Tag Archives: Alex Craft series

Grave Memory by Kalayna Price – a Review

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Grave Memory by Kalayna Price – a Review

Summary:
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 string of suicides occur in Nekros City and Alex is hired to investigate. The shades have no memory of the days leading up to their brutal endings, so despite the very public apparent suicides, this is murder. But what kind of magic can overcome the human will to survive? And why do the shades lack the memory of their deaths? Searching for the answer might mean Alex won’t have a life to remember at all…

Review:

Grave Memory by Kalayna Price is the 3rd book in her Alex Craft series.  Grave Memory, which is futuristic and takes place in Nekros City, where humans and the supernatural live after the Magical Awakening, picks up not long after Grave Dance ended. For those of you who are not familiar with this series, Alex Craft is a grave witch, who can raise the dead.  She helps the police to solve crimes, but recently she finds herself on the outs with the Police.  Alex has her own detective agency, “Tongues for the Dead” (yes Price has a wonderful sense of humor), which she shares with her friend Rianna, who is also a grave witch.  But Rianna is now a changeling, unable to leave Faerie for long, because of her long time captivity by the Fae. Roy, Alex’s ghost friend, hangs around the agency to help her.

But things are never easy for Alex, as a grave witch, she does get the weirdest cases.  Now she has to solve the case of multiple suicides that are suspicious, and Alex will find out later extremely dangerous.  Someone is taking over the bodies of the victims, enjoying themselves for a few days, and then forces them to kill themselves, so they can then move to another unsuspecting body to live in. 

Alex uses all her friends, and even those not her friends to help find this rider, and must find a way to stop him, since he cannot be killed.  This entire story was totally exciting right to the very last page, and Kalanya Price does such a good job keeping the storyline flowing, with all the adventure, danger and twists along the way.  

There were so many other things also that I enjoyed about Grave Memory.  We learn more about Alex’s Fae ancestors, spend some time in Faerie land, and also meet a number of the different Fae courts, Alex’s fae ancestors, and things we get to know about Alex’s family.  Some of those are surprises.  Kalayna does a great job creating wonderful characters for this world of Alex Craft, especially the two men in her life.  We get to see Falin, the knight of the Winter Queen, who wants Alex for her court at any costs. But this story had a lot of Death (he is a soul searcher and she nicknamed him that), and after this book, I loved him.  Super character, super romance, and even though Falin is nice, his ties to the Winter King are hard on Alex.  But then again, who Death is, is also an issue. 

With her friends, Death, his co horts, Roy, his ghost friends, Briar… Alex fights the fight that is dangerously close to death for a few.  Very exciting, and Kalayna has such a wonderful imagination to create this story and the worldbuilding. I have totally become a fan of Alex Craft and Kalayna’s writing.  She is a fun heroine, and her future is unlimited. If she survives, as Alex is always putting herself in danger. This is a fun, exciting and action filled story, and I love that the Fae’s play a big part in this.  This book has me totally in Death’s corner, but as usual it has an interesting ending, that will ensure you buy the next book.

READING ORDER
1. Grave Witch
2. Grave Dance
3. Grave Memory

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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GRAVE WITCH (Alex Craft 1) by Kalayna Price

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Grave Witch by Kalayna Price

GRAVE WITCH (Alex Craft #1) by Kalayna Price

GRAVE WITCH is the first book in Kalayna Price’s Alex Craft series of novels. Alex (Caine) Craft is a grave witch with the power to speak with, and see the dead. In a world where the supernatural have been publicly visible for 70 years, Alex’s talents become necessary when her ability to raise a ‘shade’ speaks volumes for those who have been murdered. Shades are the ‘living’ memories of the recently deceased, but when Alex is targeted by the First Human Society and a shade with a deadly claw, she knows there is more to this investigation than the normal collection of ghosts and shades. The Fae have now targeted Alex in more ways than one. With her talent to raise the shades, the witnesses are no longer needed when victims can speak for themselves.

Alex has grave sight. With the ability to ‘see’ and use magic, grave sight has many side effects including lowering her body temperature and temporary blindness. But over time, Alex’s reputation has found her in the unenviable position to defend her findings and to seek out others for ‘comfort’. When a colleague is injured trying to save Alex, it is she who must defend herself against accusations and as to why they were investigating a murder that had already been solved. Investigating a missing and dead politician will lead Alex to one of the most unlikely homes-her family. Knowing her father does not believe in the use of magic or the supernatural, her visits will result in some nasty accusations and a sister’s warning. But like many of the non-believers, their true heredity will reveal when all is said and done.

There are several men in Alex’s life. Death is the sexy presence who guides and protects Alex from herself and an assassin’s bullet. Corporeal at times and ghostlike at others, Death and his companions will await the souls of the dead. And it is Death’s pronouncement over a dying Alex that will have the grave witch confused. But it is the new detective at the precinct that will catch Alex’s eye. Falin Andrews knows more about the case than he is willing to admit. But seeing Alex in action, using her grave site to help find a missing girl, Falin is the first in line to aid Alex in her recovery. Sleeping with the enemy brings on a whole new meaning.

Investigating several deaths in the supernatural world will make targets out of Alex and Falin. But finding themselves trapped in Faerie and waking up several days later without the knowledge of what has happened, will open Alex’s eyes to the truth behind Falin’s ability to see. When several of the bodies have hidden glyphs, it is Falin who finally discerns the threat is that of the Fae. As part of the FIB (Fae Investigating Bureau) Falin can no longer keep his identity a secret, as well as his feelings for Alex. Living in a human world where magic is not always accepted, can be difficult when you become the target of both worlds.

We are introduced to several other witches who work with and against Alex as she wonders the path of the dead. It is convenient for the investigations when the medical examiner and the CSI investigators have the ability to ‘see’ through the ‘glamour’ of magic and death. Fred, the ever-knowing gargoyle, appears at random places and gives cryptic advice when Alex is not looking. PC, her dog and Caleb her landlord have small but recurring roles. I hope to see more of Caleb, now that we know he too, is playing human in a world of magic. And the presence of a persistent ghost will aid Alex and Falin in their search for the ‘real’ personality hunting for power in the world of the supernatural.

GRAVE WITCH is a great introductory storyline in Kalayna Price’s Alex Craft series. There is plenty of background information revealed regarding the history of the Fae and the Witch’s, but the information is necessary to allow the reader to grasp the premise behind the animosity between the haves and have-nots (as it pertains to power and magic).

READING ORDER
1. Grave Witch
2. Grave Dance
3. Grave Memory

Reviewed by Sandy

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