What do you think?
Rate this book
The Vaskell Empire #1
Touch of Ice
Princesses are supposed to be loved and pampered, not thrown into a slave camp.
Ayla Vaskell, fifteen-year-old ice fairy and youngest daughter of the late King of Crio, is searching for a way out of the slave camp. She and her sisters also want revenge on their uncle for the deaths of their parents and the down fall of their kingdom.
When all hope seems to be loss, Dain and his three friends show up with promises of escaping. The girls have their doubts.
Could the boys be trusted?
Yet, Dain and his friends prove their worth and gain the princesses’ trust. Not once, but twice. But, escaping the camp puts them all on an adventure none of them are fully ready for.
Only together can they overcome the obstacles standing in their way to complete each quest and reclaim the Vaskell Empire.
Touch of Ice is the first in a NEW YA romantic fantasy adventure series and a world of dragons, fae, and other mythical creatures.
Ayla Vaskell, fifteen-year-old ice fairy and youngest daughter of the late King of Crio, is searching for a way out of the slave camp. She and her sisters also want revenge on their uncle for the deaths of their parents and the down fall of their kingdom.
When all hope seems to be loss, Dain and his three friends show up with promises of escaping. The girls have their doubts.
Could the boys be trusted?
Yet, Dain and his friends prove their worth and gain the princesses’ trust. Not once, but twice. But, escaping the camp puts them all on an adventure none of them are fully ready for.
Only together can they overcome the obstacles standing in their way to complete each quest and reclaim the Vaskell Empire.
Touch of Ice is the first in a NEW YA romantic fantasy adventure series and a world of dragons, fae, and other mythical creatures.
- GenresFantasyParanormal
Kindle Edition
Published September 26, 2017
7 people are currently reading
144 people want to read
About the author
Aleah Raynes
6 books31 followersAleah Raynes loves paranormal, fantasy, mystery, suspense, reverse harem, and anything else that hooks her from the first page. She writes new adult and young adult fiction and romance in the genres she loves to read.
She is co-authoring the Vaskell Empire series with Mandy Caruso. Book one, Touched of Ice releases September 2017. And her debut solo novel, Visions of Pain (Capissian Order, book 1) - a clean new adult reverse harem – releases in October 2017.
She is co-authoring the Vaskell Empire series with Mandy Caruso. Book one, Touched of Ice releases September 2017. And her debut solo novel, Visions of Pain (Capissian Order, book 1) - a clean new adult reverse harem – releases in October 2017.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 19, 2019
First-off the cover of this book is gorgeous. It was the cover that really caught my eye and made me want to read the story of four fairy princesses who’d lost their kingdom and whose parents had been killed at the hands of an evil uncle. Introduce four boys, blatant knights in shining armor come to rescue them.
I found the premise interesting and decided to give this book a try. Sadly, it didn’t live up to its gorgeous cover. Here are the following issues I had with the book:
1. The four princesses and the four boys were paired off straight away. Sure I could see the symmetry but it was kind of annoying. It lacked chemistry and a certain intrigue. I still would have seen the symmetry if they hadn’t been paired off from the start and it would have been more interesting to guess who would end up with whom.
2. A lot of things happened in the story without a proper segue or better explanation. It’s like the bare minimum information was given without further elaboration. It made the writing look, and feel blunt.
3. Going with Point 2, the writing seemed a bit rushed and lacked a depth of emotion. As if the story was written very fast without stopping to amplify certain scenes and emotions. Even the supposed romance lacked that depth. There was an impression of danger from the king and the guards and all eight kids were on the run. But the emotion, that sense of danger wasn’t palpable.
4. Characters popped out of nowhere without a backstory of what had happened to them. Instead of showing what had happened, we were told about it. Once again, there weren’t any supplementing details concerning the fighting scenes. For example, a monster dies and no one knows how it happened. No clue at all. Were powers used? If so, what powers? And how?
The idea of this story was a good one and it had the potential to be much better if only the scenes and emotions had been more detailed.
***Note: Received from Netgalley for an honest review.
Posted on Blog
I found the premise interesting and decided to give this book a try. Sadly, it didn’t live up to its gorgeous cover. Here are the following issues I had with the book:
1. The four princesses and the four boys were paired off straight away. Sure I could see the symmetry but it was kind of annoying. It lacked chemistry and a certain intrigue. I still would have seen the symmetry if they hadn’t been paired off from the start and it would have been more interesting to guess who would end up with whom.
2. A lot of things happened in the story without a proper segue or better explanation. It’s like the bare minimum information was given without further elaboration. It made the writing look, and feel blunt.
3. Going with Point 2, the writing seemed a bit rushed and lacked a depth of emotion. As if the story was written very fast without stopping to amplify certain scenes and emotions. Even the supposed romance lacked that depth. There was an impression of danger from the king and the guards and all eight kids were on the run. But the emotion, that sense of danger wasn’t palpable.
4. Characters popped out of nowhere without a backstory of what had happened to them. Instead of showing what had happened, we were told about it. Once again, there weren’t any supplementing details concerning the fighting scenes. For example, a monster dies and no one knows how it happened. No clue at all. Were powers used? If so, what powers? And how?
The idea of this story was a good one and it had the potential to be much better if only the scenes and emotions had been more detailed.
***Note: Received from Netgalley for an honest review.
Posted on Blog
December 30, 2017
Highly entertaining, emotionally thrilling, action packed adventure filled with danger, mystery, betrayal and heart pounding twists. Epic start to a very intriguing new series.
Ayla Vaskell is s feisty, cunning and determined ice fairy looking to save her sisters from the slave camp they have been trapped in by their evil uncle. Dain (fellow slave) and his three friends come to the aid of the sisters when they are looking to escape and they are not so sure the boys are to be truly trusted. Exciting, enjoyable and engaging reading experience I look forward to more.
Ayla Vaskell is s feisty, cunning and determined ice fairy looking to save her sisters from the slave camp they have been trapped in by their evil uncle. Dain (fellow slave) and his three friends come to the aid of the sisters when they are looking to escape and they are not so sure the boys are to be truly trusted. Exciting, enjoyable and engaging reading experience I look forward to more.
December 20, 2017
This is a great start to a new YA romantic fantasy. The four daughters of the murdered King of Crio have been imprisoned in a slave camp by their evil uncle. Their magic and their wings have been bound to prevent them escaping or being able to take action against him. It is only when the youngest daughter, Ayla Vaskell, is approached by another prisoner, Dain, that they have help to escape and try to save their world by ending their mad Uncle’s reign.
It turns out that prophesies have foretold the events about to ensue. As they follow the guidance given in a journal left for them by their father, the girls and the young men who helped rescue them discover he has also ensured there are people to trust who will help them on their quest, though they’re never quite sure what will happen next!
This quest involves teens coming into their powers, journeying into the unknown in an endeavour to overcome evil. All has been prophesied and there are people awaiting their arrival to fulfil their destiny but there are others who are out to thwart them. It is a fast paced adventure involving a growing range of mythical creatures and scenarios and an engaging start to a new series. I suspect this story will appeal to teens and older readers. I am looking forward to reading more by this author and in this fantasy series in future!
I requested and received a copy of this novel, via NetGalley. This is my honest review after choosing to read it.
It turns out that prophesies have foretold the events about to ensue. As they follow the guidance given in a journal left for them by their father, the girls and the young men who helped rescue them discover he has also ensured there are people to trust who will help them on their quest, though they’re never quite sure what will happen next!
This quest involves teens coming into their powers, journeying into the unknown in an endeavour to overcome evil. All has been prophesied and there are people awaiting their arrival to fulfil their destiny but there are others who are out to thwart them. It is a fast paced adventure involving a growing range of mythical creatures and scenarios and an engaging start to a new series. I suspect this story will appeal to teens and older readers. I am looking forward to reading more by this author and in this fantasy series in future!
I requested and received a copy of this novel, via NetGalley. This is my honest review after choosing to read it.
October 19, 2017
I received this free eARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Ayla and her three sisters witnessed their parents murdered by their terrible, jealous uncle, and then they were captured and sent to a prison camp. Their uncle wants to be king and he took the most direct way to do it, but he is destroying the kingdom with his evilness.
Since Ayla and her sisters powers and wings were bound, they are powerless to do any magic, but they are going to fight their way to the palace and find a way to get their kingdom back.
Dain, his brother Vander, and their two friends got themselves stuck in the prison camp so that they can break out the sisters and get them back to the kingdom. It was a tough start because Ayla isn't allowing Dain to talk to her at all, but after many failed attempts, he finally gets through to her and they devise a plan to get them out.
Little did any of them know that there is a mission for the sisters. They are giving ancient artifacts that they have to get to their proper location before it is too late. A seer predicted this war, and she also predicted all of the things that would need to be fixed in order for the kingdom to be saved.
But as much as the seer knew, she didn't let on HOW they were to use the artifacts and now all 8 of the teenagers are going to have to figure out how to use them in order to save their kingdom and their people.
I love books about magic and dragons and romance, and this book had it all. And for the most part, I enjoyed this book, but it was just so...simple. There wasn't enough meat about the history of the sisters. Not that I needed it because it was easy to figure out, but because of the lack of information that was given about any of the characters, I was left not really attached to anyone in this book. There wasn't enough emotion for me to care about any of the teens and the details were lacking in some parts.
The pairing of the sisters and their guards were obvious and so cliche I think I actually rolled my eyes when it happened. The instant connection between Ayla and Dain was just too much and then seeing the sisters react to their attraction was annoying because they were almost judging, yet they were doing the exact same thing.
This is a very short book that a reader will fly through it in a day or less, if there are no other commitments. I think this could have had a lot more potential if it were longer with more information and details, and also a little bit more spark between the two love birds. Plus the suddenness of some events drove me crazy, and the characters were like "oh, okay".
Overall it was a nice story, and if I stumble upon the next 3 (at least) books I may read them, but it's not something that I will mark on my calendars on release day.
I think readers who enjoy magic and romance and mystery will enjoy this book!
Ayla and her three sisters witnessed their parents murdered by their terrible, jealous uncle, and then they were captured and sent to a prison camp. Their uncle wants to be king and he took the most direct way to do it, but he is destroying the kingdom with his evilness.
Since Ayla and her sisters powers and wings were bound, they are powerless to do any magic, but they are going to fight their way to the palace and find a way to get their kingdom back.
Dain, his brother Vander, and their two friends got themselves stuck in the prison camp so that they can break out the sisters and get them back to the kingdom. It was a tough start because Ayla isn't allowing Dain to talk to her at all, but after many failed attempts, he finally gets through to her and they devise a plan to get them out.
Little did any of them know that there is a mission for the sisters. They are giving ancient artifacts that they have to get to their proper location before it is too late. A seer predicted this war, and she also predicted all of the things that would need to be fixed in order for the kingdom to be saved.
But as much as the seer knew, she didn't let on HOW they were to use the artifacts and now all 8 of the teenagers are going to have to figure out how to use them in order to save their kingdom and their people.
I love books about magic and dragons and romance, and this book had it all. And for the most part, I enjoyed this book, but it was just so...simple. There wasn't enough meat about the history of the sisters. Not that I needed it because it was easy to figure out, but because of the lack of information that was given about any of the characters, I was left not really attached to anyone in this book. There wasn't enough emotion for me to care about any of the teens and the details were lacking in some parts.
The pairing of the sisters and their guards were obvious and so cliche I think I actually rolled my eyes when it happened. The instant connection between Ayla and Dain was just too much and then seeing the sisters react to their attraction was annoying because they were almost judging, yet they were doing the exact same thing.
This is a very short book that a reader will fly through it in a day or less, if there are no other commitments. I think this could have had a lot more potential if it were longer with more information and details, and also a little bit more spark between the two love birds. Plus the suddenness of some events drove me crazy, and the characters were like "oh, okay".
Overall it was a nice story, and if I stumble upon the next 3 (at least) books I may read them, but it's not something that I will mark on my calendars on release day.
I think readers who enjoy magic and romance and mystery will enjoy this book!
October 16, 2017
First of all, that cover is so pretty!
It’s a short, easy read, but I feel like this book moved a bit too quickly. There should have been more story between chapters one and two. There was a lot of action, which was great, but not a whole lot of character development. I found myself a bit confused as to who was who and where they were at times.
It was also a tad cheesy. There were numerous “it’s meant to be” moments (literally, characters saying this). And insta-love.
I did enjoy reading it, I just wish there was a bit more to it.
It’s a short, easy read, but I feel like this book moved a bit too quickly. There should have been more story between chapters one and two. There was a lot of action, which was great, but not a whole lot of character development. I found myself a bit confused as to who was who and where they were at times.
It was also a tad cheesy. There were numerous “it’s meant to be” moments (literally, characters saying this). And insta-love.
I did enjoy reading it, I just wish there was a bit more to it.
December 18, 2017
Touch of Ice by authors Aleah Raynes and Mandy Caruso is the first book in the Vaskell Empire series. For me, this was a touch of too much story and not enough character development. But I am gonna guess it is a first book problem. The authors had so much to tell us in this story that it will make more sense as it goes along. Sometimes very detailed storylines have this problem. I personally am intrigued and want more.
Ayla is 15 years old. She has been in a prison camp for kids. Had her title stripped from her, her parents murdered, and her powers bound. She is trapped knowing the person who murdered her parents is ruling and responsible for her and her sister’s fates.
She wants revenge. She wants to kill her uncle, but most of all she wants her powers back.
Dain is a brave boy who goes into the camp with his friends and brother to rescue the princesses. Turns out rescuing is a dangerous and somewhat tedious job. But Dain is more than up for it.
There is a ton of stuff going on, not all is explained properly so it left me the reader going hum what just happened? I wanted more information in places and less in others. I would really though love to see more in this world, I think there is a lot here and some great ideas that can be flushed out and strengthened.
Four Twinkling Stars
Ayla is 15 years old. She has been in a prison camp for kids. Had her title stripped from her, her parents murdered, and her powers bound. She is trapped knowing the person who murdered her parents is ruling and responsible for her and her sister’s fates.
She wants revenge. She wants to kill her uncle, but most of all she wants her powers back.
Dain is a brave boy who goes into the camp with his friends and brother to rescue the princesses. Turns out rescuing is a dangerous and somewhat tedious job. But Dain is more than up for it.
There is a ton of stuff going on, not all is explained properly so it left me the reader going hum what just happened? I wanted more information in places and less in others. I would really though love to see more in this world, I think there is a lot here and some great ideas that can be flushed out and strengthened.
Four Twinkling Stars
December 8, 2017
There was absolutely zero mystery involved in TOUCH OF ICE and the lack of actual effort needed to achieve goals made it very hard to finish the story.
I found all of the situations presented in TOUCH OF ICE to be way too easy. Let me give you some examples. The group escaped the slave camp and the first place they came upon happened to inhabit their fathers master of arms with a journal that their father left for them that handed them a way to save the kingdom. If that wasn't bad enough, the first item to save the kingdom happened to be there too. It gets worse though because the next inn they stayed at happened to be owned by one of their handmaidens and best friend. This trend continued until the end. Really? Every single thing was handed out with zero mystery and zero effort given.
I had a very hard time forcing myself to finish TOUCH OF ICE and the only way I made it there was skimming to the end.
* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I found all of the situations presented in TOUCH OF ICE to be way too easy. Let me give you some examples. The group escaped the slave camp and the first place they came upon happened to inhabit their fathers master of arms with a journal that their father left for them that handed them a way to save the kingdom. If that wasn't bad enough, the first item to save the kingdom happened to be there too. It gets worse though because the next inn they stayed at happened to be owned by one of their handmaidens and best friend. This trend continued until the end. Really? Every single thing was handed out with zero mystery and zero effort given.
I had a very hard time forcing myself to finish TOUCH OF ICE and the only way I made it there was skimming to the end.
* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
January 18, 2018
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the E-ARC copy of this novel.
First off, I’m not really getting into the meat of this novel just the overall thoughts. I enjoyed the storyline and the writing was well done. Touch of Ice has great characters, but we are missing a lot of backstory to them. The novel is a fast-adventurous fantasy it starts and goes ninety to nothin. It has everything from dragons to mystic/mythical creatures and it keeps you turning the pages. I liked the sisters in the story they have a spunky quality that I really think holds the storyline together. I would recommend this book to anyone 14 and up.
First off, I’m not really getting into the meat of this novel just the overall thoughts. I enjoyed the storyline and the writing was well done. Touch of Ice has great characters, but we are missing a lot of backstory to them. The novel is a fast-adventurous fantasy it starts and goes ninety to nothin. It has everything from dragons to mystic/mythical creatures and it keeps you turning the pages. I liked the sisters in the story they have a spunky quality that I really think holds the storyline together. I would recommend this book to anyone 14 and up.
October 5, 2017
This is a super fun read!!
I absolutely love the girls after everything they have hope! The guys are just so strong and caring makes you wish real guys were like that! The story is fun and magical!
I absolutely love the girls after everything they have hope! The guys are just so strong and caring makes you wish real guys were like that! The story is fun and magical!
April 24, 2018
The pairing is cliche. But i like the magic, dragons and adventure so it was Okay. Now I need the 3 books!!! 😁
Yep, there were 4 sisters, 4 cute love stories and 4 magical adventures so GIMME!!!! 🙋🙋🙋
Yep, there were 4 sisters, 4 cute love stories and 4 magical adventures so GIMME!!!! 🙋🙋🙋
Want to read
October 24, 2017I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews