Review: Grave Memory by Kalayna Price

Title:  Grave Witch
Author:  Kalayna Price
Series:  Alex Craft, #3
Publisher:  Roc
Release Date:  July 3, 2012
Pages:  373
Rating:  

When the dead need to talk, Alex Craft is always ready to listen…

As a Grave Witch, Alex solves murders by raising the dead—an ability that comes at a cost, and after her last few cases, that cost is compounding. But her magic isn’t the only thing causing havoc in her life. While she’s always been on friendly terms with Death himself, things have recently become a whole lot more close and personal. Then there’s her sometime partner, agent Falin Andrews, who is under the glamour of the Winter Queen. To top everything off, her best friend has been forever changed by her time spent captive in Faerie.

But the personal takes a backseat to the professional when a mysterious suicide occurs in Nekros City and Alex is hired to investigate. The shade she raises has no memory of the days leading up to his brutal ending, so despite the very public apparent suicide, this is murder. But what kind of magic can overcome the human will to survive? And why does the shade lack the memory of his death? Searching for the answer might mean Alex won’t have a life to remember at all…

"You're not my collector.?" He shrugged. "I adopted you." Cute.

I was not as intrigued with GRAVE MEMORY as I was with the first two novels in the Alex Craft Series. I was a tad disappointed. Of course we have another big case that Alex is solving that keeps the story interesting enough. I love the mystery side to the Alex Craft Series, but I did feel like some huge key factors were missing. Like let's see...Hmmmm.... FALIN AND DEATH!

"As long as I belong to her, you can never trust me. I have to do whatever she commands. S don't cal me, don't look or me, and if you see me, run away. Do you understand.?"

Falin Andrews, my favorite sexy fae, does not get that much page time, and it felt a but like Death didn't either. He didn't show up much until the second half of the book, but I need my fix! I understand why they didn't get much page time due to the last Alex Craft Book. It is obvious that Alex is into both of these men, but both men come with consequences if Alex were to have a romantic relationship with either one. Falin is tied to "Queen Ice Bitch" and cannot disobey any orders from her. And Queen Ice Bitch plans to be a royal pain in the ass until she gets want she wants from Alex.

"Well, I'm starting to think he's my guardian angel." Though angel of death was what most people would call him."

Oh, Death! I am starting to love you more and more and more and more! You honestly make a girl's heart beat out of her chest! You can be my guardian angel anytime of the week! Alex and Death are so cute! They have known each other since Alex was a child and their relationship is building and building and part of me wants them to be together, but the other part of me wants Falin and this book was a bad book for my Falin. It's like he wasn't even there. But Death! I want him! He is to die for!

In GRAVE MEMORY I thought that we might learn more about the different courts and more about the Shadow Court judging from what went down in the previous book, but we didn't. I was disappointed with that. Overall, GRAVE MEMORY was not quite what I was expecting. I didn't enjoy it as much as I enjoyed the previous books, I am hoping the next book will blow me away more than this one did.

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Review: Grave Dance by Kalayna Price

Title:  Grave Dance
Author:  Kalayna Price
Series:  Alex Craft, #2
Publisher:  ROC
Release Date:  July 5, 2011
Pages:  371
Rating:  ★★★★★

Whoever said dead men tell no tales obviously never met Alex Craft.

After a month spent recovering from a vicious fight with a sorcerer, grave witch Alex Craft is ready to get back to solving murders by raising the dead. With her love life in turmoil thanks to the disappearance of Fae Investigation Bureau agent Falin Andrews and a shocking “L” word confession from Death himself, Alex is eager for the distractions of work. But her new case turns out to be a deadly challenge.

The police hire Alex to consult on a particularly strange investigation in the nature preserve south of Nekros City. The strange part: There are no corpses, only fragments of them. A serial killer is potentially on the loose, and Alex has no way to raise a shade without a body, so she’ll have to rely on the magic of others to find leads. But as she begins investigating, a creature born of the darkest magic comes after her. Someone very powerful wants to make sure the only thing she finds is a dead end—her own.

Grave Dance was an exciting and thrilling read and when it ended I threw a fit because I didn't want this book to end.  Grave Dance exceeded my expectations on so many levels.

In the previous book, Grave Witch we find out that Alex is fae, which comes a little bit of a shock to Alex and in this book we are really introduced to the fae world in the Alex Craft series where you feel like you didn't get enough. I love fae books and it is always interesting to see how each author creates their fae world and I thought Kalayna Price did a fantastic job.

Alex is back and has some special powers and all the fae want her for themselves and Alex is on the run. Not only does she not want to be the property of any of the courts, being in faerie terrifies her a bit. She is most comfortable in the mortal world. While she is on the run, she has a new case to solve that happens to involves the reapers. SO she has to work with them to solve this new case that she is involved in now.

Falin Andrews comes back and I don't think I realized just how much I missed this guy. I am a Falin fan through and through. There is just something about this guy that makes me go SWOON! We learned in Grave Witch that Falin is the winter queen's knight and lover which comes quite a bit of a shock to Alex and we actually learn the why's and how's of this. I really love Kalayna Price for letting us know more about Falin's past. There were some event's in  Grave Dance that made you hate Falin a little bit, but in my opinion that is all the winter queen.

"His shoulders sagged as he stepped back. Then a half smile made the edge of his lips crook. " You're mad at me."
"And that's amusing because?"
The half smile spread into a lopsideed grin, and he stood up straighter. "You wouldn't be mad if you didn't care. I'm onto you, Alexis." Oh, that insufferable, arrogant--" 

Oh, Death. I love you. Can I have both you and Falin? Please? Death is just as yummy as Falin. Death as well as Falin makes their intentions to Alex known as well as coming face to face with each other and having a pissing contest. We also find out why it may be impossible for Alex and Death to be together.

Although I loved this book to death there were also a few parts where I got so bored I had to put it down for a while and I really think that had to do with the research/more about the big case Alex is trying to solve. Otherwise, amazing sequel.

There was a mixture of fae and witch stuff that blew me away and I really want to know more and more about the fae. Everything in this book just "WOW-ed" me and why oh, why doesn't the next book come out 6 months from now instead of a year. I will die before I get my hands on the next Alex Craft book.

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Review: Grave Witch by Kalayna Price

Title: Grave Witch

Author: Kalayna Price

Series: Alex Craft #1

Release Date: October 5, 2010

Publisher: Roc

ISBN: 0451463803

As a private investigator and consultant for the police, Alex Craft has seen a lot of dark magic. But even though she’s on good terms with Death himself—who happens to look fantastic in a pair of jeans—nothing has prepared her for her latest case. Alex is investigating a high profile murder when she’s attacked by the ‘shade’ she’s raising, which should be impossible. To top off her day, someone makes a serious attempt on her life, but Death saves her. Guess he likes having her around…

To solve this case Alex will have to team up with tough homicide detective Falin Andrews. Falin seems to be hiding something—though it’s certainly not his dislike of Alex—but Alex knows she needs his help to navigate the tangled webs of mortal and paranormal politics, and to track down a killer wielding a magic so malevolent, it may cost Alex her life…and her soul.

The first time I encountered Death, I hurled my mother’s medical chart at him.As far as impressions went, I blew it, but I was five at the time, so he eventually forgave me.

This book was seriously amazing! I am so glad that I decided to read it, I have been reading paranormal romance for the last couple of weeks and decided I needed a break and needed more of my lovely urban fantasy genre. I love Alex Craft, she definitely falls into the category of my favorite kick ass heroines. and Death, yes he is a real person. Death is so mysterious! I felt like we didnt get enought of him though, but he is just so hot and mysterious, how he pops in for coffee and then disappears out of sight.

I am in love wit Falin! You just gotta love this guy and i do! I hope Alex ends up wit Falin b/c they have so much chemistry and I think that they are so rite for each other and suit each other really well. I love Death of course but I feel like he is a fling and Alex seems just way more into Falin after chapter 22, which OMG. I LOVED CHAPTER 22!!!! I think i've over read it five times already. I want more Falin and Alex hottness!!!! This book was action, mystery, wit some romance which is a perfect fit for me. By the end of the book I have sooooo many questions i need answered! like what's is gonna happen wit the death, alex, and falin relationship.

And I want to know more about Alex's father after what we find out at the end and also if her sister stops wit the grey magic, and if her and her father's relationship will get better(it kinda seems like it might) and what about her friend rianna...okay, I'll stop there...I wish the next book was out already. If your an urban fantasy fan, you definitely need to put this on your to-be-read shelf immediately. Oh, god. I want the next book right now!

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