Another wonderful book by Ruby Dixon. It was interesting to see the growth of both the MFC and MMC throughout the book as the managed to overcome their biases and fears. A true romance!

Oh my smut loving enemies to lovers. Really good read! The twists, turns, and smut had me craving more!

A solid romance option for fans of Ruby Dixon's other works, or Katee Roberts - sadly not my cup of tea.

Listen: is Ruby Dixon a modern Austen? Not so much. But she absolutely knows how to craft a compelling, blood-pumping story full of spice, with just enough heart to keep me invested. I've been a fan of her Ice Planet Barbarians series (devoured the first seven books in as many days last year), and while this is a departure in tone from that series, it's just as devourable. Anyone looking for the literary equivalent of sweet kettle corn -- something you can scarf down in a single sitting -- could absolutely do worse than Dixon/Bound to the Shadow Prince, which is perfect for fans of Katee Robert.

This book was not what I was expecting.

Definitely still a monster romance with very descriptive spicy scenes. However, there was an actual plot that was was most of the story - it wasn't all focused around spice, which was great!

I was so intrigued with the history and lore of the world, and then what would happen next. There were lots of twists and surprises and I really enjoyed this one!

I love me some Ruby Dixon. She has wonderful character building and love stories with unique worlds and lots and lots of smutty fun! This did all the good things, It had an amazing witty, self-confident resilient princess that is obsessed with clothes and loves a good time. I love that she flirts her way around court to solve her problems. She has this horrible disease but she never complains about getting shots every day or dealing with it. She takes everything in stride and with a wonderful sense of humor. I loved following her through her journey.
the idea of getting locked in a tower for 7 years with the enemy was a fun way to get these two characters together. It didn't' give you a lot of world building or even a whole lot of plot while they are in the tower, we are just following along while she tries to survive and how she falls in love with Nemeth. It some places it felt long, long long and in some ways I was just enjoying the star-crossed love story.
When they finally decided to leave the tower it isn't until they get to the Caves that we start getting the political intrigue of the war between the two species. The story really picked up at the end of the story almost a rush to the end. The twist at the end was really really good. I never wood have figure that out and it was such a ahhhhhh moment.
I was very confused on the world (which was fine cause I really wasn't' reading this for the world building) but there was enough world that I was instead and it wasn't completely flushed.. One of the things I kept waiting for was the explanation on magic use. I kept waiting for Chandra to be able to wield magic since she had mixed blood. I kept thinking that is where the arc of her character went but it never really went any where. She was who she was at the beginning of the book as she was at the end.
Obviously I knew what I was reading and I was happy with what the book was.  Overall it was a super cute character based loved story. It is not an Epic Fantasy with huge world buildings with battles and court politics - it is a love story of two species with lots of cuddles, you are mine, vibes and has a satisfactory resolution. I love Ruby Dixon and this held up.

This was a really unique fantasy book that was also a monster romance wrapped up in one (is monster romantasy a thing?). Either way, this book almost felt like 4 books in one with the lengthy plot and many trials that our main character, Candra, has to go through. However this is a standalone book so you can go into this book knowing that there will be some sort of conclusion after 50+ chapters of reading.
I felt like portions of this book could’ve been cut down to make it a bit more concise; however, fantasy fans will enjoy the world building and mythology that is the backdrop to this novel and romance lovers will love all the steamy scenes between Candra and Nemeth. So there’s a little bit of something for everyone!
Despite there being death and blight throughout the entirety of the novel and things seeming bleak for our characters, there is an underlying message of hope and trust in the people you care about that can motivate you to keep moving forward which was very nice to read about in this novel.
If you like adventure, fantasy, and monster romances, then this book is one to add to your TBR!


*I received an ARC from Wattpad Books in exchange for my honest opinion.

Princess Candra and Prince Nemeth are chosen to be placed in the tower as their kingdoms sacrifices of sorts and the Princess is far from ready to be there for as long as they are required, and the prince is not too happy to be stuck with someone like her. Their people don't truly get along and the tension between them is at an all-time high, but when you are forced to spend years locked away with only one other being how can you not form some sort of bond? The author has an incredible way with words that build these characters, worlds, and more that you can visualize it in your head that is feels real and to me it really grabbed my attention, but at times it took it a while for the story to really kick in and get to the meat of what was going on. I thoroughly enjoyed their story and the emotions I felt, and I would read more!

This high fantasy romance has all the suspense and plotting of a Greek tragedy, but with the fantasy happily ever after ending. The main characters are filled with a common purpose to save their countries. Both Princess Candra and Nemeth hide secrets of their own. Against their will, a temporary alliance for the sake of their realms turns into a friendship that blossoms into romance. How can two people from warring nations ever have a future? In a classic enemies to lovers tale, there is subterfuge and political intrigue that neither of the main characters see coming. Forced to escape their confinement, they must face what has become of their world, and decide how they will survive what remains. This story compels the reader to turn the next page as danger and secrets hide in the shadows. Fantasy readers will enjoy the world building, mythology, and political games the characters are forced to play.

Ruby Dixon knows how to write a compelling monster romance. Convincing readers to fall in love with a gray skinned, horned and winged monster with backward facing knees is truly a feat on its own. I love a slow burn enemies to lovers with a monster romance twist and Bound to the Shadow Prince was no exception. Candra and Nemeth had such a swoony love story. Truly, I adore a hurt/comfort trope more than anything else, especially when it’s between supposed enemies. The icing on the cake was the open door spice, which was absolutely delicious and knotty (pun intended).

All that being said, I struggled with the pacing of the story. This was a long book which would be understandable for a complex fantasy, but this was not marketed as such. A significant portion of the story occurred in the dark before they even spoke to one another for more than a line or two. It was only really a slow burn because they were locked in the tower for months before anything happened and I felt every second of those months while reading. For a time, I feared we were going to get narration of daily life for all seven years and I would be forced to DNF. Fortunately, once Candra became ill and they decided to be friends, it felt like they went from zero to mates in no time. I liked this but it didn’t match the pacing of the first part of the story. The ending when they reached Nemeth’s people is where the story truly lost me. It was brutal, filled with plot holes and unanswered questions, character development that didn’t make sense, and it wrapped up too quickly and cleanly for all the build up.

Overall, I had a good time reading Bound to the Shadow Prince, but I had issues with the pacing and the direction the story took in the last 40%.

I would probably recommend this book to someone who reads spicy fantasy romance and is interested in dipping their toes into monster romance. However, I would not recommend Bound to the Shadow Prince to monster romance readers, because I think the extraordinary length of the book and convoluted, surprisingly dark plot would likely not hit in the strictly MonRom community.

Bound to the Shadow Prince by Ruby Dixon is an absolute masterpiece that blends intrigue, passion, and profound character growth. From the very start, Candra’s character may seem selfish, but as the story unfolds, we learn that her behavior is shaped by the toxic environment of her court and the chronic illness that limits her options. It’s incredibly satisfying to see her evolve throughout the book. Similarly, Nemeth’s motivations and growth are explored in depth, making him a complex, compelling character.

This book features the slowest burn I’ve seen from Ruby Dixon, and it works perfectly within the context of the plot. The pacing is deliberate, allowing the forced proximity and enemies-to-lovers tropes to build naturally and with intensity. The stakes are high, and both characters are faced with difficult choices that not only drive the plot forward but also help them grow.

What I absolutely loved were the plot twists—there were several moments that completely caught me off guard, which made for a thrilling, unpredictable read. Bound to the Shadow Prince is a captivating, emotional ride, and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. Fans of slow burns and complex relationships will definitely want to dive into this one!

In order to protect her kingdom from the wrath of a vengeful goddess, Princess Candra must remain locked inside a tower for 7 years.

I did the audio for this one and BOYYYYY was it long. I was committed though and ended up finishing it in 4 days. Overall I liked the storyline but thought it moved much too slowly in the first 75% of the story.

Rating: 4 stars

Read if you like:
- human x other
- surprise pregnancy
- captives
- mates

Not my typical read but it was a good read...not necessarily my favorite but there is potential. I may need to read this again at a later date to see of it is one that gets better the 2nd time around

Firstly, thank you so much NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book! It did take me a while to get through it, but I finally finished it after starting and pausing for a bit. I was hooked in the beginning but lost interest about halfway. I did eventually decide to pick it back up and still enjoyed the rest of it!

This spicy romatasy book had me flying through the pages to find out what happens next. This book follows Candra a princess who is forced to sacrifice 7 years of her life in a tower with her enemy so that the kingdom will blessed. With the two races at war Candra and her enemy Prince Nemeth find out maybe they don’t hate each other as much as they thought. This book was so much fun the writing was easy and compelling and I loved the world Ruby Dixon created. This book has no shortage of spicy scenes and they were well written and didn’t make me lose interest or get bored. I really enjoyed this book and hope there is more in this series. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

I have loved the ice planet series from this author so I was hoping for something different but similar. Unfortunately I couldn’t find the same magic and interest in this story as I have with her I’ve Planet series and I hate to compare series but that’s just my opinion.

Bound to the Shadow Prince by Ruby Dixon is a captivating and fast-paced fantasy romance that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Dixon crafts a world full of intrigue, magic, and complex relationships, blending elements of adventure and romance in a way that is both engaging and entertaining.

The chemistry between the protagonist and the Shadow Prince is palpable, with plenty of tension and emotional depth to keep the romance compelling. Dixon does a great job developing her characters, making them feel real and layered despite the fantastical setting. The plot is fast-moving, with plenty of twists to maintain interest.

While the world-building and character dynamics are strong, there are moments where the pacing can feel rushed, and some readers might find certain plot elements predictable. However, Bound to the Shadow Prince is a satisfying and enjoyable read for fans of the genre, delivering a fun, immersive experience with just the right amount of magic and romance.

This was a fun fantasy read full of romance and spice!

I enjoyed the world building and loved the characyers and their development, especially candra.

And the spice!! Of the charts. This IS a slow burn though, so you have to be patient.

Read if you enjoy:
• Enemies to lovers
• Romantasy
• paranormal/monster
• lots of spice
• slow burn

Thank you for my gifted copy!

I just couldn't finish this. Not only was the text size far too small on my kindle, but the story was not interesting to me at all. Keep in mind, I've read the grand majority of Ruby Dixon's other work - but this just wasn't it. The tower concept was interesting, but seriously.. why do you just send in your children to this windowless house to avoid a curse. I wasn't even able to get to the part where they finally had some banter either. I was thoroughly disappointed.

I'd like to thank Netgalley and Wattpad WEBTOON Book Group | W by Wattpad Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I can't believe this is my first Ruby Dixon book. I loved the world created by the author and it's always good when there is a war between the two kingdoms. Since the beginning, these two warring countries placed two sacrifices into a tower to live for 7 years to appease the goddess and bless them with good weather and crops. They are unable to leave the tower and once a year their countries bring them supplies to last through out the year. Until the second year when neither country sends supplies for these two to live and no word from the outside world has them leaving the tower.
I had a hard time picturing just what Fellian (Prince from one of the warring countries) was... besides a monster with wings and fangs. Then there was Chandra (Princess from the other warring country) who is pretty much a spoiled brat. I'm so glad this was explained about her character from the beginning or I would have had a different take on her.
There was so much growth in this story and world building. This is a forced proximity romance as well as enemies to lovers. Lot's of twists and turns, especially towards the end that kept it interesting. And spicy, very spicy.
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