If there's one thing about Ruby Dixon it's that she will get you out of a reading slump! This book was so entertaining and easy to read. Was it anything profound? No. Was it fun and entertaining? ABSOLUTELY.I loved her IPB series and now I can add this one to the list to keep me busy.

“Bound To The Shadow Prince" is a captivating blend of cozy confinement and thrilling adventure, making it a standout in the realm of romantic fantasy. The story begins with Princess Candra, who must endure seven years locked in a tower to appease a vengeful goddess. This setting initially creates a surprisingly cozy atmosphere, allowing for deep character exploration and the development of a complex, enthralling relationship between Candra and her Fellian companion, Nemeth.

The book takes a refreshing turn in the second half, bursting into a world brimming with unforeseen challenges and revelations. The narrative is skillfully woven with twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat, gasping for air right until the exhilarating conclusion.

One of the most commendable aspects of this novel is its portrayal of a strong, badass main character who navigates a chronic illness, offering rare and much-needed representation in the genre. The evolving dynamics between Candra and Nemeth are both intense and magnetic, striking a perfect balance between emotional depth and the exhilaration of their journey.

Highly recommended for those who aren't afraid to dive into a story featuring gargoyles and seek a romantic adventure that's as heart-pounding as it is heartwarming.

Fun fantasy monster romance smut. I believe this was written as a serial story released chapter-by-chapter on the platform Yonder and released on Wattpad books imprint. So, it’s got a sense of humor, problems that get serious and are strangely compelling. Trapped in a tower with an enemy shadow creature for seven years? Well, there is only one thing to do….

Too many “dragon shites.” Fun main female character. Also love the MMC. Similar to her blue barbarians series.

this might be the first monster romance i've read that felt more like monster romantasy, with a fleshed out world, kingdoms at war, kings, queens, and vengeful gods and goddesses - and it was an absolute delight.

bound to the shadow prince is lengthy, but seeing as how it was originally published as a serial and was compiled and published as book, the length is to be expected. and despite its length — every chapter is FUN.

the story focuses on candra, a hedonist, spare-heir princess with a chronic illness: a blood curse that requires an injection every night, and can kill her if she misses her dose. also, part of this blood curse? infertility, making her ineligible as the queen and heir responsible for continuing the royal line.

after her younger sister dies in a shipwreck, candra inherits the role of designated sacrifice to the gods, in which she’s sent to a windowless tower to live for seven years with the other kingdom’s sacrifice. the catch: the door is bricked up behind them, and they're not able to step even one foot outside for the duration of those seven years, otherwise a terrible curse befalls their kingdoms, bringing tempests to the seas and droughts to the farmlands.

LOCKED IN A TOWER FOR SEVEN YEARS WITH AN ENEMY? a HOT, MONSTER ENEMY? sign me all the way up. (except not really, because i’m not even remotely claustrophobic, but i would need at least a window of sunlight to avoid clawing my way through the brick to freedom.)

over the course of the first year, candra and nemeth — prince of the fellian kingdom — have to cohabitate, share food and resources, and navigate the darkness and loneliness together. like the one bed trope, but one tower — a recipe for falling in love with your enemy. it’s kind of giving love island, except it’s a dark, crumbly tower, and you’ve only got one romantic option. but you're lucky because he's hot, kind, and 8 feet tall with anatomy to match.

this was honestly so much fun to read, both in terms of grade A-spicy monster smut and interesting, complex romantasy, but it’s definitely one you need to be in the mood to commit to, because she’s girthy (much like a certain scholarly virgin prince’s appendage). bound to the shadow prince is fun, but it requires a fair bit of patience while the story itself unravels over 500 pages.

note that there are a few TW/CWs to be aware of before jumping in: animal death (for food/survival), infertility and surprise pregnancies, and the death of a child (off page, recounted by a side character). and also, if the idea of being stuck in a bricked-up dark tower for seven years terrifies you, best to skip this one.

otherwise, if you’re on the hunt for monster smut that fills the romantasy hole in your heart, this delivers warring kingdoms, winged and fanged monsters, and a dash of dystopian, apocalyptic survival.

Full-length standalone monster romantasy. And by full length, I mean a very full 536 pages. A feisty FMC and a shyer inexperienced monster MMC who come from enemy/warring peoples.

I definitely enjoyed this novel and the storyline, yet I can’t help having my overwhelming feeling be that it was too long and dragged in parts. This story was originally put out as a serial and I think the pacing and length make a lot more sense for that format vs. a novel.

There is certainly plenty of the monster smut we know and love from Ruby Dixon, but there is also plenty of fantasy plot with gods, curses, war, and magic. Definitely has some darker elements as well.

I do not recommend for someone wanting a quick monster romp, but would recommend to readers looking for a full length epic monster standalone fantasy!

3.5 stars. Stunning cover.

Thank you Netgalley and to the publisher for a free review ecopy!

After clearing up the confusion that this was not part of the Anchor and Aspect series (took me a hundred pages or so)- I let myself really enjoy this!

Ruby did an excellent job creating two different personalities between Candra and Nemeth which I felt were reminiscent of stronger FMCs in IPB (currently also making my way through Ice Home). I loved the growth through and through, the survival through the last 30% of the book and just the expression of loyalty written.

I recieved this copy as an ARC and this is solely my own opinion!

This was a good book. It fell flat in parts of it but picked back up. There was several scenes of spice and I would probably give it 3 chili peppers. I liked the fact that there was no cliff hanger.

While this heroine seems a bit vain and self centered which did not make her my favorite character, overall this was an excellent book. It has a lot of twists and turns and the characters, especially the heroine, are multi-dimensional people.

I am a Ruby Dixon fan through and through, and I enjoyed my time in Bound to the Shadow Prince. I thought the story was unique, the plot twists were fun, and I loved the characterization of both the FMC and MMC. Grumpy Sunshine is always such a fun trope, and Ruby knows how to bring characters to life. The story was long, which felt unusual for one of her books, but I thought the plot had a lot of places to go so I was never bored. I laughed out loud, loved the omegaverse vibes, and the absolute dedication of Nemeth to Candra had me swooning the entire time. Plus they both had deliciously dirty mouths!

- Grumpy x Sunshine
- Enemies to friends to lovers
- Forced Proximity
- Touch her and die
- Virgin MMC
🌶️ SMUTTY 🌶️

3.5 ⭐️

I really liked the premise of this book, forced proximity and soft enemies to lovers. Candra started out a little spoiled, but quickly realized her situation and had a lot of growth at the end. I enjoyed the twist towards the end of the book and how it came together at the end.
I do feel like the story dragged in places that could’ve been shortened up and some of the spicier scenes were a little repetitive.

Also am I the only one who pictures the MMC as the guy with horns from Star Wars?? 😭

Thank you to NetGalley for the E-ARC!!

Thanks to NetGalley for approving me to read and review this early. Now I know what I’m getting myself for my birthday (July, where you at?)

I did not think it possible to love Mrs. Dixon any more than I already did, but I was wrong. While Ice Planet Barbarians has a special place in my heart (I picked up the first one in 2017) I absolutely adore the Risdaverse novels and novellas and, especially, the Aspect and Anchor series. These worlds are jam packed with adventure, heartbreak, passion, and a story that sticks with you like a warm hug. For the longest time I have been focused on impatiently getting through a book quickly so that I could know all of the secrets it has been hiding, and then immediately turn to another story when I have not fully digested the one before. But with Bound to the Shadow Prince I wanted to savor it and didn’t want it to end (iykyk). I quickly related to Candra, the female lead, who was born with the Vestalin blood curse (iykyk). But that doesn’t keep her down for long or rob her of the hilarious and, sometimes, naughty things that come out of her mouth. She feels so real, and Dixon writes her so well that you want to be her friend and kick ass with her. I suffer from debilitating illnesses that make me dependent upon an injection and meds (and I can’t jab myself with a needle, even to save my life, so I rely on my mother or fiancé). I felt seen with this book, as I do with every book Dixon puts out. Forgive this bit of an English lesson from an English teacher, but Dixon knows her characterization, text structure, and themes (see, my sweet 9th graders, people do use what they learned during high school in real life), and I believe this is a driving factor when it comes to why her books are so popular and why they work. So. Well.

And can we just pause and think of sweet Nemeth, Candra’s enemies-to-lovers monstrous mate who scratches that damsel-in-distress, please take care of me and love me fiercely itch I have? There were many times I, personally, wanted to strangle him for being a shite, but his love for Candra made me fall in love with this story even more. The constant whiplash from their relationship had me trying to work out was going to happen, which kept me from coming to any conclusions I trusted, based on the text evidence.

This is a fantastic book that I think will reach people who read specific genres and want to dabble in others. Bound to the Shadow Prince has court intrigue, warring sides between humans and a race of humanoid/beastly creatures, enemies-to-lovers, spying, a vengeful goddess, close quarters, forbidden love, main character with an illness, etc. It’s a cross between (and hear me out on this) Bridgerton, Lord of the Rings, Twilight, and Pirates of the Caribbean. Strange? But it WORKS.

I was given a free ARC of this book to provide my honest opinion.

Bound to the Shadow Prince is full of action and adventure and twists and turns. It kept me going! I read this book in one sitting and couldn’t down. What starts off seeming like a horrible upcoming 7 years, turns into a crazy series of events that brings love (the 🌶️ parts are so good!) laughter, war, the worst of the worst scenarios, and a twist right where you don’t expect there to be one. This is a great Romantasy read!

I am a strong lover of Ruby’s IPB books, so when i saw there was a chance to read a new book from her i was HOOKED and insisted that i must read it ASAP.

here’s what i loved:
- FMC coping with a serious illness
- FMC not having a clue how to take care of herself (mood)
- One tower/one bed trope
- Nemeth’s growliness (hot)
- The mating rituals
- A KNOT?????? (hot)
- Exploring the ‘after’ part of the tower and what became of the world
- how caring and thoughtful and kind Nemeth is
- HE IS A BAT???? please dear god that’s hot

here’s what i didn’t love:
- It was just a bit too long. I definitely think a little bit of the tower scenes could have been cut
- I’m not a huge fan of the “she’s wildly experienced and he’s a shy virgin” thing
- Riza taking her place once again as a caretaker? I think i would have liked to see her be more of an equal.

I can’t even think of more things i didn’t love, so perhaps this is a higher rating than i originally thought. Definitely recommend if you enjoy HEA/monster romance

The world building and character development in this book are amazing! I enjoyed watching Candra and Nemeth grow throughout their story. The plot twist at the end was unexpected and my favorite part of the book.

While there are many positive things about this book, my 3 star rating is because I feel that a lot of the beginning is drawn out. Yes, the world building was needed but some of it was very repetitive. I would have loved to see more the world outside the tower.

All in all, this was a great story with a wonderfully constructed world.

If you’ve ever read any of Ruby Dixon’s books or want a story with a monster romance, then prepare yourselves for Ruby’s newest story in, “Bound to the Shadow Prince”. This story followed, Candra as she had to step in as a “sacrifice” for her kingdom by staying confined inside a tower for SEVEN YEARS alongside someone from an enemy kingdom. Trying to survive and make the most out of days of isolation and utter darkness, Candra was pushed to her limits like never before especially when she had to deal with apparently the other individual with her in the tower, Prince Nemeth of Darkfell. This story had fantasy, enemies to lovers, slow burn monster romance, and tension. This was my first Ruby Dixon book to read, and I throughly enjoyed it!

I cannot begin to imagine being stuck in a castle for seven years in utter darkness alongside my enemy, talk about a tough break for Candra. As a princess, Candra was use to being waited on and everything being done for her, but now “living” in the tower she was forced to take up her own wellbeing which she definitely wasn’t use to. Despite Candra having to deal with her “blood curse”, which made her ill and weak at times, I found her to be strong in her own right. In addition, Candra was sassy, snarky, and had a bit of a smart mouth. The more I read, the more I liked Candra and how unabashedly she was in her personality especially when it came to teasing and flirting with Nemeth along the way.

Before reading, I wasn’t sure if I was going to find this hard to read. Sometimes fantasy or supernatural stories can take a while to get in the groove of learning about the characters, the world building and lore behind the main plot line. I actually found myself reading this story quickly and it was easy to follow along. Once I got to know more about Candra and Nemeth, I was more invested in their relationship, how they tried to make the best out of their situation, and eventually became friends. In terms of this story being my first read by Ruby Dixon, I can see why so many people love her books as they are really easy to understand and her characters are likable.

If I’ve said it once I’ll say it again, I LOVE SLOW BURN ROMANCES! Thinking about Candra and Nemeth being locked in a tower together for seven years was not only long, but made me wonder… “how was a romance going to happen between them?”. Having Candra and Nemeth start off as enemies was a good starting point so to speak as it then later transformed to them calling a truce, and the friendship they formed was actually sweet and fun. Being stuck in the same place for many years have Nemeth and Candra the chance to fully get to know each other, and put aside their differences since they came from opposing kingdoms which had a long history of hatred. Seeing Candra become her usual flirtatious self and making Nemeth blush and shy was entertaining for me. Also seeing Nemeth take care of Candra when she was ill was heartwarming. I feel like I discovered a new micro trope that Ruby Dixon did a wonderful job which was, “he’s your enemy, but he takes care of you when you’re sick.” The slow build up of tension, lingering looks, small, tiny touches, or even just the way a conversation became filled with teasing (mostly on Candra’s behalf) was the perfect formula to build upon Candra and Nemeth’s slow burn romance!

This might be my newest, all time favorite monster romance ever! Nemeth was absolute perfection! Nemeth was a warrior, strong, powerful, but also sweet, endearing, inexperienced, but fully capable of turning Candra’s moment of shock into pure pleasure! I also loved how protective and caring Nemeth was with Candra. I discovered a new micro trope that I loved which was, he’s your enemy, but takes care of you when you’re sick! Nemeth had no obligation to help Candra, especially in the beginning, but that man (ahem, monster) took matters into his own hands, and made sure Candra was comfortable, well, and basically catered to her needs in an affectionate and respectful manner. As much as Candra was able to make Nemeth blush and surprised with her sensuality and teasing, he was also equally able to rise to her level. Nemeth was also a bit of a bookworm so YES! He was a monster scholar, and those scenes where he was reading was VERY ATTRACTIVE TO ME! I LOVE A MONSTER MAN WHOSE A FAN OF LITERATURE!

This was an interesting read for sure! Once the slow burn romance became hot and passionate, it also later revealed a bigger truth to the overarching narrative. As much as I enjoy spice like any girlie, I loved seeing how the story little by little led to a reveal that changed everything in both Candra and Nemeth’s lives. As I got closer to the end, it made me think back to all the small clues that came across the story and it all connected back to the truth that made me reconsider the story in a new light. This was a good example of a story that had a little bit of everything from fantasy, slow burn romance, enemies to lovers, while simultaneously building an intriguing plot line. I honestly didn’t see this story going in the direction that it eventually led to which was amazing.

I can safely say, this was a whirlwind of a ride! From the enemies to lovers, slow burn romance, fantasy, and overarching plot surrounding Nemeth and Candra, this was highly entertaining and addicting to read! This was my first time reading a book by Ruby Dixon, and I can see why so many people love her stories. Ruby wrote Candra and Nemeth story in a way that combined the background history of their lives, and making the fantasy aspect of the story easy to follow along. I found myself going through the chapters quickly, and I didn’t want to stop. I loved the romance between Candra and Nemeth, and OMG THE SPICE WAS HOT! PHEW! The way Nemeth went from shy, scholarly bookworm to a possessive, feral monster man was HOT! Candra was equally up to any task with her flirtatious personality and causing Nemeth to blush with her flirty words haha. This was a great fantasy read with spice, but also a great plot line. I didn’t feel like the spice overtook the plot, but it helped illustrate how much intimacy played a role in Candra and Nemeth’s relationship. The plot twists and reveals towards the end were unexpected, but added a shocking surprise I didn’t see coming. All in all, I loved this story and I definitely get the hype around the ever so lovely Ruby Dixon. A bit of a long story, but it was so worth it! I loved the way the story ended, and even the epilogue further showing my favorites Candra and Nemeth moving towards a brighter future and more in love as ever.

Writing was a bit repetitive at first but improved throughout the book! Was not expecting how spicy it was (🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️) but if you like Radiance and Eidolon by Grace Draven you’ll like this too!

This was such an amazing read!! Ruby Dixon has a knack for crafting such unique, funny, and all-around relatable characters! The story, while it does immediately delve into the world-building, is also very fluid and easy to immerse yourself in. The author’s writing style definitely adds to this element and had me turning the pages nonstop. I highly recommend this read for those who are looking to start a fantasy romance with a vibrant cast of characters and a fascinating world!

Candra is a coddled princess, living with a chronic blood illness that keeps her from the line of succession. When her younger sister is killed, Candra is sent to the Tower - to be locked inside for 7 years to serve a vengeful goddess and delay a magical apocalypse. The worst part - she will be locked inside with the enemy prince - Nemeth - a gargoyle from the kingdom under the mountain. As time passes and something happens beyond the walls, Candra and Nemeth become friends, then more and eventually must decide to brave the land beyond the tower or die. What they discover will change them both.

First, this was an very long, very world-building heavy, erotic fantasy novel. The plot was great - Candra and Nemeth were well-developed - and the twist came out of no where. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend - with caveat of descriptive kink throughout.

I love some of Ruby Dixon’s previous work so I was very excited to read this and I did enjoy it! It was a lot longer then I expected it to be and then first half really felt very slow. I had a hard time attaching to the main character as well but I did think the word building and the setting was really great. I think if this book was trimmed down it would be a way stronger read but I still enjoy it and felt immersed in the world. Ruby Dixon’s spice scenes are always top tier as well.

3.8 / 5.0 Bound to the Shadow Prince by Ruby Dixon is a Trojan War inspired story with Beauty and the Beast romance. This is an intense slow-burn HEA that starts strong but fizzles after 60%

The FMC, Candra, is a spoiled brat suffering from a “blood curse” that hobbles her ability to participate in traditional activities of her station, such as marriage and even extended physical activity (except for sex, apparently). She is coddled and portrayed as being flippant, though in her own mind she is fiercely independent and intelligent.

The MMC, Nemeth, is a bit of a disappointment, He is extremely submissive, and not in an interesting or endearing way, just overall a weak character. He isn’t menacing even though his species is described as basically being a gargoyle.

They are locked into a tower as sacrifices to the gods so that there is favorable weather and harvests for the next 7 years during a celestial event (a Golden Moon in the sky). The lore of this world is poorly explained, the magic is not even touched on, and the politics are a jumbled mess.

This story was originally written as a pay-to-read chapters story, which helps makes sense of the writing style and layout. It could haven been edited together better for a bound edition. The first 50% of the book is just the slow-burn, Beauty and the Beast romance, and parts of this are really good. Dixon writes excellent romances with explicit spice scenes. Her dialogue is not too cringy or embarrassing, and the characters have good chemistry.

It starts to lose stream once they progress past the romance and out into the greater world of the story. The pacing increases as the action comes to a head in the last 30% of the book. I lost the plot a few times because it felt that it was trying to resolve things quickly, which harkens back to the pay-to-read format of the original story. Paying readers won’t keep returning to a book that isn’t giving them defined progress in each installment.

Overall, I would have rated this higher if it had been re-written or edited better. There was not the fluidity I have enjoyed in other books by Dixon and too many plot points were swept together for quick completion so the story could get back to the spice.

Until Next Time,
MC

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for access to this ARC.