“Gods, I’m glad we’re married,” I pant. “You’ve made me wait long enough.”
“I would have waited a thousand years for you,” he tells me, voice husky with emotion as he presses a kiss on the tip of one breast. “You are worth waiting for, Candra.”
Bound to the Shadow Prince is a super spicy romance and perfect for those bookworms looking to dip their toes into the Omegaverse sub-genre.
In order to protect her kingdom from the wrath of a vengeful goddess, Princess Candra must remain locked inside a tower for seven years. Seven long years without a friend—or a lover—by her side. And shut inside the tower with her? A Fellian, the enemy of her people, a fearsome warrior race complete with wings and claws and fangs. Nemeth is terrifying, cruel, and disturbingly magnetic. Candra should kill him for his supplies, but she’s desperate for his company…and his touch.
As time inside the unchanging tower rolls on, Candra uncovers the man behind the stony facade. And when their tenure hits an unexpected snag, Candra and Nemeth are forced to make a difficult choice. They’ll need to face an outside world they no longer recognize, one that threatens their lives and their surprising love.
Ruby’s books have been on my radar for a while now. She is known for writing spicy books within the Omegaverse (a sub-genre in romance). Her heroes are often not human, and the sex scenes are incredibly kinky and usually involve knotting/breeding. For those new to the Omegaverse universe, here is a brief overview of the subgenre. In most cases, romances that fall in the Omegaverse universe have this alpha/beta/omega feel to them. Think of the hierarchy system that exists in a wolf pack. Often, characters in these books fall into these roles, and how they interact with each other is determined by their role; these roles also extend to sexual interactions. Another characteristic within the Omegaverse is, shall we say, kinkier sex that often includes breeding, MCs going into heat, knotting, imprinting, mating, scent marking, etc. There is also always a fantasy/sci-fi element to the stories. Bound To The Shadow Prince falls on the lighter end of the Omegaverse spectrum, which makes it a great gateway book into the Omegaverse universe.
Now, let’s talk about the book itself. I really enjoyed this book; it was a surprisingly addictive read. Now be warned, it’s a beefy book, clocking in at just over 500 pages. The fantasy elements in this book are there, but they aren’t the story’s main focus. The world-building is on the lighter side, and events happening outside of Candra and Nemeth’s relationship aren’t necessarily given much time in the spotlight. Basically, this book focuses on the relationship between Candra and Nemeth… and, well, them banging it out in this tower that they are forced to stay in (and also a few other places). A little over 50% of this book takes place in this tower that Candra and Nemeth are forced to stay in to appease the goddess. I really enjoyed the time we spent in the tower. The sense of isolation leapt off the pages, as did this feeling of the unknown. We know this war is happening between these two kingdoms, but we have no idea what is happening. When Candra and Nemeth venture out of the tower, things drastically change in their world, but we don’t know what caused that change. The last quarter of the book was a bit rushed with a lot of moving parts.
Candra is a brash, outspoken heroine who loves flirting. I really enjoyed her character. She is witty and loves stirring the pot. She knows everyone thinks she is useless and doesn’t expect much from her. But she has this inner strength that is hidden underneath that carefree attitude. It was also great to see her take charge when it came to taking those first steps to an intimate relationship with Nemeth. Nemeth is not human; his people resemble gargoyles. His character surprised me. I was expecting this gruff, broody alpha male, but I was completely wrong. In his first couple of interactions with Candra, he sort of comes off as this stand-off-ish hero, but he quickly turns into this cinnamon roll of a hero. He was so caring and kind and the complete opposite of what I expected of him. I like the fact that he wasn’t what I was expecting.
The romance is, of course, very spicy. If you like forced proximity, enemies to lovers, mating, touch her and die, breeding, virgin heroes, and lots of dirty talk, then you are going to love this book. A large chunk of this book is sex in some form. It is the main focus of the story. I liked Candra and Nemeth together. Ruby perfectly created that lusty tension that makes your heart beat faster and hooks you in. I know Ruby was trying for an enemies-to-lovers trope feel to their relationship, but it fell flat for me. That sharp, witty banter that often exists in enemies-to-lovers relationships wasn’t really in this book. But besides that, the journey that Candra and Nemeth went on in this book was addictive. There are some unexpected bumps and twists in their relationship that I wasn’t expecting. It really was an entertaining read.
Bound to the Shadow Prince is a satisfying romp that is sure to get your heart beating faster.
Thank you, Wattpad WEBTOON Book Group, for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
