#salukh

I'm going to start this out by saying this book, fifth in the series, has been my favorite of the Ice Planet Barbarian books by Ruby Dixon. I've enjoyed reading the entire series, but this one takes the cake for me.

Before I continue, there are mentions and discussions of Tiffany's trauma. Dixon includes multiple nightmares of Tiffany, which detail what happened to her on the ship after being abducted. Some of the guard aliens sexually assault her, and it's discussed throughout most of the book.

The main male character, Salukh, is one of the big blue alien hunters on this planet the human girls refer to as "Not-Hoth." He's immensely interested in Tiffany, the human focus of this particular book. But so are several other single male hunters.

If you haven't read any of the other books in this series, the girls are abducted and left on this planet by these aliens. They manage to escape with the help of the natives to the planet (big blue aliens with horns). The natives have a symbiote, a "khui," which keeps them alive in the harsh cold conditions. To survive on this planet (and avoid the aliens who abducted them when they return), the group of girls must also have a khui. This khui acts like a soulmate matchmaker, essentially.

Up to this point, nearly all the girls are "matched up," but Josie and Tiffany are the only ones left single. A few of the hunters continuously express interest in Tiffany and leave her gifts (like a hunted animal for her to eat). This all makes her feel uncomfortable, but she doesn't feel like she can say something and still feel safe.

Salukh watches from afar and interacts with her differently. He announces himself each time he approaches. He actively helps her out (ie, with her farming) with the things she's interested in, and he creates a relationship with her that she feels is friendship, a place of trust.

As she asks for his help, he (after much consideration) decides to help. The trust and closeness grow between them.

This is the bulk of the story, and I can't say enough about Salukh's treatment of Tiffany. Like I was swooning so much. He's protective of her and looks out for her even when he doesn't necessarily have permission to. He helps her with her crops and gifts her with an unnecessary gift, uncommon in their culture. He thinks about her when he's hunting.

This is what made me really love the story. It didn't feel repetitive, and there weren't many parts (until the end) that felt unnecessary to the story. These were some issues I had with some of the previous books in the series, and I'm glad this one was one I loved.