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A review by destinae
Bound to the Battle God by Ruby Dixon
4.0
As someone who came to know ruby dixon by way of ice planet barbarians, i will admit that i was petrified of what awaited me in the six hundred pages of this novel.
I had no idea what a tour de force it would be.
Ruby brilliantly balances world-building, agonizingly slow-burn romance, and real palpable drama and intrigue to tell a story that pulls you in quickly and has you on the edge of your seat until the last page.
She also manages to play the “fiesty earth girl in a fantasy world” trope so well that i only groaned one or two times at dialogue choices. The love between Faith and the titular battle god builds slowly but surely through the story of a battle royale type conflict between different aspects of the god’s personality.
All the characters are intriguing, well-developed, and special. Ruby isnt afraid to kill off two somewhat major characters, and its clear this book was written with plenty of heart.
I didnt expect the smut to be my least favorite part of the book, but somehow it felt like a waste of real estate when i was aching to know what would come next in the central conflict. However, ruby knows how to balance good storytelling and salacious scenes, and even at the height of the characters’ sexuality, the erotica is more of a set piece than a main attraction.
I love the mythos that is built here. I think ruby really showed her hand in this book and it paid off. I cannot wait for the second installment.
I had no idea what a tour de force it would be.
Ruby brilliantly balances world-building, agonizingly slow-burn romance, and real palpable drama and intrigue to tell a story that pulls you in quickly and has you on the edge of your seat until the last page.
She also manages to play the “fiesty earth girl in a fantasy world” trope so well that i only groaned one or two times at dialogue choices. The love between Faith and the titular battle god builds slowly but surely through the story of a battle royale type conflict between different aspects of the god’s personality.
All the characters are intriguing, well-developed, and special. Ruby isnt afraid to kill off two somewhat major characters, and its clear this book was written with plenty of heart.
I didnt expect the smut to be my least favorite part of the book, but somehow it felt like a waste of real estate when i was aching to know what would come next in the central conflict. However, ruby knows how to balance good storytelling and salacious scenes, and even at the height of the characters’ sexuality, the erotica is more of a set piece than a main attraction.
I love the mythos that is built here. I think ruby really showed her hand in this book and it paid off. I cannot wait for the second installment.