The heir and secret ruler of the Ninth House, the ruthless and prodigiously talented bone adept Harrowhark Nonagesimus, chooses Gideon to serve her as cavalier primary, a sworn bodyguard and aide de camp, when the undying Emperor summons Harrow to compete for a position as a Lyctor, an elite, near-immortal adviser. But after her most recent escape attempt fails, she finally gets the opportunity to depart the planet. Trained to fight, she wants nothing more than to leave the place where everyone despises her and join the Cohort, the imperial military.

Gideon Nav, a foundling of mysterious antecedents, was not so much adopted as indentured by the Ninth House, a nearly extinct noble necromantic house. This debut novel, the first of a projected trilogy, blends science fiction, fantasy, gothic chiller, and classic house-party mystery. In the background of their romance, Dixon shows how the sa-khui and humans are beginning the hard work of building a new culture together.Ī satisfying, sexy, and fast-paced alien romance. She’s the perfect match for the taciturn Raahosh, who wants to be loved for who he is and valued as an equal partner. Liz is an especially appealing character: feisty, brave, and stubborn. Raahosh and Liz have explosive chemistry and learn to respect each other’s strengths. She demands to hunt with Raahosh, making her own bow and arrows to prove her worth. Liz is furious at being kidnapped again and is determined to make as many choices as she can for herself. Rather than chance being separated from her, he spirits her away to his hidden cave, hoping to prove himself worthy of her. Raahosh is a hunter who resigned himself to a life of loneliness, but when his khui resonates for Liz, he knows she is his mate. The tribe has suffered devastating population losses from hunting accidents and sickness, leaving them fewer than 30 members, only 4 of whom are women. The planet’s local inhabitants, the sa-khui, are a small tribe of large blue aliens that have developed a symbiotic relationship with the khui, a glowing space worm that helps their bodies withstand the bitter climate. After something goes wrong on the ship, the green aliens abandon Liz and the rest of the human women on a cold ice planet with two distant suns.

Liz has had a pretty bad week-she was stolen from her Oklahoma farm by little green aliens and transported millions of miles from Earth. A human woman is kidnapped by an alien who believes she's his mate.

Barbarian Alien by Ruby Dixon