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The fate of his people rests in her hands.
When the penitentiary ship she's incarcerated in gets sucked into an anomaly, Kira barely survives the crash onto an alien planet. Along with a handful of survivors, she finds refuge in the fiery city of Caldera alongside its Fire Valos inhabitants. But the sadistic experiments performed on her by the prison's scientist make the heat intolerable for her. When the opportunity to go to the frozen city of E’Lek presents itself, Kira believes she’ll finally find her new home.
Duke is confused by the strange human female. Like him, she’s cold, made for the icy lands of the Northern Valos. Her resemblance with the Creators and questionable friendships raise their collective suspicions. Yet, only she can save their lost tribes condemned to an eternal slumber. As his heartstone warms for her, Duke is determined to prove to his people that despite appearances, Kira belongs with them… belongs with him.
This can be read as a standalone, but Book 11, Inferno also has this character before she treks to the land of the Northern Valos.
When the penitentiary ship she's incarcerated in gets sucked into an anomaly, Kira barely survives the crash onto an alien planet. Along with a handful of survivors, she finds refuge in the fiery city of Caldera alongside its Fire Valos inhabitants. But the sadistic experiments performed on her by the prison's scientist make the heat intolerable for her. When the opportunity to go to the frozen city of E’Lek presents itself, Kira believes she’ll finally find her new home.
Duke is confused by the strange human female. Like him, she’s cold, made for the icy lands of the Northern Valos. Her resemblance with the Creators and questionable friendships raise their collective suspicions. Yet, only she can save their lost tribes condemned to an eternal slumber. As his heartstone warms for her, Duke is determined to prove to his people that despite appearances, Kira belongs with them… belongs with him.
This can be read as a standalone, but Book 11, Inferno also has this character before she treks to the land of the Northern Valos.
187 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 26, 2018
196 people are currently reading
358 people want to read
About the author
Regine Abel
86 books2,662 followersUSA Today bestselling author Regine Abel is a fantasy, paranormal, and sci-fi junkie. Anything with a bit of magic, a touch of the unusual, and a lot of romance will have her jumping for joy. She loves writing hot alien warriors meeting no-nonsense, kick-ass heroines. Her novels are steamy, action-packed, and with the twists and turns you never saw coming.
Before devoting herself as a full-time writer, Regine had surrendered to her other passions: music and video games! After a decade working as a Sound Engineer in movie dubbing and live concerts, Regine became a professional Game Designer and Creative Director, a career that has led her from her home in Canada to the US and various countries in Europe and Asia.
Before devoting herself as a full-time writer, Regine had surrendered to her other passions: music and video games! After a decade working as a Sound Engineer in movie dubbing and live concerts, Regine became a professional Game Designer and Creative Director, a career that has led her from her home in Canada to the US and various countries in Europe and Asia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
November 20, 2018
Book Review
Release Date-16/5/18
This was my first book by this author and while I did somewhat enjoy "Iced" in some places this really wasn't my complete bag.
I was actually really looking forward to this as the blurb really intrigued me and I do so love me an alien that looks like an alien romance.
So It wasn't any one thing in particular that turned me off here.
I think it was just an overall combination of issues that didn't quite gel for me.
Together they just stopped me emotionally connecting which was a shame because as I said earlier this on paper sounded so good.
So this is part of a larger series where each particular instalment is written by a different author.
I know, cool ay; I thought so too.
Each book can be read as a standalone while still being part of a larger picture.
I myself read "Iced" as a standalone and it did work.
I had no problem following along here despite being a newcomer to this alien world.
So Kira and Duke; this is where I had issues I didn't particularly like Kira I found her rather judgy
I also struggled with Duke as well the way he was all about second-guessing Kira's motives and all they were like matching bookends in the judgmental department.
Not very nice personality traits and all, as a result, I actually struggled to feel their connection.
I was just not feeling the love here.
Look this wasn't awful; I just didn't live up to my initial expectations and also didn't leave much of an impression on me probably because I didn't really care that much about Kira or Duke.
I did finish and it did have its moments.
I guess for me this was more of a middle of the road read.
I borrowed "Iced" with my KU subscription.
All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm.
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com
August 13, 2018
The Valos of Sonhadra series is a Sci-Fi alien romance with each of the books in the series being told by a different author. If you have a favourite author of the bunch and don't want to read them all don't worry, each book can be read as a standalone. The background story for each book is the same, the heroine for nefarious and various reasons has been locked away in a prison ship and being experimented on by scientists. The experimentation changes most of the heroines in some way, which becomes massively useful when the prison ship crash lands on an unfamiliar planet. That's when the heroine starts to meet the natives. Sonhadra, the planet they have landed on, is inhabited by different factions of valos. The valos all have unique abilities and appearances...and most of them haven't seen a female in a long long time.
Kira has a problem. During her time on the prison ship she was injected with something that made heat intolerable. For her, a warm day is hell. So living withe fire valos, no matter how kind they are, is becoming intolerable. So, when an opportunity presents itself to go to the icy north she takes it. She literally cannot stand the heat any more. However, when she gets separated from her escorts and tumbles into a cave she finds more than she bargained for. The lost tribes of the ice valos.
Iced and Inferno (the eleventh book in this series) take place at roughly the same time. As Amber from Inferno is being courted and loved up by her trio of fire valos, Kira is helping out the northern valos. As I read Infernofirst I was highly intrigued as to where Kira went and what she was doing to help out the icy northern valos. Turns out, she was falling in love with Duke, a character who popped up in Unfrozen and I was happy to see again.
As I expected from this series, the romance was really cute. Duke was such a gentleman! And he made a nice change from all the uber alphas that populate romance. Not that he was a pushover, but at heart(stone) he was a builder and he was building things up with Kira rather than demanding. Kira was more cautious, but her heart soon melted for the adorable Duke and as she made a place for herself with the northern valos.
Another good instalment in the Valos of Sonhadra series and I can't wait to see which author and what type of valos is next!
Kira has a problem. During her time on the prison ship she was injected with something that made heat intolerable. For her, a warm day is hell. So living withe fire valos, no matter how kind they are, is becoming intolerable. So, when an opportunity presents itself to go to the icy north she takes it. She literally cannot stand the heat any more. However, when she gets separated from her escorts and tumbles into a cave she finds more than she bargained for. The lost tribes of the ice valos.
Iced and Inferno (the eleventh book in this series) take place at roughly the same time. As Amber from Inferno is being courted and loved up by her trio of fire valos, Kira is helping out the northern valos. As I read Infernofirst I was highly intrigued as to where Kira went and what she was doing to help out the icy northern valos. Turns out, she was falling in love with Duke, a character who popped up in Unfrozen and I was happy to see again.
As I expected from this series, the romance was really cute. Duke was such a gentleman! And he made a nice change from all the uber alphas that populate romance. Not that he was a pushover, but at heart(stone) he was a builder and he was building things up with Kira rather than demanding. Kira was more cautious, but her heart soon melted for the adorable Duke and as she made a place for herself with the northern valos.
Another good instalment in the Valos of Sonhadra series and I can't wait to see which author and what type of valos is next!
July 4, 2018
I always look forward to read Regine’s books, and after reading Unfrozen and falling in love with Lydia and Kai, I especially wanted to read Iced.
Kira is a polar opposite of Lydia, but I enjoyed watching her character development and her inner growth. Being through a lot and having a fairly objective view of life, as well as being a little disappointed in people, Kira is a loner. She keeps to herself and wants to survive and find a new home. Bound by a human morality and customs, she tries her best to be an adult and act as a grown up person. But after meeting a pure hearted Duke, she gradually lets go of her fears and childhood ideas about what is wrong and what is right installed in her. She picks up courage to fight for what she wants, instead of running away. Watching her development, I especially liked how she emancipated, gained confidence, and self respect. She proves to herself and to others that she truly belongs to the Northern Valos.
5 stars of awesomeness!
Kira is a polar opposite of Lydia, but I enjoyed watching her character development and her inner growth. Being through a lot and having a fairly objective view of life, as well as being a little disappointed in people, Kira is a loner. She keeps to herself and wants to survive and find a new home. Bound by a human morality and customs, she tries her best to be an adult and act as a grown up person. But after meeting a pure hearted Duke, she gradually lets go of her fears and childhood ideas about what is wrong and what is right installed in her. She picks up courage to fight for what she wants, instead of running away. Watching her development, I especially liked how she emancipated, gained confidence, and self respect. She proves to herself and to others that she truly belongs to the Northern Valos.
5 stars of awesomeness!
August 17, 2018
The Valos of Sonhadra series is a Sci-Fi alien romance with each of the books in the series being told by a different author. If you have a favourite author of the bunch and don't want to read them all don't worry, each book can be read as a standalone. The background story for each book is the same, the heroine for nefarious and various reasons has been locked away in a prison ship and being experimented on by scientists. The experimentation changes most of the heroines in some way, which becomes massively useful when the prison ship crash lands on an unfamiliar planet. That's when the heroine starts to meet the natives. Sonhadra, the planet they have landed on, is inhabited by different factions of valos. The valos all have unique abilities and appearances...and most of them haven't seen a female in a long long time.Kira has a problem. During her time on the prison ship she was injected with something that made heat intolerable. For her, a warm day is hell. So living withe fire valos, no matter how kind they are, is becoming intolerable. So, when an opportunity presents itself to go to the icy north she takes it. She literally cannot stand the heat any more. However, when she gets separated from her escorts and tumbles into a cave she finds more than she bargained for. The lost tribes of the ice valos.
Iced and Inferno (the eleventh book in this series) take place at roughly the same time. As Amber from Inferno is being courted and loved up by her trio of fire valos, Kira is helping out the northern valos. As I read Inferno first I was highly intrigued as to where Kira went and what she was doing to help out the icy northern valos. Turns out, she was falling in love with Duke, a character who popped up in Unfrozen and I was happy to see again.
As I expected from this series, the romance was really cute. Duke was such a gentleman! And he made a nice change from all the uber alphas that populate romance. Not that he was a pushover, but at heart(stone) he was a builder and he was building things up with Kira rather than demanding. Kira was more cautious, but her heart soon melted for the adorable Duke and as she made a place for herself with the northern valos.
Another good instalment in the Valos of Sonhadra series and I can't wait to see which author and what type of valos is next!
Reviewed by Suzanne❤ ♡ Don't want to miss any of our posts? Subscribe to our blog by email! ♡ ❤
June 17, 2018
A new Sonhadra book! YAY! I'm seriously smitten with Regine Abel's ice Valos. They're sweet and possessive and when they fall for their special someone they fall hard and fast. Even if they look like those nasty Creators who caused such problems for these people.
Duke certainly falls for Kira quickly. It helps that she managed to find several of their people they thought had been lost to them. And she has some mighty fine ideas about saving those afflicted with the sickness killing them. Plus, she's pretty level-headed about her situation and the situations of those who survived the spaceship crash.
On Kira's end, Duke's attention to her is a balm to her wounded soul. After several years aboard the Concord and all the experiments she was subjected to, she needs someone who puts her first and cares for her comfort. Duke certainly does that. Plus, he's seriously smitten with her.
SO SWEET.
Snow, ice, and some blistering hot sexy times. EXCELLENT!
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
Duke certainly falls for Kira quickly. It helps that she managed to find several of their people they thought had been lost to them. And she has some mighty fine ideas about saving those afflicted with the sickness killing them. Plus, she's pretty level-headed about her situation and the situations of those who survived the spaceship crash.
On Kira's end, Duke's attention to her is a balm to her wounded soul. After several years aboard the Concord and all the experiments she was subjected to, she needs someone who puts her first and cares for her comfort. Duke certainly does that. Plus, he's seriously smitten with her.
SO SWEET.
Snow, ice, and some blistering hot sexy times. EXCELLENT!
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
June 15, 2018
This is my first time reading this author and I would read more by them. The book is well written. It was just missing something for me, I didn’t really have a connection to it. Saying that, it was an interesting concept and takes you to another world.
June 13, 2023
Malefica81 - per RFS
.
Bentornate Fenici!
Con il secondo libro della serie, la Abel ci fa conoscere Kira, l’umana che governa il ghiaccio per colpa degli esperimenti subiti sulla Concord, e Duke, il Costruttore.
Per Duke la strana femmina umana è una sorpresa e si insinua immediatamente nel suo corpo di ghiaccio e infiamma la sua pietra del cuore. Kira è una tosta, una che non si lascia mettere i piedi in testa e subito è attratta dal Ghiacciolo gigante dal culo sodo e dai modi gentili. Ovviamente l’imprinting scoppia tra i due e si riconoscono come compagni di vita, ma dopo mille traversie ci sarà per loro il lieto fine?
Regine Abel riesce a fondere perfettamente il genere sci fi dandoci una dettagliata descrizione del pianeta Sonhadra e della città di ghiaccio e veniamo a sapere che esistono altri Valos, che sono non solo degli elementi primari, ovvero Fuoco, Aria, Terra e Acqua, ma anche luce, ombra, legno, etc.
Duke è dolce ma iper protettivo, una caratteristica comune dei Valos, Kira scopre i suoi poteri man mano che la storia procede, capisce che è molto più simile ai Valos e sembra ringraziare quella “stronza” della Sobin, la dottoressa che ha condotto gli esperimenti sulle cavie della prigione orbitale.
Lo stile della Abel è diretto, scorrevole, la traduzione ineccepibile e il libro lo si legge velocemente se piace il genere.
Approvato.
Alla prossima
Un saluto dalla vostra Mal
.
Bentornate Fenici!
Con il secondo libro della serie, la Abel ci fa conoscere Kira, l’umana che governa il ghiaccio per colpa degli esperimenti subiti sulla Concord, e Duke, il Costruttore.
Per Duke la strana femmina umana è una sorpresa e si insinua immediatamente nel suo corpo di ghiaccio e infiamma la sua pietra del cuore. Kira è una tosta, una che non si lascia mettere i piedi in testa e subito è attratta dal Ghiacciolo gigante dal culo sodo e dai modi gentili. Ovviamente l’imprinting scoppia tra i due e si riconoscono come compagni di vita, ma dopo mille traversie ci sarà per loro il lieto fine?
Regine Abel riesce a fondere perfettamente il genere sci fi dandoci una dettagliata descrizione del pianeta Sonhadra e della città di ghiaccio e veniamo a sapere che esistono altri Valos, che sono non solo degli elementi primari, ovvero Fuoco, Aria, Terra e Acqua, ma anche luce, ombra, legno, etc.
Duke è dolce ma iper protettivo, una caratteristica comune dei Valos, Kira scopre i suoi poteri man mano che la storia procede, capisce che è molto più simile ai Valos e sembra ringraziare quella “stronza” della Sobin, la dottoressa che ha condotto gli esperimenti sulle cavie della prigione orbitale.
Lo stile della Abel è diretto, scorrevole, la traduzione ineccepibile e il libro lo si legge velocemente se piace il genere.
Approvato.
Alla prossima
Un saluto dalla vostra Mal
June 17, 2018
Another fantastic instalment in the Valos of Sonhadra series
After crash landing in the space penitentiary on the planet Sonhadra five months earlier. Kira knew her life would change, initially living with a band of other survivors and barely surviving. When they are found Lucie another ( inmate ) and the fire Valos, they move with them to their city.
As a victim of experiments on the Concord, the heat of the fire Valos and the City in the Caldera was slowly killing her. So when the chance to visit the Northern Ice Valos come up, Kira knows she has to go. The iced city is her only hope for survival.
After setting out to find the city and becoming separated in a blizzard, kira stumbles across the lost tribes of the Ice Valos, its apparant that they have been mistreated and experiments on by the creators.
Duke has been searching for his family and the other I’ve tribes since he was awoken by the human Lydia, his friends mate and their bringer of life back to the frozen city of E’lek. With so many now awake he can focus on finding the others that are missing. What he doesn’t expect to find is a tiny snow fairy hiding out with them...
I am a unrepentant sci-fi romance lover. The original books in this series literally had my head spinning and my sci-fi hear singing with joy! A whole new world of inhabitants and species to learn and discover and this book does not disappoint! 💚💚💚🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
I love the fact that we get to know more of the Valos story and meet previous charachters again... their continuing story was one that focused on trust, in oneself in others in the future... a true page turner.
It’s fantastic seeing how after so much hurt and hardship, how the Valos and humans have worked together to move past the hurts of the past and focus on the future. Accepting of others differences despite the similarities between the humans and the creators.
Despite her concerns, I found Kira to be a wonderful female lead.. with her fears and jealousy ( over Duke ) she was a realistic breath of fresh air when most female leads are written to perfection with no foibles. I loved her inner comments and thoughts about Lydia when duke was explaining his history!! 😂😂😂
Duke is now in Bubbles Book Boyfriend Harem...as if he had a chance to escape my notice with his wonderful caring and protective nature!! 💚💚
After crash landing in the space penitentiary on the planet Sonhadra five months earlier. Kira knew her life would change, initially living with a band of other survivors and barely surviving. When they are found Lucie another ( inmate ) and the fire Valos, they move with them to their city.
As a victim of experiments on the Concord, the heat of the fire Valos and the City in the Caldera was slowly killing her. So when the chance to visit the Northern Ice Valos come up, Kira knows she has to go. The iced city is her only hope for survival.
After setting out to find the city and becoming separated in a blizzard, kira stumbles across the lost tribes of the Ice Valos, its apparant that they have been mistreated and experiments on by the creators.
Duke has been searching for his family and the other I’ve tribes since he was awoken by the human Lydia, his friends mate and their bringer of life back to the frozen city of E’lek. With so many now awake he can focus on finding the others that are missing. What he doesn’t expect to find is a tiny snow fairy hiding out with them...
I am a unrepentant sci-fi romance lover. The original books in this series literally had my head spinning and my sci-fi hear singing with joy! A whole new world of inhabitants and species to learn and discover and this book does not disappoint! 💚💚💚🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
I love the fact that we get to know more of the Valos story and meet previous charachters again... their continuing story was one that focused on trust, in oneself in others in the future... a true page turner.
It’s fantastic seeing how after so much hurt and hardship, how the Valos and humans have worked together to move past the hurts of the past and focus on the future. Accepting of others differences despite the similarities between the humans and the creators.
Despite her concerns, I found Kira to be a wonderful female lead.. with her fears and jealousy ( over Duke ) she was a realistic breath of fresh air when most female leads are written to perfection with no foibles. I loved her inner comments and thoughts about Lydia when duke was explaining his history!! 😂😂😂
Duke is now in Bubbles Book Boyfriend Harem...as if he had a chance to escape my notice with his wonderful caring and protective nature!! 💚💚
July 12, 2018
The Pinnicle of Chill
What a fantastic addition to the VALOS of SONHADRA collection !!
You could have knocked me over with a feather when I was scrolling through my FB pages , and saw that there was a NEW book of SONHARDA!! I have been a reader from the very beginning since Amanda MILO is one of my favorite Authors, and often wondered if there would be more stories of the survivors of the prison spaceship, the Concorde. Well , I do not have to wonder anymore. In this 10th book, the Northern Valos are once again featured .
About 5 months after the Alpha pod gets stranded on a strange alien planet, SONHARDA, KIRA finds herself in the mountain Caldera of the Fire Valos. But , because of the unholy, and unethical experiment s that most of the inmates of the ill-fated Concorde had to endure , Kira found the extremely hot environment too much to deal with . Anything above a freezing temperature disagreed with her . So, she and her fellow shipmates Amber along with Amber's men-folk find themselves traveling a great distance North to a more cooler climate. This is where she meets "DUKE" ,a Northern Valo s from the UNFROZEN story of Lydia and KAI. Their road to HEA is fraught with distrust, attraction, and danger, as most of this planet is trying to eat them ! And I enjoyed the story of Kira and Duke and his family. And this book also moves the Sonhadrian survivors forward, with , hopefully, many more stories to come !!! I am now anxiously waiting for more of this fantastic series !!!
What a fantastic addition to the VALOS of SONHADRA collection !!
You could have knocked me over with a feather when I was scrolling through my FB pages , and saw that there was a NEW book of SONHARDA!! I have been a reader from the very beginning since Amanda MILO is one of my favorite Authors, and often wondered if there would be more stories of the survivors of the prison spaceship, the Concorde. Well , I do not have to wonder anymore. In this 10th book, the Northern Valos are once again featured .
About 5 months after the Alpha pod gets stranded on a strange alien planet, SONHARDA, KIRA finds herself in the mountain Caldera of the Fire Valos. But , because of the unholy, and unethical experiment s that most of the inmates of the ill-fated Concorde had to endure , Kira found the extremely hot environment too much to deal with . Anything above a freezing temperature disagreed with her . So, she and her fellow shipmates Amber along with Amber's men-folk find themselves traveling a great distance North to a more cooler climate. This is where she meets "DUKE" ,a Northern Valo s from the UNFROZEN story of Lydia and KAI. Their road to HEA is fraught with distrust, attraction, and danger, as most of this planet is trying to eat them ! And I enjoyed the story of Kira and Duke and his family. And this book also moves the Sonhadrian survivors forward, with , hopefully, many more stories to come !!! I am now anxiously waiting for more of this fantastic series !!!
July 26, 2022
I wasn't the biggest fan of the FMC Kira - I found her rather rude and selfish, and she only really interacted and participated with others with a lot of encouragement from Duke and other more outgoing members of the valos tribe. I could kind of understand her introvert nature, but she didn't need to yell at people to get her point across.
This book introduced the creation of the human city Utopia, and it had some interesting crossovers with other valos tribes, but the overall relationship and world-building pacing was a bit off. The last chapter was basically a sped-up narration of the development of the world and Kira and Duke's mated HEA and . I also felt like there was a plot hole with Amber and her men and how they ended up sent off off-screen with no resolution about future trading since the ice valos managed to fix their issue without the fire valos.
I really enjoyed most of the author's books in their Prime Mating Agency series, but I think this earlier work wasn't as good as their newer releases.
This book introduced the creation of the human city Utopia, and it had some interesting crossovers with other valos tribes, but the overall relationship and world-building pacing was a bit off. The last chapter was basically a sped-up narration of the development of the world and Kira and Duke's mated HEA and . I also felt like there was a plot hole with Amber and her men and how they ended up sent off off-screen with no resolution about future trading since the ice valos managed to fix their issue without the fire valos.
I really enjoyed most of the author's books in their Prime Mating Agency series, but I think this earlier work wasn't as good as their newer releases.
June 18, 2018
This series just gets better and better!
The world building goes from strength to strength, and Regine Abel makes you believe in Sonhadra and the Valos.
This episode is set in the North amongst the Ice Valos, and tells the story of Kira and Duke.
Instant attraction turns to a deep, meaningful relationship. There are some humorous moments as Duke struggles to understand human women.
But all is not plain sailing, there is danger, adventure, and the discovery of more survivors of the crash whilst searching for a 3D printer....all is explained when you read the book.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
The world building goes from strength to strength, and Regine Abel makes you believe in Sonhadra and the Valos.
This episode is set in the North amongst the Ice Valos, and tells the story of Kira and Duke.
Instant attraction turns to a deep, meaningful relationship. There are some humorous moments as Duke struggles to understand human women.
But all is not plain sailing, there is danger, adventure, and the discovery of more survivors of the crash whilst searching for a 3D printer....all is explained when you read the book.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
July 3, 2018
I love this series! It doesn’t seem to matter who the author is, they are all excellent, and this is no exception.
Kira was one of the women experimented on in the penitentiary ship and now she’s attuned to the ice and cold. Duke is a builder of the Northern Valos who live in the frozen north of Sonhadra.
They are perfect for each other. It takes a little time before Kira realizes that Duke is exactly what she needs but when she does it’s perfect. The Northern Valos are so sweet when they commit to a mate.
Read this book if you are want sweet romance the burns up the frozen nights of Sonhadra.
Kira was one of the women experimented on in the penitentiary ship and now she’s attuned to the ice and cold. Duke is a builder of the Northern Valos who live in the frozen north of Sonhadra.
They are perfect for each other. It takes a little time before Kira realizes that Duke is exactly what she needs but when she does it’s perfect. The Northern Valos are so sweet when they commit to a mate.
Read this book if you are want sweet romance the burns up the frozen nights of Sonhadra.
June 27, 2018
I was so happy when I found out there was going to be another book in this series! I love this world and this book did not disappoint. There were plenty of moments that kept me hooked and as always very good fun times. Duke was sweet and I want him for myself. Definitely wouldn’t mind a re-read soon.
July 7, 2018
Ms. Abel’s newest Valos of Sonhadra book is excellent!
Separated from her companions during a blizzard, Kira inadvertently makes an extraordinary discovery. Her training makes her uniquely qualified for the upcoming rescue. Her reception by the Northern Valos leaves her a bit fearful, but she is strong enough to keep doing her best. Duke is perfect for her. He’s fascinated, infatuated, and does what he can to make her at ease with his people. It makes me laugh when he doesn’t explain WHY he’s doing certain things and Kira gets upset. Their species have very different social behaviors. It’s bound to create some conflicts!
This is an excellent story! The romance is delightful, there’s a mission fraught with danger, the joy of success, and a very satisfying outcome!
Separated from her companions during a blizzard, Kira inadvertently makes an extraordinary discovery. Her training makes her uniquely qualified for the upcoming rescue. Her reception by the Northern Valos leaves her a bit fearful, but she is strong enough to keep doing her best. Duke is perfect for her. He’s fascinated, infatuated, and does what he can to make her at ease with his people. It makes me laugh when he doesn’t explain WHY he’s doing certain things and Kira gets upset. Their species have very different social behaviors. It’s bound to create some conflicts!
This is an excellent story! The romance is delightful, there’s a mission fraught with danger, the joy of success, and a very satisfying outcome!
June 13, 2018
Wow what a fabulous story this was definitely a very good read. It's my first time reading of the series but I will soon read the first ones in this series soon. I love the world the author has described and the different species this story has brought from others sci-fi romance I have read. It was definitely a good read I love it until the end.
June 26, 2018
A marvelous story. This is Kira & Duke's story. The story line which includes different species is great and the characters well-developed. I found this very enjoyable and finished in one sitting. I now plan to read the rest of the series.
June 26, 2018
I really enjoyed this story. The world and its inhabitants are fascinating. I've not read the previous books of the series, but I think I may need to rectify that.
June 27, 2018
Kira lands on an alien planet when the ship crashes. She meets and romance blooms. Amazing new book genre for me.
July 1, 2018
Cold therapy
The poor human has had to suffer in the fire valos land where it's so hot her body chemistry can't ajust. She was an experiment and the bad doctor turned her into a first person.
The poor human has had to suffer in the fire valos land where it's so hot her body chemistry can't ajust. She was an experiment and the bad doctor turned her into a first person.
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July 21, 2019You know when white folks try to write alternative universe stories where white people are treated the way black folks are? Yeah.
January 6, 2019
Jealous and petty heroine
First off, I’ll say I loved the ending to this book. It was the perfect ending to the entire series, wrapping everything up nicely. I’m curious to know what’s next, since I know there’s at least two, maybe three more books remaining.
I also think the author did a better job with the world building this time than she did with her previous book in the series. She added a few new elements to keep the story interesting.
That being said, I think she blew it with the communication barriers between Kira and the Valos. It’s hard for me to believe that she spent 5 months with fire Valos and didn’t manage to pick up the language. Plus, Duek talked nonstop and she didn’t pick up ANY words until she woke up fully fluent. Basically, she went from knowing not a single word to knowing pretty much the dictionary in an instant.
Every story in the series doesn’t need to work through a communication barrier. It wasn’t necessary here and was just plain dumb to add it, in my opinion.
I also didn’t like the heroine. Throughout the story she acted petty or jealous. The only time she wasn’t was when she was gloating over being superior in something or beating out someone. She wasn’t very likable. In fact, I disliked her as much as I adored Lydia.
Despite the awful heroine, the story line was great. The mission was purposeful and worthy. Of all the books in the series, I feel that this book seemed the most developed when it comes to plot.
In terms of a rating for this book, I’m torn. There are a lot of things that irritated me about this book. I truly wanted to give it 2-2.5 stars at times. Then there are things like the ending that felt just right that makes me think 3.5 stars.
Hmmm. 3 stars seems fair.
First off, I’ll say I loved the ending to this book. It was the perfect ending to the entire series, wrapping everything up nicely. I’m curious to know what’s next, since I know there’s at least two, maybe three more books remaining.
I also think the author did a better job with the world building this time than she did with her previous book in the series. She added a few new elements to keep the story interesting.
That being said, I think she blew it with the communication barriers between Kira and the Valos. It’s hard for me to believe that she spent 5 months with fire Valos and didn’t manage to pick up the language. Plus, Duek talked nonstop and she didn’t pick up ANY words until she woke up fully fluent. Basically, she went from knowing not a single word to knowing pretty much the dictionary in an instant.
Every story in the series doesn’t need to work through a communication barrier. It wasn’t necessary here and was just plain dumb to add it, in my opinion.
I also didn’t like the heroine. Throughout the story she acted petty or jealous. The only time she wasn’t was when she was gloating over being superior in something or beating out someone. She wasn’t very likable. In fact, I disliked her as much as I adored Lydia.
Despite the awful heroine, the story line was great. The mission was purposeful and worthy. Of all the books in the series, I feel that this book seemed the most developed when it comes to plot.
In terms of a rating for this book, I’m torn. There are a lot of things that irritated me about this book. I truly wanted to give it 2-2.5 stars at times. Then there are things like the ending that felt just right that makes me think 3.5 stars.
Hmmm. 3 stars seems fair.
October 21, 2018
So i never read the other books in this series but since it was supposed to be able to be read as a stand alone i figured I'd give it a try.
I have to say i only got about a third of the way through this book.
I liked the idea of it, but i found the world building practically absent, there was so much mention of other characters in the other books that i was annoyed since i was learning basically nothing about our MCs.
I didn't feel any chemistry between the characters apart from mild attraction.
This is a paragraph told from Duke's POV. At this point they have been in a cave together for two days getting to know each other.
"My hand brushed her hair from her face. It caressed my skin, softer than a baby sekubu’s fur. She didn’t pull away from my touch, but her breathing accelerated, and her pupils dilated. I wanted to lean in and kiss her, to bury my fingers in her hair, and to hold her body tightly against mine. But it felt too bold, too soon. The first time we kissed—and I felt sure we would—it wouldn’t be dictated by instincts during a mesmerizing moment but a conscious decision we both made because we both wanted it, and it felt right."
Cause that's passionate. Disregard a spontaneous kiss in favor of talking it out and agreeing on it. Seriously?
This is not the kind of relationship i want to read about.
I have to say i only got about a third of the way through this book.
I liked the idea of it, but i found the world building practically absent, there was so much mention of other characters in the other books that i was annoyed since i was learning basically nothing about our MCs.
I didn't feel any chemistry between the characters apart from mild attraction.
This is a paragraph told from Duke's POV. At this point they have been in a cave together for two days getting to know each other.
"My hand brushed her hair from her face. It caressed my skin, softer than a baby sekubu’s fur. She didn’t pull away from my touch, but her breathing accelerated, and her pupils dilated. I wanted to lean in and kiss her, to bury my fingers in her hair, and to hold her body tightly against mine. But it felt too bold, too soon. The first time we kissed—and I felt sure we would—it wouldn’t be dictated by instincts during a mesmerizing moment but a conscious decision we both made because we both wanted it, and it felt right."
Cause that's passionate. Disregard a spontaneous kiss in favor of talking it out and agreeing on it. Seriously?
This is not the kind of relationship i want to read about.
January 5, 2022
Could not connect with the heroine
I really cannot explain why I did not enjoy this story as much as others by this author. I could not connect with Kira, the human female at all. It felt as though Duekeln the ice valos was much more loving, caring and giving, while Kira just absorbed it selfishly.
Maybe the cold setting had something to do with my disconnection from the story of maybe when it is written in the first person, emotions aren't conveyed as well as in the third person.
That is not to say the story is not good, but It left me wondering how these people, with all their various abilities, could have been subdued in the first place and not fought back.
I really cannot explain why I did not enjoy this story as much as others by this author. I could not connect with Kira, the human female at all. It felt as though Duekeln the ice valos was much more loving, caring and giving, while Kira just absorbed it selfishly.
Maybe the cold setting had something to do with my disconnection from the story of maybe when it is written in the first person, emotions aren't conveyed as well as in the third person.
That is not to say the story is not good, but It left me wondering how these people, with all their various abilities, could have been subdued in the first place and not fought back.
July 1, 2018
I loved it...
Not sure if I’d want to re read this,just wasn’t that kinda story for me but except for one moment at the end in the epilogue where I seriously wanted to smack Kira up side the head or at the very least give her a good shake and say WTF?!?! To her I had a wonderful time ....
I found this a rich and interesting story and it was very enjoyable to see Kira earn the respect of others and though it’s never really said I think/feel she also regains her own self respect as well....
Like I said other than the slow start ( which made sense) the only thing that bothered me was Kira needing another woman/female showing interest in “her” Duke to finally commit to being his mate.... ironically she’d just realized she was pregnant as well....
Honestly her reasoning for holding back kinda ticked me off and was why I wanted to smack her soo dang bad....
Ok,at the point where the other female shows interest Kira has been with Duke at least 3 months, absolutely adores him, hasn’t wanted another since she met him,has been having sex with him like rabid bunnies in heat and.....
And telling everybody and their brother about how they needed to make a fresh start here and about how they been given a second chance and didn’t need to waste it but hanging onto the past from earth 🌏,soo why exactly has she been holding out on poor confused Duke ?
Because back on earth 🌏,she was the type who set a number on the length of time you needed to be together before you got engaged and then you were engaged a while before marriage....
Yeah, well here’s the thing : a) I’m more of a believer in “ you know when it’s right”, while you don’t rush into things with someone and time can tell you things about a person,at your heart you know if it’s right or not when you can’t imagine a life w/out someone and can’t even fathom the thought of being with another... and b) After preaching everybody for months about letting go of the past moving on to a new life holding onto earth customs really felt silly and odd....
She knew she only wanted Duke and knew her “earth custom” of a long drawn out process of dating and engagement that lasted for years was silly ,with such a blunt and honest and straight forward ppl ...
Honestly it really pulled me out of the story, because it seems so incongruent with the rest of the story....
I’m just grateful it was at the end, despite my upset it was easier to over look...
Thank you Ms.Abel I can’t wait for more of your “Veredian Chronicles series”.....
Damn I love that series❣️ and I love telling other ppl about it❣️
Not sure if I’d want to re read this,just wasn’t that kinda story for me but except for one moment at the end in the epilogue where I seriously wanted to smack Kira up side the head or at the very least give her a good shake and say WTF?!?! To her I had a wonderful time ....
I found this a rich and interesting story and it was very enjoyable to see Kira earn the respect of others and though it’s never really said I think/feel she also regains her own self respect as well....
Like I said other than the slow start ( which made sense) the only thing that bothered me was Kira needing another woman/female showing interest in “her” Duke to finally commit to being his mate.... ironically she’d just realized she was pregnant as well....
Honestly her reasoning for holding back kinda ticked me off and was why I wanted to smack her soo dang bad....
Ok,at the point where the other female shows interest Kira has been with Duke at least 3 months, absolutely adores him, hasn’t wanted another since she met him,has been having sex with him like rabid bunnies in heat and.....
And telling everybody and their brother about how they needed to make a fresh start here and about how they been given a second chance and didn’t need to waste it but hanging onto the past from earth 🌏,soo why exactly has she been holding out on poor confused Duke ?
Because back on earth 🌏,she was the type who set a number on the length of time you needed to be together before you got engaged and then you were engaged a while before marriage....
Yeah, well here’s the thing : a) I’m more of a believer in “ you know when it’s right”, while you don’t rush into things with someone and time can tell you things about a person,at your heart you know if it’s right or not when you can’t imagine a life w/out someone and can’t even fathom the thought of being with another... and b) After preaching everybody for months about letting go of the past moving on to a new life holding onto earth customs really felt silly and odd....
She knew she only wanted Duke and knew her “earth custom” of a long drawn out process of dating and engagement that lasted for years was silly ,with such a blunt and honest and straight forward ppl ...
Honestly it really pulled me out of the story, because it seems so incongruent with the rest of the story....
I’m just grateful it was at the end, despite my upset it was easier to over look...
Thank you Ms.Abel I can’t wait for more of your “Veredian Chronicles series”.....
Damn I love that series❣️ and I love telling other ppl about it❣️
August 29, 2023
Review: So this book is a standalone in an interconnected series. The series takes place in the world of Sonhadra, this book being the tenth in the series. There are nine different authors, with each book being a completed novel with a HEA. There are characters mentioned who (I’m assuming) came in the books before this one. The story has so much potential. It’s got a solid sci-fi/fantasy plot and that itself is what kept me reading and brought my rating above one star. Elemental beings, reformed prisoners, inter species romance, and unethical experimentation. The main characters are Duke, an ice elemental Valos, and Kira, a human formerly imprisoned and experimented on. Duke is likeable enough, without any reason to feel strongly one way or another about him. In fact, both characters are just a bit two dimensional, there’s nothing that particularly draws you to them. Kira is…questionable. It felt hard to like her. I understand the whole second chance/reformed thing, but throughout the whole book, she’s very contradictory to herself. She claims to want to seize the day, make the most of her new lease on life, but she only half commits to it. While it’s obvious from the start that there’s a strong attraction between Duke and Kira, I didn’t really feel any chemistry or connection between them. I’m all for an extra helping of smut, but it lacked passion. There were really only about two detailed spicy scenes, which were decently written, but nothing to get excited about. Again, the story had potential and the sci-fi/fantasy was the only reason I finished. I like this author a lot, I’ve read her Mistwalker series and enjoyed them. Unfortunately, this book just didn’t do it for me.
August 20, 2025
Duke and Kira were such a sweet couple! I absolutely loved their story! One thing that I absolutely loved about this book and the first book were all the small moments that were included to give a glance at their everyday life. I liked that this book was a little more spice heavy than the first. Duke and Kira had great chemistry, but I also really loved their emotional bond and connection. Duke was fiercely protective of Kira, but such a teddy bear at heart. I loved how he helped Kira harness her powers. They seriously were just so sweet together!
I really enjoyed getting to see the humans in their own makeshift village and how the Valos helped them. Minus the evil Shawn dude, that is. I also really enjoyed getting to see the bellows thrive towards the end. It was just heartwarming to know that there were children still alive and that those with infected casings for their heartstones were able to be healed.
I definitely did not see the surprise at the end with the babies. like they definitely felt like alien babies. That said, I absolutely loved the fact that they had sharp teeth and that Kai made a comment to Lydia about them not eating her! That was one running joke through both books that totally cracked me up!
For all of the books that I have read by Regine Abel, these two definitely cracked me up the most! I loved getting to see her humor at work in these books. While I know that there are other books in the series by other authors, I want more books from Regine in this world! I'm just not ready to leave it yet, it was that good!!
I really enjoyed getting to see the humans in their own makeshift village and how the Valos helped them. Minus the evil Shawn dude, that is. I also really enjoyed getting to see the bellows thrive towards the end. It was just heartwarming to know that there were children still alive and that those with infected casings for their heartstones were able to be healed.
I definitely did not see the surprise at the end with the babies. like they definitely felt like alien babies. That said, I absolutely loved the fact that they had sharp teeth and that Kai made a comment to Lydia about them not eating her! That was one running joke through both books that totally cracked me up!
For all of the books that I have read by Regine Abel, these two definitely cracked me up the most! I loved getting to see her humor at work in these books. While I know that there are other books in the series by other authors, I want more books from Regine in this world! I'm just not ready to leave it yet, it was that good!!
July 27, 2018
Read book 11 before this one!
I started this book and found myself completely lost. Who are these people Amber, Pel and the other guy? I thought maybe I forgot them, but they are actually from book 11 and this starting sequence takes place at the half way point of book 11! There are no spoilers in 11. So to truly see where Kira came from and how she ended up here, read the next book first. I did after I couldn't figure out what was going on and so glad I did. It just all made so much more sense.
So now onto the actual story. Overall it was decent. It moved the story forward. I have to say that for over half the book, I just didn't like Kira. She was selfish, petty and real catty. She finally got over that, but I just never could warm up to her after that. I also had a hard time feeling her relationship. It just seemed forced. Despite these issues, the overall story was good.
I started this book and found myself completely lost. Who are these people Amber, Pel and the other guy? I thought maybe I forgot them, but they are actually from book 11 and this starting sequence takes place at the half way point of book 11! There are no spoilers in 11. So to truly see where Kira came from and how she ended up here, read the next book first. I did after I couldn't figure out what was going on and so glad I did. It just all made so much more sense.
So now onto the actual story. Overall it was decent. It moved the story forward. I have to say that for over half the book, I just didn't like Kira. She was selfish, petty and real catty. She finally got over that, but I just never could warm up to her after that. I also had a hard time feeling her relationship. It just seemed forced. Despite these issues, the overall story was good.
November 27, 2018
4 1/2 stars
I enjoyed this addition to the Valos of Sonhadra saga, but it was too long on narration & too short on dialog for my taste. I liked the characters; "Duke" & Kira are relatable, nice people. The part of the ploy that was not as interesting as the others in the series is the lack of a huge trial the hera needed to overcome. Lydia damn near died in the other Ice Valos story trying to rescue the heartstones. All Kira did was nurse a few folks back to health. Yes, she saved them, but it wasn't as heroic. I think the river journey could have been extended, and maybe a couple new monsters introduced. There was some conflict, but it was resolved a bit too fast. Having said all that, I really DO recommend this book, especially if you've read the others. It was enjoyable & entertaining, with a couple really funny bits.
I enjoyed this addition to the Valos of Sonhadra saga, but it was too long on narration & too short on dialog for my taste. I liked the characters; "Duke" & Kira are relatable, nice people. The part of the ploy that was not as interesting as the others in the series is the lack of a huge trial the hera needed to overcome. Lydia damn near died in the other Ice Valos story trying to rescue the heartstones. All Kira did was nurse a few folks back to health. Yes, she saved them, but it wasn't as heroic. I think the river journey could have been extended, and maybe a couple new monsters introduced. There was some conflict, but it was resolved a bit too fast. Having said all that, I really DO recommend this book, especially if you've read the others. It was enjoyable & entertaining, with a couple really funny bits.
February 24, 2019
Although this book contains the line of death, "Yes. A thousand times yes" that no author should ever use again, I liked this story much more than I thought I would at first. Kira blossoms into a great character in the end after a sort of rocky start. I have been reading the series in the order it progressed, and after Book 3, I read Book 11 which is the sequel to 3, then read 10 to see what happened with Kira who was jumbled in between the other two stories as a bit character. I am glad I followed it this way and it made more sense to me.
July 14, 2018
Great series
I've really enjoyed reading this series and recommend it to anyone who likes this genre. It's been fun to read so many different authors writing about a similar subject and having their stories be so different from each other. I hope others continue writing for this series. 😉
I've really enjoyed reading this series and recommend it to anyone who likes this genre. It's been fun to read so many different authors writing about a similar subject and having their stories be so different from each other. I hope others continue writing for this series. 😉
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