Corvak's Challenge by Ruby Dixon [Review]

Corvak's Challenge (Ice Planet Clones #4) by Ruby Dixon
Format: paperback
Source: purchased
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: June 22, 2025

Ice Planet Clones
1. R'jaal's Resonance
2. Surviving Skarr
3. Romancing Rem'eb
4. Corvak's Challenge - Paperback | Kindle

Related Series:
(find all the books in the series on the 1st book review)
Ice Planet Barbarians
1. Ice Planet Barbarians

Icehome
1. Lauren's Barbarian

Ruby Dixon
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

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?

Thoughts on Corvak's Challenge: 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.