Ruby Dixon does it again! Bound to the Shadow Prince is a refreshing break from the Ice Planet Barbarians for fans, and a great entry-level
Dixon book for readers of ACOTAR, Gargoyles, and other romantasy. There’s more meat to this book than IPB, as well, which made it quite an enjoyable read.

I'm a huge Ruby Dixon fan from her IPB series, it's genuinely a series I read when I need comfort. This one was a bit slow pace and I understand how she leaned in more towards the fantasy tidbits but there were certain moments where It was flat. This one wasn't for me, I think!

I am a big Ruby Dixon fan. I have read almost all her work. I was happy to get this book early from Net Galley to give a review. I liked the characters. I liked the story. It felt long in parts, and at times I trudged through. I liked the twist on mates in this book. It was quite a different take than most of her books. It was quite spicy also.

I am a fan of Ruby Dixon from her IPB series. I love that she leaned into fantasy in the book as what I’ve read previously from her is all sci-fi. This book had such an interesting world. It was interesting how we learned information along with the characters. The leading duo had great chemistry and that just continued throughout the book. The twists and turns were fantastic it kept you on your toes. The romance was spectacular. I wouldn’t mind going back to this world someday.

This has an interesting premise but honestly it was just too long. The only setting was the tower and I found myself wandering from the story. I have fun with other Ruby Dixon books but this didn’t land as well

Thank you, NetGalley and the Publisher, for the opportunity to read this STEAMY AF title in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start off by saying two things:

#1 I've never read a Ruby Dixon novel, but I've heard a LOT about them.
#2 Based on that information, I started off my reading adventure by doing a word search for the term 'c*ck', and it appeared a staggering ONE-HUNDRED-SEVENTEEN times. And I'm not talking about BS mannerisms like "she cocked her hip" and "he cocked his head"; no. This was the real deal. This book was going to be FILTHY.

Also, I'm going to need someone to draw the MMC because I plugged his character description into an AI image generator and DO NOT DO THAT UNLESS YOU ARE BETTER AT NAVIGATING AI THAN I AM, BECAUSE IT WAS... A CHOICE.

Now, onto the review!

Did I love this? Yes
Did it have adequate world building and conflict outside of the romance? Yes
Was the narration pleasant to read? Yes
Did the characters have adequate growth? Yes
Did it hold my attention throughout the entire novel? 95% yes (I skimmed a bit in chapter 7, but that was the only place)
Was the MMC a big, cuddly humanoid with a monster d*ck and knot and loyal AF? Yes
Was the language a mixture of fantasy and contemporary terms? Yes (bit confusing, that -- but do I care?)
Was the spice satisfactory? Yes (it hit like every kink of mine; what a match! lol)
Would I recommend this novel to others? Obviously, yes -- but with the warning that they better love smut.
Is this objectively a 5-star read? Probably not, but it hit my mood just right so it's 5 stars for me.



Thank you, Ruby Dixon, for writing such a fun adventure! I look forward to reading more from your catalogue.

I ate this up like candy. I liked it a bit better than Ice Planet Barbarians, mainly for the world-building and political intrigue.

The "trapped in a windowless tower" concept was interesting and I thought well fleshed out. I like that both the characters and the reader are left in the dark about what's happening in the outside world (though I wasn't loving the magical communication element in the story.)

I thought the characters were very cool and I liked watching their relationship develop and the underlying question of what was real emotion versus spying for the enemy. Candra is a bit annoying in the first section of the book (and I still don't know how she didn't literally go insane walking around in the dark by herself for nearly a year) but she grew on me as the story continued.

Surprising for a Dixon story, for me the weaker element of this book was the sex scenes. While the pre-consummation ones were hot, once we got into "knot" territory I wasn't loving it. Things became super repetitive ("I want your knot! I need your knot") and a little icky (not a fan of sex acts things that push a woman into pain even if she rations it as "Pain so good it's pleasurable."

Plus there is one scene that super bugged me where he's about to give her an injectable med, then they pause to have passionate sex on moldy hay in an open barn...and then he gives her the shot. WHERE WAS THE NEEDLE DURING THE SEX? Please tell me it wasn't lying on the gross hay! Minor things like that super bug me.

This are quibbles of course. In spite of the sex scenes, this was an interesting book overall. Thank you to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you are a Ruby Dixon fan this will be right up your alley. While not connected to her Aspect and Anchor fantasy books, this standalone fantasy has the trademark humor, romance, and "figuring out an unfamiliar situation" trope that is a hallmark of all her books.

I loved this book so much I even cried when it was over. Sure, it was a long read but I wanted it to go on forever.
I felt so immersed in this world and I grew very attached to the main characters from the very start. The book was full of comfort and love and feelings and figuring relationships out, and then at the end, it was suddenly dark and sad and tumultuous. Even though this book had a happy ending, it felt rushed in comparison to the slow pace of the rest of the book. Be prepared for a real slow burn romance, a super protective and caring MMC, and lots of forced proximity! Read the trigger warnings for this book though, as the ending is a bit dark.
Thank you for this ARC!

For me this book was reminiscent of From Blood and Ash, in the best way. I enjoyed that it was a stand alone and while I was wishing for more at the end I was still satisfied. Nemeth and Candra were both very likable in their own ways but I did enjoy them most when they were together. This was not your average predictable story and for that I am grateful. It kept me reading and I did not want to put it down until I finished (which I didn’t, hello 2am book review)

I was surprised with how much I really enjoyed this book. When you pick up a spicy different species book you don’t always get a book with a plot. This book, however was more of fantasy book with some great spice thrown in.

What I liked:

The princess was witty, and also very self aware. She knows who she is and she doesn’t shy away from her flaws, but rather owns them.

The romance was a slow build. I enjoyed seeing them interact and slowly come together.


The world building was pretty good. It is set in a different world, and while similar land and sea wise, the people and cultures were vast and different.

What I didn’t like.

There were a couple of times where the heroine becomes to up in her head. Thankfully it isn’t overly drawn out.


Overall I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this.

If Ruby’s readers liked her Aspect and Anchor series, I am sure they will like Bound to the Shadow Prince! I loved Candra’s candid, unabashed personality that slowly became tender towards her quiet, studious lover Nemeth. Candra’s inner thoughts were hilarious.

The plot of this book was super interesting, too. I love me some romantasy. Sometimes it moved a little slowly (there were a handful of scenes that I felt like might have been able to be eliminated), but overall, it kept my interest throughout.

I think my least favorite part of the book was actually the sex scenes. While I loved the mating ceremony and following chase scene (who doesn’t love a good chase scene?), Candra’s obsession with Nemeth’s knot got old kind of quickly. However, it was clear very quickly how much the two cared for each other. I enjoyed their genuine affection and acts of sacrifice for the other.

(3.5 stars rounded up for a 4)
First off thank you to Ruby Dixon and W by Wattpad for giving me the opportunity to read and review this ARC!
This premise of this was definitely interesting and I very much got Hunchback of Norte Dame/ Beauty and the Beast vibes from the plot.
The first 1/2 of this had very slow pacing and began to become repetitive (I don’t know how much more I could handle seeing the words dragon shite or knot)
The second half is where the meat and potatoes was though. After I got past the part where Candra and Nemeth left the tower I couldn’t put this down. I loved the good amount of plot twists, and while I had a suspicion about one of them I was still shocked at how crazy the deception and secrets were!
I did enjoy that Candra, the FMC, was unashamedly a spoiled brat, and in her words, a “tart.” Though many may be put off by her attitude and grumpiness, she knows who she is and she knows how to use it to her advantage.
In my opinion if the first half of this book had been trimmed down and more detail had been put into the parts of the uprising in the second half this would have made for a 5 star read.
Overall though this was still an enjoyable fantasy/monster read and I’m glad that I am getting more into Ruby Dixon’s works!

I went into this thinking that this is part of the Aspect and Anchor series but it's not, so I got confused at first.

The plot and the premise was intriguing, world-building is okay and easy to follow along. The characters are enemies thrown together to be the sacrifice for the humanity. As I read the author's note, I did understand the point of it all (Trojan-horse, dealing with war, Helen of Troy) in which our main characters were affected with decisions that were beyond their control and how they handled it as they go along their own journey.

The first half was a bit repetitive considering they were locked in the tower, and their relationship developed in a slow-burn way but I was shocked with how the FMC handled the 'mating' because one moment she was hesitant then the next she instantly decided. I wished we saw more in-depth behind her reasoning or at least took some time to explore the decision.

The second half was when they left the tower due to no supplies and went to their home and they saw the aftermath of war and how it affected everyone. There's no 'winner' in war so I love that part. When they got to Darkfell, I got slapped with the unexpected plot twist upon plot twist so it instantly became page-turner. I wished we saw the uprising and the rebellion.

Overall, I enjoyed it though it took me a while to read this because of how long it was and wished it was shorter or at least a duology in part.

Solid 5-stars!

I don’t really typically love romance novels but there is something about Ruby Dixon’s writing that always sucks me in. This book is no exception. The main character is charming and likable and relatable. The love between her and the love interest is written very well. The plot was intriguing! I love seeing the representation of a chronically ill character that’s still viewed as sexy and her happily ever after doesn’t necessarily mean she’s perfectly healed. It’s refreshing.

Over all a very good book!

The pacing of this was interesting to me in the first third, because it was slower than Dixon's usual, rewarding in the second third, and a little rushed in the last third. Also I could have done with some content warnings--something Dixon does as the best in the business on her self-pub stuff, imo, but was missing here--as there's reference to a murdered baby, which was jarring.

Bound to the Shadow Prince by Ruby Dixon is the first non-Ice Planet Barbarian book I've read.

The main female character is - well, she's a shrew, to be very nice. Candra is sent to live for seven years in a bricked up castle with another person when her younger sister's boat is shipwrecked and all passenger's lost. Her Brother-in-Law decides she is going to be the sacrifice because it has to be someone from her bloodline and her sister, his wife, is very pregnant. If they don't do this, bad luck will engulf them all, so Candra is sent off with a year's worth of supplies and literally bricked into the castle.

Her companion is Nemeth, who is a Fellian, a monster who is grayish, with claws, glowing eyes and who Candra is pretty rude to in the beginning - and a lot of the way through, to be honest. He's better prepared for the long stay and she's not happy about that - especially when looking at his food supply in the beginning.

After I got used to Candra's grumpiness, I let myself enjoy the story that only Ruby Dixon can like. Why do I keep finding her monster type men so adorable and attractive? Don't know and don't care.

Loved this book and hope there are more to come.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book for an honest opinion.

》ARC Review: Bound to the Shadow Prince《

I had so much fun reading this one! I’ve long been a Ruby Dixon fan, so I had a pretty good feeling about this but I still found myself happily surprised. Yes, this book is long, which may not be everyone’s cup of tea; and after reading Ice Planet Barbarian, I certainly expected a more fast paced, short read. However, due to its length, Dixon worked her magic into world-building and slow romancing. The narrative breathed, allowing its love story to take its time (very well paced!) and allowing intrigue to what was happening outside the tower to constantly heighten tension and anticipation. 4.5✨

》The Leads《

The star of the show, for me, was Candra.

I loved her.

She is the type of character to be spilling thick tears down her cheeks while remaining steadfast that she’s certainly not weeping. She puts up a very strong front, tries to appear nonchalant and nonplussed, but she’s such a softie. She’s got a great big, soft heart. I also love how wickedly forward she is in her seducing and affection towards Nemeth. Speaking of whom! I loved Nemeth almost as much as Candra. I loved how utterly opposite his personality his to Candra. Where she is an extrovert, he’s an introvert. Where she is forward in her flirting, he is subtle. They may be opposite yet they are a perfect fit, one for the other.

》The Romance《

The love story was gorgeous! I was giggling and kicking my feet in total delight when Candra and Nemeth finally crossed that line into something more. He’s like a blushing school boy to Candra’s wicked temptress. Their dynamic was so much fun! The only hiccup I had along the way was how some of Nemeth’s late game arc developed. Nevertheless, that never stopped me from loving this couple.

》The World-Building《

This book did a great job of making the enclosed tower feel initially claustrophobic but then feel like a home. The said, I felt such tension rise, wondering what was happening outside that tower. The narrative cleverly built up that anticipation of discovery. I was itching to leave the tower. I think of all the books I’ve read by Dixon, this one, by far, did the best job with building its world.

》To Sum it Up《

This is easily my favorite Ruby Dixon read. I loved the leads, their romance, and their story.
Thank you NetGalley and Wattpad Books for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Candra and Nemeth are enemies forced to reside together for the good of their respective kingdoms. Neither is who or what they appear to be.

Candra is an abrasive, good time loving princess. Nemeth is a studious, gargoyle academic prince. Both are selected as sacrifices to the gods to avoid the death and destruction of their kingdoms. They clash personalities, but in the end, will they do what they need to save their peoples? And maybe kiss a little along the way?

This book is a stand alone from Ruby’s other series but is so very much worth reading. I’ve read it three times because I love it so much. Did I mention Nemeth has WINGS? Read it now, again, and then again because it’s one of Ruby’s best books!!!

Bound to the Shadow Prince, a monster romance by Ruby Dixon-
My rating is 3.5 stars (rounded up due to the rule of halves!)

I’ve read a few novels by Ruby Dixon, admittedly, all from the Ice Planet Barbarian series and I was looking forward to reading something outside of that world.

Candra is a spoiled princess with a rare blood disease. She’s one of three girls, her older sister is Queen and her younger sister was supposed to be the sacrifice that would spend seven years of her life, locked up in a tower with a royal from the enemy kingdom, to appease the Gods. As Fate would have it, Candra ends up having to the one who enters the tower, having only three days to prepare for this seven year stint. She’s been coddled her entire life, how will she ever survive seven years fending for herself…with a Royal enemy accompanying her? Nemeth is a Fellian (a monster race,) and has spent his entire life preparing for the tower. How will he handle being locked up with a sickly, spoiled princess?

Tropes:
Enemies to Lovers
Forced Proximity
He Falls First
Touch Her and Die
Virgin MMC
Curvy FMC

This novel had an incredibly intriguing plot. I loved how clues and tidbits of information are dropped throughout the story but you don’t fully realize it until the end. Once the plot twist is revealed, you can go back through the story and see things a little bit differently than when you first read them. This is a slowly paced story, a true slow burn romance, for sure. There were times when I felt like the story was dragging on but I stuck with it and eventually the momentum picks up. I didn’t care for Candra, in the beginning. I found her to be a bit insufferable but then again, she WAS a spoiled princess. She really evolved in this story though and experienced tremendous growth towards the end. I feel like Dixon writes wonderful MMC’s and Nemeth is no different. He was a trained scholar and warrior but also a kind and loving man. He really took care of Candra and did his best to keep her safe. I wish there would have been more backstory but there was enough to keep the story interesting. There was mystery and magic and plenty of spice (as there always is in Dixon novels.) The first two thirds of the novel were pretty slow and then the last third felt extremely rushed *shrugs*

Overall I liked this story. I liked how the forced proximity romance developed, the magic made sense and even though the plot twist was a bit predictable, the story felt pretty well rounded.

I received an advance reader copy and am leaving my review voluntarily.