Corvak's Challenge

Ice Planet Clones #4

by Ruby Dixon

When the clone pods were abandoned on the ice planet, two of them opened before the others. Corvak, a gladiator and a splice, ran into the snows. He carried Aidy, a confused human woman. They're on the run, determined not to get caught.

Aidy has no idea what's going on or why she's been dumped in the icy mountains. Corvak, however, is convinced this is all one big gladiator game, and one he's determined to win. To do that, they'll have to avoid all the others and survive by any means possible.

Why do they need this parasite anyhow...and why do their chests keep humming?

Genres: Romance, Science Fiction, Aliens, Science Fiction Romance, Forced Proximity, Fantasy, Smut

276 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 19, 2025

About the author

Ruby 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. :)

Reviews

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was going to give Corvak's Challenge 4.5 stars, but you couldn't pry this book from my hands while I read reading it, so just take all of my stars, Ruby Dixon.

I am an unapologetic Ice Planet Barbarians fan, and I've read every single book in the series, some in ebook AND in audiobook format. I can't get enough, and I don't know if I'll ever get enough. It's a sickness, I know.

This book was just so freakin' sweet. The two MCs immediately had each other's backs. Sometimes, we get drama-llama fighting between the two main characters, but these two were so supportive of each other. They were thrown into a strange planet and with very few memories (clones, natch), and they just adapt and make do. I loved Aidy's unearthed talent, and I think that warrants even more exploring in future books. The couple was just so dreamy together, and the book really kept me enthralled until the very last page.

One of my favorite IPB books in recent memory. My forever crackalicious series.

goodreads|instagram

[Niki {Still a Widow but reading more} · Rating 5 out of 5]

That hit the spot....

I've been in a bit of book slump, but there's nothing better than a Ruby Dixon book to pull you out of the sludge of mediocre stories. This was engaging and sweet, with little hits of cuteness sprinkled throughout. We finally found out about the missing people from the empty pods in Flor's Fiasco. Knowing the truth of the situation and with hindsight, it was fun to watch Corvak and Aidy get it all wrong. Though Corvak did have good assumption, he was just so, so wrong, lol.

I just loved Corvak, who with all his innocence, becomes a God and was paired so well with level-headed Aidy. I was so excited to have the inclusions of the Metlaks. I've wanted so many times for something to happen with them since we learned in IPB or Icehome series that they had some intelligence. I was glad Ruby went the route she did, though I'm sad of how it turned out. I was horrified yet excitedly thinking she may be going to give us a stinky yeti romance one day. Oh well. LOL. I'm also glad that Corvak found a "brother" for both their sakes, since the "brother" has always seemed such a loner and outside of the main group on Icehome Beach.

I feel like I say this every time, but I can't wait for the next one. I love how Ruby makes every person and couple different. I love everything she writes it seems (except B'shit. Lol. If you know you know.) I can't wait for more stories of the Ones Who Came Before as well. Gimme more, please!!

[Poppy || Monster Lover · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was not at all what I was anticipating when a gladiator ran off with a human woman over his shoulder when this series started. Corvak was such a cinnamon roll, even though he was a bit clueless about what was going on. I mean, when your frame of reference is effed up gladiator games, it’s not shocking that the conclusion you draw is “this is the hunger games”. Aidy was super relatable and pragmatic with her decision to temporarily put aside the “you’re mine” and similar declarations and prioritizing sticking with her best shot of survival and picking her battles. It was fun to see the metaks again, and kinda wild how everything went down there.

Spice: 3/5

Triggers: surprise pregnancy, hypothermia, hunting, metlaks eating another metlak (mostly sapient lape-like creatures), emesis, misogyny discussions, health fears, violence/here violence (metlaks)

[Emily Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I paused reading a book I had already started to read this one and I’m so glad I did.

Have you ever read a book that just feels like coming home? This one was it for me. I absolutely loved this book and everything about it.

The two main characters were so wholesome with each other, great communication, and so protective of each other too 🥰 it made my heart feel full when Aidy defended Corvak even when she was upset with him.

I love the old tribe popping up. I loved everything. All I know is that I can’t wait for the next one!
Whatever it is. If Ruby writes it, I will read it ❤️

[Kimbot the Destroyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

It would take a lot for me to not love a Kopan-6 story.
It was nice to be back. There is a confusing stranger who lives inside me. This person loves babies and she only only ONLY comes out when reading nonhuman romance.

[Laura❄️📚 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been reading Ruby Dixons series that have been based on not Hoth for some time now, I enjoyed Ice Planet Barbarians and I loved Icehome so I was pleased when the Ice Planet Clones series started. I have been enjoying this series so far, I love this world and all the characters and I love that familiar faces are present in the books. Overall really enjoyed this and it was a worthwhile addition to the series.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t help but love these ridiculous alien books

[Kelley · Rating 1 out of 5]

I waited for so long for this book to be released and I am so disappointed in it. The couple was dull. The plot surrounding the metlaks was out of left field and left me skimming more than half the book. Valmir was the only interesting new character. This will be the first time I have left a 1 ⭐ review on a Ruby Dixon book.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Corvak’s Challenge” by Ruby Dixon

4⭐️/5⭐️
3🌶/5🌶

“If I die between your thighs, so be it.”

Aaaaand we’re back on Not-Hoth. I’ve been eagerly awaiting the next installment in the Ice Planet Clones book. It’s been a year since the third book was released, and honestly I found it to be quite disappointing. However, “Corvak’s Challenge” has redeemed the series in my eyes.

Corvak is a spliced gladiator, someone created in a lab using different genetic materials. He’s created for the sole purpose of competing in gladiator games, and when he wakes up on Not-Hoth, he thinks this is just another elaborate game. He sees Aidy, a human woman, and believes she is his prize if he wins the game. Together, they move through the mountainous and harsh climate of Not-Hoth, each believing they are on the run from other gladiators.

This book has some really funny moments due to Corvak and Aidy’s complete misunderstanding of where they are. They make their situation so much more difficult than it needs to be, and then they keep adding on to the difficulties by feeding a group of Metlaks who will not leave them alone.

Of course, as with any Ice Planet book, Corvak and Aidy are fated mates. Yet, they don’t even realize it, because they don’t have anyone to explain khuis to them. All they know is that they need the khui to survive, and there’s a strange humming that happens when the two are close to each other. It’s the clueless leading the clueless.

Something I really enjoyed and found unique to Corvak and Aidy’s story is that they truly felt like partners. Because they’re relying on each other for survival, and are ignorant as to where they are, they come to really respect one another. They check in with each other, discuss their options, and share the load of survival.

The next couple teased sounds like another fun story, and I can’t wait to continue the series!

[Natalie Randall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still deep in the worst reading slump of my life, but Ice Planet Barbarians will always be the exception 🤭

[Ashlee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book to be stupid and annoying. The Metlak of it all was interesting but strange. Felt kind of pointless (?) I don’t know why Ruby thought we have to let them live and be naïve for about 60+ percent of the book but she did. She wrote that. I hated the whole “we are in a competition and I am raising an army” plot. I didn’t like how bitchy Aidy was to Valmir. I personally don’t like when these girls are mean to any of the aliens when they’re having a Liz attitude. I don’t know. I skimmed through a lot of this book towards the end. They’re my least fav couple.

[Heather Close · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic Clones story

I really don't know how Ruby continues to write such amazing stories in this world but I'm here for it! I absolutely loved Corvak and Aidy. It was fun experiencing resonance with a couple that had no idea what was going on. As always I shed a few happy tears and enjoyed an update on one of my favorite couples at Icehome.

[Aimee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of course I devoured this one! I loved all the books this author writes and always one-click them because they’re awesome! This is another story with the clones but the two that ran off before they could be rescued. There’s lots of metlaks and they’re able to communicate with them somewhat. Crazy wild times because neither one knows what’s going on and they both have hold of the total wrong end of the stick!

[Bri The Shameless Romance Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one so much. It reminded me of the earlier books with the FMC not knowing much about the new world and having to learn. I feel like a bit of that is lost in the later books/series since it’s tons of humans to basically give them info and act as a guide.

This one basically gives us all of those clueless vibes with the added bonus of MMC not knowing anything either, so we get two people fumbling and figuring things out together. It was great! We also get to learn more about the metlaks which was fun.

Both MC are easy to like and their relationship is cavity inducing sweet. I absolutely loved the MMC. This was worth the wait and I can FINALLY stop asking what happened to these two. I also have to give credit to Ruby for basically staying within the same timespan for four books without it getting dry. (I think it helps that there are so many moving pieces.) This drove me crazy in Icehome with the constant reiterating, but not in this series. I think it helps because it’s so many things to play with whereas Icehome didn’t have all of those elements.

My only complaint would be that most people keep staying at the beach. The world is so wide now and I would love some variation with where the couples end up settling. I might be getting impatient again, because it’s so much to explore.

Anywho I’ll be impatiently waiting for my next dose in the IPB franchise 😂

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly loved this book! Aidy and Corvak were such a breath of fresh air. I loved seeing them get to know and come to depend on each other. Ruby masterfully played up the survival aspects of this book, to the point that I seriously wondered at points if the main characters would survive the night, despite knowing there was a guaranteed HEA. I thought Corvak’s plan for winning the “challenge” he thinks he’s in was ingenious, and Aidy’s khui-gifted language abilities were an interesting (and much needed) addition to the ice planet resource bank. I’ve always been fascinated by the metlaks, and we get to see a lot more of them in this book. They are both more complex than we’ve seen before and just as gross and violent as ever. I loved this expansion to the lore.

This book also did a nice job of teasing April and Valmir’s story, which I assume is up next. I can’t wait!

[Valerie B · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun addition to the Ice Planet Clones series. I love how supportive Aidy is of Corvak and how they were a team from the beginning and nothing got between them.
Of course there were multiple times I laughed out loud. Overall an enjoyable read.

[Ivy Deluca · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars Quickish review

When you read a Planet Blue Balls book you know what you’re getting. I did enjoy how RD managed to put a twist on the typical start to the romance. But otherwise, I got what I wanted and I wanted what I got.

[Lois · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5- I'm partial to the Ice Planet Clone series. I really enjoy the plot and the fact that characters from the other two Ice Planet series show up.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

No lie, I thoroughly enjoy being back in this icy world with these clones who have been dumped in a weird situation and have no idea what's going on. On one hand, Corvak knows he's a clone, but thinks this is a game where the strongest, wiliest, best fighter wins the prize. Whereas, Aidy is just confused. Her memories are patchy (as are the memories of many of the illegal human clones) and Corvak's insistence that they need to move fast to stay ahead of the other competitors makes as much sense as anything else. So she does what any illegal clone with sketchy memories would do and joins forces with the guy who seems like he knows what he's doing.

Fortunately for them, Corvak is good at survival. He figures out they need a cootie and gets it. Which keeps both of them alive, but triggers resonance. Which they know NOTHING about. Frankly, these two make a lot of assumptions (many of which are wrong) and somehow still end up where they need to be. They head out into the wilds, have resonance going on, and accidently recruit an army while thinking this is all part of a big game. (They're basically the Ice Planet equivalent of "you used the wrong equation, but ended up with the right answer" and I kinda like that!)

While they're dealing with figuring out how to survive on a planet almost designed to make sure they don't, they grow attached. The cootie's rarely wrong and these two work nicely together. And when they DO finally figure out this isn't a game and end up back with the other dropped clones (it's more interesting than I make it sound, I swear!), Corvak gets an unexpected surprise. That surprise hit me in the feels, to be honest. I liked it. I liked it a lot.

Extreme weather, a grand plan for survival, an army that's never going to win any awards for following orders, a splice who's in it to win it (and to show his chosen lady that he's good mate material), and a lady who makes the most of what the situation provides (and who is as devoted to her mate as he is to her). *thumbs up* all around.

-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal

[Hilda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wait for her to use her teeth, to truly attack, but she does not. "Aidy, why are you trying to eat my face?"

Why does she sound upset at me? If anything, I am the one that should be upset. It was my face she mauled. My face she was planning on eating. I think I have been very understanding about her strange actions.

I will forever find face licking or in this case face eating funny!!!! These poor alien dudes never know what a kiss is and it makes me so happy. It’s probably my favorite alien trope. Kissing? What is this kissing? Oh, the face licking! Hahaha.

Corvak and A.D. who everyone calls Aidy are the cutest and I loved this book to pieces. It was so good to go back to what felt like the OG books at the beginning before all of the people showed up. This felt like it could have happened long ago. They just run away and have to survive in this new world alone and scared. They work together and are true partners and are the best. Seriously the best. This story made me so happy.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite but entertaining nonetheless! I liked that we got to see that the Metlak appear to be a sentient species with their own language and culture. Also, I loved (even though it was ridiculously brief) that we got to see Corvak connect with Gren as a brother! It was very heartwarming and nice to see familiar characters! Only rating three stars because I didn’t feel the chemistry between Aidy and Corvak like I have in previous stories.

[Emily Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Needed a new IPB badddddd. Last summer when I read one day was the best time of my life tbh. Really liked this one the couple had a good vibe and I’m excited to be back at icehome 👻 my life sucks so bad rn I wish I was on an ice planet with an alien husband who did everything for me

[Magpie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book follows Aidy and Corvak, another composite splice clone like Gren (Willa's Beast). Instead of talking about this book much, I'm going to launch into my thoughts on these four books so far.

Ice Planet Clones, or Ice Planet Barbarians part three, started in 2023 and Corvak's Challenge was published in June of 2025. Apart from Surviving Skaar, these books have been heavy with worldbuilding, plot points, and very strange details like Corvak not knowing what to do with an erection.

Rem'eb has a plunger dick, and no matter how I think about it, it seems horribly unpleasant, I just don't get it. Also all these couples experience resonance immediately so they're less enjoyable to read about since all parties are immediately horny for each other.

Let's talk Metlaks, ever since Ice Planet Barbarians 7, Barbarian's Touch, it's been hinted at that these wild animals are organized and are more than they seem. This comes to a head in Corvak's Challenge where it's discovered that they see signs from the sky and worship a messiah like figure. They also have their own language and hierarchy. But there isn't much clue as to what this is leading to unless it's a full on uprising against the Sa-Khui and the humans who's reach just keeps growing further. Giant mollusks are said to come again (Icehome 13) but it feels like the people are due for another life altering event like Ice Planet Barbarians 8, Barbarian's Taming.

Like I said, there's a lot of world building in these books, we discover the "ancestors" and their Village of Those That Remain underground where they practice weaving and metalworking. Women are kept behind a wall for their safety and Metlaks for all their organization, are only slightly better than temperamental animals. It almost feels like too much, like there's not enough time to focus on the romances because there's so much new stuff to add in. It's not bad, but I wish in that case that these books were a little longer.

My favorite book is R'jaal's Resonance. It's nice to see him finally get a happy ending and I like the inclusion of the native people in the underground.

My least favorite book is Romancing Rem'eb. Tia and Rem'eb are constantly trying to one-up each other with trickery and there's drugging involved, which we know I hate. They just don't seem compatible and Tia ends up leaving everyone behind to live in the underground. Plus this is the books we were introduced to plunger dick, an unforgivable offense.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love on the Run

Corvak and Aidy are on the run from the other "gladiators" that they were dumped with on the ice planet. They thought that this was part of a gladiator game and disappeared before the Icehome people could explain where they were. They were clueless, but they bungled their way to survive.
They met up with a bunch of Metlaks that thought Corvak was a god. They go through resonance, not knowing what it was. Corvak had spied on "other gladiators" talking about the kui and that they needed it to survive.
They had quite an adventure on the inhospitable planet.
I enjoyed this different story very much. It was different because it wasn't centered around activities at the beach. Corvak and Aidy lived rough.
Eventually, they come to realize that they are not part of a game and that they are permanently stuck on the ice planet, but not alone.This whole series and it's subseries are fantastic. I've been reading Ruby's books since 2021. I've read anything to do with that world.

[QwertyBlonde Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hot, Horny, and Huh?

Corvak is basically a protein shake come to life with gladiator issues and a protective streak a mile wide.
Aidy is... well, she’s doing her best, bless her. I spent half the book wondering if she was going to fall for Corvak or accidentally walk off a cliff trying to understand what planet she was on.

The storyline was a little shaky to me. It was different than the other books though, so brownie points for new ideas. Still, I wasn’t bored, just found myself scratching my head wondering if the author had thrown in a few extra plot twists during a coffee break.

Sorry Corvak and Aidy, it's a 3 maybe 3.5 stars from me.

[Sydney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I lowkey loved that this book felt like going back to the beginning. Now, when new people arrive, the older people just teach them how to survive and what needs to be done. But with these two running away almost immediately in the beginning, it felt like one of the original books where they were figuring it all out for the first time. Plus, Corvak and Aidy were both so interesting in my opinion. I'll be honest, as much as I love this world, and I will ALWAYS read the newest book, they have kinda been feeling the same lately. But this one just felt different. Not to mention the entire plotline with the metlaks.

[Veronica LaRoche · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited to read this book. I’m so happy to be back in Icehome. Corvak is definitely a character that everyone will love. Corvak thinks it’s a game and he’s into the shock of his life when he finally comes across Valmir. I like Aidy and Corvak together, they make an amazing team. I loved reading about everyone at Icehome and can’t wait until the next book.

[Chloe Arnold · Rating 3 out of 5]

when ipb was first trending and I had major fomo so I downloaded ku for the first time just to start this series and now I will never stop reading them 🫣

this one was actually quite funny (and they all have their funny moments) it was a good time and a quick read, and got me excited for the next one

really enjoyed these two together… they were perfect for each other

[Hailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

At this point Ruby has her claws sunk soooooooo far under my skin that I’m automatically going to enjoy anything she writes.

Anyways! This was a great time I love the clones and the metlaks. 5 stars. No notes.

[Kay Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Только в этом мире (планете) у Руби 40+ книг, не считая бонусов, казалось бы, что еще можно придумать? А нет, каждый раз она выдает какие-то новые, интересные повороты и детали. Обожаю