Book Review: Bull Moon Rising
Look, I’m not going to sit here and pretend like I wanted to read this book for any deeper reason that the premise and the cover. We all know I am an Ice Planet Barbarians girlie, and I enjoy a good monster-loving romance with the best of them. What I will say, though, is that Ruby Dixon’s Bull Moon Rising genuinely surprised me.
It’s not that I don’t think Dixon can craft a logical fantasy world - you’re talking to the person who DEVOURED the Aspect & Anchor series - but I really didn’t know how much the actual plot was going to outweigh the smuttier parts of it. Turns out, quite a bit actually.
The story follows Aspeth, the daughter of a nobleman who’s estate has fallen on hard times. In a bid to inject some much needed cash into their coffers without marrying a wealthy man she doesn’t like, and to fulfil a lifelong dream, she runs away to the city to join the Royal Artifactual Guild. Since they frown on women joining the guild without a chaperone, she agrees to marry Hawk, a Taurian (think a Minotaur) who needs a wife for reasons of his own (sexy reasons).
Aspeth joins the guild, in a class made up of the rest of the misfits, and from there the book is mostly an architectural school adventure, with bits of monsterfuckery thrown in. Hawk is the classic Dixon hero, just a gigantic cinammon roll, who likes his lady awkward. I am very much the type who enjoys plot with her porn, so I wasn’t mad about it. I’d also go so far as to say I would definitely read more set in this universe.
Bull Moon Rising hits shelves on October 15, 2024. Special thank you to Berkley for the advance copy for review purposes.
