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A review by missbliss
Barbarian's Mate by Ruby Dixon
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Least Favorite Couple Still Good World Building
I have mentioned in my previous review that I really think Ruby builds such solid and unique characters that this starts to be about personal preferences for characters and couples. And I was surprised that this was the first time I felt rather lack luster towards the couple of Josie/Haeden. I will acknowledge feeling disappointed as I am usually into the enemies to lovers trope and I had been very eager to hear more about Haeden's back story. Again the world building and awareness of the Not-Hoth community continues to be very engaging but I found Haeden to feel too Drax like (character from Guardians of the Galaxy) not grumpy as much as flat affect and severely concrete thinker that made him hard to engage with. Josie I think some will not like because she is incredibly self focused in all her decisions without care or concern of the effect on others. I feel like her behavior is almost more explained by comments Tiffany made in the last volume about what trauma can do to a person and the sense of scarcity that can lead to self preservation and the story really drives home how Josie's whole life has built to this. However both Josie and Haeden never felt as alive to me as other characters, and I found myself less interested in their dynamic where I did not experience as much chemistry and more interest in questions that were being set up in the world. For instance the role of the resonance no matter the personal will of the individual. Honestly I thought what would happen if one of the women from earth was a lesbian. I also think there is a building concern being brought up in the scarcity of women and the growing effect this is having on the young eligible males in the group who are as each volume has been demonstrating acting more aggressively and out of character (based on several volumes now of violence against other males like with Salukh in the last volume and the males at the end of this volume). There is definitely a growing unease that even the older mated males seem very concerned about. I also was frankly very put off by the wrap up of this story which felt rushed and blatantly out of character for Josie. Not for spoilers but just that previously Josie had been very emotionally invested in some folks safety and their well being to at the end literally ignoring someone crying out in fear and disturbance so she could have sex with Haeden--for me this is either a hastily written conclusion or is hammering home that the khui literally makes characters act in a manner that goes against the individuals own values and concern for connection with community. Perhaps this is why the lack of resonance is also starting to drive the men to irrational acts of violence and aggression. It poses some interesting albeit dark implications for the relationship with a symbiont that holds such power over the individual who hosts it. The narration maintained the same quality but again I found the characters to fall flat for me as I do not find the grumpy hard withdrawn male to be attractive. I love a dry snarky wit male who can be engaging but this is not that. Haeden is not witty, there is one moment he starts to be playful and I for that brief moment felt more of a connection but that immediately fell away. I continue to love this series and feel no problem continuing and realize that again these couples will land differently for everyone. But just a little disappointed. I am following the reading order from Ruby Dixon's website so will be reading two of the shorts (Having the Barbarian’s Baby and Ice Ice Babies) before moving onto Barbarian’s Touch.
I have mentioned in my previous review that I really think Ruby builds such solid and unique characters that this starts to be about personal preferences for characters and couples. And I was surprised that this was the first time I felt rather lack luster towards the couple of Josie/Haeden. I will acknowledge feeling disappointed as I am usually into the enemies to lovers trope and I had been very eager to hear more about Haeden's back story. Again the world building and awareness of the Not-Hoth community continues to be very engaging but I found Haeden to feel too Drax like (character from Guardians of the Galaxy) not grumpy as much as flat affect and severely concrete thinker that made him hard to engage with. Josie I think some will not like because she is incredibly self focused in all her decisions without care or concern of the effect on others. I feel like her behavior is almost more explained by comments Tiffany made in the last volume about what trauma can do to a person and the sense of scarcity that can lead to self preservation and the story really drives home how Josie's whole life has built to this. However both Josie and Haeden never felt as alive to me as other characters, and I found myself less interested in their dynamic where I did not experience as much chemistry and more interest in questions that were being set up in the world. For instance the role of the resonance no matter the personal will of the individual. Honestly I thought what would happen if one of the women from earth was a lesbian. I also think there is a building concern being brought up in the scarcity of women and the growing effect this is having on the young eligible males in the group who are as each volume has been demonstrating acting more aggressively and out of character (based on several volumes now of violence against other males like with Salukh in the last volume and the males at the end of this volume). There is definitely a growing unease that even the older mated males seem very concerned about. I also was frankly very put off by the wrap up of this story which felt rushed and blatantly out of character for Josie. Not for spoilers but just that previously Josie had been very emotionally invested in some folks safety and their well being to at the end literally ignoring someone crying out in fear and disturbance so she could have sex with Haeden--for me this is either a hastily written conclusion or is hammering home that the khui literally makes characters act in a manner that goes against the individuals own values and concern for connection with community. Perhaps this is why the lack of resonance is also starting to drive the men to irrational acts of violence and aggression. It poses some interesting albeit dark implications for the relationship with a symbiont that holds such power over the individual who hosts it. The narration maintained the same quality but again I found the characters to fall flat for me as I do not find the grumpy hard withdrawn male to be attractive. I love a dry snarky wit male who can be engaging but this is not that. Haeden is not witty, there is one moment he starts to be playful and I for that brief moment felt more of a connection but that immediately fell away. I continue to love this series and feel no problem continuing and realize that again these couples will land differently for everyone. But just a little disappointed. I am following the reading order from Ruby Dixon's website so will be reading two of the shorts (Having the Barbarian’s Baby and Ice Ice Babies) before moving onto Barbarian’s Touch.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Child abuse, Pregnancy, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, and Pedophilia