Barbarian's prize

Dixon's emotional fifth Ice Planet Barbarians romance (after Barbarian Mine) is more than just a love story; it's also a sci-fi drama focused on a heroine working through PTSD. That's an ambitious order for a series that is often seen as erotic escapism, but Dixon pulls it off. Tiffany is one of many human women kidnapped from Earth by aliens intent on selling them on the planet Not-Hoth. In addition to other traumas the group suffered during their space voyage, Tiffany survived sexual assault aboard the alien craft. So when a group of blue, horned aliens unrelated to the kidnappers rescue the women and offer them refuge, Tiffany struggles to feel safe around them. One of these aliens, Salukh, knows from the start that Tiffany is his fated mate, but their bond has yet to be confirmed. When she asks him to help her work through her trauma by gradually practicing intimacy, he's delighted. Soon the inexperienced alien man is learning how to please Tiffany while dodging the resentments of other aliens hoping to court her. Along the way, Dixon delivers fantastical set dressing, grand scale adventure, and steamy sex scenes. Series fans will be happy to revisit Not-Hoth for this slightly more serious but just as sensual installment. Agent: Holly Root, Root Literary. (Mar.)

One of the last remaining unmated human women on an ice planet hopes to stay single. Tiffany was one of a group of women kidnapped from Earth by evil aliens intending to traffic and enslave them. Their ship crash-landed on a small, icy planet where they were saved by a welcoming community of kind blue aliens consisting mostly of men. In order to survive the unbearably cold temperatures, both blue aliens and humans must implant themselves with a symbiotic creature called the khui, which has a secondary function of "resonating" when two people are a perfect match. It's now 18 months after the crash, and almost all of the women have found mates and started having babies. Salukh is different from the other men fiercely competing for Tiffany's attention because he treats her like a friend instead of an object to be won. He's patient, kind, and sure that Tiffany is his mate even if they haven't yet resonated. However, she is terrified of being mated after having been sexually assaulted by the aliens who kidnapped her. For Tiffany, the very thought of resonating and being forced to accept a mate is abhorrent. She's tired of her choices being taken from her and is determined to learn how to survive on her own. Tiffany's journey involves letting herself recover at her own pace, which includes slowly trusting Salukh with both her story and her body. Salukh, like most of the aliens in the series, is a perfect fantasy of a romantic partner, willing to patiently provide whatever his lover desires. Dixon's world continues to evolve, with the newly blended community of human women and alien men struggling with the problems of feeding and housing their growing clan. Tiffany and Salukh's romance shows how even in a world of fated mates, consent and willingness to enter into a relationship are still important. A sweet, sexy story about healing and love. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Dixon's emotional fifth Ice Planet Barbarians romance (after Barbarian Mine) is more than just a love story; it's also a sci-fi drama focused on a heroine working through PTSD. That's an ambitious order for a series that is often seen as erotic escapism, but Dixon pulls it off. Tiffany is one of many human women kidnapped from Earth by aliens intent on selling them on the planet Not-Hoth. In addition to other traumas the group suffered during their space voyage, Tiffany survived sexual assault aboard the alien craft. So when a group of blue, horned aliens unrelated to the kidnappers rescue the women and offer them refuge, Tiffany struggles to feel safe around them. One of these aliens, Salukh, knows from the start that Tiffany is his fated mate, but their bond has yet to be confirmed. When she asks him to help her work through her trauma by gradually practicing intimacy, he's delighted. Soon the inexperienced alien man is learning how to please Tiffany while dodging the resentments of other aliens hoping to court her. Along the way, Dixon delivers fantastical set dressing, grand scale adventure, and steamy sex scenes. Series fans will be happy to revisit Not-Hoth for this slightly more serious but just as sensual installment. Agent: Holly Root, Root Literary. (Mar.)