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A review by anxious_librarian
Barbarian Alien by Ruby Dixon
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Alright, so, I know I’m the odd one out here but… Liz is not my favorite. I know, everyone loves her sassy “I don’t care if you like me” attitude. But I think there’s a difference between being unapologetically yourself, and being cruel, but I’ll get into that.
BARBARIAN ALIEN overlaps with the end of ICE PLANET BARBARIANS but focuses on Liz. Shortly after the humans accept their khui she is stolen away by stoic hunter Raahosh. Liz is reasonably upset over being abducted for the second time in a month and makes Raahosh’s life hell for it.
They both start off as assholes. Raahosh is waiting until the strength of their resonance (the thing that makes you h0rny as hell) is so strong that Liz accepts him as her mate, and in the meantime is taking care of her and trying to learn more about her. Liz, meanwhile, is angry at the world for choosing a mate for her and at Raahosh for being that mate (to be clear, Raahosh is stuck with you too sweetie, he didn’t choose this).
In some ways they’re as perfect a pairing as can be. Both hard headed and unwilling to bend. At least at first. Liz is actually quick to forgive her mate after learning something key about him, and both of them acknowledge the ways fear drove his actions. Raahosh is equally in awe of Liz, seeing her hunting prowess and clever mind as the perfect match for his lifestyle and personality.
There is a lot of cringe in this (let’s agree to never call sperm “baby batter” again) with Liz’s constant bitchiness. But a lot of heartfelt moments too.
Underneath it all, the big scarred alien is a big awkward sweetie. He’s isolated because of his appearance and quiet demeanor. Loud Liz on the other hand is more than happy to show the tribe how much they’ve been sleeping on the wonderfulness that is her mate, and goes out of her way to make sure he knows he deserves love .
Liz in this book doesn't irritate me much. I mean, she did but I also feel like Raahosh deserved a good portion of it, especially in the beginning. She is comfortable in expressing how she feels, putting the aliens in their place, and is remarkably capable. Overall, Liz is a major badass who finds her footing on the ice planet remarkably quickly.
It’s the end of this book and all books after this (I’ve read up to book 7 so far) that I came to dislike her. Liz has this tendency to judge the other women for not being as strong as she is. Those who were traumatized during their abduction or who don’t adapt as quickly get the brunt of her frustration.
Her behavior towards Kira and Tiffany in particular really rubbed me the wrong way. Kira’s book is still very early in the series, with the humans having only been with the sa-khui a short time. They haven’t had a chance to really mesh cultures yet, and Kira is terrified about what the tribe will do when they realize she’ll never resonate (I won’t spoil why). Despite being closest with Kira, even claiming she’s as close as a sister, she picks on her mercilessly. Not allowing her to speak her mind risking an insult, claiming Kira is too dour when in fact she’s one of the few making good observations.
Similarly, Tiffany has been majorly traumatized due to an assault but the human girls act catty towards her, Liz included, offering fake sympathy for being “the most popular girl on the ice planet.” Completely ignoring the fact that this unwanted attention is causing Tiffany panic attacks.
It really made me look at Liz differently. She is a good mate, forcing Raahosh to open up and is accepting of his insecurities, though I’d argue that even then she can be too hot headed. However in other books she comes across as completely unable to offer sympathy to anyone else. That’s not something I could really get on board with.
BARBARIAN ALIEN overlaps with the end of ICE PLANET BARBARIANS but focuses on Liz. Shortly after the humans accept their khui she is stolen away by stoic hunter Raahosh. Liz is reasonably upset over being abducted for the second time in a month and makes Raahosh’s life hell for it.
They both start off as assholes. Raahosh is waiting until the strength of their resonance (the thing that makes you h0rny as hell) is so strong that Liz accepts him as her mate, and in the meantime is taking care of her and trying to learn more about her. Liz, meanwhile, is angry at the world for choosing a mate for her and at Raahosh for being that mate (to be clear, Raahosh is stuck with you too sweetie, he didn’t choose this).
In some ways they’re as perfect a pairing as can be. Both hard headed and unwilling to bend. At least at first. Liz is actually quick to forgive her mate after learning something key about him, and both of them acknowledge the ways fear drove his actions. Raahosh is equally in awe of Liz, seeing her hunting prowess and clever mind as the perfect match for his lifestyle and personality.
There is a lot of cringe in this (let’s agree to never call sperm “baby batter” again) with Liz’s constant bitchiness. But a lot of heartfelt moments too.
Underneath it all, the big scarred alien is a big awkward sweetie. He’s isolated because of his appearance and quiet demeanor. Loud Liz on the other hand is more than happy to show the tribe how much they’ve been sleeping on the wonderfulness that is her mate, and goes out of her way to make sure he knows he deserves love .
Liz in this book doesn't irritate me much. I mean, she did but I also feel like Raahosh deserved a good portion of it, especially in the beginning. She is comfortable in expressing how she feels, putting the aliens in their place, and is remarkably capable. Overall, Liz is a major badass who finds her footing on the ice planet remarkably quickly.
It’s the end of this book and all books after this (I’ve read up to book 7 so far) that I came to dislike her. Liz has this tendency to judge the other women for not being as strong as she is. Those who were traumatized during their abduction or who don’t adapt as quickly get the brunt of her frustration.
Her behavior towards Kira and Tiffany in particular really rubbed me the wrong way. Kira’s book is still very early in the series, with the humans having only been with the sa-khui a short time. They haven’t had a chance to really mesh cultures yet, and Kira is terrified about what the tribe will do when they realize she’ll never resonate (I won’t spoil why). Despite being closest with Kira, even claiming she’s as close as a sister, she picks on her mercilessly. Not allowing her to speak her mind risking an insult, claiming Kira is too dour when in fact she’s one of the few making good observations.
Similarly, Tiffany has been majorly traumatized due to an assault but the human girls act catty towards her, Liz included, offering fake sympathy for being “the most popular girl on the ice planet.” Completely ignoring the fact that this unwanted attention is causing Tiffany panic attacks.
It really made me look at Liz differently. She is a good mate, forcing Raahosh to open up and is accepting of his insecurities, though I’d argue that even then she can be too hot headed. However in other books she comes across as completely unable to offer sympathy to anyone else. That’s not something I could really get on board with.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Kidnapping