From the author of all the blue alien sci-fi romances, this fantasy romance excels in story telling and world building. I especially love that the entire story is contained in one volume.

It was fun to read something different from Ruby Dixon. I liked the story building in this story, the whole locked in a tower makes a really interesting story. Candra is kinda an unlikable character that Ruby makes you grow to love. Fun read.

4.5 stars

This is a slow burn romance set in a really interesting world. I personally wouldn’t have lasted with no windows even in the tower as long as they did, but they certainly decided on an interesting way to pass the time. I appreciated the character growth our female MC went through, and only wished the male MC didn’t essentially get worse. The end left a lot of things up in the air, (and one issue I have with the knife’s answer) I would love to read on to see these beings all in peace. If you like epic fantasy with romance I would give this one a try.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy to share my honest opinions.

So to be honest, the beginning of this book had me. I was super interested in the Fellians and Nemeth, but i was kind of annoyed with Candras people. Reading on and watching the relationship develop was awesome! I really enjoyed the way Nemeth was with Candra. Then they had to leave and it just went downhill for me there. Candra saw how her people ended up and Nemeth is "dealing" with his people. But for real, I just cant come to terms with how Nemeth has treated Candra since. I have just about lost interest in this and am struggling to get past page 445/509. It isnt a bad story just not what I was hoping it would be.

The only other book by Ruby Dixon that I have read was the first Ice Planet Barbarians, and this one was so different

I loved this book. If you know me, you know I love a shadow daddy and Nemeth was *chef’s kiss*. The beginning of this book was the slow burn I needed and then we got to the SMUT.

There were twists and turns to this book that I did not expect and I loved every minute of this read and was so sad when it was over.

If you love a shadow daddy too, RUN and grab a copy.

Let’s have a conversation about Bound to the Shadow Prince by Ruby Dixon. This book follows Candra, who after her sister dies, is forced to live in a tower for seven years to appease an angry goddess. Her only companion is Nemeth, the prince of a people at war with hers. As the two are forced to help each other survive, their relationship changes from one of enemies, to lovers.

If you have read any Ruby Dixon books, you know that she is an author who knows how to create these well-developed worlds with interesting creatures, and this book is no different. Taken inspiration from various fairy tales and historical events, this book’s setting of a tower could be boring., especially in such a small space setting. Dixon takes what could be boring and makes it interesting with Candra’s fight for survival and Nemeth’s need for friendship. This monster romance also features some great characters who show huge growth throughout the entire book. Candra, a human, starts off spoiled, but soon blossoms into an independent woman. Nemeth, a Fellian, is a shy monster who becomes more sure of himself with the help of Candra.

Something to keep in mind is that this book is very long, and I do think it could have been shortened a little bit, but I did enjoy the story overall. Readers should also keep in mind that this story does get heart-wrenching and can be very emotional.

Thank you to Ruby Dixon and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book prior to its release. Bound to the Shadow Prince comes out July 2, and I cannot wait for you all to read it!

I feel like I know exactly what I'm getting with a Ruby Dixon book. To me, this was just like the Ice Planet Barbarians, but make it vaguely fantasy instead of vaguely sci-fi. It was weirdly long though?? Even when she had massive leaps of time??

I haven’t read anything from this author before, but this was a wonderful surprise! I enjoyed it a lot, especially the tension between the two main characters! Definitely a great setting, as well, and world-building! And the grumpy x sunshine dynamic??? Amazing!

Excellent and consistent showing from the amazing Ruby Dixon. A gorgeous and captivating story, a little darker than some of her other stories. This one leans more into the darkness in a captivating way. The romance is lovely and endearing and the world that Ruby has built is harsh and unforgiving. I would love to get more stories from this setting!!

3.75/5 ⭐️
While this took me awhile to read, once i got to Candra and Nemeth in the tower, it was game over for me. The plot twists were done so well and this was overall a great romance. I enjoyed the enemies to friends to lovers a lot but lowkey wish she wouldn't have forgiven him so fast


Thank you NetGalley, W by Wattpad Books and Ruby Dixon for this ARC opportunity in exchange for my honest opinion!

I think the description of this book reads as a Rapunzel retelling but this book is very much not that. The only similarities is the tower that they're both locked in.
I also feel that this book was entirely too long - the smut took a bit of a front seat to plot around the beginning of the 2/3 mark of the book and just made the book drag on when it didn't need to. I think that my expectations of this being a Rapunzel retelling is really what made me dislike the book because for the most part I usually love Ruby's writing.


Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this advanced e-copy in exchange for my honest review.

Unique, exciting read! I have read about 1 million books at this point in my life and I can genuinely say I have never read anything like this. Yes, there are moments in the book that remind me of some of Ruby Dixon‘s other work, and there are elements of fairytales in the story, but combined this is a completely unique reading experience. I really enjoyed the romance, and the plot, but the ending felt a bit rushed and slightly anticlimactic after all of that build up. Although the twist at the end caught me by complete surprise (at least part of it) and that rarely happens. The only reason this book is not receiving 5 stars is due to the format of the book itself which needs a lot of work. Am I giving this book such a raving review because it was a great masterpiece that will withstand centuries… no. BUT it surprised me, brought me joy, had a cute romance and left me wanting more. In my book that’s a 5 star read. I look forward to reading more by this author and maybe (if she writes them) in this series.

Thank you so much NetGalley for this ARC! What an adventure. Just like all of Ruby Dixon’s work, I think this was a very fun read. She always finds a way to make book character interactions captivating and that was consistent with Nemeth and Candra’s relationship. With that being said - I felt this book went on for much longer than it should have. I am usually okay with a lengthy read but the storyline felt a little more dragged out than necessary for what it was about. For that reason alone, I would say this isn’t my favorite book out of the “Bound to” series - though I still think Dixon’s writing keeps you invested until the end!

Thank you for allowing me to read this book. I enjoyed the characters and their arcs, and found the plot interesting. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Not going to lie….this book was a bit of a disappointment. The tower portion of the book drags on and on and on. And then on for a little bit longer. I feel like I read half of the book before anyone else was introduced and even then I don’t know what I learned from all that time. I never really connected with Candra, and I know that this is fantasy, but everything about the windowless / doorless tower is so unbelievable. Nemeth is a typical MC that is angry at girl until he falls in love with her. He just falls flat for me (though I did like that he was inexperienced). And I also can’t quite understand what he is supposed to look like?? And I think the biggest issue for me was WHY was the knife not used more? There were parts that I did like….the tension building up to them becoming intimate was fantastic and I wanted more of that. Unfortunately, this book was just not for me.

Big thanks to NetGalley and W by Wattpad Books for providing me with an e-arc of this book. Rate 3.5

I was hooked on this book during the first half; I found myself engrossed for a solid four hours before reluctantly putting it down to get some sleep.

The protagonist, Candra, was incredibly relatable, and I adored her laid-back attitude. The forced proximity between Candra and Nemeth, trapped together in a tower with nothing to do but bond, was the perfect setup, and I savored every moment of it.

However, my enthusiasm waned a bit in the second half. It felt almost like a different story altogether. While still enjoyable, I found myself less invested than I was initially. As Candra and Nemeth ventured into the outside world together, the spark of their relationship seemed to dim. Additionally, the plot became increasingly complex in the latter half, almost too much to fully explore within the confines of this single book.

Nevertheless, I would still recommend this book to fans of Ruby's writing or anyone seeking a standalone fantasy romance.

There is a plot hole about a third of the way through the book that never gets explained. I finished the book, hoping it would be addressed, but it wasn't so I'm giving a low review. Also, Candra really annoyed me, and there's way too much information revealed at the end without Candra seeming like she's truly questioning anything (think no emotional reaction to it all) so I kind of ended up hating it by the end.

3.5 stars

To keep the Golden Moon Goddess happy, one royal representative from the two warring kingdoms must stay locked in a tower for seven years. No one can enter and neither person can step foot outside of the tower - to do so is to bring the wrath of the goddess upon their heads.

Candra wasn't supposed to be sent to the tower; she has a blood curse that means she needs medicine every day and which causes her to be infertile, so she's always been the family's forgotten child. However, the king gives her a choice: she goes or he sends his wife, the queen, who is pregnant. Obviously Candra goes, but she's woefully unprepared for life taking care of herself and she's stuck in a bricked-up tower with her enemy. But the more time she spends around Nemeth, the more she realizes that he's just a man and it's awfully lonely in the tower without a friend.

I've read a couple of the books in Ruby Nixon's Planet Barbarian series and I forgot how dark the author can get. The first 80% of the book wasn't terribly deep, but boy, did that change; I don't want to give any spoilers, but definitely check any CWs available if you need any.

Candra was an interesting character, and the day-to-day realities of living locked in a tower was interesting. This is a very long book, but it was engaging, so I didn't have trouble reading it quickly. This book was certainly entertaining, so I will definitely be recommending it for fans of Ruby Dixon, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, or spicy romances.

This was a good slow burn enemies to lovers story. The story did move kinda slow but the attraction between the two characters made it worth the read. The characters are pretty unique and so is their situation. I did enjoy this.

Ruby went DARK! And, I'm okay with that.

Throw-away princess gets stuck in a tower, to appease an angry goddess, for seven years, and SURPRISE, she has to rough it with the enemy prince. Oh no! What could possibly go wrong? Everything, apparently.

Why I love Ruby Dixon's writing: Her FMCs are relatable, her MMCs blow all of the conventional book boyfriends out of the water, her plots are straightforward and adventurous, and without fail, I'm going to cry at least once. I got everything I expected in Bound to the Shadow Prince, and then some.

I believe this may be the first time I'm actually encouraging readers to check TWs before diving into this one because there are several moments when the subject matter is borderline shocking, but within an appropriate context.