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Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Kalayna Price's Grave Witch book review - snow day




Happy snow day, if you live anywhere near top of the the East Coast of our lovely America you are probably at home drinking some hot chocolate, snowed in  Narnia style and if you are reading from far away then hello, welcome to my winter. Staying home is luxurious, a perfect day to catch up to reading (still trekking through DUNE but it’s glorious, delicious, love it) and reviewing,  Grave Witch is a blast from the past, I read this in 2012 and re-reading the review makes me eager to read the third book, this a good series, I’m tough to please with dark urban fantasy and fantastic fiction but this is something I will continue reading, it's dark, gritty, well written and funny with surprising polished turns that make you sit back in awe.


 GRAVE WITCH by Kalayna Price
Book#1 in series

5* out of 5*

This happens to be a refreshing new dark urban fantasy series that goes beyond the usual witchy stuff, fast moving and thrilling enough to make me pick up the second book the same day I finished this one it delivered a good story and interesting characters that you don't mind spending a few days with. Alex Craft is a grave witch who raises shades; whisps of the life that have long left from any dead body and she's making strides in solving murder cases as bizarre as it is to the general public. One day when she's helping a friend raise a shade of a ritual victim she is scratched and infected with something dark and stinky and more dangerous that she has ever seen beyond the grave. Fear strikes Alex because it might be the end of her even if she is good friends with Death who loves coffee and is clearly smitten with her. On top of her attack she is forced to form a partnership with FIB's Falin Andrews who doesn't leave a good first impression. Together they have to solve a bizarre public figure death but Alex has a hard time trusting him and his reasons for helping her even though she finds him oddly alluring.

We learn that the Necro world is filled with witches and fae and you never know what will happen as the book takes off on full gallop and delvers many magical and intriguing situations and characters. One thing I learned from this series and from Patricia Briggs books is that you never thank a fae because you will owe them and they will collect the debt, faes wear disguises so what if you say "thank you" at the grocery store they work at? Kinda confusing... Fae's aren't my favorite, they almost seem like a cheat, they are so strong and powerful but can look like a frail beautiful human, too much vanity and ego for me, I prefer witches or more ferocious werewolves but still I really liked the book a lot. I had to chuckle every time Andrews told Alex that he has to take her to a hospital, the girl is quite vulnerable yet she manages to solve quite a few mysteries as well as explore her family and the reasons she doesn't get along with them. I really loved the whole book and especially the ending, I'm half way into book two and I'm all ready eying the third which just came out. Price can write for sure, I never read her before and she's quite young but what a talent! Murders, mystery, clever jokes and witty action make this a pleasant read for any day of the year for fans of action and magic in a modern setting.

- Kasia S.





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