TEST
Here’s my one sentence review of this book: “Ice Planet Barbarians is predictable, ridiculous, and a damn good time.”
You’re looking for more, however, aren’t you? You want to know why Ruby Dixon’s wildly successful series about a group of women who, after being kidnapped from Earth and imprisoned on a spaceship which then crashes, find themselves on an ice planet populated by large blue aliens, mostly male, all of whom are searching for true love, babies, and copious hot sex, have sold bazillions and been analyzed by luminaries such as CNN and countless blogs.
I don’t know. I guess if I read more of the series–book 22 just came out in February– I might better understand why readers are obsessed with Dixon’s books. I mean, I enjoyed Ice Planet Barbarians–it’s funny, full of female-centric torrid love scenes, and it was kind of interesting to consider whether or not a symbiotic relationship with a worm can really facilitate finding one’s soul mate.
And, whoa, does it have a strong willed heroine although I struggled a bit with how quickly she got over losing her life on Earth. Georgie Carruthers, a twenty-two year old bank teller, does not take sh*t from anyone. Not from the little green men who whisked her off to another galaxy, not from the aliens with basketballesque heads who guard her and the other kidnapped girls–these cretins use rape as a disciplinary tool, so if that’s a deal breaker for you, you’ve been warned–and not from Vektal, the seven foot tall, horned blue alien–he’s one of the good ones–who introduces himself to Georgie by engaging in a wondrous act of cunnilingus. Georgie is snarky, smart, super into phenomenal orgasms–Vektal’s equipment is something else in all the best ways–and determined to save herself and the other women on the downed ship. I’d really like to hang out with her although not on the ice planet which, frankly, sounds horrifying.
I really like Georgie.
Vektal, well, outside of his amazing wang and his ability to successfully navigate his world and protect his woman, is kinda dull. I’m all for dudes whose favorite activity is sexually satisfying their true love, but other than that, I found Vektal to be a bit too Tarzan for me.
If you’re looking for a very fun, slightly vacuous, super hot read and the idea of interspecies sex works for you, I think you’ll love this book. If you’re looking for a smart, utterly unpredictable, well-written super hot book with interspecies sex, I suggest you read Heat or The Last Hour of Gann by R. Lee Smith. All three are good choices and only Ice Planet Barbarians has 21 more books you can glom!
Grade: B-
Book Type: Science Fiction Romance
Sensuality: Hot
Review Date: 18/07/21
Publication Date: 04/2015
Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.
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I finished the first book last night, and it is fun! I was afraid to read it at first because some people read just the beginning and made it sound as if the whole book was full of the darker elements in that section. I’m glad I was forewarned about that part, but I’m also glad I plowed through anyway.
Your one sentence review reminds me of the review of “Bohemian Rhapsody” in the Washington Post. The reviewer said it wasn’t really a very good movie but that it was the most fun you’d have in the movie theater that year (clearly written pre-pandemic).
That was a really fun movie. As was Yesterday. 2018 and 2019 were good years for movies about music!
Yesterday is fun and sweet and I love the romance in it.
Me too!
Me three. I really liked Yesterday. I’d tell people it wasn’t a romance although it had a love story in it, and it wasn’t a musical although it had music in it. It also made me appreciate the Beatles even more. The lead did a good job with their music, but I missed the harmonies and richness of the originals.
Have not read this author and am wondering how this series compares to something like Michelle Diener’s Class 5 books – also about women stolen from earth and dealing with alien males.
Thanks!
I love the Class 5 books which I though were very detail oriented and didn’t like these anywhere near as much (at least the first one). These are more fun and smexy than they are plot/character driven.
Thanks Maggie! I really liked the Class 5 books as well but can’t imagine 22 of them either without some major plot development. These sound more like Christine Feehan’s shifter series from several decades ago . . . except with aliens in space.
I checked my Kindle library details as I’ve been waiting years, since Oct 2015, for AAR to review the Ice Planet books! I’ve reread the starting ones a few times and love the “slice of life” and holiday chapters as well. Ruby has a great Word Press site or Facebook where she posts updates, plus the bright spot during 2020 was her free chapter a day of her space pirates series. I’m still reading IPB even at book 22 :) The world building is fun and unexpected, too. It’s truly an escape from Earth reality.
Absolutely. It’s a great escapist novel. I’m going to give book two a whirl!
I fell into Ice Planet Barbarians about a year or so ago when I was looking through a list of recommended fated “mate” type books and there was a huge string of people saying “Ruby Dixon and IPB are the best!!”
When you first mentioned reading the series I cautioned that the first book is in many ways an outlier and that Ms. Dixon herself admits some things changed along the way as she found her footing.
Because probably half the first book involves how the women get to ice planet, cross the language barrier and why the other aliens are so bad, there is little time to establish Vektal and Georgie (or Shorshie’s) relationship. It has to be instalove/attraction to fit everything in. It’s why I recommend committing to the first three novels before making a call because that really gives you an idea of what it’s all about and gives you three very different couples.
Vektal’s personality and position as head of the tribe (which he takes quite seriously and spends a lot of time trying to do well) is an essential part of who he is. Georgie struggles with being basically the “politician’s wife” who tries to help everything go smoothly while trying to also represent the women.
Every book builds on the relationships, world and tribe in general showing how an infusion of 21st century earth women impact a basically Stone Age tribe.
It also explains how women can become addicted to a series which is probably the exact opposite of falling for a Billionaire type book. It’s ALL about the relationships and the sweet, incredibly woman centric (even the men are- shall we say physically made to be pleasing to the ladies) nature of their society.
The next book in the series is not to be missed with wonderful, pissy, strong, funny and independent Liz facing off against Raahosh (her fated mate) customs, traditions and even the unbeatable khui/cootie. If you think Georgie was funny, Liz is IMHO next level. I’ve mentally been writing a review of it every time I re-read it. I strongly urge you to give it a try.
I will give it a whirl.
Yay!
I am…intrigued.
Thanks for reviewing this, Dabney. I was surprised to discover my library had an Overdrive audiobook edition of this title, but that was their only format, so I listened to it.
Like you, I loved Georgie. Her snarky voice and attitude were fantastic throughout! More than once, I burst out laughing with pure joy at the characterization. I didn’t really find it that odd that she didn’t miss life on Earth as it seemed to me she didn’t have much going for her there.
I also agree about Vektal being a bit too Tarzan. Plus…
Also, Georgie often spends too much time thinking about sex than rescuing her shipmates. But I can forgive this as she has never been in any kind of leadership position before and does try to make amends.
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Other than a couple of those misgivings I put under a spoilers tab, I think B- is a fair rating. If you’re in the right mindset, this book is a lot of fun.
@Nan De Plume Have you read Heat or The Last Hour of Gann? I think you’d find them mesmerizing.
I haven’t heard of them. If I ever make a dent in the never-ending TBR list (currently reading The Hellion’s Waltz), I might have to give them a look.
As for that meet cute…
Huh, interesting. I’ve had the inverse reaction. As I’ve mentioned on this site before, I’m a HUGE fan of Dixon’s extended alien/human romances — they’re my reliable comfort reading when the world feels overwhelming and anxiety-producing.
I’ve also read Heat and The Last Hour of Gann by R. Lee Smith, and while I’d agree that they’re both remarkably well written, I found those books tremendously difficult to stomach. Yes, they’re science fiction alien/human romances, but they’re also what I’d categorize as “horror romance” and the heroines receive especially violent & brutal treatment. If you’re sensitive to explicit depictions of sexual assault, I’d suggest skipping Heat in particular. It’s the darkest, grimmest, and most triggering book I’ve ever read!
Except for this first book, which is a bit of an anomaly, Dixon’s world building leaves out sexual violence (her big blue guys aren’t socialized to the concept of rape), and I find that absence really comforting.
That’s totally fair. I do think Heat is a rough read for those for whom descriptions of rape and violence are a no-go. That said, they are, to me, brilliant books whose heroes are genuinely heroic, especially Tagen. And The Last Hour of Gann is one of the most thought-provoking romances I’ve ever read.
As I tried to make it clear in my review, Ice Planet Barbarians is a super fun book, nothing more but nothing less. I appreciate that about it but it’s not a book I could love.
I confess the first book IPB is probably my least re-read book of hers in this series -apart from me going back to check on some facts or the set up. When I finished I was like “huh, that was different” but it wasn’t an instant favorite. I continued on because I was very intrigued about Liz-Raahosh and because people raved about the series.
Once I fell into it I just kept gobbling them up, it got better and better. What seemed like a pretty straightforward, almost simple type of story blossomed into incredible world building and an impressive array of the most diverse heroines I can think of in a series.
The heroes and heroines are great and like people used to say about Quality Street chocolates- there’s something for everyone. Favorite hero and heroine are completely varied and hotly debated among fans. The world is in many ways totally woman centric and the combination of alpha type strength with beta-type feelings of the men is utterly irresistible.
I know we’ve talked about it here and I also find the series the ultimate in comfort reads.
Have you read the latest one yet? It is “Chef’s kiss” good!
I’d co-sign all of this, honestly. The first book is different, the world building builds in complexity, and the diversity of the heroines is terrific.
I haven’t gotten to Steph’s Outcast yet! I’m stuck on the one right before that, Bridget’s Bane. I think I got held up because their romance has been happening on the periphery of other books for so long, I feel like I know it already…? I have a feeling I’ll love this latest one though, since new characters are my favorite!
I found Bridget and A’tam to be my least favorite couple of all the books (and the shallowest). Steph and Raven were my favorite parts in that and the small glimpse of Pak and Juth. Flor’s small parts in the book were also far more interesting to me. I’m really looking forward to her book.
Steph, IMHO is a much more fascinating heroine and we find out some interesting information about her as well. I won’t spoil anything but Ruby Dixon really has a deft hand at writing well rounded characters in a realistic way. She covers current issues without ever sounding preachy. Pak is an adorable scene stealer without ever seeming overly cute or trite and she manages to shake up the status quo a bit as well.
I think you will really enjoy it!
I think one problem with Heat is that many people view the Kane/Raven couple as a romance. They were certainly compelling (much like a train wreck or car accident) but they were far from romantic. Kane was a completely repugnant creature. Unfortunately, Tagen and Daria – the other couple – had a complete snooze fest of a romance. I liked The Last Hour of Gann and Cottonwood far better.
Kane and Raven are NOT a romance that most would like. But, they are a romance in that, in their own horrific way, they have an HEA. I actually really like Tagen and Daria. The Last Hour of Gann and Land of the Beautiful Dead are deeply complex books–they’ve both stayed with me over the years. I’ve not read Cottonwood–I think I should based on what you’ve said.
Yeah, I have a hard time understanding the Kane/Raven plot as anything but a secondary romance. Their relationship contains a clearly defined arc, accounts for 50% of the book, and ends with a Happily Ever After where they’re fully committed to one another. And that’s nearly impossible for me to reconcile, since he consistently rapes and tortures her throughout the narrative. On a personal level, I don’t have any problem with consensual non-consent or dubious consent, but I’m totally uninterested in romances that explicitly imagine rapists and their victims ending up together.
I agree The Last Hour of Gann was far better! But I also found it to be unrelentingly grim, and that’s not really the tone of Ruby Dixon’s work, which is why I return to it again and again. I’ll have to try Cottonwood sometime — it looks interesting!
Cottonwood has a lovely HEA but it sets its really poignant romance against a grim, violent world much like Gann. I wouldn’t call any of Smith’s works light or humorous, which is what I would call the IPB books. Definitely a different strokes for different folks vibe between these two authors works, imo.
I agree with you re Raven/Kane. There wasn’t just violence around them (which I can handle) but violence between them and I didn’t like that at all.
She definitely had Stockholm Syndrome that then turned into a Bonnie and Clyde kinda thing.
What’s interesting is this book is not only number one in Amazon’s ranking of SFF romance, but it’s also number one in their ebook rankings for Colonization SF and First Contact SF—definitely not romance categories! I’m thrilled for Ruby who is, after years of relative obscurity, having “overnight success”!
I do think that like any romance sub-genre, “human-alien” romance is an acquired taste. I don’t read a lot of it, but I did enjoy Dixon’s recent BAD GUY, which is not part of the Ice Planet series but is an “alien romance.”
I’m not a big reader of human/alien romance either but I did enjoy Kelly Jensen’s Aliens in New York duo a year or two back.
If you liked Bad Guy then you would have no problem with IPB. Crulden is wayyyyy more alien than any of the Ice Planet guys, the Ice guys are a different color with some odd non-human characteristics but they are uniformly good looking, muscled, graceful guys. Poor Crulden was a “splice” and a mix of a lot of scary different species.