By the Horns by Ruby Dixon is the second book in the Royal Artifactual Guild series, a spicy monster romance series set in a fantasy world with all kinds of fascinating magic and underdog characters. With a minotaur hero and a heroine with dangerous magic, this book promises fantasy action with lots of steamy moments.
Gwenna doesn’t want to spend another day as a maid, cleaning up other people’s messes. She’s going to become an artificer, a member of the Guild who goes into the tunnels to find treasures, even though she’s already tried and failed once. This time, she won’t let anything get in her way, not even her newly discovered, highly illegal necromancer powers.
One day, right before it’s time for her to return to the Guild for her training, Gwenna finds herself in desperate need of a distraction, which comes in the form of a handsome Taurian named Raptor, who happens to be in need of her help too.
When they part ways, Raptor is desperate for more, even though he’s never actually seen Gwenna and doesn’t know her real name. But there’s no time to track down this alluring mystery woman. Someone is stealing valuable artifacts from the Guild, and repeaters are getting killed. The Guild needs Raptor to find out who’s behind it all.
Gwenna and Raptor find themselves on the same team, fighting for their spots in the Guild, but Raptor has no idea that this is the same woman he’s been obsessing over, and it’s his job to be suspicious of every repeater in the Guild. He knows she’s keeping secrets, but so is he. Even in the midst of all the turmoil at the Guild, and with all their dangerous secrets, nothing can stop their chemistry.
Raptor and Gwenna are both underdogs in the Guild, who have had to work twice as hard as everyone else for what little they have. It makes them so easy to root for, especially given that they are both fundamentally pure of heart.
Despite his constant flirting and sexual innuendos, Raptor is incredibly aware of how the world impacts Gwenna as a woman, and he’s careful to avoid making her feel uncomfortable or threatened, and he’s quick to protect her from anyone else who does. It’s an endearing quality that makes him an excellent book boyfriend.
By the Horns dives into the spice immediately with an illicit tryst. Given that this is a monster romance, there are some supernatural elements to the sex in this world that make it so much fun to read.
The sex scenes, while inherently high in spice, thanks to the non-human element, are not over-the-top in quantity, which makes sense with the plot. The spice was the high point in this book, and the interactions between Gwenna and Raptor are lovely.
By the Horns features a fun magical system and clear but rich worldbuilding that’s easy to understand. It’s a bit difficult to get invested in the plot here, though. There is a plot, don’t get me wrong, with intrigue, murder, and betrayal, but it largely didn’t connect. My focus was on the characters and their relationship. All the rest felt a touch perfunctory, at least in the first half.
By the end of the book, the drama intensifies, and the stakes rise. The last part of the book moves much faster than the beginning, and I found myself finally sinking into the story.
By the Horns is all-around a fun, lighthearted, monster romance with enough story to bring it all together. The spice is exactly what a reader expects from a monster romance, and it truly is the linchpin of the series as a whole. For readers looking for an easy-to-read, spicy monster romance, this book is a solid choice.
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