I found the idea of this book very interesting, and while it started off with strong lore and conflict setup, romance and slow burn, the over all story does not hold you captive. The characters' time in the tower is the most interesting part. I love that our FMC is chubby and charming, spoiled but able to roll with the punches to adapt. I liked that she has a chronic illness, needing daily injections. There needs to be more of that in fiction.

But, once they leave the tower, the story drags. There is no rising tension, no real conflict. You don't have a sense of the characters' physical or emotional well-being is ever really at stake. The whole story's main conflict centers around her daily medication, with the war between their two people simmering on the back burning.

They spend the second half of the book trudging through abandoned villages, with only one instance of running into people mildly threatening. They succeed only in making the FMC and reader briefly uncomfortable with implied threat of sexual violence. There's no horror landscape of what's happened, no devastation leading to a destroyed kingdom, no remnants of villages burnt to ash or bodies and livestock rotting where they fell as though fleeing something terrible. It's steady concern about medicine, which you know they'll overcome, and not running across another person as they trudge through the never-ending rain.

Then, when we get to the MMC's city, there's no more tension to be found there, only back-and-forth getting no answers, and a plot twist that was predictable. None of the speciesism is felt, just told to us, making character reactions hard to swallow, as if overacting. When the only threat to female characters is sexual violence and abuse, it feels like everyday misogyny, the same thing women have to fear in real life, which doesn't make a good plot device.

Honestly, if the author were to try to fix these things before publication, she'd have to scramble, but I believe she could get it done, but I'm not sure she has the option of that at this point.

Candra and Nemeth are royals from rival races (she's human, he's kind of like a bat?), both chosen by their families to stay in an isolated tower together for 7 years to keep peace and prevent a curse from raining (literally) down and destroying the world as they know it. Even though they're supposed to be enemies, they're each the only company available so they carefully get to know one another and slowly become friends...and then more. But when their annual supplies fail to arrive, they have to choose between leaving the tower --which might trigger the curse -- or dying.

I knew going in that this was going to be kind of an unusual love story, seeing as how Dixon's other books are about Ice Barbarians (I haven't read any of those yet). And the fact that it's a human woman and a bat didn't weird me out at all. There was plenty of smut, and I was prepared for and looking forward to that. I will say those scenes were a little repetitive after a while and often seemed to come up out of nowhere, but I also understand that this book was originally was released a chapter at a time...so if readers had to wait between sections, it might have flowed better and seemed fresher.

My biggest issue was that the book changed half-way through to being more about political intrigue and less about 2 people locked in a tower together, trying to survive. The story just suddenly took a big turn and became something else entirely. Which again, maybe worked better when gradually told over time, but I found it frustrating.

I might check out the Ice Barbarians at some point, but I can't say I understand the excitement over this one.

**Thank you to NetGalley and WattPad Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!**

Ruby Dixon is the queen of monster romance and bound to the shadow prince is a fun, steamy romance.

After reading her infamous ice planet barbarians, I was convinced that I would continue to read more of her books. I loved the dynamic of Candra and Nemeth. It was slow burn, hot and steamy. I thought it was interesting how she's a girl that has been sheltered and coddled her whole life and now forced into a new world that she knows nothing about and dealing with creatures. It is a dislike/enemies to lovers, forced proximity, touch her and die and a pure female main character. I think that with this genre it just works in a fantasy setting.

It has an intriguing storyline and plot and you are not bored in any page. I actually really liked Candra, I love a spoiled princess that develops and finds her voice and agency and I just love when the female doesn't know it all and it's refreshing to see in fantasy books. I also loved how down bad he was for, I think it's always fun when the guy is obsessed with her and putty in her hands. Overall, the book is interesting, funny, witty, steamy and despite the length, moves quickly and does not drag. I highly recommend this for fans of monster romance and Ruby Dixon.

I don't understand how Ruby Dixon can take tropes I don't usually like and have me FULLY INVESTED.
This book made me feel allll the feelings- sadness, anger, excitement, love, frustration, etc. There was a lot of character development for the FMC as she's thrust into a fate that wasn't meant to be hers, and the MMC is the secret cinnamon roll protector pretty much from day 1. It had enough world building for a plot that it wasn't super confusing, and the twists just kept coming- some anticipated, some not.... OH and there was SPIIIIICE.
(I'd def look into the triggers. While it is overall a romantic story, it does deal with some heavy topics.)

Ruby Dixon is a favorite author of mine. That being said, I was really excited to read something completely different from her. What I mean by completely different is that this book is a behemoth, it is not fast paced, the main characters take more time to fall in love, the premise is kind of depressing (seven years locked in a tower?); do I need to go on? I'm used to quite the opposite from her. And what can I say? I fell in love. It proves to me that Ruby can write just about anything and I will probably find value in her musings.

From the very first pages I was invested in Candra, even though she was a spoiled brat. But she was a spoiled brat who progressed in the best way. She grew and matured in the ways that she needed to become the best version of herself, but somehow stayed true to her true being; i.e. she was still a spoiled brat and totally shameless, but not vapid and selfish in a heartless way.

I fell in love with Nemeth as soon as his green eyes made an appearance. To read about the upbringings of these deemed 'non-valuable' royal offspring and how they coped was pretty heartbreaking, but to see how they turned their lives around into something beautiful was really satisfying. The progression of the plot was surprising and kept me on my toes throughout.

PS Check your TW before reading this book. There are a few.

Oh, and the tropes! Let me count the ways.

Curvy FMC
Scholarly, Virgin MMC
Grumpy x Sunshine
Enemies to Friends to Lovers
He Falls First
Forced Proximity
Touch Her and Die
Dragon Type Not Human x Human?
KNOTS

Alas, I would be remiss to not mention the knot. I was not into knots (hah) previously but uh, Ruby, you done did it. Knots. They're a thing. I'm into them. Knots. HOT.

Ruby is a mastermind and I cannot wait for whatever comes next. Five glorious, knotty stars!

Many thanks to NetGalley Wattpad WEBTOON Book Group, and Ruby Dixon for giving me the opportunity to read this most special book in eARC format for my honest opinion.

I started this super reluctant about a close to 600 page book. But I started on a flight and was so hooked that I didn't want to put it down. I did, but I didn't want to. This is the story of Candra. Someone from her family must be locked into a tower for 7 years in order to keep the Gods happy. She knows that she is going to be locked in with someone from a winged race of people, but doesn't know that it will be a man..a bookish man who ends up being her mate.

It's just as cozy as we want books from Ruby to be, but with all of the heat and the conflict and story that makes me put my face right into it and not come out of the book until I am done.

I've already told multiple people about this book. Really enjoyed this one, especially the pacing which seemed slow but was actually perfect for the overall story.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this ARC of Bound to the Shadow Prince.

This book was my intro to Ruby Dixon. The MMC, Nemeth, is quite the cinnamon roll, while the FMC, Candra, is a delightfully sarcastic princess. I really enjoyed their banter and all the moments that Candra makes Nemeth blush with her overt comments.

The pacing was a bit weird for me. The beginning takes off, but somewhere towards the middle, things just seem disjointed. I think this was due to some characters keeping secrets, but it was really hard to bounce back from that. The ending felt rushed to me, even with the big reveals. I felt like I should have been completely shocked, but I didn't really feel anything.

What really made this book a challenge for me was the appearance of one of my least favorite tropes. I get why there was no warning for it, but it was just not for me.

It's a nice read if you want some fantasy fluff and smut without intense world building, but I probably wouldn't read it again.

Some authors just have this way of telling a story and as you read it’s like the outside world it doesn’t exist and you don’t know how much time has passed, you’re just completely lost in this world. That’s what it felt like reading this book. I was endlessly saying, “just one more chapter” as my bedtime was pushed later and later. I don’t even know what it was about the book but I know that I couldn’t believe when the book ended.

The story is told in the POV of our FMC who you will love or hate. She starts off as this spoiled brat, but it’s how she was raised. As she begins to adapt and change you see her grow up and become the leader she needs to become. I do love having multiple POVs within a book but I found this worked perfectly. I think it’s better that we did not know the MMC’s POV. I would not be opposed to a novella or bonus chapters of his POV during some scenes but I like that we didn’t always know what was happening and why.

I really enjoyed that this story worked perfectly as a standalone novel. It definitely could have been expanded into another book, but the story didn’t feel rushed. I’m sure there are only so many ways the author could have written about being trapped for years and I like how the author simultaneously showed how quickly and yet how slowly time passed.

I loved the storytelling and the book further cemented my love for this author. I feel so satisfied with this book and its ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wattpad WEBTOON Book Group for the opportunity to read this book. All opinions are my own.

It is very safe to call me a committed Ruby Dixon reader, 2023 I read all her entire backlog except for the Bedlam Butcher series.

Bound to the Shadow Prince, despite sounding like it is is not a part of the Aspect and Anchor world just putting that out first. However I would say this standalone shares the bleakness of A&A, there’s a certain darkness Dixon explores in that series that often far out paces her others.

Story wise yes it is a long winding road but that felt intentional for experiencing the same stretched out time the characters do. Candra and Nemeth have to actively fight to understand each other while being on opposing sides of war. I loved that RD said she was pulling from the story of Helen of Troy and other Greek mythology here it added such an epic twist.

What a fantastically magical masterpiece! Bound to the Shadow Prince is a wickedly surprising and wonderfully magnificent journey of two forgotten people who found more then ever bargained for. Guided by the questionable plans of others, they fall prey to their gods' whims. Fighting for their own survival, they can only hope their sacrifice is making a difference. With the precarious passing of time, they discover that they can truly only ever count on each other.

Candra is the spare heir of her royal family. She is the cursed one who is often overlooked and forgotten, so she does what she can to make herself heard and seen. When a disastrous surprise is used to change every part of her life, she is left with no choice, but to follow the demands of another. Under the heavy obligation of her people, she steps loyally into what feels like her own demise. Nemeth thought his life was all planned out for him. He was under no delusion of allowing his dreams to lead his heart. What he never counted on was meeting a fiery beauty like Candra. She has her own mind and fights for what she wants. Will Fate allow Nemeth to follow the desires of his own heart for once in his regimented life, or will he watch them wither and dead under the weight of responsibility and duty?

Watching the numerous and stark differences between Nemeth and Candra slowly meld and intertwine to form something utterly spectacular was truly breathtaking to behold. My heart melted and sighed each time these two fought to have something more between them. They refused to settle for anything less then everything, and I cheered them on the entire time. What a sumptuous romance that simmered with undeniable passion and pure love! I could not have asked for more then the perfection of these two brilliant characters and their fight for a life of peace and hope.

This the first book I have read by Ruby Dixon, and I must admin that I am thoroughly impressed and hopelessly besotted. Her characters are to die for, and the story line absolutely took my breath away. There is nothing better then a story that shreds your heart with its wonderful depth and consumes your very soul with its unbridled passion. You can be sure that I will be reading much more from this fantastic author!

Firstly, thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc of this book. It is greatly appreciated but does not impact the contents of my review.

I am a big Ruby Dixon fan. Last year I believe I read over twenty of her books, and I enjoyed myself in all of them. I am a huge fan of her Aspect and Anchor series, and although I knew this book wasn’t part of that, I had my fingers crossed that it had a similar theme.

Candra is our fmc. After a lifetime of being a spoiled princess without responsibilities or duties, Candra is shipped off to a tower for the next 7 years. She will be without servants, without adequate supplies, and without sunlight. She is not the only one who must serve seven years to the goddess. A prince from the enemy kingdom will be her only companion. Candra is wildly unprepared for the trials and tribulations of roughing it in a tower. Suddenly she is responsible for every aspect of her care, and it turns out she isn’t really equipped for it. When her companion offers a truce, Candra must decide if she should keep her enemies close.

I absolutely love the idea for this book. I’m a sucker for forced proximity, and I honestly appreciate having a break from the “badass” fmc trope. Candra is undoubtedly a spoiled princess, and there is nothing wrong with it I’m sure some people are going to find her annoying, and I think that is honestly just part of who she is as a character.

Nemeth is our MMC, and I really miss the dual pov from Ice Planet Barbarians for the MMC. I thought Nemeth was okay for the first half of the book, and by the end, I really wanted someone who adored Candra more. I really like when men worship their women, and I found that lacking in this book. Nemeth consistently keeps secrets from Candra and sometimes just flat out ignores her worries/questions. Even when they *spoiler* go back to his kingdom and see all the human slaves, he just isn’t motivated enough to actually help her. ALSO I thought Nemeth leaving her with those gross humans because they had horses was absolutely ridiculous. You could have stolen those horses. She literally thought she was going to be raped, and that he had abandoned her, while he was just creeping in the shadows. It’s stupid. *end spoiler kinda*

Anyways, as always the smut in this is good. Ruby always has good smut and this was no exception. I really enjoyed them being in the tower together, and it wasn’t until afterwards where I felt Nemeth lacking. Overall, I had a good time, and I am sure I will continue to read just about anything Ruby Dixon writes.

3.75/5 stars. Rounded up to 4 stars

Bound to the Shadow Prince was a really fun read. This enemies-to-lovers romance is full of intrigue and has a sassy female lead character that had me laughing out loud at times. Perfect for fans of Dixon's other works and other fantasy romance like Jennifer L Armentrout.

Honestly this wasn't my cup of tea, maybe I'm just not into monster romances lol This was my first attempt at one and I just didn't vibe with it at all, and if I had to read the word "knot" one more time I was gonna lose it. I will say the characters were fun and I liked their banter and dynamic in the beginning, but I quickly lost my interest with them half way through. I also think I just got bored with them being stuck in the tower for two years, more than half the book. It just felt very stagnant.

While this wasn't for me personally, I do think it will appeal to a lot of other readers. So definitely give it a try!

I enjoyed this. I'm not sure how to review without giving away too much but THAT plot twist towards the ending! I did not see that coming! I loved out two main characters. The only thing that would have made it better is if we could have had his POV as well. I loved the spicy bits of the book as well as the sweet moments. The author really gets you hooked and I was stressed for these characters throughout the book.

This book was fun. I do feel like it dragged a bit longer than necessary. This book was over 500 pages and probably could have been edited down 100 pages or so. However, I liked the main relationship in this and the twist at the end was good. It was a bit predictable at times but in a way that made me want to get to the end to have all my questions answered. I was curious about a new Ruby Dixon book after Ice Planet Barbarians. This was certainly different but I’m glad I got my hands on it. She really is one of the spice queens. And it was my first Knotted Romance and I can’t say I’m mad about it lol. If you're a fan of other Ruby Dixon books you'll certainly enjoy this one. Her writing has really matured, which is evident throughout this book.

Sassy cursed princess. Noble shadow price. One tower. Adorable. This is my first Ruby Dixon so I came into this with a clean slate. This reads like it was a salacious fantasy history channel feature. A good time with a meatier plot toward the end.

Overall, I had a difficult time with this book. There was a lot of pacing issues as well as super consistent language that needed variety! This did not have the spice and fluidity that i associate with Ruby Dixon's materials. It does make sense though after I found out this used to be a pay-to-read chapters story, but I wish there could have been better editing for a bound copy.

I really enjoyed this book. It was slow to start, and I almost gave up, but I'm glad I stuck with it. If you enjoy close proximity, enemies to lovers, with a hint of Beauty and the Beast vibes, I highly recommend this book.

The romance between Candra and Nemeth was a little slow, but worth it. Several spicy scenes and Nemeth's adorable ignorance vs Candra's temptress guiles made this one of my favorite romantasy books of the month. Even though there was a pregnancy, I fully expected it and didn't feel like it detracted from the story at all.

This was the first of Ruby Dixon's novels that I've read, and I'm definitely interested in reading more.

I love Rubys writing, and as a new series of hers, this definitely did not disappoint.
Imagine being locked in a tower with your enemy for 7 years, because that is what Princess Chandra has to do. As you can expect, Chandra isn’t thrilled with this outcome. Enter Prince Nemeth. A tall, winged, broody, clawed Fallian (monster) warrior. Nemeth has spent his whole life training for this endeavor, and Chandra realizes she may not survive this ordeal at all.
Overall, I love this book. Forced proximity, disability, feisty fmc, it was giving everything id hope it would. Patiently waiting for book 2