A review by robinwritesallthethings
Barbarian Mine by Ruby Dixon

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

What It’s About: This book reveals what happened to Harlow at the end of the previous volume after she didn’t come back and details her adventures with Rukh, an alien the others thought died long ago.

Spice Level: It may be cold on the ice planet, but the sex is always hot. I’m not sure the sex in this one is hotter than the others, but I like it more because Harlow and Rukh are my favorite couple.

Realism: This particular plot brings in the idea of (mis)communication and isolation even more than the others. Rukh barely knows the alien language, so even though Harlow speaks it, they have to work much harder to talk to each other, and their fear keeping them away from the others is very understandable, especially considering the circumstances. Overall, I just love how Ruby brings tough themes into these fantastical stories and deals with them well. It also showcases the powers of the khui a bit more. I was shocked at how much it could do when I read it!

Trigger Warnings: There’s some pretty intense kidnapping going on, brief mentions of a terminal illness, and a difficult pregnancy.
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