Grave witch Alex Craft is still reeling from her ordeals in Grave Dance. Her eyesight is still wonky, her relationship with Falin, the fae FIB agent, is seemingly doomed, her love for Death fluctuates with every day she doesn’t see him, and her new, “glowing” way of life may place even more of a strain on her venture into the world of private investigations with her best friend, Rianna.

Everything changes when Alex witnesses a man jump off a building. Ruled a suicide, the case appears cut-and-dried to the police and witnesses – well, the witnesses who can’t see dead people. Alex’s powers as a grave witch throw her into an investigation of apparent suicides — an investigation that finally brings business to Tongues for the Dead, but may also bring the true death to Alex’s doorstop.

Grave Memory by Kalayna Price had me doing the bipolar tango – I laughed, I cried, I pulled my hair and rent my teeth in the manner of all naughty toddlers (or, in this case, naughty reviewers who have a love/hate relationship with cliffhangers). While the main focus of the series is certainly NOT the Many Romances of Alex Craft, my inner romance-junkie lives off the scenes where we see Alex interact with Falin and/or Death. Both men (and I use that term loosely) got equal playing time in Grave Memory, which both pleased and frustrated me. Readers learned a great deal about each in this installment, but very few of the lingering questions regarding either were answered. It would have almost been better to have two books – one focusing on Death and one on Falin and the fae court.

The main part of the plot, though, had me gnawing my nails. The Big Bad causes death by suicide, and he doesn’t appreciate Alex interfering in his fun. This leads to a few spoiler-worthy events that are complete game changers, both in Alex’s life in the human world and in the supernatural world.

Even with my romantic frustrations, I thoroughly enjoyed Grave Memory. Kalayna takes the dark and dangerous side of Urban Fantasy and sprinkles some light-hearted fun, original mythology, and sexy sidekicks. I give it four and a half tombstones.

Book Stats:

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Roc (July 3, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451464591
• ISBN-13: 978-0451464590

Purchase a print copy of Grave Memory from Amazon
Purchase a Kindle copy of Grave Memory from Amazon

Books in the Alex Craft series in the order they should be read:
Grave Witch
Grave Dance
Grave Memory

Grave Dance, the second book in the Alex Craft series by Kalayna Price, is tricky. It starts off all nice and slow, with a few random left feet (no bodies, just left feet) and an abduction of the independent fae by the Winter Queen under the pretense of “protecting” them from the human authorities. Then things start picking up. Alex learns of the repercussions of killing Coleman and what it means to the fae; Death and his soul collector buddies throw in a few delectable nuggets of info about their world; rips in the Aetheric and constructs made of magic and glamour seem to follow Alex wherever she goes. If that isn’t enough, there are events that even made me respect her dad!

Seriously, Grave Dance is jam-packed with paranormal weirdness and some hot, hot tension between Alex, Death, and Falin. There’s enough going on in this book to easily span two or three books, and very little of it gets resolved. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining one bit. It just means we get to see more of these imaginative, flawed, and mysterious characters, which makes me completely ecstatic.

Alex has a few very large roadblocks between herself and happiness right now, one of which is her own heritage. I have a feeling it’s going to interfere with her work with the police department and her friends there. People, even other non-human people, don’t seem to trust “her kind.” I’m curious to see how this is all going to pan out, especially with Falin’s parting words to her and Death’s parting look. Her heritage is going to make both of those relationships a real pain.

Before I enter spoiler territory, I want to give a small but significant mention to my new favorite, shadowy character in the Alex Craft series: Kyran. You came. You saw. You confused the hell out of me. Well played, sir. Well played.

S
P
O
I
L
E
R
A
L
E
R
T

I’m going to leave names out of this as much as possible and play the pronoun game to leave some sort of mystery. Remember, this is all theory and can’t be substantiated in any way, shape, or form unless Kalayna emails me and says, “Yes, yes you brilliant beast, you are correct!” This is what I think happened and why it doesn’t bode well for Alex and Death: The bad guy had to collect souls for a spell to merge his/her reality with the realm of the dead because that’s where his/her lover was. This lover happens to be a reaper, or soul collector, just like Death. I don’t know how the bad guy could see the reaper, though, because he/she was, at least in part, fae, not a grave witch. From what I’ve gleaned from the series, only grave witches can interact with ghosts, shades, and soul collectors. Then there’s the gray man’s ominous words: “Remember this day. Remember this place…This is why the two of you can never be.” The only conclusion I can come to is that reapers are ghosts – albeit bad-ass ghosts – and the bad guy knew the reaper before he/she died.

So who is Death, really? If my theory is correct, he hasn’t been dead long, and I think there’s a reason he hangs around Alex so much other than the sizzling sexual tension. Also, how did the bad guy see the reaper?? I must be missing something extremely obvious.

Book Stats:

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Roc; Original edition (July 5, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451464095
• ISBN-13: 978-0451464095

Purchase a print copy of Grave Dance from Amazon
Purchase a Kindle copy of Grave Dance from Amazon

Books in the Alex Craft series in the order they should be read:
Grave Witch
Grave Dance
Grave Memory

PLEASE NOTE: The contest portion of the Kalayna Price event is now closed. The winner will be chosen at a later date and contacted via email.

It’s a Friday night on the town when you notice a man in the back of the bar watching the crowd with a predatory expression as he sips a glass of red wine. Or is it red wine? If you’re a heroine in an urban fantasy, there is a very good chance he is of the fanged variety. The question is, do the humans around you realize there is a vampire in their midst?

That depends on if the world is “closed” as in the human population is largely ignorant to supernatural’s around them, or “open”—the things that go bump in the night are real, and everyone knows it. If you encounter the above vamp is in a book with a closed world, you might be safe as creatures in hiding tend to avoid drawing too much attention to themselves. Or he might drain you—or one of the unsuspecting bar hoppers—right there in the back booth and the other patrons will assume you couldn’t hold your liquor and passed out. After all, vampires don’t exist, right? If the world is open, the vamp might be on his best behavior because he’ll be reported if he tries anything or because it’s a well known fact the bar owner keeps a loaded crossbow under the bar (you know, beside the shotgun loaded with silver slugs and the bucket of salt water). Or maybe this is a well-known vamp club and by walking in after dark you all but tattooed welcome across your artery.

Open and Closed worlds present different challenges to a character and create a different dynamic between the supernaturals in a story and the humans around them. I’m very pleased that I’ve had the opportunity to explore both sides in my writing.

In my first series, the Novels of Haven, the world is closed. The supernaturals work hard to maintain the secret of their existence, and Kita, the main character and a shifter turned vampire, uses that need of secrecy to her advantage when possible. But in a world where the supernaturals are hiding, exposing them or endangering the secret of their existence can reap very deadly consequences.
In my new series, the Alex Craft novels, which launch today with the release of the very first book, Grave Witch, the world is open. Seventy years before the time of the story, the fae came “out of the mushroom ring” and announced their existence to a skeptical world. A magical awakening occurred, and by the time the story takes place, magic is commonplace.

Alex Craft lives in a world where law enforcement has special units to solve magical crimes, where gargoyles guard buildings, and where reporters scry for good stories. If you hate your freckles or would like to be a larger cup size, there are vanity charms for that. If you need to question the dead, well, that’s where Alex comes in. Alex raises shades, talks to ghosts, and even flirts with Death himself. Because everyone knows magic is real, Alex raises shades—the memories of the dead given solid form—for private clients, for the police on murder cases, and even for the DA’s office. But just because magic is well acknowledged, that doesn’t mean it is always accepted or that even in an open world there aren’t secrets that should remain hidden.

Questions for the readers:

1. Do you prefer reading about open or closed worlds in Urban Fantasy? What are some of your favorite series?
2. If you had Alex’s ability and could speak to the dead, who would you want to question?

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CONTEST INFO: Open to readers WORLDWIDE

Prize: $50.00 Electronic Amazon gift card

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Alex Craft is a grave witch. She isn’t a master spellcrafter, and she can’t predict the future. What she can do is tap into the realm of the dead. She can raise shades of the deceased, see ghosts, and communicate with Death, who happens to be a huge fan of coffee.

Since being a grave witch isn’t a lucrative career, Alex occasionally works the police department. She’s even preparing to be the first grave witch to raise a shade to testify in court. Death pushes her out of the line of fire, and it’s assumed that the failed shot is in retaliation for her involvement in the murder case. The true motive is far darker, and involves a politician, the fae, and a mysterious woman called Shadow Girl.

Grave Witch by Kalayna Price has everything – a kick-ass heroine with major emotional issues, the personification of Death, a yummy, mysterious detective, and a random gargoyle. It was funny, well-written, and never let up on the action and intrigue. I’ve been a huge fan of Kalayna since first reading her Haven series, and I jumped at the opportunity to review Grave Witch.

Falin cracked me up through most of Grave Witch. In the beginning, he would storm in, say something shocking, then storm out or be thrown out. His scenes consisted of little else. Then he started saving Alex’s life. A bit of depth was added to his character and he was allowed more screen time. Falin finally comes into his own as a character and love interest after the trip to Eternal Bloom. His murmured assurance that he was more than a warm body really did it for me. He was three-dimensional and sexy while retaining his brooding intensity.

Death, however, ensnared me in his cold hands from the beginning, then slowly started letting go. He popped in and out with a killer smile and cryptic words. His proclamation near the end, however, seemed forced. I felt the attraction, but expected more of a build-up before feelings were revealed. In his defense, the ending itself was rushed, but that’s rather common. Otherwise, we’d be reading five-hundred page novels that seemed too drawn-out. Readers, we are difficult to please.

Book Stats:

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Roc; Original edition (October 5, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451463803
• ISBN-13: 978-0451463807

To purchase a print copy of Grave Witch from Amazon click here.
To purchase a Kindle copy of Grave Witch from Amazon click here.

To purchase a print copy of Grave Witch from Barnes & Noble click here.
To purchase an Nook copy of Grave Witch from Barnes & Noble click here.

Books in the Alex Craft Series in the order they should be read:
Grave Witch

First of all, the cover for Twice Dead by Kalayna Price is hot, hot, hot! The model looks like a sultry Maggie Gyllenhaal wearing the leather outfit Tatius picked out for Kita during the foreign dignitary’s visit. It perfectly sets the scene for the novel—the darkness, the sensuality, the sense that there is more going on than meets the eye.

Second of all, I could not put this book down. Er, I mean, tear my eyes from the computer screen. Kita is stepping into her role as Nathaniel’s companion with surprising ease. Yes, her trademark sarcastic wit is in full-force, but she understands the consequences of her actions and truly tries to do the right thing, even when Tatius tries to claim her for his own and she is set up for murdering a whole slew of people.

That is right. Tatius tries to claim her. I will let that sink in…

Bobby is relatively absent from the novel, which I honestly do not mind. He is not good for Kita. Sure, they have history, but that is it. Kita’s future lies elsewhere, hopefully with a certain dark-haired vampire with a protective streak a mile wide. Speaking of Nathaniel, he is as delicious as ever. He goes against convention once again to protect Kita, and finally reveals his true feelings for her. For most of the novel the reader watches him react to the turmoil in his life, praying he finds a way to overcome all the obstacles. Finally, he acts, but the consequences may be worse than the original situation.

Gil, the flighty scholar bent on turning Kita into a test animal, is in quite a bit of the book. She is still trying to help Kita find any other humans who may have been tagged, or infected, because of an attack that took place in the first novel. It would not do Gil any good if Kita were killed — who would she observe without the shapeshifter-turned-vampire around? The scholar equally helps and hurts Kita in Twice Dead. Without her, Kita would never have been able to save the day and uncover certain mysteries, but she also would not have risked her own and Nathaniel’s lives repeatedly.

Kalayna Price is one of the most under-rated authors in the urban fantasy genre. Her characters are solid and three-dimensional, her plot is complex and well-developed, and her voice is strong and engaging. Kita is one of those heroines you instantly bond with. She is young, naive, and has a lot to learn, but learn she does. With each page, you watch her mature and develop into a leader, a lover, and a woman willing to sacrifice for her friends.

Book Stats:

• Paperback: 266 pages
• Publisher: Bell Bridge Books (February 12, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0984325670
• ISBN-13: 978-0984325672

To purchase a print copy of Twice Dead from Amazon click here.

To purchase a print copy of Twice Dead from Barnes & Noble click here.

Books in the Haven series in the order they should be read:
Once Bitten
Twice Dead

Dead cats don’t cry.

Kita Nekai ran away from her home world to hide in the human one. After all, a woman who can shapeshift into a housecat can hide almost anywhere…until the hunters come for her. Sent by her father, they are to capture Kita and wait until a gate opens to bring her home. Before they can grab her, Kita is attacked and saved by a mysterious man.

Nathaniel only meant to help her, not turn her into a vampire. But he had little choice—it was either let her die or share a piece of himself to save her. She is the first person in a long time to coax the Hermit out of his cave, but no sooner does he have her than a magical magistrate tries to take her away.

The accusation: that Kita tagged, or changed, a rogue shapeshifter who has gone on a murderous rampage. The punishment: death. Kita will need all nine of her lives to deal with her change, battle her feelings for her vampiric hero, and find the rogue before her time is up.

Once Bitten by Kalayna Price took me a while to get into. The heroine grated on my nerves with her whining and her treatment of the people in her life. Nathanial and Bobby, her bobcat childhood friend, seemed one dimensional and typecast to play the warring love interests.

Then a magical thing happened. Kita began to—gasp!—develop as a character. She learned from her mistakes, realized maybe she was being rough on the people trying to help her, and even admitted to feeling emotion.

As for the other legs in her love triangle? Bobby remained somewhat single-sided, but I didn’t mind by the end of the story; he wasn’t important to me. Nathanial was and, luckily, began to shed his steely visage and let his true self shine through.

By the end, Once Bitten became one of my favorite paranormal novels, mainly because of the above mentioned development. It is so rare to actually watch a character evolve, not just read about it. Any author can have a character become open-minded with a well-placed sentence; it takes talent to show how this new open-mindedness is affecting said character and those around her.

Book Stats:

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Bell Bridge Books (January 9, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0980245397
• ISBN-13: 978-0980245394

To purchase a print copy of Once Bitten from Amazon click here.

To purchase a print copy of Once Bitten from Barnes & Noble click here.

Books in the Haven series in the order they should be read:
Once Bitten
Twice Dead