I absolutely love the Ice Barbarian series by Ruby Dixon! Honestly not sure what kind of crack this woman puts in her books but it does something for me.

Barbarian's Prize was another great addition to this spicy, icy series!

I am on Booktok. I heard all the incredulous laughter when this series was being talked about all over the platform. ‘Ice Planet Barbarians’ takes guilty pleasure reading to whole new heights and brand new worlds (joke fully intended.) I for one feel no guilt though. Honestly? Anyone who says these books aren’t good is just a lying liar who lies, and is embarrassed to admit that they liked alien smut.

There’s actually a pretty interesting concept driving the plot. Of course the romantic relationship is the focus of each story, but a group of humans being abducted and stranded on an alien planet? Learning to communicate and teach a small tribe what they know while learning to understand their customs?! There a lot more going on in each of these books than there is in most romance novels out there, and despite the humor it’s written with Ruby Dixon does an excellent job making sure the craziness of the concept doesn’t take over and feel ridiculous. In the string of popular ebooks finally being given a mainstream physical print run, this series is one that really deserves it.

‘Barbarian’s Prize’ is the 5th story in the series, so if you’ve gotten this far I assume you already agree with all this, at least, to a certain extent. I really enjoy these books as a whole and this particular story was no exception, maybe not a new absolute favorite overall, but I’d probably rank it 2nd after ‘Barbarian Lover.’ Salukh and Tiffany had a somewhat deeper story than some of the stories before this, and I absolutely loved it. Both of the main characters in this book were very lovable, and getting a storyline revolving around healing from past traumas hit just right.

Hugely recommend!

This was copy paste of the other barbarian books and I just couldn’t do it. Let’s move on from the make babies storyline!!

I apparently skipped books 3 and 4, but this was pretty good! I liked how it had a different twist on the 'mating' things, bringing in ~choice~!

In book five of the "Ice Planet Barbarians" series, almost all of the Earth women who crash-landed on the planet have found their mates with the local species of blue humanoids. Tiffany is far from eager for her turn. In fact, she just wants to be left alone. The unmated males are buzzing around her like bees around a flower, and she's feeling overwhelmed. Salukh knows that Tiffany is his mate, even if his symbiont hasn’t resonated for her. He is playing the long game and more than willing to give her time. He is happy to woo her and to be there for her. Tiffany hates all the male attention, but she feels strangely drawn to Salukh, even knowing it’s not to meant to be.

Barbarian’s Prize is a short but spicy-sweet romance story. Spicy in that the love scenes are very frequent and very detailed. Sweet in that Tiffany and Salukh seem to have a very meaningful connection that goes beyond sex, even if the symbiont isn't saying so. Despite the short length, the characters are well-developed. Salukh’s a gentle giant who would do anything for the woman who has his heart. Tiffany is a trying to find her feet after a terrible event, and seeking a sense of purpose in her new life on the planet she dubs Not-Hoth (a call out to Star Wars's ice planet Hoth). Despite her issues, she does trust and loves spending time with Salukh, and he grows in her affections with each moment they spend together, getting past her feels and mental barriers against romance. Readers who love a sweet, kind hero who always puts the needs of his heroine first will fall head over heels for Salukh. Tiffany’s reticence and fears are very understandable, given her past. Their courtship is well paced as this couple take careful steps into deeper intimacy, rendered in spicy and steamy detail on the page. The love that develops between them is believable, and Tiffany’s trauma is dealt with in a respectful, caring way. Readers who dive into this series with this book won’t feel confused as the storyline gives context to previous happenings.

I wasn't in the mood for a book that's primarily focused on sexy times, so I was ready to move on from the love scenes at a certain point, and I wanted a little more plot. My mind wanted to know more about the planet and if there are other humanoid cultures in other geographic regions. I want to know how they established their communities on the planet. I have to remind myself that's not the point of the book. It's probably also the fact that I haven't been reading as much romance lately and I've gotten used to other parts of the story being equally explored. There's no real external conflict, so if you want a story that's more low stakes, this is for you. That said, I enjoy Dixon's writing. I love stories about true love winning the day and this definitely fits the bill. Readers looking for a quick, very steamy and heartfelt paranormal romance that spends its time mainly on the couple interactions with a few meaningful interactions with side characters will enjoy this book. I do plan to read other books in the series, and I'm ready for Josie's story now!

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars

Barbarian’s Prize is the fifth story in the Ruby Dixon’s Ice Planet Barbarians series. Already popular with readers when the series was published independently by the author, a subsequent explosion in popularity on TikTok resulted in its being picked up by Berkley and re-released in print format (I have seen print copies of the series in my local bookstore on the #SpicyBookTok table). I read the first story, Ice Planet Barbarians, when it was first released and I liked it but hadn’t really kept up with the series. According to Goodreads, there are nineteen full-length novels, plus some shorts and novellas, so if Berkley plans to release all the books in print format, they’ve got plenty more to go.

There is a concise primer at the beginning of Barbarian’s Prize (and presumably in all the books after the first) to catch up any reader on the main worldbuilding and plot points and with that knowledge, a reader can jump into any book as they stand alone well. In a nutshell, aliens have abducted human women for sale in an extraterrestrial black market. The women staged a breakout, the ship had trouble, and the women were dumped on a wintry, desolate place dubbed ‘Not-Hoth’ (a Star Wars reference from the ice planet Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back). The women discover that a tribe of massive blue-horned aliens, the sa-khui, live on the planet in caves in a barbarian lifestyle. They have a symbiotic life form, the khui, that live inside them. When rescued by the sa-khui, the human women take on a khui symbiant as well. A side effect of the khui living inside them is that it will resonate if it finds a compatible partner (a mate) as will the khui in the mate, meaning that a couple who are fated mates will resonate together. This has enabled several of the women to find mates and have little blue alien-human babies. At the start of Barbarian’s Prize, there are only two women left who don’t have mates – Tiffany and Josie. This is Tiffany’s story.

Tiffany has nightmares about her time on the alien ship, where she was sexually assaulted. She never told the other women on the ship that when she was taken for examinations, she was also raped. This experience has scarred her and kept her very wary of the men around her, even though they haven’t shown any inclination to be violent towards women. In reality the sa-khui are very protective and loyal to their mates and abhor the idea of violating them against their will. As Tiffany is one of the last humans without mates, several of the sa-khui males are trying to earn her favour by constantly attending to her, bringing her gifts, etc. What they don’t realize is that she is afraid of them turning violent if she doesn’t pick one of them. So she tries to be polite and friendly to them all but also to not encourage them. Unlike her friend Josie who yearns to find a mate and resonate with him, Tiffany is terrified of resonating and being forced into a loveless situation where she’ll be helpless to defend herself if her partner is abusive. The only sa-khui she feels she can trust is Salukh.

Salukh believes that Tiffany will someday be his partner but as yet, his khui has not resonated with her. But unlike the other males, he can see that she is uncomfortable with all the attention they are giving her. He is observant and patient, and he understands that Tiffany is different to the other women who eagerly mated his friends. When he approaches Tiffany when she is alone, he always announces himself so as not to surprise her, and he is a good listener. Eventually she confides in him about what happened to her (he is outraged that a female would ever be treated that way) and why she is nervous around the other sa-khui.

Tiffany knows that at some point she’s going to have to get used to the idea of being mated, and in order to prepare herself, she approaches Salukh with the idea that if he’s okay with it, she could practice being intimate with him. Salukh is a bit hesitant (he’s a virgin), but he also is eager to give his khui a chance to resonate with her, believing it’s only a matter of time. Will his khui finally cooperate, or is Salukh just preparing Tiffany for a life with another male?

Tiffany’s assaults are told as flashback scenes in her nightmares and fade to black without graphic descriptions, but it is easy to see why her situation on this planet with large non-humans is different than it is for the other women. She is working hard at overcoming her fear but she also is learning to be independent, gaining new skills to enable her to not have to rely on males around her. She’s also much stronger physically due to the khui inside her, and this helps her to fight back some of her fear. But she’s also got a good match in Salukh, someone who honestly cares about her, is patient, protective without being overbearing, and sees in her a woman who will make a strong partner. Their first couple of intimate encounters don’t go the way either Tiffany or Salukh would hope but it only makes Salukh more determined to prove to Tiffany that he is the mate for her. It takes a bit of time and some unexpected situations occur, but they do get their well-deserved happy ending.

No one will confuse these stories with more than what they are – steamy romances with alpha heroes in a new setting. But the worldbuilding is good if simplistic, and the characters are unique individuals surviving in harsh situations where romance gets a chance to bloom. It isn’t just about the sex (though that’s certainly what brings these books to the attention of the BookTok crowd). With its protective and patient hero Salukh and strong, brave, Tiffany, Barbarian’s Prize is an adult, low angst, low stakes, enjoyable read.

I tried giving this series another chance, but I still just don't think it's for me unfortunately. This was just a little too uneventful for me- and while there's good discussion on choice and trauma- nothing really happened with this plot. I feel like I've read novellas with more action / storyline.

This series is WILD honestly. Like you've gotta be in the mood. This wasn't my favorite but I know many others really love it.

I love me some alien men. there is nothing like diving into this world and reading about people getting their backs blown by big blue men. These stories are always a delight and right up anyone's ally that is looking for a monster romance. If you have read any of the books in this series and like them you are sure to enjoy these ones too. I usually don't expect much from spicy romances but actually enjoy the thin plot behind these series. This one ranks amongst my top in the series. Will continue to read more by this author.

Loved this story!

♡♡

Tiff being black makes is ten times better.

Sal being 1000% sure of tiff being his and never wavering is my fav. I love a he falls first!!!

My heart broke for tiff and her experiences and trauma. And the moment Sal found out his ever pressing need to protect her and give her what she needed made my heart bleed!!!! I loved this so much

I really enjoyed getting to know more about Tiffany as a character, because throughout the earlier stories we really just know she's being chased by the single guys. So getting to see first hand her fears and why she was so hesitant made total sense. ALSO Salukh's determination was so sweet basically love at first sight for him. I really enjoyed this addition to the series and can't wait to read more.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!

I always look forward to the next instalment in this series, not only because I enjoy the books but also the covers for them are gorgeous and look real pretty in my bookshelves :)
Another fun and sexy instalment, this one in particular doing a wonderful job of diving into issues of mental health.

<i>ARC Provided by NetGalley<i>

Tiffany is trying to make herself indispensable to her new tribe by mastering daily chores and trying to grow food for her community. After being assaulted by aliens on the ship, she doesn't want anyone to get close enough to touch her, but as the rest of the women resonate, the pool of potential mates grows smaller and Tiffany is getting more attention that she wants - except from Saluhk, who seems more interested in getting to know her without the pressure to resonate. Saluhk knows Tiffany will be his mate, but will not pressure her to make a choice before she is ready. Will Saluhk's patience win out?

If you've read the other books in this series, expect a similar level of alien sexy times with a bit more focus on life before not-Hoth. Tiffany's experience on the alien ship and her response to the trauma is quite different from previous heroines in this series.

Eu confesso que eu meio que já sabia que esse livro não era para mim, mas fiquei curiosa com o hype de livros de alien. Acontece que eu não tenho a imaginação suficiente para ler livros assim.



Tiffany foi uma das humanas que foi sequestrada por alienígenas e foi uma das que foi estuprada na nave. Isso foi algo que marcou sua experiência no planeta gelado. Ela é uma das últimas mulheres que não tem um companheiro e isso faz com que todos os caçadores briguem por sua atenção. Tudo que ela quer é ser deixada em paz, cultivar suas sementes e viver pacificamente, mas isso é impossível. Então Tiffany acaba propondo a Saluk, um caçador forte e muito carinhoso que eles experimentassem e isso faz com que uma relação nasça entre eles. Acontece que Saluk tem certeza que Tiffany é seu par e fará tudo para que ela veja isso.





Gente não dá, sinceramente como eu falei no início dessa resenha pra mim é muito difícil ler algo assim por que eu não tenho imaginação suficiente, quando um personagem fala "segure no meu chifre" não dá pra mim, eu começo a rir.



Tiffany é uma personagem até interessante, ela sofreu um trauma e a forma como isso é abordado no livro é bem legal. A evolução desse trauma também se dá de uma forma bem delicada e responsável.



Saluk é um alien muito compreensivo, eles faz de tudo para que Tiffany se sinta confortável com ele e sua fé inabalável que ela é sua companheira é bem romântica.



Enfim, para quem curte é um romance legal, mas não era pra mim.

I want to start by saying I love this series. I didn't know what to think going into this book because of how everyone seeing Tiffany. They say she's the most beautiful and that all the man in the tribe wanted her as their mate or pleasure mate and that through me off a bit but I really liked her character. She turned out to be a lot more complexed than I first imagined. I think the women coming u with this game for a the men to go through was brilliant and it made for an enjoyable tale and it really set this story apart from the previous novels. Salukh is such a sweet and patient guy and and I think him and Tiffany are perfect together. I was so nervous when the trails in the game were going but everything worked out so well!! Great read! One of my favorites in the series!

One of my favorites in this series. Ruby Dixon brings us back to not hoth with this story following TIffany. This is one of the more tender, slower burn, but BURNING it is books. I love the reprint with the new cover and can't wait to collect the rest of the series with the new covers.

Additionally, the continued additional novellas in the special editions are so fun and add more to this favorite series.

This series brings me so much comfort - I love all the characters and how they mesh their cultures together. The world building is also fantastic. This series just keeps getting better and better!

There were a lot of things that were done right and some things that were very questionable in this book.

First I really appreciated that Tiffany and Salukh didn’t resonate immediately because Tiffany went through a lot of trauma and needed time to heal before she could even consider getting into a relationship. Secondly it seems that Salukh knew that Tiffany and him would be mated/resonate but he also understood that she was going through something so he doesn’t push it. He just befriends her and tries to be there for her as a friend and to support her. I really appreciated all of that and showing how women can be affected by the trauma of rape and showing a male who understands that was refreshing.

All that being said I think that after all that Tiffany healed very quickly, it felt almost like whiplash how she just decided to be okay and all of the sudden she was. This just felt like an inaccurate representation of mental health and trauma healing. Also the made up courting games that Josie comes up with to help Tiffany seemed very counterintuitive. Tiffany is an afraid of all the male attention and the solution to help is to create a made up game that pits all the males against each other in attempt to essentially win her and time with her. It was all entertaining but not very realistic.

Overall I have enjoyed all the books in this series so far and while this wasn’t my favorite, I still had fun reading it.

Barbarian’s Prize is a beautifully fragile love story. At times, it’s joyful, many times it’s fearful, tear-jerking and heart-wrenching. And maybe, just maybe it’s a little hopeful.

This story crushed my heart so much. I felt so bad for Tiffany. I completely understood her pain and grief in dealing with the horrible thing that happened to her. I just want to give her a big hug!

At times this was a hard story to read because Tiffany’s anguish is palpable. It’s so hard for her to be a part of the tribe as one of only two human females who haven’t resonated with a Sa-khui (blue barbarian) warrior. Her lovely skin tone has attracted the attention of several barbarians vying for her affections and Tiffany would prefer to be invisible. She doesn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings but she can’t stand the thought of being claimed or to have someone turn on her in anger.

To help Tiffany deflect this unwanted attention, Josie (the other unmated human female) devises a plan to keep the barbarians busy by having a competition and the winner gets to escort Tiffany and Josie on a trip. Everything’s going well until the other barbarians discover Salukh has been making time with Tiffany while the others have been out competing and this sparks several fights causing Tiffany greater anguish. Her fears aren’t unwarranted but they’ve all but crippled her. Tiffany needs a friend and Salukh is perfectly unassuming and “safe.” He only seems to want to be her friend and help her conquer her fears… until he wants more.

Salukh is a strong, patient and hunky barbarian that sees under the surface of Tiffany’s fake smiles and happy appearance. He knows she’s his, despite his silent khui (symbiotic organisms that allow the humans/barbarians to live on the planet AND they sing to another khui when they have found their perfect match for the purposes of procreation and sexytimes).

Salukh befriends the lovely Tiffany and the more time they spend together, the deeper he falls for the lovely human. It is a difficult road for these two. Only time will tell what happens to the pair.

This was a hard story to read but it was a good story. I experienced so many emotions and a few tears. Tiffany and Salukh paired well together and he was just what Tiffany needed.

On another note, the steaminess level of this book is definitely of the same caliber as the other books in the series. I recommend reading them all and I’m absolutely looking forward to the next one!

Tiffany is one of the last human women on available “Not-Hoth” with the others having resonated and mated. So she’s inundated with male attention, something she doesn’t feel comfortable with at all. Tiffany isn’t interested in any male after her time in the “bad” alien’s spaceship. The abuse and assaults she suffered, which she has yet to share with anyone else, has made any male attention repugnant. That is except for Salukh. He doesn’t pressure her like the other males and it’s easy to talk to him about her time and life on Earth and soon she finds herself confiding bits of her horrific time on the spaceship.

Salukh is sure Tiffany is his mate, but can’t understand why they haven’t resonated yet. He’s patient though, even more so when he finds out what she’s been through and sets about to win her friendship first and then her heart. I loved Salukh.

My heart went out to Tiffany in this installment. The sa-khui men didn’t mean to make her uncomfortable and it’s not their fault since Tiffany hasn’t told anyone the reasons why the attentions are so difficult for her. I felt bad for the guys that participated in the contests for Tiffany that Josie set up. Salukh suffered too because Tiffany wouldn’t speak up, but at the same time I know she went through hell so I couldn’t fault her too much. With Tiffany’s past experience you might think we’d skip the major sexy times present in the previous books, but that’s not the case. It is a more of a slow burn to start but grows into a sexy inferno! This series is hot stuff!

Barbarian’s Prize dealt with the aftermath of serious trauma, but was balanced with snarky, fun humor so it wasn’t predominately dark. I laughed at the bits with Chompy and smiled when Tiffany spent time with the new babies. Ice Planet Honeymoon is included in this Berkley special edition, which was a complete delight! Loved getting more of Chompy (too cute and funny!) and seeing Tiffany and Salukh more in the future.