Bull Moon Rising (Royal Artifactual Guild, #1) by Ruby Dixon

Synopsis (via Goodreads): In a world of magical artifacts and fantastical beings, a woman determined to save her family joins forces with an unlikely partner in this captivating special hardcover edition of USA Today bestselling Ruby Dixon’s new steamy romantasy. 

As a Holder’s daughter, Aspeth Honori knows the importance of magical artifacts . . . which is why it’s a disaster that her father has gambled all of theirs away. Now in danger of losing their hold—and their heads—if anyone finds out the truth, Aspeth decides to do something about it. She’ll join the Royal Artifactual Guild and the adventurers who explore ancient underground ruins to retrieve the coveted arcane items.

It’s a great plan—with one big problem. The guild won’t let her train because she’s a woman. Aspeth needs a chaperone of some kind. The best way to get around this problem? Marry someone who will let her become an apprentice. Who better than a surly guild member who needs a favor of his own? He’s a minotaur (it’s fine) who is her teacher (also fine) . . . and he’s about to go into rut (which is where it gets tricky). He also has no idea she's a noble (oops) and will want nothing to do with her if he finds out the truth.

Now Aspeth just needs to pass the guild tests, thwart a fortune hunter, and save her hold. Oh, and survive a rut with her monstrous, horned husband, who she might be falling in love with. It's time to dig deep. Literally.

I had a lot of fun reading Bull Moon Rising. I wasn't sure what to expect going into it, but I assumed it would bein the same vein as the author's Ice Planet Barbarians series. The MC is goofy and ridiculous, and the the MMC is stubborn and surprisingly sweet. I never would have imagined the two of them in a romantic relationship, but here we are. What starts as a marriage of convenience quickly turns into something that means a lot more to both of them. 

Aspeth was a unique character that I enjoyed reading about but struggled to relate to. She comes from money and it's apparent in the way she chooses to handle problems and difficult situations. She doesn't stop to think about the repercussions of her actions, or how her choices might impact the people around her. She simply decides to do something and does it. Being a noble has protected her all her life, and will continue to protect her even if the people around her are unaware of her true background. Her personality was also a little grating, but easy to look over. She's just so oblivious to what's happening around her, and I felt bad for the people she called her friends. She's very intelligent and highly educated, but her responses to real world problems weren't always believable.

Hawk is a minotaur that works for the guild and Magpie specifically. He helps her train all of the fledgling recruits and makes sure they have a decent chance at passing. He also goes on retrieval missions when there are cave-ins and other disasters the Taurians are uniquely qualified for (strength, speed, tracking, etc.). They're also seen as less than and disposable, so sending them into dangerous situations is preferred over humans. He agreed to Aspeth's plan because it was convenient for him, but he quickly developed feelings for her even if it took him a lot longer to acknowledge them. 

The story was entertaining and engaging, and I really enjoyed learning about all of the secondary characters. They were decently fleshed out and had interesting quirks and characteristics. I wish they'd gotten a little more page time, and I wasn't too thrilled with where the author left them, but I'm hoping their individual stories will be continued in the next book. They deserved better than that, especially with where Aspeth ended up. It seemed unfair and only goes to show that her upbringing played a much larger role than it should have. It also felt like the author rushed the ending just a bit.

All in all, Dixon created something new and interesting. The spice was spicy, and the characters were enjoyable and fun to read about. The bad guys were adequately awful, although not dealt with appropriately (more of that privilege mentioned earlier). Definitely give this one a shot if you enjoyed Ice Planet Barbarians or like the concept of a minotaur romance. I also found the archeological aspects really fascinating. I think there's something for everyone to like! (★★★⋆☆)

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.