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Aspect and Anchor #5
Vowed to the Vulture God
The Vulture God of Aos needs a partner.
Or more accurately, a watchdog. It's my job to escort him through the phenomenon called the Anticipation. If I make sure he stays alive until the very end, the fates will save my brother's life.
Of course I say yes. Who wouldn't?
I expected Kalos to be repugnant, not an elegant, world-weary man with silvery hair and tired green eyes. I expected him to be cruel and uncaring. As we get to know each other, I find that his caustic commentary shields a soft heart that's been betrayed too many times before.
He's used to everyone hating him. He doesn't know how to handle love, or understanding. He doesn't know what to do when I don't turn away from him, and kiss him instead.
Most of all, Kalos doesn't know that I'm doomed to leave his side, no matter how this ends.
Or more accurately, a watchdog. It's my job to escort him through the phenomenon called the Anticipation. If I make sure he stays alive until the very end, the fates will save my brother's life.
Of course I say yes. Who wouldn't?
I expected Kalos to be repugnant, not an elegant, world-weary man with silvery hair and tired green eyes. I expected him to be cruel and uncaring. As we get to know each other, I find that his caustic commentary shields a soft heart that's been betrayed too many times before.
He's used to everyone hating him. He doesn't know how to handle love, or understanding. He doesn't know what to do when I don't turn away from him, and kiss him instead.
Most of all, Kalos doesn't know that I'm doomed to leave his side, no matter how this ends.
512 pages, Paperback
First published February 20, 2026
452 people are currently reading
631 people want to read
About the author
Ruby Dixon
170 books20.5k followersRuby Dixon is an author of Science Fiction Romance. She likes fated mates, baby-filled epilogues, and cinnamon roll heroes. She also likes to write biographies of herself in the third person, because it feels more important that way.
Ruby also loves coffee and dirty books and will probably be a cat lady at some point. :)
Ruby also loves coffee and dirty books and will probably be a cat lady at some point. :)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 241 reviews
April 19, 2026
4.5 stars
I’m so impressed with this book and Ruby Dixon’s writing. Ruby Dixon is really a chameleon of romantasy and SFR. If you’re looking for a book similar to Ice Planet Barbarians, you might not be into this series, because this isn’t the light silliness from IPB. This was truly beautiful and, in a lot of ways, quite serious.
The way topics of depression, caregiver fatigue, and cancer are discussed in this book was so moving. Our FMC is a caregiver for her brother with terminal cancer. She’s offered the opportunity to save him by going to this other realm and being an anchor for one of the four aspects of the disease god, Kalos. Kalos is the aspect of apathy, and our FMC, Elsie, and Dixon draw parallels to having severe depression. When I started this series, I never expected Dixon to write a book about one of the apathy aspects, because they’re extremely unmotivated and don’t do much. However, the way it was written here was so beautiful, I really can’t think of another word. Kalos had days where he was struggling more and days where he was more himself. Through it all, our FMC supported him, which was wonderful, but also caused her to reflect on her own need to caregive and how it had been impacting her life since her brother’s cancer diagnosis.
Anyway, back to the plot itself, there is less action here than in other books in the series. I didn’t really mind it because the plot was still very captivating, but I think a little more action, especially at the end, would have helped balance all the emotional moments. The ending felt a little abrupt, and I wish we got a little more at the end. I’m trying not to give anything away.
Also, what I really want to mention is the audiobook. It was soooooooo good, I can’t express that enough!!! It’s single narration, which I know a lot of people don’t love, but I promise you it works here!!! The whole book is from the FMC’s point of view, so I thought having a single female narrator was the perfect choice here. I don’t know if I’ve listened to other books narrated by Elle Sonali in the past, but I definitely will be keeping an eye out for more in the future!!
—Thank you to NetGalley, Ruby Dixon, and Tantor Media for the ALC audio of Vowed to the Vulture God—
I’m so impressed with this book and Ruby Dixon’s writing. Ruby Dixon is really a chameleon of romantasy and SFR. If you’re looking for a book similar to Ice Planet Barbarians, you might not be into this series, because this isn’t the light silliness from IPB. This was truly beautiful and, in a lot of ways, quite serious.
The way topics of depression, caregiver fatigue, and cancer are discussed in this book was so moving. Our FMC is a caregiver for her brother with terminal cancer. She’s offered the opportunity to save him by going to this other realm and being an anchor for one of the four aspects of the disease god, Kalos. Kalos is the aspect of apathy, and our FMC, Elsie, and Dixon draw parallels to having severe depression. When I started this series, I never expected Dixon to write a book about one of the apathy aspects, because they’re extremely unmotivated and don’t do much. However, the way it was written here was so beautiful, I really can’t think of another word. Kalos had days where he was struggling more and days where he was more himself. Through it all, our FMC supported him, which was wonderful, but also caused her to reflect on her own need to caregive and how it had been impacting her life since her brother’s cancer diagnosis.
Anyway, back to the plot itself, there is less action here than in other books in the series. I didn’t really mind it because the plot was still very captivating, but I think a little more action, especially at the end, would have helped balance all the emotional moments. The ending felt a little abrupt, and I wish we got a little more at the end. I’m trying not to give anything away.
Also, what I really want to mention is the audiobook. It was soooooooo good, I can’t express that enough!!! It’s single narration, which I know a lot of people don’t love, but I promise you it works here!!! The whole book is from the FMC’s point of view, so I thought having a single female narrator was the perfect choice here. I don’t know if I’ve listened to other books narrated by Elle Sonali in the past, but I definitely will be keeping an eye out for more in the future!!
—Thank you to NetGalley, Ruby Dixon, and Tantor Media for the ALC audio of Vowed to the Vulture God—
February 23, 2026
Just like Kalos I’m meh.
The Aspect and Anchor series is prob my favorite romantasy series ever. Bound to the Battle God is in my top 10 reads This one was just so boring. And not because Kalos is so apathetic it’s just so boring. Nothing happens. There’s no killing other anchors. 30% of book is Elsie writing a fucking medical dictionary! I really hope this isn’t the end cuz I want to see what asshole Seth gets up to.
The Aspect and Anchor series is prob my favorite romantasy series ever. Bound to the Battle God is in my top 10 reads This one was just so boring. And not because Kalos is so apathetic it’s just so boring. Nothing happens. There’s no killing other anchors. 30% of book is Elsie writing a fucking medical dictionary! I really hope this isn’t the end cuz I want to see what asshole Seth gets up to.
April 21, 2026
Ruby Dixon is a favorite with her unique writing style and sensual stories. This is a first in the “Aspect and anchor” series that I read (or listened to, in this case). So let me talk about the narrator - Elle Sonali - first. I never listened to her performance before and was blown away by her range and evocative style. The quality of her narration deserves 5 stars!
The plot itself is about our apathetic god of disease Kalos and his anchor Elsie. Kalos struggles with ingrained feelings of being unworthy and therefore lashes out at the world. Elsie spent her whole life putting everyone else’s interests ahead of her own and she continues this theme with Kalos. They both develop feelings and help each other come out of these shells, but not completely, which is the author’s point - people don’t just magically change. And yet, while I appreciate the point, this made the romance a bit dissatisfying to me - reading about yet another woman putting her needs aside for a partner.
More than that though, plot moved very slowly with very little of importance happening for the bulk of the book. Again, I appreciate the author was trying to portray mental health struggles (depression chiefly) with apathy as a surrogate. She did this splendidly and I am grateful to have a book highlighting these struggles, but it didn’t quite work for me as *the* main theme over such a large (500 plus) page count.
3.5 stars rounded up for the talented Ruby Dixon factor and the awesome narrator.
Thanks to NetGalley and Tantor Media for the ALC!
The plot itself is about our apathetic god of disease Kalos and his anchor Elsie. Kalos struggles with ingrained feelings of being unworthy and therefore lashes out at the world. Elsie spent her whole life putting everyone else’s interests ahead of her own and she continues this theme with Kalos. They both develop feelings and help each other come out of these shells, but not completely, which is the author’s point - people don’t just magically change. And yet, while I appreciate the point, this made the romance a bit dissatisfying to me - reading about yet another woman putting her needs aside for a partner.
More than that though, plot moved very slowly with very little of importance happening for the bulk of the book. Again, I appreciate the author was trying to portray mental health struggles (depression chiefly) with apathy as a surrogate. She did this splendidly and I am grateful to have a book highlighting these struggles, but it didn’t quite work for me as *the* main theme over such a large (500 plus) page count.
3.5 stars rounded up for the talented Ruby Dixon factor and the awesome narrator.
Thanks to NetGalley and Tantor Media for the ALC!
February 22, 2026
4.5 stars.
February 28, 2026
“Vowed to the Vulture God” by Ruby Dixon
5⭐/5⭐
3🌶/5🌶
“My heart, ask for anything, and I will grant it. Ask me to destroy the world in your name, and I will. Ask me to raze cities in your honor. Ask me anything.”
To say I enjoyed this book doesn’t really convey how much I loved this story. I’ve read many romance books, particularly with the ‘sad boi’ character archetype; it’s one of my favorites. However, every so often I’ll read a book, and the characters, their journey, their struggles and triumphs, it stays with me. It makes it hard to move on to a new book, because all I want to do is stay in their world and keep repeating the plot on a loop. This is how I feel about “Vowed to the Vulture God”.
If you follow me on bookstagram, or have noticed how many times I reread my favorite books, then you know “Sworn to the Shadow God” is among my favorites of all time. It’s the second book in the Aspect and Anchor series, and the MMC is the brother of Kalos, the MMC in this book. Ever since I read Rhagos and Max’s book, I figured Kalos’s story would be fun, and I always held out hope Ruby would write his story.
This book checked every box and exceeded all expectations. In fact, it kind of feels like it was written for me, lol.
Elsie is a hardworking young woman, trying to stay afloat while supporting her ailing brother. No matter how many jobs she works, how much she personally sacrifices, it never seems to make a dent. All along the way, she’s chipped away at who she is as a person, and when readers meet her for the first time, she’s a husk of who she used to be. She has no hobbies, no friends, no life outside of working and supporting her brother. She’s made a deal by one of the fates: you come to Aos and babysit an apathetic god’s aspect during the Anticipation, and your brother will live a healthy and fulfilling life; but make sure he’s the last aspect standing. The catch? She won’t be around to see it; once the god she’s assigned to ascends, she dies. With no hesitation, Elsie accepts, and is instantly brought to a swampy landscape and told to meet the god of disease and medicine, Kalos.
When I heard Kalos would be the aspect of apathy in this book, I was super intrigued. How does one write a compelling romantic lead when he’s apathetic? Ruby had the brilliant idea to write apathy as depression. For some reason my mind thought Kalos would be mean as apathy, but he’s actually incredibly sweet. The apathy weighs down his personality and energy, so even if he *wanted* to be more active or more outgoing, the apathy gets in the way.
Kalos is an incredibly soft-hearted MMC towards Elsie. He yearns for her touch, her comfort, her happiness; if you want to read about a man who yearns, look no further. With all others, he is quite selfish and self-serving, but with her she’s the center of his world. Everything he does is with Elsie in mind.
Elsie, meanwhile, jumps right into taking care of Kalos, who often falls in depressive states. She’s very good at taking the lead and problem-solving, even if she doubts herself. She knows what it’s like to be the only person who can make important decisions, and even when she’s uncomfortable, she never gives up. She radiates positive, but not in a toxic way, it’s more like a determination. She truly believes Kalos isn’t as bad as everyone else makes him out to be, and that he *can* change his ways. She’s his number one supporter.
There are some parallels to Rhagos and Max’s story, but they’re not so similar that it will feel repetitive to read Elsie and Kalos’ book. This book is more like a complimentary story, one that will be especially enjoyable if you liked the second book.
If this is the end of the series, I’ll be sad, I’m not going to lie. The Aspect and Anchor series is my favorite Ruby Dixon series, and it’s one I’m always trying to get people to read. Please, people, read these books! Every single one of them is so special, and so wonderfully written.
5⭐/5⭐
3🌶/5🌶
“My heart, ask for anything, and I will grant it. Ask me to destroy the world in your name, and I will. Ask me to raze cities in your honor. Ask me anything.”
To say I enjoyed this book doesn’t really convey how much I loved this story. I’ve read many romance books, particularly with the ‘sad boi’ character archetype; it’s one of my favorites. However, every so often I’ll read a book, and the characters, their journey, their struggles and triumphs, it stays with me. It makes it hard to move on to a new book, because all I want to do is stay in their world and keep repeating the plot on a loop. This is how I feel about “Vowed to the Vulture God”.
If you follow me on bookstagram, or have noticed how many times I reread my favorite books, then you know “Sworn to the Shadow God” is among my favorites of all time. It’s the second book in the Aspect and Anchor series, and the MMC is the brother of Kalos, the MMC in this book. Ever since I read Rhagos and Max’s book, I figured Kalos’s story would be fun, and I always held out hope Ruby would write his story.
This book checked every box and exceeded all expectations. In fact, it kind of feels like it was written for me, lol.
Elsie is a hardworking young woman, trying to stay afloat while supporting her ailing brother. No matter how many jobs she works, how much she personally sacrifices, it never seems to make a dent. All along the way, she’s chipped away at who she is as a person, and when readers meet her for the first time, she’s a husk of who she used to be. She has no hobbies, no friends, no life outside of working and supporting her brother. She’s made a deal by one of the fates: you come to Aos and babysit an apathetic god’s aspect during the Anticipation, and your brother will live a healthy and fulfilling life; but make sure he’s the last aspect standing. The catch? She won’t be around to see it; once the god she’s assigned to ascends, she dies. With no hesitation, Elsie accepts, and is instantly brought to a swampy landscape and told to meet the god of disease and medicine, Kalos.
When I heard Kalos would be the aspect of apathy in this book, I was super intrigued. How does one write a compelling romantic lead when he’s apathetic? Ruby had the brilliant idea to write apathy as depression. For some reason my mind thought Kalos would be mean as apathy, but he’s actually incredibly sweet. The apathy weighs down his personality and energy, so even if he *wanted* to be more active or more outgoing, the apathy gets in the way.
Kalos is an incredibly soft-hearted MMC towards Elsie. He yearns for her touch, her comfort, her happiness; if you want to read about a man who yearns, look no further. With all others, he is quite selfish and self-serving, but with her she’s the center of his world. Everything he does is with Elsie in mind.
Elsie, meanwhile, jumps right into taking care of Kalos, who often falls in depressive states. She’s very good at taking the lead and problem-solving, even if she doubts herself. She knows what it’s like to be the only person who can make important decisions, and even when she’s uncomfortable, she never gives up. She radiates positive, but not in a toxic way, it’s more like a determination. She truly believes Kalos isn’t as bad as everyone else makes him out to be, and that he *can* change his ways. She’s his number one supporter.
There are some parallels to Rhagos and Max’s story, but they’re not so similar that it will feel repetitive to read Elsie and Kalos’ book. This book is more like a complimentary story, one that will be especially enjoyable if you liked the second book.
If this is the end of the series, I’ll be sad, I’m not going to lie. The Aspect and Anchor series is my favorite Ruby Dixon series, and it’s one I’m always trying to get people to read. Please, people, read these books! Every single one of them is so special, and so wonderfully written.
March 9, 2026
This was actually really good. It just felt like nothing happened. There was a lot of traveling through swamps and a lot of working on a medical picture book. So much time was spent on those two things. Now you have to remember this book follows the God of Disease and Apathy. This poor dude had it bad. He doesn’t have to eat or sleep and could (and would) sit until dust and spiders webs were all around him. Elsie was so positive and charming and she loves life. She was the perfect partner for him. She also accepted him for who he was with all his flaws. It was actually really good to see how strong she was. When he needed to crumble she staid strong for him. She talked to him about nothing and everything. That was very cute. But all the in between and traveling got to me. It wasn’t bad it was just kind of boring. But then, he was so sad, that maybe that’s what he needed. To move, even if it was endless and felt pointless at times. Just getting up and moving was big for him. So maybe that was the point.
February 22, 2026
3.5 stars
I was torn between 3 and 4 stars.
I thought having a book centred around the Apathy aspect seen through the lens of depression was a genius move on Ruby’s part.
And I really liked Elise.
Overall I did enjoy this. I just thought the actual plot was a bit… lacking?
I don’t know. The Seth storyline I found decidedly dull.
Also, I feel like the ending dragged a little.
Basically compared to the prior books, this one wasn’t that different or unique. The setting was all a bit meh, even though I loved the characters.
I was torn between 3 and 4 stars.
I thought having a book centred around the Apathy aspect seen through the lens of depression was a genius move on Ruby’s part.
And I really liked Elise.
Overall I did enjoy this. I just thought the actual plot was a bit… lacking?
I don’t know. The Seth storyline I found decidedly dull.
Also, I feel like the ending dragged a little.
Basically compared to the prior books, this one wasn’t that different or unique. The setting was all a bit meh, even though I loved the characters.
April 16, 2026
Heat Index: 7/10
—grumpy/sunshine to the max
—apathetic (but let's be real, DEPRESSED) hero
—a lot of medicine stuff
—fantasy a la Ruby Dixon (complimentary)
The Basics:
Shortly after discovering her brother's cancer has returned, everyday girl Elsie is confronted by a literal Fate, and given a choice. If she agrees to go to another world and become Vulture God (that is, god of disease) Kalos's Anchor—his human tether to the mortal realm—her brother will be saved. For her, it's not a choice at all. It must be done. But there are a couple catches to keep in mind—one, Kalos needs an Anchor because the realm of Aos is in the midst of an Anticipation, in which every god is punished by being split into different "aspects" of their personality, requiring them to duke it out until one is left standing. How do you kill an Aspect? By killing their Anchor, which puts a big target on Elsie's back. The other issue is that Elsie's stuck not only with the god nobody wants, but the Aspect nobody wants—Apathy. She's going to have to make this version of Kalos want to survive... and that's easier said than done. Unless he notices how much he wants her, maybe?
The Review:
Ruby Dixon's Aspects and Anchors series is my favorite thing she does. I find her to be an extremely gifted writer when it comes to knowing her voice, and giving her readers exactly what they want. This series still has a lot of her hallmarks—frequent (but not constant) grumpy/sunshine, hot sex, a somewhat wacky sense of humor, and over the top moments. It amps up the stakes a bit more than her classic mainstays like Ice Planet Barbarians, and because the books are longer, she tends to have more time to dive into moral quandaries.
And might I add—generally speaking, I've yet to listen to a Ruby Dixon audiobook that wasn't super well-done. This is no exception. Elle Sonali does a great job infusing Elsie with the kind of heart I always expect from a Ruby heroine, and and balanced her inherent positivity with the
So, yeah: I had a good time. It is very difficult for me to not have a good time with a Ruby Dixon book. While I'm far from the ball of sunshine that is Elsie, I absolutely related to her need to save her brother, her willingness to sacrifice herself, and, maybe (I don't know if I'm quite as selfless as she is—actually, I know I'm not) her tendency to forget her own needs.
Were there points when I was like "I'm not sure she's really learning how to work on that quite as much as she should, even when Kalos calls her on it?" Yes. But the thing is, for all that, there was no point when I didn't like this girl and root for her. So many Ruby Dixon heroines read in a way where there's not without flaws, but I do just... like them. I'd wanna have a drink with them.
Kalos is honestly a really good hero as well. I appreciated the parallels between his status as Apathy and depression; speaking as someone with depressive episodes, that spoke to me. I'll also say—there were points where I thought "Elsie is being too self-sacrificing and understanding of his episodes here", and I totally acknowledge that part of that instinctive response is probably about my own self-judgment. I still think she self-sacrificed a bit too much! But there was never any doubt—once Kalos fell, he fell, and he needed her. He was also quite funny, and incredibly into this woman. Like. SO into this woman. Obsessed with her personality, her body. The way Ruby sold the fact that he didn't really care about anyone else but would do anything for HER? Yeah. That got me.
I've read most of the other books in this series (I think I have to double back for the Sea-Ogre one) and I feel like I understand and appreciate the world. But because the plot is a bit less important here, largely due to the Apathy, the road trip they go on felt a bit more like a way to soak it in. One particular supporting character I won't spoil charmed me deeply, and I found him to be a really lovely addition that added to the world-building.
So, I honestly didn't mind sitting in things like working with medicine, creating a book to help people, reconciling with the need for disease and renewal, luxuriating in the romance. The last 15% of the book did give me some struggles. I won't spoiler and it didn't ruin the novel by any means. But I was kind of... in need of a bit more heroic power. Yet at the same time, the point is that this hero is suffering from Apathy, he's progressed, but he kind of needs to be saved. I think I just wanted more active saving of Elsie. And maybe that's on me.
Nonetheless, this remained a really solid book overall, and I had so much fun.
The Sex:
I mean, it's Ruby Dixon, y'all. It's hot. It's really good. This is a man who DEVOURS, and when he can't keep his hands off her... I mean, Apathy didn't stop him there!
It's a little less inventive than you'll find in a couple other books in this series, but it's great. And it's tender. It's loving. A bit sweeter from the jump than some of the other installments. Man, did he love going down.
The Conclusion:
Another deeply enjoyable Ruby Dixon book, with a bit of a gut punch of sorrow here and there, and a different approach from any of the other adventures in this series. A little more meditative, a little more of a character-heavy approach. I know it was a challenge to make Apathy sexy—and YET. Trust her to do it.
And again, I know the eyeball edition is out already, but the audiobook? Really good.
Thanks to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
—grumpy/sunshine to the max
—apathetic (but let's be real, DEPRESSED) hero
—a lot of medicine stuff
—fantasy a la Ruby Dixon (complimentary)
The Basics:
Shortly after discovering her brother's cancer has returned, everyday girl Elsie is confronted by a literal Fate, and given a choice. If she agrees to go to another world and become Vulture God (that is, god of disease) Kalos's Anchor—his human tether to the mortal realm—her brother will be saved. For her, it's not a choice at all. It must be done. But there are a couple catches to keep in mind—one, Kalos needs an Anchor because the realm of Aos is in the midst of an Anticipation, in which every god is punished by being split into different "aspects" of their personality, requiring them to duke it out until one is left standing. How do you kill an Aspect? By killing their Anchor, which puts a big target on Elsie's back. The other issue is that Elsie's stuck not only with the god nobody wants, but the Aspect nobody wants—Apathy. She's going to have to make this version of Kalos want to survive... and that's easier said than done. Unless he notices how much he wants her, maybe?
The Review:
Ruby Dixon's Aspects and Anchors series is my favorite thing she does. I find her to be an extremely gifted writer when it comes to knowing her voice, and giving her readers exactly what they want. This series still has a lot of her hallmarks—frequent (but not constant) grumpy/sunshine, hot sex, a somewhat wacky sense of humor, and over the top moments. It amps up the stakes a bit more than her classic mainstays like Ice Planet Barbarians, and because the books are longer, she tends to have more time to dive into moral quandaries.
And might I add—generally speaking, I've yet to listen to a Ruby Dixon audiobook that wasn't super well-done. This is no exception. Elle Sonali does a great job infusing Elsie with the kind of heart I always expect from a Ruby heroine, and and balanced her inherent positivity with the
So, yeah: I had a good time. It is very difficult for me to not have a good time with a Ruby Dixon book. While I'm far from the ball of sunshine that is Elsie, I absolutely related to her need to save her brother, her willingness to sacrifice herself, and, maybe (I don't know if I'm quite as selfless as she is—actually, I know I'm not) her tendency to forget her own needs.
Were there points when I was like "I'm not sure she's really learning how to work on that quite as much as she should, even when Kalos calls her on it?" Yes. But the thing is, for all that, there was no point when I didn't like this girl and root for her. So many Ruby Dixon heroines read in a way where there's not without flaws, but I do just... like them. I'd wanna have a drink with them.
Kalos is honestly a really good hero as well. I appreciated the parallels between his status as Apathy and depression; speaking as someone with depressive episodes, that spoke to me. I'll also say—there were points where I thought "Elsie is being too self-sacrificing and understanding of his episodes here", and I totally acknowledge that part of that instinctive response is probably about my own self-judgment. I still think she self-sacrificed a bit too much! But there was never any doubt—once Kalos fell, he fell, and he needed her. He was also quite funny, and incredibly into this woman. Like. SO into this woman. Obsessed with her personality, her body. The way Ruby sold the fact that he didn't really care about anyone else but would do anything for HER? Yeah. That got me.
I've read most of the other books in this series (I think I have to double back for the Sea-Ogre one) and I feel like I understand and appreciate the world. But because the plot is a bit less important here, largely due to the Apathy, the road trip they go on felt a bit more like a way to soak it in. One particular supporting character I won't spoil charmed me deeply, and I found him to be a really lovely addition that added to the world-building.
So, I honestly didn't mind sitting in things like working with medicine, creating a book to help people, reconciling with the need for disease and renewal, luxuriating in the romance. The last 15% of the book did give me some struggles. I won't spoiler and it didn't ruin the novel by any means. But I was kind of... in need of a bit more heroic power. Yet at the same time, the point is that this hero is suffering from Apathy, he's progressed, but he kind of needs to be saved. I think I just wanted more active saving of Elsie. And maybe that's on me.
Nonetheless, this remained a really solid book overall, and I had so much fun.
The Sex:
I mean, it's Ruby Dixon, y'all. It's hot. It's really good. This is a man who DEVOURS, and when he can't keep his hands off her... I mean, Apathy didn't stop him there!
It's a little less inventive than you'll find in a couple other books in this series, but it's great. And it's tender. It's loving. A bit sweeter from the jump than some of the other installments. Man, did he love going down.
The Conclusion:
Another deeply enjoyable Ruby Dixon book, with a bit of a gut punch of sorrow here and there, and a different approach from any of the other adventures in this series. A little more meditative, a little more of a character-heavy approach. I know it was a challenge to make Apathy sexy—and YET. Trust her to do it.
And again, I know the eyeball edition is out already, but the audiobook? Really good.
Thanks to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
March 14, 2026
Ruby Dixon is back with another amazing Aspect and Anchor novel, Vowed to the Vulture God where a sunshiny heroine faces a god of apathy with highly entertaining results.
After a number of short novellas set in this world, I was thrilled to dive into another full length instalment and felt that Vowed to the Vulture God was one of the best novels in the series to date. There was something so simple about this story that just lent it to be such a nice read. Dixon focuses on the relationship between the characters in a cozy and enchanting way while also highlighting underlining themes including mental health, PTSD and the pain of loving someone who is facing a cancer battle.
Vowed to the Vulture God follows Elsie who agrees to be the anchor to Kalos, the god of disease in exchange for her brother’s life. As the embodiment of apathy, Kalos doesn’t make Elsie‘s job very easy but luckily for Kalos our heroine has enough grit, spunk and sunshine happiness for the two of them.
Honestly, there was just so much about this novel that was fun. I thought the characters had a great chemistry and it was delightful to see the way that their relationship slowly built. Kalos is selfish, spoilt and self-centred like all gods so it was highly enjoyable watching him begin to care about Elsie. Just seeing her be the voice of reason proved entertaining at times when he simply didn’t understand the rational—human—way of thinking.
And don’t even get me started on the goats! A vulture god of disease who loves goats over people? Simply hilarious. Especially when he and Elsie have a pet goat that travels everywhere with them as they fight to stay alive in the Anticipation. Dingle was a standout character in story—-four legs, furry tail and all.
With this novel meaning all Aspects have now been explored, I’m curious as to whether or not Ruby Dixon will write more instruments in the series. The introduction of Seth does leave the door open for more tales but either way I will definitely be on the lookout for the next story from Dixon as she never fails to thrill from beginning to end.
After a number of short novellas set in this world, I was thrilled to dive into another full length instalment and felt that Vowed to the Vulture God was one of the best novels in the series to date. There was something so simple about this story that just lent it to be such a nice read. Dixon focuses on the relationship between the characters in a cozy and enchanting way while also highlighting underlining themes including mental health, PTSD and the pain of loving someone who is facing a cancer battle.
Vowed to the Vulture God follows Elsie who agrees to be the anchor to Kalos, the god of disease in exchange for her brother’s life. As the embodiment of apathy, Kalos doesn’t make Elsie‘s job very easy but luckily for Kalos our heroine has enough grit, spunk and sunshine happiness for the two of them.
Honestly, there was just so much about this novel that was fun. I thought the characters had a great chemistry and it was delightful to see the way that their relationship slowly built. Kalos is selfish, spoilt and self-centred like all gods so it was highly enjoyable watching him begin to care about Elsie. Just seeing her be the voice of reason proved entertaining at times when he simply didn’t understand the rational—human—way of thinking.
And don’t even get me started on the goats! A vulture god of disease who loves goats over people? Simply hilarious. Especially when he and Elsie have a pet goat that travels everywhere with them as they fight to stay alive in the Anticipation. Dingle was a standout character in story—-four legs, furry tail and all.
With this novel meaning all Aspects have now been explored, I’m curious as to whether or not Ruby Dixon will write more instruments in the series. The introduction of Seth does leave the door open for more tales but either way I will definitely be on the lookout for the next story from Dixon as she never fails to thrill from beginning to end.
February 23, 2026
I really loved this. I think it was my favourite of the series, followed by Bound to the Battle God. I haven't had a lot of luck with Ruby Dixon’s books of late so I was really happy that this was a return to form: forced proximity, lots of on-page time together, cute goats…
There were some points where it dragged a little bit - I reckon that 550 page count could have been cut a bit. And there were some interesting leaps in character/personality which weren't super well explained, but also it's a fantasy world so never mind!
I almost didn't read this because the trigger warnings make it sound really dark. IMO it was not any darker than the other books in the series
There were some points where it dragged a little bit - I reckon that 550 page count could have been cut a bit. And there were some interesting leaps in character/personality which weren't super well explained, but also it's a fantasy world so never mind!
I almost didn't read this because the trigger warnings make it sound really dark. IMO it was not any darker than the other books in the series
February 26, 2026
So I know this is apathy. I know that’s not easy to write given how she set up the aspect of apathy.
But that was the most boring ruby dixon book I ever did read.
But that was the most boring ruby dixon book I ever did read.
February 24, 2026
Thoughts:
I think this series is kind of interesting with unusual world-building, and ideas. But the books themselves are all too long and turn into a slog to finish. Cut them back by 25% and I think they'd be improved.
Qualified kudos:
Having Apathy personified (embodied?) be depressive makes a lot of sense within the scope of this series. IRL, I don't think the romance works where one person is always the giver, and the other is always the taker. Having to be a constantly giving martyr is not in any way a happy ever after. Ultimately, the depressed person needs to get help/get better, or that is not going to be a happy or fulfilling romantic relationship...rather more of a tragedy for the martyr/care giver partner.
YMMV. Feel free to comment if you disagree re depressed partners not being HEAs IRL.
I think this series is kind of interesting with unusual world-building, and ideas. But the books themselves are all too long and turn into a slog to finish. Cut them back by 25% and I think they'd be improved.
Qualified kudos:
Having Apathy personified (embodied?) be depressive makes a lot of sense within the scope of this series. IRL, I don't think the romance works where one person is always the giver, and the other is always the taker. Having to be a constantly giving martyr is not in any way a happy ever after. Ultimately, the depressed person needs to get help/get better, or that is not going to be a happy or fulfilling romantic relationship...rather more of a tragedy for the martyr/care giver partner.
YMMV. Feel free to comment if you disagree re depressed partners not being HEAs IRL.
February 27, 2026
I love how Ruby Dixon asks the real questions, like how much of a go-getter do you have to be to successfully serve as the cruise director for an apathetic god of illness?
Vowed to the Vulture God is the fifth book in the Aspects & Anchor series, and is the story of Elise (a human woman from Chicago) and Kalos, the god of illness. Oh, and Dingle the goat!
When fate visits Elise and offers her a chance to literally change her brother‘s fate by becoming an Anchor, we find ourselves back in Aos for the Anticipation.
The fates of both worlds are interested in seeing Apathy-Kalos outlast his other Aspects, learn his lesson, and ascend as an enlightened god. But when you’re the least popular God and the living embodiment of apathy, do you really have any motivation?
I have enjoyed this series since the first book and was ecstatic to see Ruby tackle apathy. Throughout the series, we are told that the apathy aspect typically dies first, often because they don’t bother to move from where they arrive in the mortal realm. I thought Ruby did a good job of finding ways to make the plot interesting without going beyond the constraints she had already set for this aspect, even with Elise’s can-do spirit.
I loved Elise’s character. From the first few pages, we see that her life is busyness and caretaking. She had really given up her very existence for someone else before being transported to AOS. Seeing her push for Kalos’s survival while finally dealing with the question of whether she’d really been living was a great contrast.
This novel was everything I love about Ruby Dixon: ridiculous situations, laugh-out-loud dialogue, and, of course, a beautiful man who absolutely simps over the woman he falls in love with. While there are the normal issues one would expect in a mortal/god relationship, I love that Kalos learns that some can truly love him, and Elise learned it’s OK to love herself. Their love story develops slowly and meanderingly, feeling incredibly honest for two people struggling to put themselves first.
Vowed to the Vulture God is perfect for fans of forced proximity, grumpy x sunshine, and touch-her-and-die tropes (but only after I find my motivation).
The Aspect & Anchor series starts with Bound to the Battle God, and is perfect for anyone who has ever thought what it would really be like if they were dumped into a fantasy world.
Vowed to the Vulture God is the fifth book in the Aspects & Anchor series, and is the story of Elise (a human woman from Chicago) and Kalos, the god of illness. Oh, and Dingle the goat!
When fate visits Elise and offers her a chance to literally change her brother‘s fate by becoming an Anchor, we find ourselves back in Aos for the Anticipation.
The fates of both worlds are interested in seeing Apathy-Kalos outlast his other Aspects, learn his lesson, and ascend as an enlightened god. But when you’re the least popular God and the living embodiment of apathy, do you really have any motivation?
I have enjoyed this series since the first book and was ecstatic to see Ruby tackle apathy. Throughout the series, we are told that the apathy aspect typically dies first, often because they don’t bother to move from where they arrive in the mortal realm. I thought Ruby did a good job of finding ways to make the plot interesting without going beyond the constraints she had already set for this aspect, even with Elise’s can-do spirit.
I loved Elise’s character. From the first few pages, we see that her life is busyness and caretaking. She had really given up her very existence for someone else before being transported to AOS. Seeing her push for Kalos’s survival while finally dealing with the question of whether she’d really been living was a great contrast.
I do get overwhelmed and apathetic, but I’m so used to being productive despite things, to swimming for the shore even when I’m drowning, that I haven’t thought too much about it. I just shove all my feelings aside and get moving again, because that’s the only thing I know how to do.
This novel was everything I love about Ruby Dixon: ridiculous situations, laugh-out-loud dialogue, and, of course, a beautiful man who absolutely simps over the woman he falls in love with. While there are the normal issues one would expect in a mortal/god relationship, I love that Kalos learns that some can truly love him, and Elise learned it’s OK to love herself. Their love story develops slowly and meanderingly, feeling incredibly honest for two people struggling to put themselves first.
Vowed to the Vulture God is perfect for fans of forced proximity, grumpy x sunshine, and touch-her-and-die tropes (but only after I find my motivation).
The Aspect & Anchor series starts with Bound to the Battle God, and is perfect for anyone who has ever thought what it would really be like if they were dumped into a fantasy world.
April 22, 2026
5 stars
I really have liked this series, but this one is quite a standout for me. I thought the way apathy was dealt with, along with the discussion of caretaking of a relative with cancer was so well done. I didn't think I could grow to love this guy, but through the female main character, I did. It was a journey that was well worth the length and had me crying. No one can world build like Dixon, and I really loved the details of her trying to translate the medical books into their language, and all the issues that came up with it.
Thanks to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for an advance copy to form opinions from.
I really have liked this series, but this one is quite a standout for me. I thought the way apathy was dealt with, along with the discussion of caretaking of a relative with cancer was so well done. I didn't think I could grow to love this guy, but through the female main character, I did. It was a journey that was well worth the length and had me crying. No one can world build like Dixon, and I really loved the details of her trying to translate the medical books into their language, and all the issues that came up with it.
Thanks to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for an advance copy to form opinions from.
March 31, 2026
I did enjoy myself but it just wasn’t an all timer for me. Like I can’t name anything in particular I didn’t like but also nothing that I’m really obsessed with either. So 3.5 stars rounded up cause I do love the author!
April 27, 2026
shockingly (considering it’s the god of disease & the aspect is apathy) the best of the series im genuinely weeping dude what the HELL RUBY
February 25, 2026
“You think I do not care about anyone? I care about you. I care about you enough that I made an enemy of another god. I care about you enough that it concerns me, because I shouldn’t give a shit about a mortal, and all I can think about is how I can make you smile.” (210)
“My sweet Elsie,” he whispers against my mouth, his thumbs stroking my cheeks. “I don’t care if you save everyone. It’s who you are. But I wish you could save me.” (344)
Hi, yeah, so if you see me binging books like there is no tomorrow, my mental health is either in peak, tip top shape or in the depths of hell. No, don't ask me to explain it because I find it baffling as well. Just keep it in mind if you see I've read an obscene number of books in a month, we are either cheering or concerned. It is a gamble for which one applies.
Ruby Dixon remains my eternal delight. I have read so many of her books and end up feeling happy and content after each one. While I acknowledge she isn't for everyone, her books remind me of waffles. You know the exact shape and texture going in but none of them are quite identitcal. They each have little differences and looks but they are all still waffles. You get roughly the same thing each time. Sometimes my romantic, blackened heart just craves some optimism and familiarity. Whoever or whatever - whether it is divinity or chance - let me exist at the same time as her has my eternal appreciation.
Her Aspect and Anchor series is where I would recommend starting. In my opinion, they're some of her strongest, most unique works. I mean don't get me wrong, all of her Barbarian and space books are amazing and interconnected. She remains my ride and die author. But her Anchor and Aspect series has about five books and a neatly contained world. It is layered enough to be really intriguing but also simple enough to not give you a headache.
Basically, a girl gets pulled from our world. They then get paired with a god. The gods are punished by the High Father during Anticipation basically for being terrible divinities. It is kind of like a reset. A reminder to tune back into humanity and to do better. They are stripped of their power and cast to their world. The gods are then split into four aspects of their worst flaws - lies, hedonism, apathy, and arrogance - then tied to a mortal. The mortal has to eat and sleep for both of them. Each aspect is pitted against each other and the divine can only ascend once one flaw remains supreme. Oh, did I mention, the anchor is the only weak point of the aspects? So yeah you have to kill an anchor to kill an aspect.
Isn't that mythology insane? I have never encountered anything like it. The idea of an immortal constantly being split into four versions of themselves embodying a specific flaw fascinates me. Also an entire society only encountering their divine in the flesh as a flaw? What? It boggles my mind. Also as you can gather, it isn't exactly effective in humbling or changing the gods. But it is the system in place.
Our story starts when our fates and Aos's fates collude which is frankly terrifying but fascinating. They decide that Kalos should have his fault of apathy win. His previous anticipation, arrogance won and caused quite a few annoying problems. They aren't keen to repeat it. The problem with apathy is apathy. So they need someone stubborn and cheerful and desperate who can make an apathetic aspect survive. "Perfect," our fates go, "We have Elsie. She works three jobs. Her brother has cancer again. She is a caretaker to her core. Oh and bonus nothing actually happens if she vanishes from our timeline. Isn't that fun? Even better, we can tweak the timeline and her brother helps a lot of people in the medical field. Oh? Why is she going to agree? The girl is a martyr and will sacrifice anything to save her brother, even her own future and happiness."
Yeah so Elsie ends up in Aos after agreeing to all of this for those exact reasons above. To add insult to injury, Kalos is the god of disease. Just peachy right? The story goes from there with her annoying Kalos into surviving, bribing him that she will leave him alone once he does what she needs since that's all he wants. Honestly all of it sounds so sad. Elsie is kind to her bones. She actually tries to see Kalos, to care, because that is who she is. And once Kalos decides to care back, don't mind me just casually screaming over here.
Ruby Dixon had previously indicated she wouldn't write a book from an aspect of apathy because it's apathy. You're writing from the perspective of a character that just doesn't care. It makes it hard to move a story forward if your main male interest can literally sit and stare a wall until dust covers him. So to find one of the truest representations of how depression feels actually is shattering just a little.
Kalos is bitchy and irritating. He says mean shit when he is fighting to care and then regrets it. The fungue states of just getting lost in his mind felt like legitimate representation to me. Like someone had climbed into my mind and understood how a part of you is just gone. How you hate it. You blink and discover a week is gone. Then you're quietly cursing trying to make your mind not feel grey, or flat, or nothingness because if you can't pull back, it will just consume you. It makes you angry to be at war constantly. Sometimes you lash out at yourself or at others and hope they know you're screaming at yourself. That you hate how the anger is better in some ways than the blankness. Watching Kalos experience that over and over again, watching a romantic relationship not magically fix it, felt cathartic for me. It felt like being seen and acknowledged. Like someone took my hands and went yeah I get it. I get it.
Elsie just meets him where he is. She sits with him. She talks to him. It made me want to cry inside a little at how she took his mental health at face value. She didn't expect to change it. She just knew presence mattered the most. She knew even if he said hurtful things he would own them and try to do better. And he did do better. Watching two broken complicated people fall in love was moving beyond words. Seeing their slow dance into more was intoxicating. I feel ruined ever so slightly but also fixed a little too. I am glad Kalos got someone who is just there for him no matter what. And I am glad Elsie got someone who can care for her and bring lightness and rest into her life since she previously had only responsibility and persistence.
Equally the ending may piss a lot of people off but it made sense to me. It made sense with how she deflected and handled trauma. It also proved to me how she could want, desire, finally make a life for herself. She was finally allowed to have mistakes. It may seem small but to caretakers a mistake can be seen detrimental. Sometimes people who caretake always chose everyone else's needs over theirs. And sometimes they deserve to do that and then change their mind. They deserve to be human with mistakes made. It doesn't mean they failed or are bad. It means they're letting themselves be human and exist. So I found it a really powerful statement that she could hurt someone by doing what she thought was right. I found it moving she realized it wasn't right for her and changed her mind. She allowed herself to be inconvenient and advocate for herself and I loved it.
Anyway that's my whole sappy review. To end on less sentimental gushy note, here are the vibes of Ruby Dixon's other series from yours truly if you're wondering where to start.
Ice Planet Barbarians - Basically like eating bags and bags of chips. Kind of a fevered dream but don't lie. You'd do it again.
Anchor and Aspect - Fried rice with protein of choice. Mine is tofu. It is solid and dependable and delicious.
Risdaverse - Grilled Cheese. It can be a layered gourmet one or one that is a little flatter with the ends of a bread loaf. Side note, I haven't met a grilled cheese I hate yet. *knock on wood* I might cry if I eat a bad grilled cheese now.
Fireblood Dragons - Loaded baked potato. It starts out greasy and kind of expected. But it is a loaded baked potato. Who can complain? Slowly each book though adds layers and depth of flavor.
I think I'm hungry actually. I am going to go eat ramen. You should go read Ruby Dixon though. She is my soap box I fear.
“My sweet Elsie,” he whispers against my mouth, his thumbs stroking my cheeks. “I don’t care if you save everyone. It’s who you are. But I wish you could save me.” (344)
Hi, yeah, so if you see me binging books like there is no tomorrow, my mental health is either in peak, tip top shape or in the depths of hell. No, don't ask me to explain it because I find it baffling as well. Just keep it in mind if you see I've read an obscene number of books in a month, we are either cheering or concerned. It is a gamble for which one applies.
Ruby Dixon remains my eternal delight. I have read so many of her books and end up feeling happy and content after each one. While I acknowledge she isn't for everyone, her books remind me of waffles. You know the exact shape and texture going in but none of them are quite identitcal. They each have little differences and looks but they are all still waffles. You get roughly the same thing each time. Sometimes my romantic, blackened heart just craves some optimism and familiarity. Whoever or whatever - whether it is divinity or chance - let me exist at the same time as her has my eternal appreciation.
Her Aspect and Anchor series is where I would recommend starting. In my opinion, they're some of her strongest, most unique works. I mean don't get me wrong, all of her Barbarian and space books are amazing and interconnected. She remains my ride and die author. But her Anchor and Aspect series has about five books and a neatly contained world. It is layered enough to be really intriguing but also simple enough to not give you a headache.
Basically, a girl gets pulled from our world. They then get paired with a god. The gods are punished by the High Father during Anticipation basically for being terrible divinities. It is kind of like a reset. A reminder to tune back into humanity and to do better. They are stripped of their power and cast to their world. The gods are then split into four aspects of their worst flaws - lies, hedonism, apathy, and arrogance - then tied to a mortal. The mortal has to eat and sleep for both of them. Each aspect is pitted against each other and the divine can only ascend once one flaw remains supreme. Oh, did I mention, the anchor is the only weak point of the aspects? So yeah you have to kill an anchor to kill an aspect.
Isn't that mythology insane? I have never encountered anything like it. The idea of an immortal constantly being split into four versions of themselves embodying a specific flaw fascinates me. Also an entire society only encountering their divine in the flesh as a flaw? What? It boggles my mind. Also as you can gather, it isn't exactly effective in humbling or changing the gods. But it is the system in place.
Our story starts when our fates and Aos's fates collude which is frankly terrifying but fascinating. They decide that Kalos should have his fault of apathy win. His previous anticipation, arrogance won and caused quite a few annoying problems. They aren't keen to repeat it. The problem with apathy is apathy. So they need someone stubborn and cheerful and desperate who can make an apathetic aspect survive. "Perfect," our fates go, "We have Elsie. She works three jobs. Her brother has cancer again. She is a caretaker to her core. Oh and bonus nothing actually happens if she vanishes from our timeline. Isn't that fun? Even better, we can tweak the timeline and her brother helps a lot of people in the medical field. Oh? Why is she going to agree? The girl is a martyr and will sacrifice anything to save her brother, even her own future and happiness."
Yeah so Elsie ends up in Aos after agreeing to all of this for those exact reasons above. To add insult to injury, Kalos is the god of disease. Just peachy right? The story goes from there with her annoying Kalos into surviving, bribing him that she will leave him alone once he does what she needs since that's all he wants. Honestly all of it sounds so sad. Elsie is kind to her bones. She actually tries to see Kalos, to care, because that is who she is. And once Kalos decides to care back, don't mind me just casually screaming over here.
Ruby Dixon had previously indicated she wouldn't write a book from an aspect of apathy because it's apathy. You're writing from the perspective of a character that just doesn't care. It makes it hard to move a story forward if your main male interest can literally sit and stare a wall until dust covers him. So to find one of the truest representations of how depression feels actually is shattering just a little.
Kalos is bitchy and irritating. He says mean shit when he is fighting to care and then regrets it. The fungue states of just getting lost in his mind felt like legitimate representation to me. Like someone had climbed into my mind and understood how a part of you is just gone. How you hate it. You blink and discover a week is gone. Then you're quietly cursing trying to make your mind not feel grey, or flat, or nothingness because if you can't pull back, it will just consume you. It makes you angry to be at war constantly. Sometimes you lash out at yourself or at others and hope they know you're screaming at yourself. That you hate how the anger is better in some ways than the blankness. Watching Kalos experience that over and over again, watching a romantic relationship not magically fix it, felt cathartic for me. It felt like being seen and acknowledged. Like someone took my hands and went yeah I get it. I get it.
Elsie just meets him where he is. She sits with him. She talks to him. It made me want to cry inside a little at how she took his mental health at face value. She didn't expect to change it. She just knew presence mattered the most. She knew even if he said hurtful things he would own them and try to do better. And he did do better. Watching two broken complicated people fall in love was moving beyond words. Seeing their slow dance into more was intoxicating. I feel ruined ever so slightly but also fixed a little too. I am glad Kalos got someone who is just there for him no matter what. And I am glad Elsie got someone who can care for her and bring lightness and rest into her life since she previously had only responsibility and persistence.
Equally the ending may piss a lot of people off but it made sense to me. It made sense with how she deflected and handled trauma. It also proved to me how she could want, desire, finally make a life for herself. She was finally allowed to have mistakes. It may seem small but to caretakers a mistake can be seen detrimental. Sometimes people who caretake always chose everyone else's needs over theirs. And sometimes they deserve to do that and then change their mind. They deserve to be human with mistakes made. It doesn't mean they failed or are bad. It means they're letting themselves be human and exist. So I found it a really powerful statement that she could hurt someone by doing what she thought was right. I found it moving she realized it wasn't right for her and changed her mind. She allowed herself to be inconvenient and advocate for herself and I loved it.
Anyway that's my whole sappy review. To end on less sentimental gushy note, here are the vibes of Ruby Dixon's other series from yours truly if you're wondering where to start.
Ice Planet Barbarians - Basically like eating bags and bags of chips. Kind of a fevered dream but don't lie. You'd do it again.
Anchor and Aspect - Fried rice with protein of choice. Mine is tofu. It is solid and dependable and delicious.
Risdaverse - Grilled Cheese. It can be a layered gourmet one or one that is a little flatter with the ends of a bread loaf. Side note, I haven't met a grilled cheese I hate yet. *knock on wood* I might cry if I eat a bad grilled cheese now.
Fireblood Dragons - Loaded baked potato. It starts out greasy and kind of expected. But it is a loaded baked potato. Who can complain? Slowly each book though adds layers and depth of flavor.
I think I'm hungry actually. I am going to go eat ramen. You should go read Ruby Dixon though. She is my soap box I fear.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2026
I really do love this series and the thought process behind it all. This one deals with the aspect of Apathy and it felt like a love letter to those who have no choice but to keep pushing forward with a positive attitude regardless of mood/problems because someone depends on you (big shout out to my fellow moms). I really hope inspiration strikes again and we get another installment in this series. We’ve still got Gental fucking around and Seth needs to be taken out. Don’t leave me hanging!
February 25, 2026
or, two naive sad sacks running around Aos
March 1, 2026
worth a read but not a page turner
The first two books in this series are so good I’ve read them a 5+ times each. I love the odysseys the characters go on but books 3 and 4 have lost some of the luster. This one was surprisingly boring. Mostly because of the chapter after chapter about her book solution and writing the book. So long and tedious to read about. Plus the actual development of Kalos was really non-existent. I ended the book and still felt like we know so little about kalos where we learned so much about the other gods in the books. The actual romance and steam in this book was also a let down. Each time the excitement or drama surrounding their chemistry is diluted or killed by how prolonged the build up to it was. Especially when we finally get to the actual spicy seen… it took so long to get there and then we do and it’s almost glossed over and kind of boring because of how it’s diminished because of the extensive foreplay for weeks instead. Idk just in general, it was good and enjoyable but a bit repetitive. I really hope Ruby keeps going with this series. Maybe the god of the Seas? His redemption story could be interesting.
The first two books in this series are so good I’ve read them a 5+ times each. I love the odysseys the characters go on but books 3 and 4 have lost some of the luster. This one was surprisingly boring. Mostly because of the chapter after chapter about her book solution and writing the book. So long and tedious to read about. Plus the actual development of Kalos was really non-existent. I ended the book and still felt like we know so little about kalos where we learned so much about the other gods in the books. The actual romance and steam in this book was also a let down. Each time the excitement or drama surrounding their chemistry is diluted or killed by how prolonged the build up to it was. Especially when we finally get to the actual spicy seen… it took so long to get there and then we do and it’s almost glossed over and kind of boring because of how it’s diminished because of the extensive foreplay for weeks instead. Idk just in general, it was good and enjoyable but a bit repetitive. I really hope Ruby keeps going with this series. Maybe the god of the Seas? His redemption story could be interesting.
February 27, 2026
Nothing will ever beat bound to the battle god for me, nothing. The fmc of this one was very annoyingly stupid at lots of points, it’s like she lost brain cells at times or sth. Like she would hear a conversation, then forget the info she learnt, then have to relearn it a bit later. And I really hated how she kept the mmc in the dark about her eventual return to our world, it was awful. The mmc was interesting as to how the author handled his apathy, I had truly thought we would never get an apathy aspect mmc, but glad we did. Overall, not my favorite in the series, but okay enough. Felt a bit more anticlimactic than the other books tbh, more boring at times (understandably).
April 19, 2026
I'm a Ruby Dixon novice and decided that it was most definitely time to rectify this - so as soon as I saw this dark looking new release, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it and dive right in!
As someone who never reads blurbs, I had no clue what I was letting myself in for - but given the title, I was at least somewhat prepared for a romp with the gods.
Now, I hadn't realised that this is actually the fourth book of the Aspect and Anchor series and having not read any of the other books, I wondered if this would impact my enjoyment of this book - well, it absolutely did not!
I had the best time immersing myself in this amazing world which took us back to a time before modern technology and medicine and followed Kalos, the vulture god who was responsible for disease and death.
Elsie gives up her own life to become an anchor to help Kalos navigate his anticipation before re-ascending to his realm.
She did this to ensure that the fates would give her dying brother, another chance at life - and if this was not enough to make you absolutely adore Elsie, her attitude and constant sunny disposition - even through all that follows - then I don't know what is!
I'm saying nothing else about the storyline as there is so, so much that goes on (and I'm giving no spoilers) - but this is far from the light and easy monster novellas that I've heard so much about.
This, despite all the apathy, sickness and swamps was just the most fun with characters who bounce off each other throughout.
The banter was top notch and I loved how this could go from sensitively dealing with some really tough topics - like severe depression, cancer, caregiving and fatigue - to playful back and forth and a mischievous goat to bring us back from a full on emotional breakdown.
As someone who has suffered depression, I was so impressed with how this was written and how it highlights some of the symptoms and needs of sufferers.
Elsie really was an inspiration.
I cannot express how utterly brilliantly this read was - it's a chunky one but I just could not put this down and devoured it over 2 sittings!
I was completely captivated the whole way through and have come out the other side feeling like I've gone through the whole journey myself.
Such an emotional rollercoaster.
I will be going back to complete this series - and watching out for more to come - I might even need to get myself a goat now too!
As someone who never reads blurbs, I had no clue what I was letting myself in for - but given the title, I was at least somewhat prepared for a romp with the gods.
Now, I hadn't realised that this is actually the fourth book of the Aspect and Anchor series and having not read any of the other books, I wondered if this would impact my enjoyment of this book - well, it absolutely did not!
I had the best time immersing myself in this amazing world which took us back to a time before modern technology and medicine and followed Kalos, the vulture god who was responsible for disease and death.
Elsie gives up her own life to become an anchor to help Kalos navigate his anticipation before re-ascending to his realm.
She did this to ensure that the fates would give her dying brother, another chance at life - and if this was not enough to make you absolutely adore Elsie, her attitude and constant sunny disposition - even through all that follows - then I don't know what is!
I'm saying nothing else about the storyline as there is so, so much that goes on (and I'm giving no spoilers) - but this is far from the light and easy monster novellas that I've heard so much about.
This, despite all the apathy, sickness and swamps was just the most fun with characters who bounce off each other throughout.
The banter was top notch and I loved how this could go from sensitively dealing with some really tough topics - like severe depression, cancer, caregiving and fatigue - to playful back and forth and a mischievous goat to bring us back from a full on emotional breakdown.
As someone who has suffered depression, I was so impressed with how this was written and how it highlights some of the symptoms and needs of sufferers.
Elsie really was an inspiration.
I cannot express how utterly brilliantly this read was - it's a chunky one but I just could not put this down and devoured it over 2 sittings!
I was completely captivated the whole way through and have come out the other side feeling like I've gone through the whole journey myself.
Such an emotional rollercoaster.
I will be going back to complete this series - and watching out for more to come - I might even need to get myself a goat now too!
February 25, 2026
For a change, I'm actually ahead of the ball and read this right as it came out. It's a rather heady feeling knowing I'm one of the first to review this book. I just wish I wasn't feeling sick while writing this review.
I love these books. I was so excited for this one that I finished it in only two days. This one is about Kalos, the god of disease and Elsie, normal woman from Chicago. And this time we pal around with Apathy, which is fun. It's interesting to see someone afflicted with what is basically an extreme form of depression and having Elsie try to keep him in line and motivated.
Kalos is depressed and Elsie is used to ignoring her own depression. She's a caretaker through and through and uses that as a coping mechanism for her own unresolved trauma. So when she's given the task to keep Apathy Kalos alive in exchange for her brothers' life, she jumps at the chance. Besides, how hard can it be to keep one person alive? During the Anticipation, the answer is very, especially since Kalos just wants things to end.
Honestly their dynamic is so fun and interesting. Kalos' dry, sardonic wit works well against Elsie's determined, optimistic drive. And for a second I thought they would live a long life together, but then it's revealed that Elsie has cancer and knowing first hand what it would be like to suffer through it, elects to cut her life off early which was terribly sad.
"It was the best day."
Omos comes back from the first book! I loved him and was so happy to have him return and we got confirmation that the Anticipation has been going on for years now and that Faith and Aron were there to visit almost two years ago is a little wild. Like Elsie, I thought everything was happening more or less at once.
Dingle is a good goat. I completely understand why Kalos prefers the company of goats to people. And I like that Elsie tries to help him reclaim his position of god of medicine, not just disease, but in doing so she ends up being the Maiden of Medicine. That's pretty funny.
The ending was a little bit sudden. Seth (Loki/Hermes/Mercury) is amassing an army and targeting goddesses. Belara (Goddess of love and beauty) is afraid she's next and both sides are appealing to Kalos for his support.
But Elsie gets sick and dies.
So the larger plot is cut off. I know Ruby Dixon doesn't want to write these anymore but I hope she does one more at least to wrap up the plot. I don't know who it would follow but I'm not eager for Seth to have his own book. There's Vor and Gental, or we could follow a mortal man and a goddess. I wouldn't mind that.
I just love these books and I want to see more stories from the world of Aos, is that too much to ask for?
I love these books. I was so excited for this one that I finished it in only two days. This one is about Kalos, the god of disease and Elsie, normal woman from Chicago. And this time we pal around with Apathy, which is fun. It's interesting to see someone afflicted with what is basically an extreme form of depression and having Elsie try to keep him in line and motivated.
Kalos is depressed and Elsie is used to ignoring her own depression. She's a caretaker through and through and uses that as a coping mechanism for her own unresolved trauma. So when she's given the task to keep Apathy Kalos alive in exchange for her brothers' life, she jumps at the chance. Besides, how hard can it be to keep one person alive? During the Anticipation, the answer is very, especially since Kalos just wants things to end.
Honestly their dynamic is so fun and interesting. Kalos' dry, sardonic wit works well against Elsie's determined, optimistic drive. And for a second I thought they would live a long life together, but then it's revealed that Elsie has cancer and knowing first hand what it would be like to suffer through it, elects to cut her life off early which was terribly sad.
"It was the best day."
Omos comes back from the first book! I loved him and was so happy to have him return and we got confirmation that the Anticipation has been going on for years now and that Faith and Aron were there to visit almost two years ago is a little wild. Like Elsie, I thought everything was happening more or less at once.
Dingle is a good goat. I completely understand why Kalos prefers the company of goats to people. And I like that Elsie tries to help him reclaim his position of god of medicine, not just disease, but in doing so she ends up being the Maiden of Medicine. That's pretty funny.
The ending was a little bit sudden. Seth (Loki/Hermes/Mercury) is amassing an army and targeting goddesses. Belara (Goddess of love and beauty) is afraid she's next and both sides are appealing to Kalos for his support.
But Elsie gets sick and dies.
So the larger plot is cut off. I know Ruby Dixon doesn't want to write these anymore but I hope she does one more at least to wrap up the plot. I don't know who it would follow but I'm not eager for Seth to have his own book. There's Vor and Gental, or we could follow a mortal man and a goddess. I wouldn't mind that.
I just love these books and I want to see more stories from the world of Aos, is that too much to ask for?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 25, 2026
Vowed to the Vulture God pulled me in fast and now I have to read everything Ruby Dixon has written.
Elsie is such an easy character to root for. She’s overworked, overlooked, taking care of her brother, and barely existing as a person in her own life when a goddess of fate offers her a deal: go to another realm and guide the vulture god through his punishment, and her brother will be healed. From there, the book drops quickly into Elsie’s new reality and into her dynamic with Kalos, which is easily the strongest part of the story.
Kalos starts out apathetic, rude, detached, and almost bizarrely unconcerned with mortal behavior or needs. Elsie meets that with awkward humor, relentless optimism, and a refusal to stop engaging with him. Their banter is excellent. He gives her the flu on a handshake “to teach her a lesson.” She leaves him alone for a month and comes back to find him sitting in the dark covered in cobwebs. The book finds strange little moments where the humor and character work deepen the character dynamic.
My only complaint is around the 60% mark, the pacing started to lag with too much focus on food, medicine, and day-to-day practical detail. That said, once the final stretch kicks in, the book justifies a lot of what it was building.
Kalos and Elsie are paired with clear narrative purpose. His arc points toward empathy, because apathy defines him at the start and Elsie keeps forcing him into direct contact with care, attachment, and love. Elsie’s arc moves in the opposite direction.
The ending worked for me because it didn’t dodge the cost of the bargain. It follows through on sacrifice, grief, balance, and consequence in a way that gave the story real weight. I also liked that the epilogue kept the book’s strange charm intact with goat chaos, a temple of bones, and Elsie’s needs met too.
The audiobook really elevated the experience for me. Elle Sonali does a fantastic job giving each character a distinct identity. Elsie comes through bright, fast, practical, and a little chaotic, while Kalos has that dry, tired, sharp delivery that fits him perfectly. The humor lands because the timing is right, and the emotional scenes have the right weight when the story turns more serious. My one note on the audio is that the base read speed felt slow. I listened at 2x, and that honestly felt like a normal pace to me. Still, the performance itself was excellent.
Tropes: Grumpy sunshine, god and mortal romance, quest romance, forced proximity, opposites attract, fish out of water, caretaking, slow burn, morally gray hero, sacrifice for family, bargain with a god, hurt comfort, he falls hard, found purpose through love
Content warning:
Elsie is such an easy character to root for. She’s overworked, overlooked, taking care of her brother, and barely existing as a person in her own life when a goddess of fate offers her a deal: go to another realm and guide the vulture god through his punishment, and her brother will be healed. From there, the book drops quickly into Elsie’s new reality and into her dynamic with Kalos, which is easily the strongest part of the story.
Kalos starts out apathetic, rude, detached, and almost bizarrely unconcerned with mortal behavior or needs. Elsie meets that with awkward humor, relentless optimism, and a refusal to stop engaging with him. Their banter is excellent. He gives her the flu on a handshake “to teach her a lesson.” She leaves him alone for a month and comes back to find him sitting in the dark covered in cobwebs. The book finds strange little moments where the humor and character work deepen the character dynamic.
My only complaint is around the 60% mark, the pacing started to lag with too much focus on food, medicine, and day-to-day practical detail. That said, once the final stretch kicks in, the book justifies a lot of what it was building.
Kalos and Elsie are paired with clear narrative purpose. His arc points toward empathy, because apathy defines him at the start and Elsie keeps forcing him into direct contact with care, attachment, and love. Elsie’s arc moves in the opposite direction.
The ending worked for me because it didn’t dodge the cost of the bargain. It follows through on sacrifice, grief, balance, and consequence in a way that gave the story real weight. I also liked that the epilogue kept the book’s strange charm intact with goat chaos, a temple of bones, and Elsie’s needs met too.
The audiobook really elevated the experience for me. Elle Sonali does a fantastic job giving each character a distinct identity. Elsie comes through bright, fast, practical, and a little chaotic, while Kalos has that dry, tired, sharp delivery that fits him perfectly. The humor lands because the timing is right, and the emotional scenes have the right weight when the story turns more serious. My one note on the audio is that the base read speed felt slow. I listened at 2x, and that honestly felt like a normal pace to me. Still, the performance itself was excellent.
Tropes: Grumpy sunshine, god and mortal romance, quest romance, forced proximity, opposites attract, fish out of water, caretaking, slow burn, morally gray hero, sacrifice for family, bargain with a god, hurt comfort, he falls hard, found purpose through love
Content warning:
April 19, 2026
I listened to the ALC of Vowed to the Vulture God and it’s my first audiobook in this series and honestly, I’m hooked. I didn’t expect to fall into this world so quickly ( being the 5th book of this series) , but now I already know I’ll be going back for the rest of the books because I need more.
The narration was absolutely incredible. Elle Sonali did such a fantastic job bringing every character to life, giving them distinct voices and really capturing all the emotion in each scene. It felt immersive in a way that made it so easy to get lost in the story, and I genuinely want to hype up the performance because it elevated everything for me.
As for the story itself, I really enjoyed it there’s just something about Ruby Dixon’s worlds that pulls you in. This one had such an interesting dynamic, and I loved how the characters’ connection slowly built and unfolded. Overall, it was a great first entry for me into the audiobook experience of this series, and I can’t wait to dive into the others.
Thank you NetGalley for the ALC
The narration was absolutely incredible. Elle Sonali did such a fantastic job bringing every character to life, giving them distinct voices and really capturing all the emotion in each scene. It felt immersive in a way that made it so easy to get lost in the story, and I genuinely want to hype up the performance because it elevated everything for me.
As for the story itself, I really enjoyed it there’s just something about Ruby Dixon’s worlds that pulls you in. This one had such an interesting dynamic, and I loved how the characters’ connection slowly built and unfolded. Overall, it was a great first entry for me into the audiobook experience of this series, and I can’t wait to dive into the others.
Thank you NetGalley for the ALC
May 6, 2026
★★★☆☆ (3 stars)
Vowed to the Vulture God by Ruby Dixon
ALC 🎧 Review
“You may think me a monster, but even monsters can choose who they cherish.”
This one was definitely outside my usual lane, but I can’t even lie… it was entertaining. Vowed to the Vulture God leaned fully into the weird and a little gross at times, which caught me off guard, but somehow it also managed to be kinda cute? The dynamic between the characters had me smiling more than I expected, and their humor made the whole thing feel lighter than it probably should have. It’s not something I’d normally pick up, but I’m glad I gave it a chance because it kept me engaged and curious the whole way through, even when I was slightly cringing.
Vowed to the Vulture God by Ruby Dixon
ALC 🎧 Review
“You may think me a monster, but even monsters can choose who they cherish.”
This one was definitely outside my usual lane, but I can’t even lie… it was entertaining. Vowed to the Vulture God leaned fully into the weird and a little gross at times, which caught me off guard, but somehow it also managed to be kinda cute? The dynamic between the characters had me smiling more than I expected, and their humor made the whole thing feel lighter than it probably should have. It’s not something I’d normally pick up, but I’m glad I gave it a chance because it kept me engaged and curious the whole way through, even when I was slightly cringing.
April 22, 2026
Thank you Netgalley for the gifted ALC!
Let me start by saying that this was my first Ruby Dixon book. I had no expectations and just went into this book blindly. I requested the ALC from Netgalley and had no idea that this was a series and this was book 5. This book was a slowwwww burn but it did pay off in the last half of the book. I am told her other books are more fun and spicy but I was patient with this book and I didn't end up disliking it. I loved Kalos and Elsie! They learned how to work with each other and how to support each other. She was patient with him and always stood by his side. The romance in this book was perfect and not gonna lie, the ending made me cry! Good emotional read. Absolutely plan on reading more from this author.
Let me start by saying that this was my first Ruby Dixon book. I had no expectations and just went into this book blindly. I requested the ALC from Netgalley and had no idea that this was a series and this was book 5. This book was a slowwwww burn but it did pay off in the last half of the book. I am told her other books are more fun and spicy but I was patient with this book and I didn't end up disliking it. I loved Kalos and Elsie! They learned how to work with each other and how to support each other. She was patient with him and always stood by his side. The romance in this book was perfect and not gonna lie, the ending made me cry! Good emotional read. Absolutely plan on reading more from this author.
February 21, 2026
love this series
I’ve been so excited for another book in this series, and now I’m ready for more. I was really hesitant about an apathetic aspect, but I loved the way Ruby wrote Kalos and the background for Elsie. I think Elsie’s experience as a caretaker for her brother really made her the perfect companion for Kalos, and also helped provide realistic motivation at the start. I really enjoyed the way their story progressed, I’m glad they got their happy ending and I hope I get more of them in the future.
I’ve been so excited for another book in this series, and now I’m ready for more. I was really hesitant about an apathetic aspect, but I loved the way Ruby wrote Kalos and the background for Elsie. I think Elsie’s experience as a caretaker for her brother really made her the perfect companion for Kalos, and also helped provide realistic motivation at the start. I really enjoyed the way their story progressed, I’m glad they got their happy ending and I hope I get more of them in the future.
March 12, 2026
I did like this one more than Kassam's book. An interesting depiction of depression, PTSD, trauma, night terrors, and just the shit normal people have to go through. I like that they are both not "fixed" and are works in progress as Elsie needs to work on being kind to herself and relaxing while Kalos needs to care about humans. They both have a goal and I love how they are working on actually improving the lives of humans. The other books were the gods caring about humans more, but not really doing much to help them in life.
February 21, 2026
An absolutely fabulous read! Kalos’ apathy is depicted realistically and dealt with respect and compassion by Elsie. Elsie’s busyness and caretaking is her way of coping with her own traumas and loss and shown genuinely. I’m not a crier in books but there were parts in this story that moved me to tears - the tenderness and love and compassion were done beautifully.
There were great humorous moments and fantastic spice, which is quintessential Ruby.
Highly recommend.
There were great humorous moments and fantastic spice, which is quintessential Ruby.
Highly recommend.
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