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: Unholy Magic by Stacia Kane

Title:  Unholy Magic
Author:  Stacia Kane
Series:  Downside Ghosts, #2
Publisher:  Del Ray
Release Date:  June 22, 2010
Pages:  343
Rating:  ★★★★★

ENEMIES DON’T NEED TO BE ALIVE TO BE DEADLY.

For Chess Putnam, finding herself near-fatally poisoned by a con psychic and then stopping a murderous ghost is just another day on the job. As an agent of the Church of Real Truth, Chess must expose those looking to profit from the world’s unpleasant little poltergeist problem—humans filing false claims of hauntings—all while staving off any undead who really are looking for a kill. But Chess has been extra busy these days, coping with a new “celebrity” assignment while trying on her own time to help some desperate prostitutes.

Someone’s taking out the hookers of Downside in the most gruesome way, and Chess is sure the rumors that it’s the work of a ghost are way off base. But proving herself right means walking in the path of a maniac, not to mention standing between the two men in her life just as they—along with their ruthless employers—are moving closer to a catastrophic showdown. Someone is dealing in murder, sex, and the supernatural, and once again Chess finds herself right in the crossfire.

Unholy Magic is most definitely the better read than the previous Unholy Ghosts, but I apparently this will have to categorized as the series everyone loves but me.

After Unholy Ghosts I was greatly let down, and from recommendations that the series does get better I took a shot at the second,  Unholy Magic. I admit that I was able to understand what was going on better and understood the Downside talk more which was a plus, but I was unable to really get into the book. Reading this book still felt like a chore to discover this series hidden potential and I haven't discovered it. There where parts of the book where I am like maybe I'll like this after all. It was all over the place to really good to umm. I'm bored.

"I figure you really wanted me you’d say. Like now, maybe, if you dig. I’ll fuckin carry you down your place on a run, you tell me aye, get you on your back afore the next word comes out your mouth. But you oughta have yourself certain, causen I ain’t lookin for charity, an I ain’t lettin you go after. Once … once ain’t enough for me, dig?." 

I do get why everyone has  Terrible Fever!! I think I may have developed the syndrome while reading this book, but Terrible alone was not enough to sit through more from this series. Terrible is a very unique character, one that I am glad that I had the pleasure to meeting and getting to know more of. One thing is that Terrible was described as ugly, but to me he is hot. I wonder, do any of you girls feel the same?

All in all you either love this series or hate it. It can go either way. I think that I may have really had a problem with the drugs in this series and decisions I was unhappy the heroine, Chess made. So I do recommend reading this series because there is only a minority of us who do not like it, but it is a very interesting and unique series, I'll give it that, but personally the series was just not for me.

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Review: Unholy Ghosts by Stacia Kane

Title:  Unholy Ghosts
Author:  Stacia Kane
Series:  Downside Ghosts, #1
Publisher:  Del Ray
Release Date:  May 25, 2010
Pages:  339
Rating:  ★★★★★

ENEMIES DON’T NEED TO BE ALIVE TO BE DEADLY.

For Chess Putnam, finding herself near-fatally poisoned by a con psychic and then stopping a murderous ghost is just another day on the job. As an agent of the Church of Real Truth, Chess must expose those looking to profit from the world’s unpleasant little poltergeist problem—humans filing false claims of hauntings—all while staving off any undead who really are looking for a kill. But Chess has been extra busy these days, coping with a new “celebrity” assignment while trying on her own time to help some desperate prostitutes.

Someone’s taking out the hookers of Downside in the most gruesome way, and Chess is sure the rumors that it’s the work of a ghost are way off base. But proving herself right means walking in the path of a maniac, not to mention standing between the two men in her life just as they—along with their ruthless employers—are moving closer to a catastrophic showdown. Someone is dealing in murder, sex, and the supernatural, and once again Chess finds herself right in the crossfire.

Basically you either love it or hate it. I had started Unholy Ghosts let's see....October and dropped it. All my GR friends love it. I am wanting to know why? because I obviously don't see the appeal. SO this kind of drove me crazy so I decided to finish it because I never made it to the end.

I will say that I am glad that I finished the book this time. But I cannot give this book a high rating because it took me more than halfway through this book to actually understand what the hell was going on in this book. It should not be like a chore to finish a book and it did. I did not understand what the hell was going on, I mean what is the plot/storyline?

When I did reach the more than halfway land mark. I enjoyed it a little bit than before and understood what was going on. In my opinion this was a bad book on the explaining part and maybe that was just the world-building stuff. But I have read world-building books before and this one was the worse to try and get into.

As for the characters, this has also more than halfway in. I came to understood what Terrible was saying and I see what so many fans like him. I like him too and I know he is described in the book as ugly, but to me he is hot in my mind. haha. He grows on me, like I would totally want him around. Chess our heroine, I can't say anything about her yet for the problems I had with this book. I was not bothered by the drug stuff in this book though. And Lex, I loved him. He was hot! haha.

"Terrible thought she was brave. She remembered it now, heard his voice in her head as if he stood next to her. "They scared. Not you, though." Terrible thought she was brave, and if he - a man whose name was Terrible, a man whose path people scrambled to get out of - thought so, it must be true. She could do this, she would do this."  

I will continue the series because the second half of the book did well enough that I want to see if I will like this series just as much as all my GR friends do. And I heard that the next two books are by far better than  Unholy Ghosts. So, yes. even though the low rating I will continue with the second book to see if I will possibly like this series. And I hope that I am able to get into the second book better than  Unholy Ghosts.

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Review: Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells

Title:  Red-Headed Stepchild
Author:  Jaye Wells
Series:  Sabina Kane, #1
Publisher:  Orbit
Release Date:  April 1, 2009
Pages:  325
Rating:  ★★★★★

In a world where being of mixed-blood is a major liability, Sabina Kane has the only profession fit for an outcast: assassin. But, her latest mission threatens the fragile peace between the vampire and mage races and Sabina must scramble to figure out which side she's on. She's never brought her work home with her---until now.

This time, it's personal.

So we have a half-vampire, half mage assassin named Sabina who is trying to gain acceptance from her vampire grandmother who shows no love or adoration to Sabina. Sabina gets herself in some shit and finds out more about herself in the process from hunky and sexy mage named Adam who looked ultimately delicious in nothing but a towel. And now she has to choose sides, the Mages or the Vampires. No one said life was easy.

Sabina was one tough cookie. I don't think she really stood out like other of my favorite heroines but I still really enjoyed reading from her POV. It was a great frustration where us the readers just wish she would abandon her her vampire family, because they obviously don't give a shit about her. Especially her grandmother and all she does in the book is trying to get their approval/praise.

By the end of the book, she finally does accept that she is nothing to her grandmother and to does want to find out more about her mage side and meet some of her other family.

Giguhl is my all time favorite character in this book. He is the sidekick who claims is running this operation. And he is the cutest ugly looking cat ever. I swear I was laughing a lot in this book due to him. And I think he is a huge reason why I really liked this book a lot.

"what up, peeps?"
I looked at my hairless cat for a moment. "What up, peeps? You've been watching MTV again, haven't you?"
"Word."

Adam was not in the book a lot and he is the "supposed" love interest. He didn't really pop into Sabina's life until halfway through the book. I don't really have a big opinion of him yet, but he is sexy and charming. Sabina and him argue quite a bit in the book and I enjoyed their scenes together quite a bit. I look forward to seeing him charm me more in the next book.

"Sabina." Vinca said interrupting my maudlin thoughts.
"Hmmm..." She rolled her eyes. "I said, don't you think Adam looks nice tonight." I shook myself. "I guess so," I said with a shrug.
"Oh, stop," he said. "You're going to make me blush."

All in all this was a fast and fun read. This was a great first book into a series and I do look forward to reading more.

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Review: Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins

Title: Demon Glass
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Series: Hex Hall, #2
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH
Release Date: March 1, 2011
Pages: 359
Rating:

Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch.

That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.

Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers.

But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They’re demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Archer to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?

DEMON GLASS the sequel to Hex Hall was just as good as the first book, if not even better. I was surprised how utterly FANTASTIC this book was and of course we have another ending that makes you so mad and crazy for the third installment of the Hex Hall Series..

In DEMON GLASS I will tell you YES, we finally get to meet Sophie's father, James. I don't know why but from reading Hex Hall I thought James was maybe going to be cold and I maybe wouldn't like him, but I love her father and I just want to learn more and more about him. Sophie and him form a bond and finally become real father and daughter. I love the scenes with their father and daughter bonding time.

"Dude. Mom's hard-core."

We get a few surprises in DEMON GLASS that makes you scream, "WTF?!", I have a feeling that all of these Hex Hall books will be a WTF book. It is so hard to write this review without any spoilers b/c I want to talk about it so bad with what happened at the ending, but I will tell you that you will enjoy this book even more than Hex Hall and you will enjoy all of the old characters we loved and also some new characters.

We get to meet the members of the council which when you first meet them seem not so bad, but we have to wonder. Also we get more Cal which I enjoyed Cal just as much as I enjoy Archer. We get slapped in the face by love and betrayal. And this basically where my WTF screams came in. I think some of the people that we came to trust and admire as a character just got shot down at a very high level and I am disgusted with them. And I also want to know about being a demon, it is not so bad as we thought or is it?

I just have to know what the hell happened. I want to know is James going to be alright? Please let him be alright and what about Jenna, where is she? There are so many questions at the end of DEMON GLASS it will make you explode.

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Review: Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Title: Hex Hall
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Series: Hex Hall, #1
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH
Release Date: March 2, 2010
Pages: 323
Rating:

Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.

By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.

As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.

I have been holding off on this book for so long and I don't know why, but it was amazing. I haven't read that many witch books, because I had this strange feeling that they would not be as good as the vampire and shifters books, but boy was I wrong, you learn plenty about how complicated it is to be a witch, just ask Sophie. So girl does wacked up spell that gets human yelling, "WITCH! WITCH!", and then girl gets transferred to school where everyone's is different exactly like her. Sound familiar? It is familar to other books I have read, but that is where the similarity ends. This book was so very orginal.

Sophie was an interesting character, very ordinary and normal, but in the witch world she is very known because of her father. Sophie is smart and though she didn't know much about being a witch she is learning more and more throughout the book and I believe one day that she will become one of the strongest. Sophie's love interest, Archer is just too wonderful. He is one of those guys that you hate but at the same time love. By the end of the book, I wonder about Archer, because we don't really know anything about this guy and you just need to know more. I think almost every book has the "mean girls", the girls that you just want to slap across the face and I wanted to do so much more than just slap them across the face. I think that they are important and they make the book what it is and they show redemptation towards the end a little bit.

"Let's just say you may regret that second piece of cake.' Oh my God. Regret cake? Whatever was about to happen must be truly evil."

Sophie also has a best friend, Jenna who I love and hope that we get a little inside look at her a little bit in the next book. And there is just somethin I love about a vampire who is obsessed with pink. Cool. Mom and dad. I am kind of mad at her parents, I mean if you are a teenager and do not know a thing about yourself, what you are, where you come from, you would think your parents would have the decentcey to fill you in, "well, I was just waiting for the right moment", right moment? right moment? When is the right moment, when she's 30! I think this occurs a lot in young adult books, but I always feel the parent are so irresponsible with this. I think that first of all, Sophie should know all about who her father is, and what she is. Hiding it is not the right way to go. And it is not nice to know that the whole school nows except you, which after the ending the next book should be pretty interesting.

We hear so much about her father and I really want to know about this guy, who is he and what happened with him and Sophie's mother. Sophie has never met her father, because her parents are divorced. There are so many questions that need answers and I hope we get a lot of them answered in book 2, Demonglass. Overall, this book was outstanding. It was a real page-turner and I could not put this book down. We have a cliffhanger that leaves you hungry for the next book and I really want to continue on this journey with Sophie to find out how to handles what is thrown at her next.

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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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