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philodora's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement and Death
Minor: Child death, Stalking, and Pregnancy
anxious_librarian's review against another edition
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
kb33's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Rape, Suicide, and Death of parent
fishreads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
(Not an actual review, just some thoughts off the top of my head.) Liz and Raahosh are one of my favorite pairings in the series. Raahosh is one of the unmated hunters from the Vektal's tribe. He is lonely, yet incredibly grumpy with a huge chip on his shoulder. Liz is take charge kind of girl, similar to Georgie. Except, unlike Georgie, Liz is actually fun character. She's full of piss and vinegar, always speaking her mind and not letting a "man" get her down. And as such she is perfect for Raahosh.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Trafficking
a1exander's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment
boundt0please's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
[ third read ]
Liz and Raahosh. Where... to... begin... 😏
Liz and Raahosh. Where... to... begin... 😏
As soon as I lie down, he is at my side, and pulls me against him. My body nestles against his and he's warm, his arms hugging me to his body. He nuzzles my neck and his hand cups my breast. I worry he's going to think too much of our fooling around.
"This doesn't change anything, you know," I tell him. "I still haven't accepted you as my mate."
"More of your denials," he says in a smug voice. "Say what you want. I will play along with this courting ritual." Gah.
And, not in any particular order...
He looks up at me, his face feral, eyes glowing with an unholy light. His hard, sexy mouth is wet with the taste of me, and as I watch, he bares his fangs and gives me a look that makes my nipples perk all over again.
“Mine,” he growls, and buries his face between my legs again. He begins to lick me again, and I squeal.
I lie back, ready to be all his like he just said and—Wait a fucking moment. Was that English?
That's all, thank you 😜
- - - - - - - - - - - -
[ first read ]
THE ALIENS ARE COMING BACK 😱 KIRAAAA *buys the next book*
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Kidnapping, and Death of parent
leandrathetbrzero's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I'm slowly catching up with the backlog of book reviews from the last few months, and this one was read back in March with my friend, Brittany from @Brittany Loves Reading on booktube. Every other month, we host Ice Planet Barbarian reading sprints on a Saturday for 8 hours. As of this review, we are now on book 7, to be read in July 2023!
Having read the first six books in this series so far, this one is still my favorite! I love that it loosely mirrors Beauty & the Beast, featuring a hate-to-love romance. The dynamic between Liz and Raahosh was a lot of fun because, even though she is a chatterbox and he's the grumpy silent type, they are both incredibly stubborn and that made their interactions so funny at times. I still like that Ruby Dixon doesn't take this series too seriously, allowing for humor between intense moments of survival or conflict. It's interesting to think back on this book remembering how little we knew about the planet, its environment, and how finding one's true "mate" works. The series definitely builds on itself and becomes more and more complex!
Having read the first six books in this series so far, this one is still my favorite! I love that it loosely mirrors Beauty & the Beast, featuring a hate-to-love romance. The dynamic between Liz and Raahosh was a lot of fun because, even though she is a chatterbox and he's the grumpy silent type, they are both incredibly stubborn and that made their interactions so funny at times. I still like that Ruby Dixon doesn't take this series too seriously, allowing for humor between intense moments of survival or conflict. It's interesting to think back on this book remembering how little we knew about the planet, its environment, and how finding one's true "mate" works. The series definitely builds on itself and becomes more and more complex!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Kidnapping
Minor: Violence and Injury/Injury detail
lilbookbee's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I've been slowly working on a deep dive into Ruby Dixon's backlog after reading a Risdaverse book I loved. So, despite really not liking Ice Planet Barbarians, I decided to try again with Barbarian Alien. And while I did not love it, I significantly preferred it to the first in the series.
The issue I keep coming up against in these books is the consent issues. Some of them are communication related, some of them are because of not knowing each other's customs, and some are just due to the nature of the khui and this iteration of fated mates. It's the one thing I keep coming up against that stops me from fully immersing myself into the story.
That being said, once we got past most of the consent issues, this book wasn't bad. It was a bit too much insta-love for this length of book, but it was manageable. There was enough tension that I was still able to enjoy it.
I'm probably gonna jump to another Ruby Dixon series for now. But I do think I will make my way back to read another in the Barbarian series. I just need the cushion of the other 'verses to help me enjoy this in-between.
The issue I keep coming up against in these books is the consent issues. Some of them are communication related, some of them are because of not knowing each other's customs, and some are just due to the nature of the khui and this iteration of fated mates. It's the one thing I keep coming up against that stops me from fully immersing myself into the story.
That being said, once we got past most of the consent issues, this book wasn't bad. It was a bit too much insta-love for this length of book, but it was manageable. There was enough tension that I was still able to enjoy it.
I'm probably gonna jump to another Ruby Dixon series for now. But I do think I will make my way back to read another in the Barbarian series. I just need the cushion of the other 'verses to help me enjoy this in-between.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death and Death of parent
fartbart's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Kidnapping, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Death of parent and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Vomit
singingshooter's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Animal death, Sexism, Blood, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail