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Hollow Earth Ice Dragons #1

The Ice Tyrant's Fated Mate

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In the Ice Kingdom the strong rule, and the weak end up in cages.

At the top are the Elites, cruelest and most powerful of all dragons. Below everyone else are my friends and I.
The Wing-Clipped. Dragons too weak to shift or claim a fated mate. We’re who the cages and illegal markets were made for.

Until the man with green eyes who smells like forever awakens my dormant dragon. It should be impossible. It is impossible. Because Clippys don’t have fated mates. Ever. Everyone knows that.

Everyone except my dragon. She’s staking this one out as hers, and she doesn’t care what he or I think. It only gets worse when I discover who she calls our mate.

Somehow she’s decided the Ice Tyrant is all ours. The strongest, most ruthless dragon in Hollow Earth … and me?
Never gonna happen.

Even if I had a dragon to shift into, and even if I could claim another as my mate, it would never be him.
Not just because it’s his kingdom and his rules that put me in this cage. But because he left me to rot in it…

Casimir

My kingdom isn’t ready for me to claim her. I am. Civil war and threats to my throne? That's nothing compared to bonding with my mate. I’ll destroy anyone who threatens her or our future.

But before we can have eternity, I'll have to win her over and show her I’m not what the legends say. Somehow.
Because hiding at the center of every rumor, there’s a dark truth…

***
The Ice Tyrant’s Fated Mate is a full-bodied shifter romance with a HEA, perfect for fans of:
Fated Mates (But not insta-love)
Dragon Shifters
IYTHIKY Protective Alpha vibes
A generous helping of growls
A dash of forbidden romance
A hint of dragon kingdoms

428 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 9, 2026

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About the author

Riley Storm

86 books200 followers
Riley is one of those early-morning people you love to hate, because she swears she doesn't need caffeine, even though the coffee-maker is connected to her smartphone. She lives in a three-story townhouse by the good graces of a tabby-cat who rules the house, the couch, the table, well, basically everywhere. When she's not groveling for forgiveness for neglecting to pet her kitty enough, Riley is strapped in to her writing chair coming up with crazy worlds where she can make her own decisions of when feeding time is and how much coffee can be drank without her friends--of which she has three--holding yet another intervention that they threaten to post on the internet.

Sign up for her newsletter here: https://my.sendinblue.com/users/subsc...

Or email her: riley@highhousepress.com

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5 stars
400 (49%)
4 stars
212 (26%)
3 stars
130 (16%)
2 stars
47 (5%)
1 star
22 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
Profile Image for Melo.
893 reviews27 followers
April 12, 2026
DNF 30%

That was with me skipping pages.

I suppose congratulations are in order, for the worst book I've read this year.

This is smut angst driven.... I know I know but it's the best I could come up with. There is no plot, it's not romantic, the same drivel is repeated over and over. Just arrrghh.....

Also how can a dragon be called Anna?? Really? One minute she's all depressed in her cell thinking he doesn't want her. Next she doesn't want him but oh wait she may change her mind and he definitely shouldn't even think of other women. In the midst of all this we are bombarded with smut day dreams.

Absolutely not for me.
Profile Image for Denise.
31 reviews
March 29, 2026
This book gave me the ick!!
I went into this with certain expectations, and unfortunately, it just didn’t deliver.

The premise initially caught my attention, but the execution? Disappointing. The writing is underdeveloped, and while the world has potential, it lacked the depth needed to fully immerse me.

The characters came across as surface-level and cliché, which made it difficult to connect with them.

The dialogues, in particular, pulled me out of the story. They leaned heavily on modern slang, which felt out of place in the setting and made certain scenes so cringe (And who the hell needs steamy descriptions from chapter 1?!)

As for Caz (MMC), his actions and moral compass were hard to overlook. Some of his decisions—especially early on—made it difficult to root for him, and the way certain serious situations were handled felt off-putting. While I appreciate morally grey characters, this didn’t feel nuanced—it just felt inconsistent.

Overall, this had the bones of an interesting story, but the execution didn’t quite land for me. Sadly, this one wasn’t for me.
Profile Image for Rachel’s Coffee & Rain Reads.
354 reviews8 followers
Did Not Finish
February 22, 2026
Well whatever I was expecting this just wasn’t it. I won’t leave a rating because I DNF pretty early but wanted to leave some notes for future potential readers. Firstly, the writing is subpar and lazy. The premise hooks you but the characters are vapid, surface level, and cheesy. The world has potential, and maybe I didn’t get far enough for detail. The dialogue is corny and so much modern vernacular was used it was distracting. The Ice Tyrant using “raging boner” among other slang? Completely pulls you from the story and honestly gave me the ick. Also Caz (MMC) so far leaves much to be desired. Not only does he publicly shun his fated mate and leave her in a cage in a slave market, but when he pulls his head out of his ass and returns to save her, he happens upon a “hunter forcing someone to do something” and he “doesn’t want to intrude” as he’s there to find his mate and nothing else. I’m sorry what? Stellar personality and moral code my guy. I’m all for morally gray but to openly admit you’re seeing someone be assaulted and you don’t want to intrude because you’re only there to find your mate is pretty gross. Their whole interaction after he saves her from the hunter was weird and like a soap opera. I’m out.
610 reviews3 followers
March 8, 2026
The Ice Tyrant

Loved the kingdom building, Anna, Milly and Ella, and the Ice Dragons, especially the Ice Tyrant Casimir(aka Caz).

Next up is Ella and Dirks story
Profile Image for Angela Cornell.
Author 1 book34 followers
April 11, 2026
The Ice Tyrant’s Fated Mate KU, 428 pgs 4.5 stars Casimir & Anna

4.5 stars due to too much sex and talk plus Anna being a bitch most of the time; she does get a little better by the end of the story. Anna is a grounded (clippie) dragon and cannot shift into her dragon. They are considered “low on the totem pole” and when caught they are enslaved, kept in cages, sold, etc. She is enslaved with 2 best friends, Ella and Milly.

Casimir is The Ice Tyrant (king/alpha) but stays in disguise trying to catch the main Elites that are enslaving other shifters. As he walked through a market, selling these enslaved shifters, he felt Anna’s inner dragon and knew she was his fated mate but he had to walk away or give away his undercover work. Anna’s dragon emerged inside her and took over, making her crave this stranger and do all sorts of sexual things in her cage with everyone watching. She could stop it until Casimir was far enough away she couldn’t feel him. Eventually, he rescued her and their time together began.

The story was exciting, kept my interest and I loved it! It is well worth the read and I can’t wait to read book 2 which continues with this couple and with Ella & Dirk, Casimir’s brother.
Profile Image for Faith Somsel .
52 reviews1 follower
June 9, 2026
2.5⭐️’s
It was fine. The idea was good. The plot was slow to build with too much dialogue about nothing.
FMC was fine and a bit annoying. It was the moment where she was clearly the author’s favorite child. My least favorite were the moments where she had strong opinions that conflicted with MMC. She constantly lashed out when he didn’t see everything immediately the way she did, her “logical” arguments were emotion based and one completely lacked solid reasoning for why she had to be the one placed as bait.

There was the potential for a solid reason but it ended reading like emotion and manipulation. She compared his attitude about taking a “lesser than” as his mate to his attitude about letting a clippy, or “lesser than” pose as bait.
These are not comparable situations. Two problems with this:
1) One is his willingness to accept what society has deemed unworthy based on what she is physically and magically lacking. He is accepting on a personal and social level here what has been personally and socially rejected.
2) The very lack of physical strength and magical ability gives his argument against her being bait value and worth. He is rejecting based on her inability to protect due to lack of skill not due to societal standards or personal preference.

To counter his logic and assuage his fears she should have argued in favor of her ability to evade, survive, improvise, and her potential mate connection with him. She has skills as a “clippy” that he knows nothing about. He even states that her dragon is getting stronger and she doesn’t use that fact in her argument. Sh just states that he didn’t care she was “clippy” before and he shouldn’t now. Then she states that she trusted him so he should trust her. That’s it. No evidence of skills or reasons why. No acknowledgement of his very real logical reasoning for why not.

My resting case for why FMC is the authors favorite.
Profile Image for Tammy Moldovan.
2,097 reviews29 followers
June 9, 2026
Great start to the series.

I loved this fated mates dragon shifter romance with a side of prejudice and danger. The story weaves together love, real life issues, intrigue, danger, and spice with just the perfect amount of emotions. Caz and Anna are portrayed as real, relatable beings who have flaws and scars, but are really just trying to do their best as messy fallible beings. Chaz is an ice dragon shifter and the Ice Tyrant, the leader of his kingdom. Anna is a “clippy”, a dragon shifter without a dragon. Her kind are hunted and captured to serve as slaves for the ice dragons. While in a cage in an underground slave market, Anna feels a mate pull even though clippy’s don’t have mates or inner dragons. Chaz also feels the mate pull to Anna. But being together is complicated. To get to their HEA, they’ll need to learn to trust each other while trying to wade through the politics and backstabbing of the Elites in the dragon society and unpack their own baggage. The story was well written and included witty dialogue, great world building, three dimensional characters who grow, and an engaging storyline as shown through sweet moments, spicy scenes, chuckles, supportive friends, messy families, painful pasts, plot twists, evil actors, henchmen, political machinations, missteps, and heart squeezing love. I am looking forward to reading more in this series.
Profile Image for Dee.
5,252 reviews60 followers
February 13, 2026
Get comfortable you will need to be because once you start you won’t start but be warned you are going to want to bust a few heads because some of the alphas are some bone heads and need their heads examined. You when you are thrown together as the unwanted or the on the lower end of the social status this is where we find our girl Anna and her gang of misfits waiting to be sold into slavery can’t help but love them the shenanigans the get into oh and the things they say will have you laughing but what happens when Anna realizes she is mated to the Ice Tyrant. Caz the sexy as all get out Ice Tyrant a dragon with attitude issues sexy ..oh did we say that already (well the sexy will have you overlooking some of the grump) yep he lives up to his name he doesn’t hang with the lowers ones why would he they are beneath him, but he does have more to him he is trying to work out who is behind the slave market and when he learns he has a mate of course his dragon won’t leave him alone or allow him to walk away despite her status. The magnetic pull is there can’t be ignored, no matter what their status but will they learn to work together makes them stronger, will he accept her as his mate, will she accept him, will she leave her friends behind, and is there a HEA for these two?
752 reviews14 followers
April 23, 2026
Ice Tyrant

Mf, fated mates, dragon shifters, royalty, hidden heritage, on going story. So, I'm laughing at myself because it took me to half the book to realize the society is underground, therefore Hollow Earth. This is a romance between the an ice dragon king and a member of the lowest class. Anna is a dragon shifter who cannot shift therefore fits in a sub level of society along with other "clippies". We meet her when she and her two close friends have been captured by a group of hunters, who are basically slave traders. Anna's group are not supposed to get mates because their dragons are too weak to shift, but surprise, her mate sees her in the cage. He's incognito and baffled so he leaves, but returns later for her. He spends most of the book groveling. Lots of social conflict while the king tries to reform centuries of cruel social structure. There's an ongoing war with the red king who lives?? His people shoot fire instead of ice. Well written despite being simplistic and very light on world description. It continues in the next volume due out in a few months.
3,079 reviews22 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
February 8, 2026
Fantastic series starter.

I couldn’t put this book down! Anna and her friends are dragons born too weak to take their dragon form. They are called Wing-clipped, or more derogatorily, Clippys. They are hunted, caged, and sold to the Elites ending up as little more than slaves. But for Anna her life will take a drastic turn when an Elite male walks through the market where she and her friends are caged and waiting to be sold. Her dragon, silent her entire life, awakens inside her. The male that awakened her dragon, notices her but he walks away.

Oh, my goodness, I love these fantastic characters. Compelling and unique with fast-faced and engaging dialog, these characters made it impossible to put this book down. Dragon shifters, fated mates, exciting action, a little suspense, plenty of steamy interludes featuring the FMC and MMC, and a happily ever after. This is a must-read that I recommend and I already look forward to the next book in this series.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary ARC provided by Book Sprout and the author.
Profile Image for Linda.
220 reviews
February 11, 2026
I Love Love loved every minute of this new book from beginning to end! I love meeting Caz and Anna along with the rest of the characters. The bond between Anna and her friends and the lengths that Caz will go for her to find them and protect them all is truly revealing of his character and love for Anna. Caz is the ICE TYRANT and Anna is a clippy or grounded ( or is she) who has no memory of her past.. Caz rescues Anna from a slave market when it is revealed that they are fated mates which should not be possible. Their story is loaded with danger, intrigue, and a lot of Hot sexy Ice Dragon. Will Caz and Anna be able to find and rescue her friends ? Will Caz be able to discover who is behind the slave markets ? Will they get their HEA ? You will have to read to find out but the adventure will be worth it. I received an Advanced E-copy and am Voluntarily leaving a review. All thoughts are my own.
307 reviews9 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
February 4, 2026
I wanted to love this so badly—the synopsis sounded right up my alley. However, this one didn’t sit well with me. I found the writing leaned more toward YA, and the romance felt like insta-lust with little substance. I grew genuinely frustrated with how often the book mentioned her folds being “wet and engorged” (or some variation of it); after a while, I was rolling my eyes every time it came up.

I think the plot itself was fine, and the worldbuilding was fairly standard for romantasy. If you love insta-love and enjoy spice sprinkled into most scenes, you may really enjoy this. The writing isn’t bad—it just wasn’t for me.

I received a free copy of this book via Cherrylily ARCs and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Fiona.
2,979 reviews32 followers
February 11, 2026
I absolutely love reading stories by Riley Storm. This one certainly didn’t disappoint. Anna, Milly and Ella are clippy’s which are dragon shifters who are born too weak to take their dragon form. But when Anna’s dragon wakes up when an Elite male, Casimir, walks through the market where she and her friends are caged, starts a story that is absolutely compelling in the tale. There is so much going on that I was absolutely captivated as the story rolled out. I can’t wait for the next book in this series.

I received a free copy of this book via Cherrylily ARCs and am voluntarily leaving a review.
367 reviews3 followers
February 11, 2026
The Ice Tyrant finds love with his fated mate! Spicy with excellent HFN ending!
Caz finds Anna and knows instantly that she is his fated mate. It takes quite a bit more for Anna to believe her mate is actually the Ice Tyrant and ruler of the Ice Kingdom. Caz has waited for his perfect mate and studied up to be ready to please her. They have battles to fight and politics galore, but no one can deny their bond and Anna's surprising power. A satisfying HFN leaves us looking forward to the next part of the story!.

I received a free copy of this book via Cherrylily ARCs and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for L KQ.
6,289 reviews29 followers
February 24, 2026
Elite versus Grounded

Unique and quite captivating this was a dragon shifter story that I could not wait to devour. Anna is caged and ready to be sold due to her status as a grounded but a hooded figure passes by awakening something inside her, something that should be impossible. Can has found his mate and their journey wasn’t an easy one as it was full of complications. It was exciting, suspenseful and intensely interesting. I did not want to put it down and I can’t wait for the next one in the series to come out.

I received a free copy of this book via Cherrylily ARCs and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Lissie Reince.
31 reviews
March 25, 2026
Almost five stars

Story is told in first-person, dual POV.
I consider the spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5. While there are just a couple of open-door scenes, there’s a lot of sexual verbiage throughout.
The MMC, Caz, is such a sweetie. She’s his first, and he devotes himself to fulfilling her every desire.
The FMC, Anna, is where this book went from 5 stars to 4.5. She’s got a habit of playing the victim and was constantly twisting Caz’s words to pick fights with him. She had a lot of audacity that was difficult for me to get past and even had my jaw dropping at times.
I will certainly be reading more from Riley Storm!
1,554 reviews11 followers
February 9, 2026
Addictive Storyline

OMG What a great read, from page one to the end this entertaining read will grab at you and give you an amazing read filled with action, suspense, with some twists along the way.

With lots of sizzling moments, will this couple finally find their HEA.

I love both the FMC and MMC, their personalities shone throughout the book, from action, to tenderness with some witty moments in between.

An amazing read you won’t want to miss!.

I received a free copy of this book via Cherrylily ARCs and am voluntarily leaving a review.
1,758 reviews15 followers
February 13, 2026
This is a brilliant and entertaining read. It is a fun, romantic and has plenty of spice. It has a lively start where Anna meets Caz and the rollercoaster doesn’t stop until the final page.
There are no wasted words. Everything is described beautifully, the scenery lush and the people are a delight.
I think Anna and Caz make a great couple. I love their banter and emotion.
This is the first book I have read by this author but it won’t be the last. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series.
3,276 reviews25 followers
February 19, 2026
Anna and her friends are caged in the slave market when she feels something she is not meant to.
Anna and her friends are clippys dragons who are wing clipped as they have no dragon in them. They have been captured by hunters and taken to a slave market. When a cloaked figure appears and she meets his eye she feels something move inside her a thought in her of Mate. Cas was tracking someone involved in the slave trade when he notice a female and his dragon states Mate.

I received a free copy of this book via Cherrylily ARCs and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Jordan Blackaby.
293 reviews4 followers
April 19, 2026
DNF 18%

Read like a horny teenager wrote this. I couldn’t get into it. We knew nothing about any of the characters except Anna is a “clippy” whatever that means and caz (mmc) is not. That’s it. And before it was even at 18% in and she’s already drenched and moaning and acting like a cat in heat. We literally know nothing about this world or the characters other than the guy smells nice. I get spice and romance and what not but it felt like two teenagers talking but their inner monologue read like their diary. Couldn’t do it
2,020 reviews13 followers
February 12, 2026
3.5
I liked Anna, I am always rooting for the underdog. Especially one willing to fight for herself and others. Casimir fell a bit short for me, but maybe there is hope for him. I didn't quite connect with the writing. It wasn't a slog. It just felt a bit underdeveloped maybe. I am not sure the right word. It has a lot of potential and I would read the next book because I want to see more of the story.
Profile Image for Angel.
111 reviews
April 27, 2026
Cringy but still a page turner because I needed to know what happened at the end. I can see where the author was going, the plot was there, just not executed well.

Fated mates trope is fine, I’ve read it done better. This felt over the top and a lot of scenes were way too dramatic. The sexual moments didn’t flow and felt randomly thrown in for shock value. I prefer buildup to the spice.

Overall, not something I would recommend, but it was a decent quick read.
Profile Image for Lora Fickle.
6 reviews
February 14, 2026
Dragons amour

A great read from the beginning. Characters well developed. I would have liked to seen more attention to the evil doers. They just popped in as a filler, could have been a duet series with more involvement. Would recommend this for those looking for a easy read with a great plot.
2,333 reviews28 followers
February 14, 2026
Ana & Caz
I loved this Dragon shifter steamy romance. Ana is unique in a way that adds a unique twist to the story, and that made it a true delight for me to read! I Love the Story and the Ana's internal dialog, it made it fun for me. I Recommend !!! No Spoilers from me!.

I received a free copy of this book via Cherrylily ARCs and am voluntarily leaving a review.
1,730 reviews5 followers
February 16, 2026
Loved it!

This series has commenced with a remarkable beginning, proving to be both engaging and entertaining. The narrative was captivating from its inception, effectively conveying the emotional journey of its characters. The conclusion presented a transformative experience for all participants. We eagerly anticipate the forthcoming installment.
354 reviews3 followers
February 23, 2026
The price of change.

A person living in survival mode doesn't always see things clearly. A person trying to improve things doesn't always understand the price that is paid for survival.

I want to believe that I'd give up what I've always known to improve my life and the lives of others.

Thank you for having this on Kindle Unlimited.
Profile Image for Pauline Johnson.
477 reviews
March 1, 2026
The plot moved along great. The romance was kind of okay. The female lead, I just wanted to slap her and tell her to wake up and get a grip. The main male character, was just too lovey-dovey for my taste. It seemed like she could do no wrong. I can understand fated mates and all that but in my option, I feel like there could have been more manly vibes and less woman bitching.
304 reviews1 follower
March 6, 2026
This book start giving us an idea of what Anna and her friends are about to enter into their lives. It starts with them in the slave market as they are trying to escape. Here they introduce is to what an ELITE was a Dragon.
From there it is a page turner where I want to know what is going to happen.

I received a free copy of this book via Cherrylily ARCs and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Foodiegirl.
1,109 reviews21 followers
March 7, 2026
I loved Cas and Anna, the world-building in this story is an exciting backdrop for their lives, from a slave to the fated mate of the strongest dragon in the kingdom. Cas finding her friends proves how wonderful a man and leader he is. Anna finding her dragon 🐉 is a great addition to the ending
I can not wait to see what happens next in this world with Anna's friend and Cas's brother.
23 reviews
March 13, 2026
A new must read dragon series

Anna and Caz have their hands full trying to both find each other as well and find their path to happiness. But I love Caz's love for Anna, and also Anna's path to healing without trying to burn or blame Caz. This book definitely has some spice, but I wouldn't say it overpowers the book itself
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews