Her Alien Commander

The Guards Of Attala #3

by Mira Maxwell

Sparks fly when brains and brawn collide…

Dr. Mina Carter is laser focused on finishing her work and getting off the ice planet Attala as fast as possible. Until she’s assigned a tough alien bodyguard who awakens feelings she never knew she had. Suddenly, the woman who thinks everything worth learning can be found in books discovers what she’s been missing out on.

Cardyk, a battle-hardened veteran and former leader of the Guard, was sidelined by brutal battle injuries that refused to heal. Now he’s back, and he’s eager to regain his former status. Everything goes according to plan, until he’s bewitched by Mina and discovers there’s more to life than being the boss. Will he be able to convince her there’s more to life than science?

This science fiction alien romance is the third in a series that features feisty Earth women and giant alien warriors. The romance concludes with a HEA, but other story elements (i.e., will they save Earth?) are resolved in later books. With that in mind, they are best read in order.

The Guards of Attala Series:

Book One: Her Alien Bodyguard
Book Two: Her Alien Protector
Book Three: Her Alien Commander
Book Four: Her Alien Warrior
Book Five: Her Alien Defender

Genres: Science Fiction Romance, Science Fiction

135 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 26, 2017

Reviews

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

We're back on Attala watching those genetically modified guards fall for the women on a mission to save Earth.

Mina's the youngest of the group and the least experienced. Naturally, she falls for one of the oldest guards on Attala. Err... well, wait. One of the oldest active guards. I'm sure there are others who are older. Regardless, for an inexperienced, socially awkward scientist, he's a whole lot of man.

Complicating things, Cardyk has also been tasked with a mission from the head dude for their people. One that puts him at odds with what Mina and the others are trying to accomplish. Plus, there's that whole celibacy thing the guards have pledged themselves to. Wait. Was it celibacy? Or just not taking a mate. Either way, I'm pretty sure they're not supposed to be hooking up with random earth women.

Yet...that happens. Frequently, as it turns out.

A distant, icy planet and a group of men who are just MORE. I'm enjoying this series overall, but I wouldn't mind delving a little deeper into what makes these men tick. It feels like there are layers to these guys that are being glossed over and I'm curious how everything is going to mesh down the line.

-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal

[Jessica Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Her Alien Commander
Mira Maxwell

I adore alien and human relationships. It's always a tug on the heart strings with all the rough spots they go through to stay together.

The rough terrain of Attala isn't the only thing rough in Mina's world. She wants to experience all things for herself. And being a smart child that she was. She missed out on a lot of things in her young life. Now the one thing she wants is just a arms reach away. Can she convince the old guard Cardyk that he still has what it takes to be a great guard and her possible mate. If he wants it to be???

[Mary Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the youngest leader of the guard, Cardyk was respected by the Warriors; they looked up to him and followed his every order without hesitation. Then everything changed. Though Cardyk survived the battle against the Vhyla Raiders, he remained a shadow of his former self; this meant Mallyk became the next leader of Attala. Cardyk longs to rejoin the Warriors, but there is only one way he can get back to where he belongs and that is to enter the trials. It has been 10-years since he ran the trial course, but the Minister insists he participate and pass if he wants to be reinstated. But the Minister has another mission for Cardyk; he wants him to find out if the Earth women have found the Eclaydian, and if they have had any luck synthesizing it into a usable compound. If so, he wants a sample. The Minister is also curious about Lodyn and his Earth lover and what Mallyk plans to do about it. Cardyk knew why the Minister was asking him, but his plan would be to reclaim leadership based on his merits, not trickery or backstabbing. Mina’s crew members were four women from Earth; the only real friends she has ever had. People assumed being a child prodigy was fun, but it wasn’t for Mina who is fully aware of the fact she has never really had a childhood. Diana and Margo have both found their alien soul mates, but Mina didn’t believe in fated mates. Now that Diana has found the Eclaydian, it is up to Mina to manipulate it for maximum power. When Cardyk arrives at the mountain outpost the men are happy to see him, to know that he is well, while he basks in their admiration. While Cardyk has no designs on Mallyk’s position, he is less than happy with his assignment of keeping an eye on Mina; nevertheless he occupies himself with books while Mina carries out her research. Mina’s mental state is a mixture of fury and panic. Everything depends on her and she is running out of new ideas to try; now it is time for Cardyk to protect Mina from herself and as he takes over her work schedule new ideas begin to form, until Mina eventually unlocks the power of the Eclaydian that transforms into the compound that is going to save Earth. Deciding to take a day off, Cardyk takes Mina to an underground cavern where she fills her notebook full of new discoveries. It is only when they return to the laboratory that they discover the compound is missing. Cardyk is keeping secrets from Mina, but the appearance of a Wanderer deflects the blame. Mina has a plan; to capture the Wanderer and elevate Cardyk’s position within the guard; but the Wanderer is innocent, a convenient coincidence. Cardyk confesses his involvement in the disappearance of the compound and the two embark on rescuing the Wanderer. Mina distracts Haddyx from his guard duty only for him to later declare her as his fated mate, leaving Cardyk no alternative but to challenge him to Kallax Knax; Cardyk confesses he is not strong enough to let Mina go. Mina may not believe in fated mates, but that doesn’t mean she cannot have a future with Cardyk. An intriguing story that I enjoyed reading, with enough twists and turns to keep me interested. A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and my comments here are my honest opinion.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed book 3 in the series of the Guards of Attala, the Ice planet. In this book, the
The Eclaydian was found and a nice chunk brought back to their mobile lab for Mina to try to process it into a compound that is strong enough to restart Earth's sun. If she fails, she and her four other companions maybe all that will be left of Earth. Not much riding on her 22year old genius brain!

The Guards of Attala are genetically enhanced. They are super fast and powerful. They can regulate their body temperature among other things, which is a good thing, since once they take their oath - which includes a vow of celibacy, they are sent outside the walls of the town in a loincloth and a fur shawl. That's it. They have to catch their own food and prepare it. They must always be on guard to protect the settlement. Thus far in the previous two books, Captain Diana has found a mate in Mallyk, now leader of the Guards, and Margo has found her life mate with Lodyn.

Mina's Guard is Cardyk, the Guards former leader. He is 35 years old, very old for a Guard to have survived this long. his wounds do not heal as fast as they did when he was younger. When wounded, he is in danger of bleeding out if they cannot get him quickly to the healers. He was seriously wounded in an attack and barely made it. Normally, such warriors return to the village and are no longer part of the Guard. The Guard is all he knows. Since infancy he was told that his life was dedicated to the Guards. So, Cardyk is not best pleased to play nurse maid to a child genius, no matter how pretty and kind she is.

They have their verbal battles as she pushes herself to try to figure out how to activate the Eclaydian. She skips meals and hardly sleeps. One day she faints and Cardyk calls a stop to her reckless behavior. The Minister of the settlement has heard rumors of mating between at least one guard and one of the Earth women. SCANDALOUS! He assigns Cardyk to find out the truth, but Cardyk says he will not spy on his fellow Guardsmen. The minister vows to get his information another way.

The 5 women have a working science lab that is a rover and it is all for Mina's use. It's too big to fit inside the settlement and so is parked a ways outside the gate. Obviously Mina and Cardyk fall in love, but there is a lot more to this story than that including theft, outcasts, and magical caves.

A wonderful book to read. I can't wait to see if the other 2 women find their mates as well.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series continued the story arc from Book 1. On a crucial scientific mission, female Earth travelers go to the Attalan system. Our Earth sun is dying, and their mission is to find and extract the element Eclaydian to jump start the sun again; to do that, they will need to negotiate with the Attalans, whom they had never met. With little time to plan, and only two months to return to Earth with the mined element, they are all feeling the pressure. Complicating their mining task, the planet is covered in ice and snow and the element is very inaccessible.

Cardyck, one of the older guards at 35 and trying to make a comeback after his serious wounds in battle, is given the task of guarding the youngest member of the Earth team, Mina Carter, especially to spy on the team’s progress at the Minister’s request. Mina is responsible for working on the Eclaydian to manipulate it for maximum power.

After almost around-the-clock work, Mina finally sees the change she wanted in one of the experiments. Cardyck takes her to an amazing cave, warm and filled with plants that give off light, so that she can relax now that the experiment is moving in the right direction. But when they return to the lab, the Eclaydian is missing! Someone had to have stolen it. But who? The windows were not forced; the lock showed no tampering. Then Mina spotted someone in the woods and Cardyck took off after him. Will they get the stolen Eclaydian back? Or will Earth’s sun be destroyed?

Once again, we left with questions raised in this fast-paced book. The characters are strong and stubborn, which makes for a good story. The tension keeps the reader’s attention on how things will play out, especially when the Eclaydian is stolen. The story line definitely holds the reader’s interest. Grab your copy and see where the story will take us next!

[Space Cowgirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blue is the Color of 💘Love

ARC received for an honest review

This is the third book📕 in the series, Guards of Attala🐺🔫🔪. I had previously read the first book.
The three able bodied women astronauts have been living at an outpost on the ice planet. They have found the substance needed to save the earth, but it needs to be processed.
Mina💋 is the young scientist who will process the Eclaydian in the mobile lab they brought in the spaceship. She is anxious to start but will need a guard on the hostile, frozen planet🌍. The lab won't fit through the carved rock gates of the outpost. It must sit outside, vulnerable to attack.
Cardyk🐺🔫🔪, the previous leader of the men at the outpost, was gravely wounded in a battle, and apparently his body's previous miraculous healing properties are about gone. He heals slowly at the main Fortress city, and is sent out by the high Minister to the outpost to see what is going on. The high Minister thinks that a Guardian Warrior at the outpost🐺🔫🔪 named Lodyn, has taken one of the human women as a mate. This is troubling.
Cardyk🐺🍌🌋💪🔪 gets to the outpost and sure enough it's true. When he is assigned to guard Mina💋, he is upset, but Mina💋 is pleased! There is something about his huge, ripped body💪, his handsome face, and his bright blue eyes......
YEHAW! Ride em Bareback🍌, Cowgirl!🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎

Loved💘 the book! I'm a sucker for tall, jacked💪, alpha alien men, and this book📕 ticks off all the boxes. It has alien adventure on an alien 🌎world, intrigue, and a budding love story. Try an Alien Romance!💕 You'll never go back to human men!

[Melanie S · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm voluntarily reviewing an ARC, and the opinion expressed is mine alone. I think Mira Maxwell is an author to watch. In this third installment of her first alien SF romance series, she pushes forward the series-long plot arcs: a scientific mission to Attala to find a mineral that will save our planet's sun, and the revelation of sinister cracks in Attalan's seemingly utopian society. She develops her recurring characters more and introduces a few new secondary characters who may have future roles. Enter Cardyk, former commander of the elite Guard. He's past retirement age, his genetic modifications are failing, yet he endures and passes the grueling physical challenge to be reinstated in the Guard, but not as Commander. HIs first job is to protect young Dr. Mina Carter, science whiz-kid and awkward nerd. She's all up on the chem-physics, and clueless about men. He's all about regaining command, but he universe has other plans. The intricate series of events that brings them from reluctant tolerance to respect while their blooming sexy romance morphs into much more, Is cleverly laid out and masterfully paced. Mina and Cardyk are well-developed characters. Cardyk is a commander born - a leader, a tactitian, and a warrior. He's also the catalyst for Mina's metamorphosis into adulthood. Mina's academic brilliance is offset by her innocence and youthful earnestness, making her the perfect foil for Cardyk's increasingly jaded view of life and his dominant personality. They're a perfect fit, this is a superbly character-driven romance, and a fabulous addition to the Guards of Attala series.

[Rebecca Grove · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cardyk is the former commander of the guards of Attala. The guards undergo some genetic enhancements to make them better protectors including faster healing. However as time goes on, the healing gets slower and then stops working. Cardyk is old enough to have lost his healing ability and is gravely wounded in a past battle. He has struggled greatly to heal the old-fashioned way and has the scars to prove it. Everyone thinks he should step down to guard the city walls and train new guards but Cardyk wants to be useful again. He undergoes a lot of trials to be accepted in the guard again and he is given a mission to check on the new commander and his possible human mate.
Mina was always super smart and sped through college at a young age. She has never really had any friends or boyfriends until her trip to Attala. Her job is to develop a compound based on a rare material on Attala to save Earth. Before she can get started, she is assigned a bodyguard to protect her. She has never met anyone like Cardyk before. He is attentive and listens to her but still watches over her. The chemistry between the two is fantastic. Maybe Mina can give Cardyk something new to live for and Cardyk will teach Mina what it means to love someone.
This is a good book with some twists and turns. I really enjoyed Cardyk and Mina. I voluntarily received a copy of this story and this is my honest review.

[Vivian Chrisman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am really loving this series. I love the fact that the ones tasked with finding a way to save Earth are all female. These five women are all specialist in their fields. Mina is a child prodigy scientist. As such, she has never had a real life with friends or relationships. The other four women are the first and only people she calls friends. In the last year Cardyk has worked hard to be able to rejoin his fellow guard. His position in the Attalan guard and his "brothers" are the only thing in his life with meaning. As Mina and Cardyk spend time together, both have a positive affect on the other. When a "betrayal" happens, will the two lose each other? As the time to return to Earth gets closer, questions arise. Who can they trust? What will happen when the truth about certain relationships come to light?

*I received an Advance Reader's Copy of this book which I am voluntarily reviewing*

[Goddess of Chaos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each book in this series expands on the world building

Some of the threads from previous stories that I want to see followed up on haven't been, yet it's hard to be angry about that when do much amazing world building is taking place.

Each book in this series focusses on one of the "women in a mission" from an Earth ship that has crashed on Attala. Like her shipmates, Min a has no interest in letting a little obstacle like a crash come between her and her Mission - Save planet Earth.

Cardyk is past his prime, and struggling to know his place in the guard when Min a comes along and offers something he never thought he could have. His reason for being in the guard is different than the others we've previously read, and made for an interesting backstory.

Quick reads like this got me into Kindle Unlimited in the first place, I like being able to move, quickly and easily from one book to the next.

[Leslie OBrien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mira Maxwell’s HER ALIEN COMMANDER is the third book in this series and with each new story, the writing is better and the story becomes much more entertaining. When the story opens, we meet Cardyck, who is attempting to come back from a life-threatening injury and return to his position in the guard. Stubborn alpha comes to mind as I read the prologue. And Mina, she is geek girl done well and I really liked how young AND brainy she is.

This is a fun, light story. I’m a sucker for sci fi/alien hunk stories and The Guards of Attala have it in spades. I absolutely cannot wait until more comes out about the Wanderers. In the meantime, each story is its own standalone although reading all of them does help with the overall story building.

[Jamie Stephenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

ok so first of all I want to say I really love this series and I really enjoyed this story. that being said, I would have liked more POV from Cardyk in this one. while I enjoyed Mia's perspective there were some things that just made u really want to know how He felt... I think the author did a better job with POV distribution in the first two books. even so, I still loved this story and can't wait to read more. I hope we see more of the wanderers as well. that was a pretty interesting turn of events.

[Sheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was excited to read the third book in this series about Mina a young woman who is always about her work and Cardyk a battle weary warrior. With all the time spent together they find things in common despite their differences. This book was written a little differently from the other two, which disappointed me a little. Once I finished reading it though, I understood why. This is a well written story I didn't want to put down. *I was gifted a copy for an honest review.*

[Nicole Normand · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the author and I'm willingly leaving a review
The books in this serials are not getting better but more like confusing and down-letting. For ex., Cardyk is superior but didn't get a good look at who's after them. Also, how does he think doing one good thing is enough to put Mallyk on the side? The book is all Mina's POV with a few exceptions and that is a shame; what is going on in Cardyk's head and heart? This is a May/December story. Fated mates "side-effects" are quite different with each couples and not according to their legends either, so you never know what to expect. Not much about the wanderers but we do get a glimpse.

[Joy Ki`Ili · Rating 4 out of 5]

The old alien meets the young scientist and they find they have a lot in common. As they spend time together working on the experiments to save Earth, they develop feelings for one another. This book doesn't have the suspense and danger of the first two but it does introduce us to the wanderers and it does give us a puzzle as to their abilities with the healing salve.

[Tiffany Ransier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy for review from the author. This book was good, shorter than the other two in the series and I don’t know if I really like Mina, but I like Cardyk. I’m interested to see where it’s going next. I need to read Savannah’s book. I feel like I can identify with hers more. This one definitely moved things along though!

[Sherry Westendorf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. He didn't heal right and is trying to get his position in the guard back. She is a scientist . The females are the ones trying to save the earth. It is a short fun read. I really enjoyed it. I recommend it. I was given a review copy and voluntarily review it.

[LuDena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another one bites the dust

Or should that be " bites the snow" . A third warrior and his death girl falls in love .I wonder what the future will bring ? It's a sign of a good book when you finish one and can't wait for the next.

[Rosa Maria Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating Story

This book has everything, I love in a romance and hot love scenes that don't disappoint in any way? Be ready to fan yourself because it sizzle from beginning to end.

[Angel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had Its Moments

I am unsure why, but I didn't enjoy this one as I did the first two. It was very one sided, and lacked spark. This wasn't bad, but I wouldn't have minded skipping this story.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arc review for honest review. This is a story of two characters that find each other cardyk trying to be what he once was and can't .mina wants to go home and finds he wants to stay. Cute

[CJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great pair. This is a fun series to read.

[Wemdu · Rating 2 out of 5]

personally i found this one to be a bit flat compared to the first 2 in the series; had a hard time believing some of the events/thoughts/actions of the character

[Thee_reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a pretty good one.
Short, but a HEA.

Trexx resisted Debora at first then couldn't
resister anymore and gave in.
Totally HoT.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

[MARLU · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good!
But I wish there would have been more of Cardik’s POV!