Orc's Fate

Monster Mate Hunt, Book 2

De: Ava Ross

Narrado por: Scarlett Dorian, Stephen Borne

Can a lonely widow and an orc with secrets find true love together?

Lyneth

After my husband's death, my village pushes me into the forest during the monster mate hunt, where I'll be claimed as an orc's bride.

I've vowed I'll never love another, but then I'm claimed by Madr, a strong, handsome orc who I suspect is hiding secrets. On his dragon-like vox, he flies with me toward his home. His warm arms keep me safe, and his teasing touch makes me reconsider every assumption I made about my past and my future. Do I dare give my heart to an orc?

Madr

When I abdicated the orc throne, I planned to live a simple life. I never expected the fates to bind me to Lyneth or that I'd fall for her so fast. But someone's out to kill me, and if I don't stop them, I won't survive long enough to claim my new bride.

Contains mature themes.

©2023 Ava Ross (P)2025 Tantor Media

it was not bad

It was not bad. glad the main leads ended up with a strong counterpart. it could be better with more action. the ending drama was too rushed. it was good though.

An adventure with an Orc!

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💜🩷💙💚
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌎
Character development: ☹️😍😋😤
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Dual Narration

The heroine: Lyneth - she is the younger sister of Rhoslyn from the first book in this series. Each year for the past 11, her village sends two women into the forest to be claimed by Orcs, in return for the Orc’s protection against the shades which would kill them. Lyneth is a widow, and it wasn’t her choice to be in the mate hunt, she was pushed into it. Her husband didn’t have much, and she was left with nothing, since women can’t own property. Her friend Kale wants her to try to get out of it, if possible, he thinks it is the worst thing in the world for a woman to be rutted by an Orc, though Lyneth thinks one male rutting her isn’t much different than another, though she is afraid.

The Hero: Madr - he is an Orc, half brother to Jaus from the first book, and he was in line for the throne of the Orc kingdom, but he abdicated. He was going to the mate hunt, though he would be late because his father told him he couldn’t participate, that mating a human female was beneath him, so Madr is going because he wants a mate, and he also wants to show his father that he can’t control him. His brother Jaus had mated a human, and they have a hybrid baby, though his father refuses to claim Jaus as his son.

The Story: Madr didn’t get to the hunt till late, having flown on his dragon-like beast from the mountains where he lived, but as soon as he got near, his clan pendant glowed immediately, so he knew one of the two women was his mate. He needed to get to her and claim her without attracting any shades and before any other Orcs got to her.

Lyneth was running through the forest; she was frightened of the shades since her parents were killed by them when she was thirteen. She knew one was hunting her, so she climbed a tree, just in time as a shade (huge, fanged lizard-like creatures) came beneath her. She hoped to stay in the tree till morning. Though when she turned around, she saw she was surrounded by Orcs. She was almost claimed by a leering one called Riank, but one named Madr whose lumen pendent was blazing with light, said she was his. The two were cousins that hated each other and fought for the right to claim Lyneth. Madr won the battle, but knew his cousin wouldn’t end it there and now that Madr abdicated and his father wouldn’t claim Jaus, that his cousin might someday become king.

Lyneth and Madr ended up being stranded in the forest after Riank sabotaged them by hurting Madr’s flying beast. They got to know each other as mates. I liked the fact that despite being married before, Lyneth was such an innocent. She only knew that wives were supposed to please their husbands not that they could receive pleasure as well. The two of them got to know each other intimately, though Lyneth keeps it a secret that Rhoslyn is her sister and Madr keeps it a secret that he was a prince.

The story really showcases the layered dynamics between Lyneth and Madr, not just as mates but as individuals navigating personal struggles, expectations, and hidden truths. The world-building is gripping, too—the looming threat of the shades, the tense mate hunt, and the Orc clan politics all add to the intensity.

I love how Lyneth’s perspective is shaped by her circumstances. Her view of marriage and pleasure adds an emotional depth that makes her transformation with Madr even more compelling. Madr’s defiance of his father adds another fascinating layer—it's not just about claiming Lyneth, but proving he controls his own fate.

The audiobook is told in two points of view in dual narration. Scarlett Dorian and Stephen Borne narrated this book. Scarlett has a clear and expressive voice and did a terrific job. Stephen had a deep, soft, growly voice that worked well for an Orc and I quite liked his voice and how natural he sounded. The one thing I didn’t like was both of their voices for the opposite sex. I wish more books were done in duet narration where each performer sticks to their respective character’s dialogue—it makes for a more immersive experience