Bound to the Shadow Prince is a book that will definitely call to the monster romance girlies of the world but at the same time be considered a gateway for romantasy readers to the monster romance realm.

We’ve got a not-your-average FMC with a deadly medical condition having to last minute take the place of her younger sister as sacrifice to the Tower for 7 years to keep the peace between humans and the Fellian race. And of course, she won’t be spending those 7 years alone: a Fellian must also be trapped in the tower to keep the peace. Stuck in the darkness without much access to light with a broody Fellian Prince was definitely not what Candra planned after having been used to being slightly pampered due to her bloodline and the curse she’s lived with her entire life thus far. Watching her learn to fend for herself and gain independence (albeit forced to do so to survive) was fascinating to read. Add that into her other plans to keep herself alive which include seducing her fellow Fellian prisoner and then subsequently developing feelings for him, made this an intriguing monster romance read.

I truly enjoyed reading about an FMC with a medical condition that seemed almost like diabetes in a way. It required daily treatment, could be deadly if ignored, though it dealt with a curse of the blood rather than sugars produced (or not produced) by the body. Still a super fascinating take for the FMC. And then learning it had a purpose beyond just being a character trait for Candra and a hurdle she had to overcome while in the Tower made it even more interesting to read.

The characters’ time in the tower was my favorite part. Even some of the traveling was fascinating and when things started to be revealed in the end. But the journey to get from tower to mountain seemed a bit lengthy to get through. Could just be me being nitpicky about things.

Do not get me wrong, I did enjoy the story. It’s just that the beginning took a while for me to settle into and the bit from exiting the tower to getting to the mountain seemed a bit long. Like it seemed as if ending the book at the decision to exit the tower and then making their journey and discovery of the new world outside a second story would have worked. Yet at the same time, I know what came afterward wouldn’t have felt complete enough for a full second story. It’s a strange middle ground for standalone and duology. Again, it could’ve just been a me thing and potential burnout/slump from reading so much.

Overall, it was an enjoyable new fantasy blending together much beloved elements while introducing a new world, not-your-average heroine, and some monster-loving moments.

While I’m aware of the phenomenon that is Ruby Dixon’s “Ice Planet Barbarians” series, I’ve been a bit hesitant to jump in. While I enjoy SFF romance, I’m also incredibly picky with the balance between the fantasy elements and the romance. Plus, I’ve never really pushed my boundaries on the romance genre with more wacky paranormal beings than your usual vampires and werewolves. All of that to say, when I saw that she was releasing a stand-alone romantasy title, I though this would be the perfect opportunity to see what all of the fuss was about!

I’ll be honest, I went into this one fairly skeptical, ready to shift away to my every-growing TBR pile at the slightest provocation. And, initially, that’ s the way I thought it might go. The first few chapters before we get to the tower were a bit of a slog as I found it difficult to really like any of the characters on the page, including our heroine. But hoo boy! The minute the story got to the tower, the love interest was introduced, and the general stakes of the plot (being trapped in a dark tower for seven years) settled in, I was locked in!

If nothing else, Dixon’s style of writing is the definition of “approachable” and “engaging.” She simply has a fun and snappy way of writing that is quick to pull readers in and make the story feel action-packed, even when, objectively not much is really happening (again, see the fact that our main characters are stuck alone in a tower.) Given the restrictions of this setting, it was truly impressive how engaging Dixon made this portion of the story. It was so engaging, in fact, that I was almost disappointed when the story shifted in the second half of the book. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed a lot of that as well. But I will say that I probably would have been more than happy to have spent the entire book simply in the tower with our two main characters.

I also really enjoyed our main characters. Candra was a fun POV character, though as the story continued, I did find myself wishing for a bit more from her with personal growth or a more defined character arc. Some of the late-book action does speak to some changes in her perspective, but it still wasn’t a lot. But what we do get is still enjoyable! On the other hand, I really loved Nemeth! I’ll admit, again, that part of my hesitation about the “Barbarians” series and this one was how well the romance would translate for a very, um, non-human love interest. But Nemeth is so endearing in almost every way that you can’t help but love him! He was bookish and bashful, but also protective and confident when it mattered. It was also nice to have a love interest who so easily embodied the caretaker role in the relationship without this being commented on or seen as in conflict with any of his other character traits.

I will add here that that this book is DEFINITELY spicy, so readers should have that in mind! I knew it would be, of course, but this book makes “Bride” look like, well, a blushing bride as far as some of its spicy moments go. One thing that stood out in the positive for this book vs. other very spicy books that I’ve read was the timeline and progression of the romance. All too often, romantasy has an “instalust/instalove” problem where the book is so eager to get to the love scenes that character work and plotting suffer, ultimately making the spice scenes read as undeserved. Here, not only do you have to read a significant ways into the book to get to the love scenes, but the in-world timeline is over a year before Nemeth and Candra really start becoming intimate in any way. It was refreshing!

As I mentioned, the second half of the book took a major shift in the plot. And while I liked a lot of what this brought into the story, this is also the part of the book that I struggled with more. For one thing, given the nature of what is going on in the story, the numerous spicy scenes in this later half of the book started to feel like they were breaking up the pacing. They also began to feel a bit repetitive, and I think the book would have been better served, ultimately, to have cut out a few of these. There was also the seemingly required third act/late game challenge of trust thrown into the romance. This is a staple of romance plotlines, where right towards the end something goes terribly wrong (distrust, miscommunication, etc. etc.) that makes our characters start questioning their relationship. I almost always hate this part of romance novels, as I rarely feel as if these moments feel justified or believable. So, too, here. Some of the distrust we see is so obviously misplaced in light of the entire rest of the story that it was almost laughable. For all that I enjoyed the fact that this love story took place over the course of years, it made this late-game trust issue all the more silly. These are characters who recently fell in love or who haven’t had time to fully understand one another. As typical for me with these twists in romance novels, I began to roll my eyes a bit during this part.

Overall, however, this was a really fun read! It’s heavy on the spice and romance, so readers who enjoy that will likely love this one. I was also impressed with the measured pace of the romance and the endearing love interest. I’ll definitely be checking out more from Dixon in the future!

Rating 8: Fast-paced and fun with a nice love story at its heart, definitely one for the spicy romance readers!

Link will go live on The Library Ladies blog on July 17.

This was a fun easy read! I’ve read Ice Planet Barbarians by this author and was excited to read more by her.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this ARC!

I’ve read several of Rubys books from the IPB series so I was very excited to read this! I loved the concept and plot of the book from the blurb and the beginning of the book! Unfortunately, I’m very picky about the MCs in books and the FMC was far too stubborn and bratty for me so I wasn’t a big fan. The story was good but it felt like some scenes were just dragging on, and the book did not need to be as long as it was. It took a bit for me to get through.

The spice was great, which is what I expected! 10/10 for 🌶️

Candra and Nemeth have an interesting relationship. From forced proximity to falling in love. The twists and turns kept me up at night saying one more page and I'll go to sleep. Overall I really enjoyed this book.
There were some parts that maybe seemed rushed or could have gone more depth over. Candra's time in court did not showcase things she spoke about in the tower, such as flirting. We see about 3 days in court before everything begins.
In the forced proximity side, I loved that part of the book. Once they left and began the new journey it got a little wild and at times frustrating. Many times I wondered what Candra was thinking or why she was so trusting.
I did enjoy this book and look forward to reading more from this author.
Spice: 5/5 The details and amount were Chef's Kiss great.

***3.5 Stars***

Overall,
I mean its Ruby Dixon? If you are one of the many readers who has fallen down the IPB to IPH Rabbit hole in recent years then you know that his author always comes through. Is it the best writing ever? No. Is the Pace and setting of the book fantastic? Yes. If you know going into this that this is a Ruby Dixon book then you will enjoy it. It is one of her rarer long form books at over 500 pages long, vice the IPB books which hover around 200. If that scares you then maybe this isn't for you because there are a couple points where it felt a bit stretched out. But It was still very enjoyable and I am still Ruby Fan.

*** I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my Free and Honest review.***

2.5
This book fell flat in some places but overall it was interesting enough to keep me reading until the end. Both of the main characters were like able which is good since the first half of the book is just about them and their relationship in the tower. The second half picks up and a few plot twist happen that kept the story intriguing.

Ruby Dixon can write a amazing Romantsy with some good spice.

This was such a good story. Giving Beauty and the Beast vibes but both are basically prisoners. We get a good plot of two fighting kingdoms. The only way to keep peace is my royal from each kingdom must live in a remote tower for 7 years.

I loved watching the two main characters chemistry build and change while they are living within the tower. This is a slow burn as they are enemies who have to live together for years.

When the spice comes it’s 👩🏼‍🍳💋 so good! These scenes will leave you needing a cold shower

If you love:
🔺Enemies to Lovers
🔺Forced Proximity
🔺Curvy FMC
🔺Slow Burn
🔺Touch Her You Die

Genre:
APK: Ebook
Pages: 536
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Series or Standalone: Stand-alone

Content Warnings: War, Murder, talk of attempted rape, and murder of a child.

I think the issue I had with this, is that it doesn't have the same recipe that the IPB series has. It was sexy but it wasn't as fun and lighthearted.

I wanted to really love this book. I'm a big fan of Dixon's duel POV, short and tight Rubyverse books. Surprise! This one is a 500+ pages, single 1st person POV epic.

I love the premise of this book - two representatives from warring kingdoms are locked in a tower for seven years to appease the gods, come out to a changed world. The pacing was weird to me - the book was way too long, I could definitely see it as a serial, but maybe it should have had a big edit for a book? Anyway, because of pacing issues it was boring even though a lot of stuff happened, and we went from hearing at great length of every candle burned and moment in the tower to yada yada yada-ing the explanation of why this all happened in the first place and the last 15% (vague for spoilers).

I get that Candra was supposed to be fun and flirty, but she really did crack jokes at life or death moments, and never seemed able to read the room. Also she frequently mentioned how she wasn't the strongest thinker, and how strategic and smart Nemeth was, but she kept many fairly important things he should have known while they were figuring out their plans to herself (about the war, who attacked them, etc, etc). I could definitely have used some more insight into their relationship - hard when its all her POV, but he literally wouldn't bang her without her marrying him because he mates for life and loves her, but she kept hiding things from him and doubting him. The single POV makes sense in the last 25% or so, but it was hard being stuck in this girl's head for so long.

I read this as an arc from the publisher on Netgalley.

As a fan of her "Ice Planet Barbarians" series, "Bound to the Shadow Prince" by Ruby Dixon was definitely a book I was ready to dive into. Right from the start, it was clear this story was different, with a more intricate plot and significantly longer length.

The entire story is told from Princess Candra's point of view. While this provided a deep dive into her character, I found myself missing the dual POV format that I’ve enjoyed in other romances. Seeing Nemeth’s perspective would have added another layer of depth to their relationship and the overall narrative.

The idea of Candra and Nemeth being stuck together in a tower for seven years grabbed my attention, and the gradual shift from enemies to lovers kept me hooked. Their chemistry was undeniable, and I loved how their relationship developed over time. However, their time in the tower felt a little drawn out, which sometimes made the pacing feel slow. While I do relish the steamy scenes in this book, at times, they overshadowed other plot points I wished were explored further. Nonetheless, the supporting characters injected depth into the story, making the world Dixon created feel more alive. The twist near the end was a real surprise, which added an exciting layer to the story and kept me on my toes.

One thing that stood out was the detailed description of Nemeth. True to Dixon's talent for creating captivating monsters, Nemeth is portrayed with vivid detail, making him both fearsome and magnetic. His wings, claws, and fangs are described perfectly, staying true to Dixon's ability to craft intriguing, otherworldly characters that readers can't help but be drawn to.

Despite some of my reservations, I enjoyed the overall story. If you're into spicy fantasy monster romances and don’t mind a longer read, this book is worth checking out. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Such a delightfully fun yet heartfelt story from the Queen of Monster Romance herself! Horns, wings, claws, and fangs for the warrior/scholar MMC and a spoiled yet hilariously silly princess FMC all mix together to form an opposites attract romance that will have you flipping through pages faster than a Fellian can fade into shadows.

What I loved most about this love story was how much both main characters went through substantial character evolutions. Nemeth might have started off as gruff, grumpy, and obviously anti-human but his forced proximity to Candra helped to show him that even his well-read self still has much to learn about humans and love. Candra definitely came across as self-centered and frivolous at the beginning, but as the story unfolds—so does her ability to better understand the plight of her people as well as how wrong she is about the shared history of the human/Fellian peoples.

Does this book have spice?
ABSOLUTELY. Plenty of it!

Can you tell that this book started out as a serial?
Yes! There are times the story seems a bit longer than it needed to be—but it definitely adds layers to the overall plot!

Should you read it?
If you love an enemies to lovers, forced proximity, opposites attract monster romance—unequivocally yes!

Thank you so much for this ARC.
This is my first read by Ruby Dixon.

In order to appease the Gods, a member of each royal family, must be sent as a sacrifice to the tower for 7 years. Once they enter, they cannot cross the threshold again or they'll activate the curse. Unpredictable weather that will decimate the lands and send the kingdoms into poverty.

The Fellians reside in Darkfell, hidden beneath a mountain. They are creatures of the shadows with massive wings and horns. Nemeth is the prince and is sent to the tower.

Candra is a flirtatious princess from Lios, the human lands. Candra has bad blood, literally. Needed to be administered potion daily to ward off the effects. Her sister Meryliese, dies in a shipwreck while traveling to the tower as sacrifice. Forcing Candra to take her place.

Will Candra survive the tower with her blood sickness and the enemy?

*forced proximity
*Enemies to lovers
*plot twists
*chosen mates

I was absolutely obsessed with this book in the first half. I literally couldn't put it down. I was avoiding work and responsibilities because all I could think about was this book. The tension and yearning between Candra and Nemeth was *chef's kiss* However, I think the pacing gets off around 40% - 50% of the way through the book. I would have enjoyed this better as two separate books because the two halves do feel really different. Without too many spoilers, there is something that happens to Candra halfway through the book that is a trope I don't really care for (see my storygraph review for spoilers). After this happened, my interest started to wane. Overall, a very well-done smutty book, but a little too long for my liking. The second half did not grip me as much as the first.

Rating: 3.5, rounded up to 4 for NetGalley

I was so happy to receive this ARC! This was my first Ruby Dixon book and it was fun. A spoiled princess and a scholar beast. They are enemies. They get locked in a tower together as a sacrifice to the gods to ensure the good of the land. They have to stay locked up in that tower for 7 years, never being able to step food outside, otherwise the gods will read havoc on the lands. A war starts, and things turn to hell. There were a lot of twists in the book, but each one very different than the other. Of course there’s a HEA, but it takes a lot for them to get there.

Overall, 3.5 stars. I did like the story, I thought that Candra and Nemeth were compelling characters and I enjoyed seeing Candra grow beyond her “sickly”, spoiled princess character. They go through a lot of struggles and really have to change and adapt to overcome them. There were a fair amount of twists that I wasn’t expecting and that was very enjoyable! However, I do think that the book could’ve been shorter. Ruby had a LOT going on in the book and the world building was very well done. And it could be that this book was so much longer because it absolutely reads as a single book and not a series. With IPB, she has a lot of time to world build however she wants. In this book, it all has to happen here. Overall, I liked the story and characters, but felt like the book could have been shorter.

Tropes: forced proximity, enemies to friends to lovers, virgin MMC, touch her and die, monster/human

As a big fan of Ruby Dixon's Ice Planet Barbarians, I eagerly dived into Bound to the Shadow Prince. It's always exciting to see an author explore new worlds and characters, and Dixon did not disappoint in delivering a fresh experience with this book.
Princess Candromeda of Lios is a fierce, unapologetically outspoken heroine. Her certainty and candidness were refreshing, and the curse in her blood added a tantalizing twist to the plot. However, Candromeda felt somewhat one-dimensional at first. It wasn't until I was about 30% through the book that I started to connect with her. Initially, she came across as rather annoying, and it took a while for her character to grow on me.
On the other hand, Prince Nemeth of Darkfell is the epitome of a brooding, dark, and complex character. His many layers make him incredibly compelling and easy to love. Reading about him was an absolute delight.
Dixon's world-building is top-notch. The setting is vivid and immersive, making it easy to understand the stakes and dynamics of this fantastical realm. The descriptions are lush without being overwhelming, allowing readers to feel fully entrenched in the story's environment.
The enemies-to-lovers trope, particularly when combined with the forced proximity of living in a dark tower for seven years, is a personal favorite. The sexual tension and constant anticipation kept me on the edge of my seat, eager to see how the relationship between Candromeda and Nemeth would unfold. True to Ruby Dixon's style, the spicy scenes are sexy and well-crafted, delivering exactly what her fans expect.
Despite these strengths, the book has its flaws, which is why I ultimately rated it three stars. The pacing was uneven, with the beginning dragging on for far too long. A more concise introduction would have kept the momentum going. Conversely, certain key moments lacked the detail and depth they deserved, leaving me craving more information and emotional payoff.
Moreover, while the story was engaging and the characters had undeniable sparkle, something was missing. Candromeda's occasional annoyance and the lack of depth in her development detracted from the overall experience. Additionally, the "all-knowing knife" plot device was frustratingly underutilized. She wields this powerful artifact briefly at the beginning, and then it seems to disappear from significance. Really, Candromeda? Use the knife!
In conclusion, Bound by the Shadow Prince is a good book with an intriguing plot and strong character dynamics, especially between Candromeda and Nemeth. However, with better pacing and more thorough character development, it could have been a great one.
Fans of Ruby Dixon will find much to enjoy, but may also be left wishing for just a bit more.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this ARC! Ruby Dixon did it again! What happens when one person from two enemy cities are forced to live together in a locked tower for 7 years? An enemies to lovers romance of course! I thought Nemeth and Candra were cute as a couple. However, I found Candra shallow and whiny at times. Overall, I really enjoyed Bound to the Shadow Prince.

3.5

The book is better than I expected. Definitely better than book 1 in Ice Planet Barbarian. I was a little skeptical but happy I kept going. Love that it's equal part plot and equal part spicy romance. I had fun guessing the plot twist.

Ruby Dixon never fails. Like the new cover better than all the others. Hot and entertaining. I don't love it as much as IPB, but i can never pass on a good enemies to lovers. Especially when there is forced proximity. loved the character interaction and the entire premise of the book. Pacing was a little off, probably could have skipped the last 100 pages or so, but good. very good.