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greebkit's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I read this because I had fun with the first book of the series. There are good parts, but every little thing that bothered me about the first book seemed amplified in this book. The kidnapping trope was very prominent in this book when less so in the 1st. I had a really difficult time not cringing to several things in this book that was more fun in the 1st. Right away the issue of the women being able to choose not to accept the symbiote was trampled on and it is forced on the main character, Liz. Then she is kidnapped by her "mate" even though that was also promised wouldn't be allowed. There was an early part where he ties her up, but then unties her soon after. There's a scene where they both masturbate in front of each other and later it is framed as an attempt to "show independence,"(?) but it is just cringy. He does all this stuff to "protect" his beloved mate, but purposefully doesn't make her shoes so she can't run. There is a very gross part during which Liz keeps telling him no and not to do X, but then wants and enjoys him doing it and then later he fully says that "no means yes" as she taught him and that gross "lesson" is never addressed! She fully realizes what she "taught" him and then it is never brought up again. Later, she argues that he should be fully forgiven for kidnapping her because she loves him now, but also acknowledges that if there is no consequence it puts a bunch of women at risk of being dragged off and raped - which is acknowledged and then never addressed!
I read this for fun, but it was hard to ignore the Stockholm Syndrome and super rapey things going on. There was still some enjoyable parts, but I just could not shut my brain off and ignore these cringy parts. Even the smut wasn't enough to ignore this.
However, I did still give this 3 stars because I do now want to read the next book in series. The 1st book made me, maybe not invested, but curious enough to read this book because it was centered around Liz who I liked as a side character in the 1st book. I previously read the synopsis of the other books in the series and wasn't interested in going beyond this book. Now having read this book, I am interested in the 3rd book because I liked the side character of Kira more so than in the 1st book. So, the author does a really good job with fleshing out these characters and makes you interested in their story.
I read this for fun, but it was hard to ignore the Stockholm Syndrome and super rapey things going on. There was still some enjoyable parts, but I just could not shut my brain off and ignore these cringy parts. Even the smut wasn't enough to ignore this.
However, I did still give this 3 stars because I do now want to read the next book in series. The 1st book made me, maybe not invested, but curious enough to read this book because it was centered around Liz who I liked as a side character in the 1st book. I previously read the synopsis of the other books in the series and wasn't interested in going beyond this book. Now having read this book, I am interested in the 3rd book because I liked the side character of Kira more so than in the 1st book. So, the author does a really good job with fleshing out these characters and makes you interested in their story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping
Moderate: Misogyny and Kidnapping
The kidnapping is prominent, but it is not portrayed as violenta1exander's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual content
Moderate: Abandonment, Misogyny, Animal death, and Toxic relationship
lilalhreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
I know he was barely in it but I loved Aehako. The scene where Liz holds him “captive” was one of my favorites. Their banter was cute and I loved that he just went along with it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Sexual content, Violence, Misogyny, and Kidnapping
melethwi's review
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
while reading this, besides the staggering consent issues, i couldn't help but wonder what would've happened if one of the girls from the spaceship was gay. (oh wait..... they probably would've forced her to mate to SaVe tHe tRiBe)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Death of parent
lilbookbee's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I've been slowly working on a deep dive into Ruby Dixon's backlog after reading a Risdaverse book I loved. So, despite really not liking Ice Planet Barbarians, I decided to try again with Barbarian Alien. And while I did not love it, I significantly preferred it to the first in the series.
The issue I keep coming up against in these books is the consent issues. Some of them are communication related, some of them are because of not knowing each other's customs, and some are just due to the nature of the khui and this iteration of fated mates. It's the one thing I keep coming up against that stops me from fully immersing myself into the story.
That being said, once we got past most of the consent issues, this book wasn't bad. It was a bit too much insta-love for this length of book, but it was manageable. There was enough tension that I was still able to enjoy it.
I'm probably gonna jump to another Ruby Dixon series for now. But I do think I will make my way back to read another in the Barbarian series. I just need the cushion of the other 'verses to help me enjoy this in-between.
The issue I keep coming up against in these books is the consent issues. Some of them are communication related, some of them are because of not knowing each other's customs, and some are just due to the nature of the khui and this iteration of fated mates. It's the one thing I keep coming up against that stops me from fully immersing myself into the story.
That being said, once we got past most of the consent issues, this book wasn't bad. It was a bit too much insta-love for this length of book, but it was manageable. There was enough tension that I was still able to enjoy it.
I'm probably gonna jump to another Ruby Dixon series for now. But I do think I will make my way back to read another in the Barbarian series. I just need the cushion of the other 'verses to help me enjoy this in-between.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Misogyny, and Violence
Minor: Animal death and Death of parent
emilycruz1016's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Sexism, and Violence
quietmarki's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Cursing, Pregnancy, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Death, and Misogyny
robinsong's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Pregnancy, Vomit, Abandonment, Animal death, Death of parent, and Gore
rensreading's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
i wanted to like this book. it had a strong beginning but i truly could not push past the stockholm syndrome shit going on. it was even worse than in the first book. liz rags on georgie’s relationship a lot without taking a closer look at her own and that irritated me so much because she’s such a strong and stubborn character. but she isn’t perfect and she fell for the dark, tall, and brooding man with the tragic past and parental issues that kidnapped her after she had just escaped another set of kidnappers. way to really stick to your own independence there, liz.
i did like that she mentioned all the shitty and unexplained things the sa-khui are keeping from the humans, unknowingly or not. especially this line: “I thought we were supposed to be equals but maybe the goal is to keep us all barefoot and pregnant and sewing.” bc that is essentially what the sa-khui are doing. she’s aware enough to stir up dissent but not self-aware enough to look at her own relationship and see that its toxic and unhealthy. raahosh is a very shy guy when you get down to it but we can’t just write off the fact that he forced their relationship on liz by shoving the khui into her when she was unwilling. whatever happened to people’s right to die on their own terms? mates a big thing in this universe dixon created, obviously, but they’re also the cause for a lot of dubious consent and plain, unforgiving non consensual sexual assaults too.
again, just more violence against women.
dixon’s writing is also very inconsistent and juvenile too. liz knows the name of the sa-khui’s language without ever being told it by georgie. raahosh acts like the concept of love is normal in their culture and then mentions later that its a big deal to liz without ever mentioning who he learned that from since it wasn’t from vektal or liz, the two most likely to explain that to him. in the epilogue raahosh turns from this mine-mine-mine possessive dude to oh-my-god-what-if-she-hates-my-guts kind of dude and the shift in his character was drastic enough to really catch me off-guard. there was so much being waved away and then explained later but, in the process, it made the first instance all the more confusing since you’re left wondering how characters even know that information.
the spice was alright. it was the only reason i finished this but i wont be continuing with this series any longer and will probably unhaul the copies i got too.
i did like that she mentioned all the shitty and unexplained things the sa-khui are keeping from the humans, unknowingly or not. especially this line: “I thought we were supposed to be equals but maybe the goal is to keep us all barefoot and pregnant and sewing.” bc that is essentially what the sa-khui are doing. she’s aware enough to stir up dissent but not self-aware enough to look at her own relationship and see that its toxic and unhealthy. raahosh is a very shy guy when you get down to it but we can’t just write off the fact that he forced their relationship on liz by shoving the khui into her when she was unwilling. whatever happened to people’s right to die on their own terms? mates a big thing in this universe dixon created, obviously, but they’re also the cause for a lot of dubious consent and plain, unforgiving non consensual sexual assaults too.
again, just more violence against women.
dixon’s writing is also very inconsistent and juvenile too. liz knows the name of the sa-khui’s language without ever being told it by georgie. raahosh acts like the concept of love is normal in their culture and then mentions later that its a big deal to liz without ever mentioning who he learned that from since it wasn’t from vektal or liz, the two most likely to explain that to him. in the epilogue raahosh turns from this mine-mine-mine possessive dude to oh-my-god-what-if-she-hates-my-guts kind of dude and the shift in his character was drastic enough to really catch me off-guard. there was so much being waved away and then explained later but, in the process, it made the first instance all the more confusing since you’re left wondering how characters even know that information.
the spice was alright. it was the only reason i finished this but i wont be continuing with this series any longer and will probably unhaul the copies i got too.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Kidnapping, Sexism, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Blood, Cursing, Excrement, Misogyny, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Sexual assault
so much violence against women is in this.kbairbooks's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
So. *sigh* It’s weird because in book one Liz did not come across as sarcastic and angry and just kinda awful… But she totally did in this book as well as in the first novella/short story. But it was really interesting seeing the differences in the characters and the romance and I’m still gonna keep reading of course but book 2 was just so different from the book one in an unfortunate way I’m really glad book 2 was not book one because then I probably wouldn’t have continued on with the series as always sex was fun and I’m excited to read book 3.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief