Customer Reviews

Grave Witch: An Alex Craft Novel

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This book has a lot of elements that I have read before. People finding out about magic and creatures coming out in public? Check. Girl who can interact with the dead? Check. Girl who has love/hate relationship with the police? Check. The list goes on.
This book was good and I did enjoy it, but the whole time I was thinking about other characters and comparing them to Alex. Anita Blake, Rachel Morgan, Mercedes Thompson. Clever dialogue and an interesting read, just the plot felt so similar it was a little bit of a let down. I would suggest it though and if you enjoyed it you will probably love the books about Rachel Morgan and Mercedes. I would say Anita, but only the beginning books, after a little while that series goes to hell...

I had to keep reminding myself as I was reading this novel, that it was the first one in a series. That Ms Price didn't just stuff as much 'stuff' in this book as she did just for grins and giggles. That she used this book to set up for the series...at least this is what I assume. I haven't read the second or third book yet to see it they are equally as over-stuffed as this book was.

The descriptions of characters are vivid and well fleshed, the emotions the characters display are fairly obvious with almost nothing held back. Death is a character I really want to see more of. Ms Price's descriptions of Alex's talent is difficult to understand at times.

One thing I did get annoyed at is Alex's naivety, about herself and some of the others around her and her inability to actually ask questions of those around her so she can understand a situation. This is written in first person so it can get a little frustrating when the protagonist seems to be clueless and WE know the others around have the an sewers. I think of it as being a little namby-pamby when a strong woman like Alex won't sometimes take the bull by the horns and demand that answers be given.

A perfectly adequate first in a series, and I WILL be reading the second one

Set in a near-future where magic has reappeared and the Fey have come out of the proverbial closet, Alex Craft is a grave witch who able to raise the shades of the dead, making them visible to others. She is about to embark on the most difficult task of her career; be the first grave witch to raise a shade to testify in court. It will be a landmark change for her industry and has made her a target.

Or is she a target because of the favour she does for her estranged sister, looking into the death of a politician?

There are a number of engaging characters in this world, including a prophetic gargoyle, handsome and mysterious detective, even Death himself.

This is more of a murder mystery than many other offerings in the urban fantasy field, and it holds up well. Yes, it is somewhat formulaic and some sections could use a touch more editing, but overall it is engaging, funny, well-written, and action-packed. The romance is dealt with deftly, the myriad of threads all weave together well and the world is distinct and fully-formed.

I look forward to the next instalment in this series.

This is the first novel in the Alex Craft series, I am always hesitant reading first novels and trying a new series. It always turns into a love it/hate it situation. Happily I really liked this one, it was very different from the typical Urban Fantasy story, not a vamp or shifter to be had, the Fey were the fantasy element, I love well written books about the fey and there isn't enough of them in UF. As I said this book is pretty unique, I mean she makes Death HOT!

Alex is a grave witch, which means she can summon shades of the dead but it's at a big cost to herself. She uses her skills both for her own business and for the police department. She has been estranged from her conservative family for years until her sister calls her to look into the murder of a politician. Women are being murdered in what looks like a ritual. Alex has to connect the two cases while working with the hot Detective Falin who she doesn't quite trust but finds attractive. Meanwhile Death has the hots for Alex and saves her life when someone tries to shoot her, he helps her out with her case when he can but he is very mysterious too. Makes an interesting triangle and I am not sure who I am rooting for yet.

I really enjoyed this book and I already grabbed the second one to add to my growing to-be-read pile. I had never read Kalayna Price so I am really hopeful that the series continues.

' ' ' ' 4/5 I really enjoyed it.

Disowned by her father whom went to extreme length to completely erase her from the family three, Alex Craft is trying her best to earn some money to put food on the table ' and in her dog's bowl. She's a grave witch, raising the deceased's shadows for money. Mostly hired by families in need of closure, she's also sometimes hired by the police to help their investigations. This latest part of the gig is proving to be more dangerous than Alex initially anticipated ' trust me, multiple attempt on one's life isn't usual, even for a witch.

Kalayna Price set an awesome open world (e.g. things that goes bump in the night are out of the closest) and blessed us with an extremely refreshing Lore. I would qualify the Lore as multilayered. First, you have the Fey, with classical lore and magic, then you have Ghosts in the traditional sense, but on top of it, you also have Witches, each with a different affinity (this is the interesting lore part), and Shades, an echo of a person's memory. Can't forget about the Reapers either, especially since there is a really hawt one, blinking in and out of Alex's life at opportune moments.

Now add to this magical shebang a series of gruesome murders, secret politics and a steaming hot cop and you have a rather interesting recipe for an action-packed novel. Tight and fast-paced, Grave Witch's plot will really engross you. Don't be surprise if your heart tries to beat it's way out of your chest from excitement, you should consider yourself warned. You might also find yourself suffering from tachycardia (to keep with the heart's metaphor!) while witnessing some rather steamy scenes. I have a specific moment in mind when Alex is having sex while blind (a side effect of her grave sight), and let me tell you, the temperature in the room must've been boiling hot.

I found myself falling in love with two males in this series. Falin, a grouchy bonehead cop with good looks and multiple surprises in his pocket. I specifically liked his continued banter with Alex ' entertaining dialogue guarantied. Death, a reaper, also stole my heart. He is the sweetest thing and would be the perfect boyfriend if you simply ignore the tiny fact that he is dead' and collect souls as a living. The personality of each character shone light and bright in an otherwise dark and gloomy setting, holding my attention the whole novel.

The conclusion was satisfying if not surprising. Alex Craft did a very good investigating job, and kept us in the loop pretty much every step of the way, so the bad guy wasn't a surprise. The set up for the final battle though was really interesting and I like every suspenseful second of it. Even though the culprit wasn't a shocker other lovely tidbits of information were revealed at the end, and I can't wait to see where the sequel, Grave Dance, will take us from there.

That was a very good story nice pace to it. I sure looking forward to read more of Ms Kalayna Price.