations, Ixiana is the warlord's captive. She has to stay with him, gets to know his people, and is even chained to his bed. But what happens when Ixiana realizes she wants to stay with the man who kidnapped her?

I really enjoyed this one! I love a good captor-captie story so this was fun. This book used to be on Kindle Vella, so the chapters are pretty short. I love short chapters, so that was perfect for me.

I loved the representation in this book! Ixiana has asthma and tummy problems so I really related to her. I loved seeing this type of representation in a fantasy book!!!

MEMORABLE QUOTES:
"I fight every day of my life. I fight harder than everyone else just to seem normal, because my body is always battling me."

REP: (it never explicitly stated since it is a fantasy book) dairy allergy, IBS, asthma

TROPES: barbarians, captor-captive, chronic illness rep, fantasy romance, fated mates, forbidden, rivals to lovers, he brushes her hair 🙈, kidnapping, KU, possessive hero

[vi.isreading]

these are published wattpad books. why do i keep reading these.

[Lyra (Cardan's tail's version) · Rating 3 out of 5]

RTC

[Annette · Rating 3 out of 5]

If there's one thing I need in my life it's books with characters who share my health issues and still get their happily ever after, even though their health issues aren't cured by the end of the book. When I found this book on twitter, starring a princess with asthma, I knew I had to get the book. I was incredibly curious to see how the author had portrayed her illness and what kind of romance this would be. Yesterday evening I really felt like diving in.

I'm not entirely sure what I had expected of the book but for some reason it was more than what I got. It's hard to explain why the book didn't grab me as much as I had hoped. I think the first reason might be the writing style. It was very functional. It was very easy to read. But it somehow lacked personality and atmosphere. It was very generic, very simple and maybe at times a little juvenile, especially for a princess who has spent so much time reading and learning.

I had also expected a little more from the romance. The attraction between our hero and heroine is there from the start but the deeper connection the story tells us there is never really shines through. The characters have some meaningful conversation but it somehow feels like their connection is way more physical than emotional. It also doesn't help that the special bond they share is sacred and therefore already takes away a lot of judgment and hate.

And normally it's not much of an issue when the romance is not entirely what I prefer my romances to be but in this case the plot also doesn't really make up for it. The romance is the plot. There is of course the abduction and the negotiations but the latter don't happen before the finale and it's clear that the other "love interest" is portrayed very clearly as a villain which takes some of the intrigue away.

It was not a bad book and I flew through it. The asthma representation was okay-ish too. I had just hoped and expected more.

[Tarryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

[Maya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay, I had low expectations bc like… warlords are not hot but it’s closer to Viking with a conscience maybe? I liked how the female main character got stronger as little as time went on but it’s pretty funny that’s she’s lactose intolerant in olden days times.

Tbh not my fave, she also constantly calls him the warlord throughout the whole thing which is kinda weird. Also the tension was okay but they clicked a bit fast and when they finally got down to it i was bored bc the book was basically over 🫣

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I too am a princess with tummy issues that just wants to read books.

[Gunny · Rating 1 out of 5]

I swear there are entire chunks missing from this book because I missed the part HOW these two fell in love. Hell, even how they fell in LUST in just a few hours. I was pretty much done with the "romance" arc by the 50% mark but I thought maybe something interesting would happen in the plot. But no. There was hardly any world building, plot is flimsy at best and the ending too rushed which also negates the point of the whole book. This author is clearly not for me.

[Giulia · Rating 3 out of 5]

✓ PNR
✓ Captive / Captor romance
✓ Slow burn
✓ Entertaining plot - 2.5 / 5
✓ Mature language
✓ Fast paced
✓ Spice 🌶.5 / 5
✓ Vikings vibes
✓ Villain gets the girl
✓ One bed / One horse
✓ Enemies to Lovers
✓ Standalone - Ixiana pov
✓ Forced proximity
✓ Magic
✓ HEA



---- If the Prize of the Warlord and the Warlord's Treasure had been combined, I would have enjoyed this more.
I preferred more Cronon's pov, so I recommend reading it. ----


A brutal warlord named Cronan kidnaps Ixiana from her family's stronghold. He demands a ransom because he wants to change the fate of his people.
Ixiana is merely an annoying captive and a means to an end. Her weakness frustrates him. But somewhere along the way, something changed.



This book isn't perfect, but if you're looking for an entertaining and sexy distraction that's easy to follow, it's a good choice.
The characters lacked depth, and the plot was resolved too easily.
The world-building was the best part of the book, but it was hardly explored except in some action scenes.

[Mariah Cruz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ixiana is kidnapped by a rival warlord Cronan. He takes her in hopes that he can bargain with her family to get his land back. However he gets much more then he bargained for, a soul bond. now they have to work together to bring peace to their people.
This book had me in its grip. I wasn't expecting to like this book as much as I did. I love the relationship they have together, at first he doesn't want to admit that they are supposed to be together.But he eventually gives in and admits that he actually does love her.
Some good representation with a frail FMC and some LGBTQ+ representation
🌶🌶🌶🌶 3.5/5 spice level

" There was no point... I was an idiot. my craving for you makes me a fool. so while I have the strength, im taking you back to where you belong"
"Faen treasure... you know ill give you anything"

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

- there’s no actual romance , just lots of lust. That’s fine. Not looking for an epic romance. I don’t even care she’s stupid.
- I feel this needs more angst and in general discussions of feelings. Because what do you mean he’s returning you and not once have you mentioned how you feel about it.
- HUH. He just abandons his watch of a potential jakel just to eat you out???? He does NOT deserve this warlord title
- girl why would you kiss him in front of your parents and FIANCÉ at a hostage exchange????? You don’t think that would ruin the deal???? Make it bad for them?????
- crazy. How long did they even know each other for??? Parents should have be more concerned but oh well.

[Isabelle Markus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, spicy fantasy romance! At the beginning of the book the author stated that this was originally in Kindle Vella and thus the chapters are relatively short, comparing them to potato chips. That was an apt analogy for me as I most definitely could not "eat" just one and ended up reading the book in a day.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't help but binge read this book

I'm so glad I was able to read this book (that it wasn't just exclusive to Kindle Vella). I loved the banter and dynamic between Cronan and Ixiana. And enemies to lovers happens to be one of my favorite tropes. If you like Mulan-esq vibes, definitely give this one a read.

[bella · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to DNF at 40% the world felt very underdeveloped as well as the main characters. I didn’t like how it barely even took a day for Ixiana and her captor to start developing feelings for each other.

[kasey roberts · Rating 2 out of 5]

saw another review that said it reads like a first draft and could not agree more. the book was sloppy and so utterly boring it was painful. there was literally no chemistry between the main two characters and nothing about this book felt natural. such a major letdown after the first two

[A.S · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this somewhat as it was enemies to lovers but I did roll my eyes a good few times.

[Casey Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was provided an audio copy of this title for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Prize of the Warlord is the third book in Rebecca F Kenney’s Dark Rulers series, and can be read as a stand-alone. It follows Cronan and Ixiana.

The deep voiced Warlord and his treasured little Mouse.

Cronan and Ixiana.

Ixana is stolen from her bed by a group of hulking raiders and their brutal leader, to soon learn that she’ll be traded back to her parents—and her betrothed— in exchange for something that the savage with the deep voice is desperate for.

Close proximity cause the pair to spend a whole lot of time together and get to know more about one another than either of them would like. Savage as he seems, Cronan has a gentle side that he allows Ixiana small glimpses of in fleeting moments, and frail as Ixiana may be, there is a ferocity in her soul that calls to him, a magic within her that he resist.

Cronan is the definition of brutal, Ixiana is a fragile thing, and the tension between them is thicker than the braids in his hair.

If Rebecca Kenney writes it, I’m reading it, and I’m LOVING it— as evidenced once again.

Read if you love:
Kidnapping
Captor/ captive
Morally gray brutal MMC
One horse | one bed | one bath
Enemies to lovers
Animal companion
Tension
Soul bonds
Savage MMC

Thank you so much to Rebecca F Kenney for the audio code!

[Tae · Rating 5 out of 5]

100000/10 loved it ❤️

100000/10
I really liked this one, even tho I put it off for so long bc I didn’t think I would. Although it rode the line of stockholm syndrome and I almost quit bc of how rude he was being but honestly, as always, Rebecca made a comeback with love and the MMC fighting his undying love for the FMC and the character development. I think part of my hesitation about it all was not having his first person prospective but we can move passed such things, especially with Rebecca’s writing — on that note, the story writing was absolutely to die for. I love Ixania and Cronan so much, like yesss break those generational trauma bonds and create peace for your peoples lands after thousands of years of war and genocide 💁🏼‍♀️ I just love her books so much I cannot 😭 every single one is a home run 😮‍💨❤️‍🔥 the duality of romance and serious world issues always hits so hard. I also really liked the sickness plot line that the princess has, I thought it added a lot of depth to the overall story. I’m a sucker for strong girls fighting illnesses in romance books, and if that makes me weird, so be it :p
Definitely a must read for dark romance lovers, would recommend!!

[Suzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Moriahwithan0h · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good grief. wtf was that. That was a blue-haired liberal's daydream if I've ever seen one.
I saw other people talking about there being chunks missing. You'll know it when you get there. They aren't kidding.
Over all, it was a cute story! Fairly well written for a freebie. I thought she tied up the ending nicely, some people drag things out and she just said that's a wrap and called it good. I missed how her ankle got fixed and thought all the crap scenes were unnecessary. Especially the apologies for the smell, etc. Good heavens, I got second-hand embarrassment. Who does that?! Who talks to strangers about their BMs?! Gross, weirdo!
Will I read it again? No.
Will I recommend it to anyone else? No.
Should the writer burn her quill? Also no.
I'm giving a star for the idea, a star for the writing, and a star for keeping me entertained and engaged. Bam. 3 stars. You're welcome.
She did a good job but the health stuff was weird and unnecessary and definitely not for me.

[Emelie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 𝑫𝒂𝒓𝒌 𝑹𝒖𝒍𝒆𝒓𝒔 series by is a collection of standalone spicy fantasy romances, each featuring morally gray characters, usually in a position of power. The books focus heavily on enemies-to-lovers dynamics, with varying levels of spice.
Early books have moderate heat, while later ones ramp up the intensity, with the 8th book being especially spicy.

As someone who rarely enjoys adult books, the 𝑫𝒂𝒓𝒌 𝑹𝒖𝒍𝒆𝒓𝒔 series truly stands out for me.
Each story had me hooked, and the spice felt like an integral part of the narrative, not just filler that weakens the characters. I was invested in every single book, and the pirate-themed ones were my favorite. Kenney brings in real ruthlessness, addressing heavy themes without shying away, yet balances it with beautiful love stories that feel raw and genuine. The combination of grit and romance kept me engaged throughout.


⚠️Just a heads-up: these are spicy romances with very dark themes — some books are heavier than others — so please check the trigger warnings before diving in⚠️

[Emmarie Vaughan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most Epic

This feels like a battle adventure romance. The FMC is painfully pathetic and weak. She constantly does things outside of her frail ability and comes out okay. I bet the feeling that she would be better if she actually did something with herself. She figured it out in the end, ditched the coddling to save her enemy love.
The first half of the book was really slow, but the second half was all action.
In the first book of this series, we get the romance, told the evil with no story behind it, and given the happy outcome without any details. The MC passed out then woke up and all was great.
Here, we get to ride the whole thing out. The good, the bad, and the ugly. The MMC cannot fight what he wants and the FMC goes after her man and handles everything like a boss. Their development was great.
This was off to a slow start but left me very satisfied at the end.

[kiwi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm trying not to say "I would've preferred if the book had been a little more slow burn" on every review, but this one really was quite insta-lusty. I found it unrealistic how she was immediately into her kidnapper. The fact that they're fated mates just proves once again to me that I'm not a big fan of those, though their ether connection was a really cute idea.

Otherwise, the book was great. I love weak FMCs like this, I could empathize with her a lot. The fact that her whole family loved her made me really happy, especially after reading many books with shitty families.

[Nayeli Gonzalez · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s been a while since I’ve encountered a weak main character and I loved it. Every time she cried I would laugh because I wanted to cry with her or would imagine myself in her spot having the same issues. I connected a lot with this character because the entire time, I was comparing her to myself. I also really love Ixiana name. I think that if I ever end up having a girl I’ll name her Ixiana. Ixiana’s character does change through out the story and the love chemistry between her and the warlord grows from enemies to soulmates. I absolutely recommend this story. Lulu Russell did a fantastic job narrating this story.

[Teressa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than I expected but still not great. It took me a couple of chapters to get invested and I think for me it just felt like it was written by someone who hasn't honed their author skills very well yet. I think it had a lot of things that could have made it better but they were never fully fleshed out. The descriptions of the Bloodsalt and the landscape were great but I wanted even more. The romance itself was a bit insta-lust rather than love and also could have been explored further. It was fine for a quick read while on transit during vacation but it's not something that I'll likely remember in a month from now.

[Anna Sarsfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

My second favourite standalone from the Dark Rulers books.

Gotta love the occasional- a kidnapping and her having to survive in a different world whilst slowly falling in love with her captor- book.

She's trying to be strong despite her bodies limitations, he's trying to understand despite her being the enemy.

Again, the author succeeds to pull me into the world she has created. The characters are so intriguing, the plot equally action and romance that you can't help but get sucked in for hours wanting to know what happens next and next and next.

If I could read this book for the first time again I would, its amazing.

Highly recommend.

[Shelby • the_kindle_girlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

| Prize of the Warlord | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
By @rebeccafkenneybooks

I really enjoyed this! There is something about a captive and a SEEMINGLY ruthless captor, along the journey there are *stirrings* I finished this in a day. Couldn’t put it down. I absolutely adored our MCs. I loved seeing growth in the belief of oneself. We have a warlord who will use her to save his people and a waif of a woman who could never survive his clan…She’s a secret badass who is lactose intolerant. And I loved her. He is a giant savage who makes her dairy free milk so she can feel better. I mean is that not true love?!

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