Hey ForeverBookers,
How are you? I hope you’re good!
I’ve just finished Barbarian Mine by Ruby Dixon, which is the fourth Ice Planet Barbarians book and I LOVED it! It has everything I like in a romance book!
We follow Harlow, who in book 3 of the Ice Planet Barbarians series went missing after an accident. She believes that two of the aliens and one of her female comrades died in the accident. We know they didn’t. Anyway, she finds another male alien on his own, who’s not a part of the sa-khui tribe. This is Rukh, and the story goes from there…
Readathons
Spoilers Below…
“I’ve been ripped from everything I knew at home, but my family there was dead, and, I have had the company of other humans.
He’s had no one for so long.
My chest resonates, and his picks up the song.”
This is Harlow reflecting back on her life on earth. There, she had no family because they died, but Rukh also has no one more although for him it’s more through choice. His father, Vaashan hated others. It’s also revealed that Vaashan was Raahosh’s, the lead male character from Barbarian Alien’s father too. I LOVED Barbarian Alien, #2. In fact, I think that’s still my favourite book of the Ice Planet Barbarians series, even though I did love this one as well. It was nice to see Liz have quite a prominent role in this book too, as Raahosh’s wife.
Anyway, back to Barbarian Mine! Rukh and Harlow have sex pretty early on in the book, and she gets pregnant. I don’t think we’ve had one of the women pregnant IN the story yet so this was different and nice to see.
“In a moment, I want to give Ruhk everything I possibly can. I want to give him a mate, a family, teach him about sex, and share everything every day together. I want him to know he’s not alone.
I want him to know that someone loves him. Someone else is there for him.
My heart aches, and under the thick purring in my chest, I feel that this is good and right.
Now’s the time for us to become one.”
Harlow is ready to have sex with Rukh above. They done just rush into it, like the other female characters have so far. She’s ready to give herself to him and teach him things he didn’t already know. She knows deep down that Rukh is her mate. I love these bits in these books where the human FMC realises the alien MMC is her mate! After this point in the story there’s a year time jump. I think it would have been interesting to see Harlow realise she’s pregnant and the first changes in her body but the book probably would have had to have been double the size then so I get why the time jump was there.
“But he’s dead and I’m here now.” I hold our son out to him. “Our baby is here now. How can you leave us?”
“I don’t want to.” he moves forward and takes the baby into his arms, and I see the love on his rugged face. It breaks my heart anew. Our family is so perfect— why doesn’t he see it? “But if I stay, does it mean that my father died for nothing?”
I know he’s attached to his father. I know his memories of him are the only memories he has of anyone at all. Of course he’s incredibly emotional about them. What about me? Our child? I want to scream a protest. It’s clear that Rukh’s warring with his own internal demons. He moves closer to me and curls up next to me in the furs, and we cuddle, watching our baby sleep.
“Everything in me, everything that I am,” Rukh murmurs. “It tells me that I should be here, with you. Taking care of you and my child. But when I close my eyes, I see my father‘s angry face. And I wonder how long it will be before someone pulls us apart like my father and my mother. To live here and not have you? That will destroy me more than leaving.”
I nestle my head against his shoulder, my heart hurting. He doesn’t trust these people not to hurt him, not to destroy his fragile happiness. I get it.
But at some point, he’s going to have to trust, because I don’t know what I’ll do if I lose him.”
This is significant because Harlow obviously just wants a happily ever after. However, Rukh is dealing with traumatising memories of his father. His father was a very controlling man. He wanted to separate Rukh from the clan of aliens. Why? I think it was to prove his dominance over every one else. His and Raahosh’s father wasn’t a very nice man. I love the above quote in particular because Harlow understands how hard it is for him to move on from his past trauma. She’s willing to do whatever for him to just be happy. That’s what I think true love is, when you’re willing to do whatever to make your mate or other half happy no matter what the cost is to yourself. That’s the main reason I love this book series, I think. No matter what the FMC and MMC love each other, and nothing can come between them!
“It’s not Rukhar’s fault he’s early and tiny. My body just couldn’t handle nourishing him for much longer. I feel like a bit of a failure at that.
But then Rukh comes to my side and touches my cheek, and it doesn’t matter. We’re going to get our baby a Khui, and it will fix him.
Like it fixed me.”
This is Harlow worried for her and Rukh’s son, which they call Rukhar, a mismatch of their names. He’s not very strong when he’s born because he’s come early. A sa-khui woman carries a child for a lot longer than a human woman with a fully human child. I believe Rukhar is the first baby born to a human and alien. Georgie, who the first book is based on hasn’t given birth to her and Vektal’s baby yet. That’s why I suspect this. Rukhar needs his khui to thrive. Does he get this? How does he get this? Does he survive the ordeal? I’ll let you read for yourself.
Lastly, I’ll sum up how much Rukh loves Harlow and Rukhar.
“I think of doing that to my own son— my Rukhar— I want to vomit.
Never.
I would never leave him more Har-loh behind. Ever. My father was wrong. He did what he thought he had to do to survive, but I realise now that it was not survival. It was mindless instinct. The man I have imagined as my father for so long in my bits of memories? The man I have revered? It is not the man I should be looking to for answers. It should be the man on my side, my brother. My brother who has tirelessly hunted at my side and giving me company even when I did not want it. Who brings his pregnant wife and has her sit with mine so she will not be lonely. Who risk is his own family to help me protect mine. Who opened his home to me without question, and has never expected thanks.
These are not the bad ones.”
He clearly loves both his son and his wife. He knows that his beloved, revered father lied to him and that the “bad ones” aren’t bad at all. He reflects on Raahosh and Liz’s relationship and hopes that his relationship with Harlow can flourish just as Liz and Raahosh’s has. He knows his brother is the man he should follow, not his father. Can he do this, or is he too much like his father?
Overall then, I loved Barbarian Mine! It had bits a humour, cuteness, and serious moments too. I loved how doting Rukh was towards Harlow and their son. He was willing to do whatever to ensure that they were happy! I’ve got to read the Harlow and Ruhk’s honeymoon.
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