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beebowbabe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
badgerceereads's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Animal death and Sexual assault
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, and Sexual violence
Minor: Confinement, Death, Infertility, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
thatbethguy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault
Moderate: Death of parent
wad3mil3sgarru2's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Minor: Rape and Death of parent
book_gremlin42's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Rape and Sexual content
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Death of parent and Pregnancy
roziereads's review against another edition
1.0
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Animal death, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Excrement
mbasford's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Moderate: Grief and Pregnancy
pbella3's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Pregnancy and War
pastryghost's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
Characters:
Saluhk's narration felt very distinct from the other male leads in the series, he is pensive and does not act rashly - something that Tiffany definitely needs in a partner. I liked the author's note that when Dixon was writing their story, she focused on Tiffany being the main character going through change, while Saluhk remained a constant, which put the focus on Tiffany's growth. The "courtship games" were also not a large element in the story, which is what I had expected from the synopsis. Instead, it facilitated a reason for Tiffany and Saluhk to get alone time without the other suitors constantly bothering her.
While a lot of Tiffany's narration is filled with anxiety, she also has a lot of interests that I really loved seeing. She likes crafting and tanning, and figuring out how to plant seeds in the ice wasteland. I really love her close friendship with Josie, those two in particular are the besties on the planet and I love that!
Story:
I enjoyed Tiffany and Saluhk's honeymoon bonus chapter as well. It's nice to see Dixon revisit her characters in these mini stories, and also see a little bit of how the characters have changed since she wrote the stories 5+ years ago. (The addition of sensitivity readers seemed apparent to me, since Tiffany is the only Black character - and the only character of color? - and we see her wearing a sleep bonnet and working oil into her hair. Makes me wish for more diversity in these books, though that's a longer subject.)
I also love Farli and I'm really curious to see her story. I love that she's artistic and the scenes with her and Chompy the dvisti foal were sooo cute.
I think this is my favorite of the series so far, at least on par with the first. I'm probably only gonna read a couple more of these, because I like Josie and I wanna see her story.
Connection to the Ice Planet Barbarian series:
The other books (especially book 4) have a big emphasis on pregnancy and the...breeding trope of the khui resonance. I appreciated that this book focused more on the emotional journey of overcoming trauma and embracing love.
In the other books in the series, I notice a lot of this pattern of writing: "Something something. Question? Obvious answer." Me? I don't love that kind of writing style. And when it appears more than a dozen times in a book? It kinda drives me crazy. 😂 Happy to report that Tiffany does not do that as much as the other protagonists. However, in the brief chapters of Josie that we get, it looks like she's back to that pattern of question-answer tics. Oh well.
Content TW for assault flashbacks and mentions of rape at the hands of the kidnapper aliens, not graphic but still upsetting. Tiffany has nightmares and a big fear of unwanted male attention. The bad aliens returning is NOT a subplot in this book, and the characters are physically safe throughout. It is foremost a book about dealing with past trauma. More character-driven over plot.
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Death of parent
jadedreader13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Pregnancy