GRAVE DANCE by Kalayna Price

 

An Alex Craft Novel Book Two

Ace/Roc

July 5^th, 2011
978-0-451-46409-5

Paranormal/Urban Fantasy

Mass Market Paperback

Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)
Obtained by Publisher

3.5 Hearts




This last month grave witch Alex Craft has spent recovering from battling a sorcerer; she is itching to get back into her job of solving murders by raising the dead. Her love life in turmoil she needs all the distractions she can get.  But when she is drawn into a perplexing case where the Nekos PD has only feet left and they need more information in order to figure it all out. But for Alex no body means any shade to rise so she turns to others to help her get a handle on this case. Unfortunately as she begins to investigate, she finds herself in the cross-hairs of a creature using dark magic and an ancient artifact to make sure she gets what she wants. As Alex gets closer to the truth, she finds herself in major danger even as she tries to stay one step ahead of the bad guy.

GRAVE DANCE is a wonderful second book in the Alex Craft series that I just devoured. Ms. Price delivers a wild ride from start to finish.  The author does a great job in keeping the reader in suspense till the very end. I love that this main character is a bad ass who tries to use her wits and brain over her magic all the time. Alex Craft is a breath of fresh air to this reader and puts her right up there with Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs and Kate Daniels Series by Ilona Andrews. The main heroine is a strong person with the right amount of sass and badass-ness that doesn’t tip over to martyrdom or whininess. Ms. Price delivers a wild edge of the seat ride from start to finish. What really drew me in were Alex’s relationships with some characters. From her love triangle with Death and the elusive FIB Falin to her friends, the author gives a complete look into whom this character is and I, for one, would love to meet her in the flesh for some chit chat and coffee.  I do caution you to start with book one, Grave Witch, as this picks up right after book one.

The author does a great job in capturing who her characters are and letting them run with the story. The characters are well thought out, multi-dimensional and quite enjoyable, even as you get drawn into the story alongside Alex. This was an intricate storyline with a few twists I sure did not see coming with characters that had secrets come to light even as more showed t heir hand. The author delivers a stunning world building that left me gasping for air at the end of GRAVE DANCE. I couldn’t put this one down and the ending alone left me gasping in shock. If you enjoy a fast paced story with characters that fairly leap from the pages and a world that you can’t help but want to visit, then grab the Alex Craft series and get ready to be sucked into the stories set around this entertaining grave witch. Now I need to get book three and continue my journey in this fascinating world.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement

GRAVE WITCH by Kalayna Price

 

An Alex Craft Novel, Book 1

Roc

October 2010

978-0-451-4638-7

Urban Fantasy

Mass Market Paperback

Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)
Obtained by Self-Purchase

3.5 Hearts

 

Grave Witch Alex Craft, speaking to the dead is as normal as can be for her. She just doesn’t have to like what they say half the time. When a routine job goes south, Alex finds she is drawn into a murder investigation that reeks of dark magic. But as Alex races to find the answers, she has to work with hunky homicide detective Falin Andrews, who just has as many secrets as Alex and then when an attempt is made on her life, Death seems to save her life. Now the race is on because the danger is striking closer than Alex even imagines and she finds herself not in just a battle for her life but also for her soul.

GRAVE WITCH is one wild ride from start to finish. With a heroine who isn’t afraid to get down and dirty to two fascinating love interests, Falin Andrews and Death himself. This is a new author for me to read I found their first book in the Alex Craft series to be an entertaining ride from start to finish. The characters are multi-dimensional, intriguing and quite life-like. I enjoyed the different characters and they meshed well with one another. But the main character, Alex, is one bad ass grave witch and one I fell in love with. She has issues, who doesn’t, but she tries to do the best she can while trying to solve cases for her clients as the best of her ability. What I really enjoyed about Alex was how she just kept on chugging away, trying to get answers to the myriad of questions that always seemed to pop out of nowhere and try to stay one step ahead of the evil that was determined to make sure she never solved the case. The author does a great job in creating a world where you can’t help but think about visiting, filled w ith normal people and magical people alike. What really set this first book apart from other first books in series was there was a gradual procession of information around Alex being given. There was no massive information dump at one time. That right there cemented this series as a one to read for me. I like first books in series but if an author does a major information dump through the whole book, it turns me off in a flash. Ms. Price does it gradually and subtly, I found myself intrigued even more by the spare moments where we got to see who Alex was and why she was like this.

GRAVE WITCH is a fun, entertaining ride that will keep you spellbound from start to finish. With the right amount of mystery, sexual tension and more, the author delivers a slam dunk introduction into her Alex Craft series. If you enjoy kick-ass heroine who can wield grave magic, fight bad guys and it’s minions and figure out just what one love interest steals her heart, well then give GRAVE WITCH a try. I guarantee you won’t want to put it down.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement