A review by bohboh
Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon

slow-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? Yes

1.0

I found out pretty quickly that I may not be the target audience for this novel, but wow is this really bad science fiction. The heroines are altogether helpless in pretty much everything, the writing leaves you cringing every few pages, and it's absolutely awash with overdone romance and fiction tropes. 

Dixon was able to at least make an interesting alien planet that feels filled with awesome alien flora and fauna, but her writing fails to capitalize on that and suffers from some pretty glaring ethical murkiness in the romantic themes she chose. Half of the story is told from the male alien's perspective: He is the definition of no-thoughts-head-empty, immediately "love-at-first-sight" for the female lead, and ultimately not interesting. I highly recommend reading anything else.

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